The Best Horror Movies And TV Shows Leaving Streaming In April
Streaming is the way most of us consume movies these days, but it is both a blessing and a curse. Yes, we have abundant options between Netflix, HBO Max, Disney+, Hulu, Peacock, and the many other services on the market. The problem is that nothing is really permanent on these services, with movies and TV shows rotating between them constantly – or leaving streaming entirely. Horror fans, in particular, are going to be losing some gems next month as many titles are leaving their current homes.
That being the case, now is the perfect time to add some movies to the ol' watchlist, but ones that can't be left to languish there forever, as they need to be watched with a sense of urgency. They aren't going to be there long, and you would do well to watch them while you can. So, here are some of the best horror movies leaving various streaming services in April, where you can watch them, why you should watch them, and how long you have until they're gone.
Hush (Netflix) - leaving on April 7
Mike Flanagan is synonymous with horror these days as the man behind shows like "The Haunting of Hill House" and movies like "Doctor Sleep." But several years before he broke out as a major name in the genre, he directed a criminally under-seen gem for Blumhouse in the form of 2016's "Hush." The film quietly went to Netflix and skipped theaters, arguably doing it a disservice as it dropped with little fanfare. But before the movie leaves its current streaming home with an uncertain future destination, you would do well to watch one of the filmmaker's early home runs.
The film has a brilliantly simple premise executed expertly by Flanagan. It focuses on a deaf writer (Kate Siegel) who has retreated to an isolated cabin in the woods. Her peaceful isolation is upended when a masked killer (John Gallagher Jr.) appears. The element of our main character being deaf adds a truly inventive layer to a well-trodden sub-genre in the horror space. It's a tight, lean, tense thriller that deserves better than it got in its day.
Annabelle: Creation (Hulu) - leaving on April 19
One would be forgiven for not having a great deal of faith in the follow-up to "Annabelle," which served as the very underwhelming first spin-off in "The Conjuring" universe. Yet, Warner Bros. and New Line managed to course correct in a big way by giving the sequel/prequel, 2017's "Annabelle: Creation" to David F. Sandberg, of "Lights Out" and now "Shazam!" fame. What Sandberg managed to do was justify a reason for these further spin-offs to exist. It's not just a movie for a movie's sake dictated by a studio — it's a genuinely scary, entertaining film befitting James Wan's franchise. Quite frankly, if "Creation" hadn't played so well, one of the best cinematic universes outside of Marvel may not have gone all that far. But Sandberg delivered the goods with this one, and it's absolutely worth a look either for first time viewers, or for those who are already feeling nostalgic about the earlier days of "The Conjuring" universe.
Malignant (HBO Max) - leaving on April 27
Speaking of James Wan, the modern master of horror brought us franchises like "Saw" and "Insidious" before making some of the biggest blockbusters of all time in "Furious 7" and "Aquaman." But when the dust settled from his adventure in the DC Universe, Wan decided to take a trip back to his horror roots, and what he delivered was one of the most bizarre mainstream horror movies in recent memory with "Malignant." While this wild ride may not be for everyone, nobody could ever accuse it of being boring, predictable, or much like anything else in the genre being released by major studios these days. It's Wan giving precisely zero f**ks and going off the rails with applause-worthy results.
I won't spoil the film for those who haven't seen it, but it focuses on a woman (played by Annabelle Wallis) who is having terrifying visions of people who are going to die. Naturally, it begins to seem like she has something to do with the crimes, and the mystery that unfolds is unpredictable, to say the very least of it. The real shame of it is that this movie was released in 2021 when audiences were still hesitant to return to theaters due to the pandemic, which is why it was released on HBO Max the same day it began its theatrical run. But before it departs HBO Max, give this big swing of a movie a shot if you missed it when it first arrived.
Deep Blue Sea (HBO Max) - leaving on April 30
In the pantheon of great shark movies, it is pretty much Steven Spielberg's "Jaws" and everything else. But if there is to be a silver medal awarded to another film in this storied sub-genre, it very arguably should go to "Deep Blue Sea." So many other shark movies have tried to chase the ghost of "Jaws," often coming off as unflattering imitations at best, and cheap knockoffs at worst. In this case, director Renny Harlin said to hell with that and gave us a movie about genetically altered sharks that become too smart for their own good. Deep sea carnage ensues, from Thomas Jane putting on his '90s action hero best, to Samuel L. Jackson having one of the most memorable last scenes in a film possibly ever, this is a ridiculously fun ride that plays like a gangbusters B-movie that was given the big studio treatment. There's nothing else quite like it.
Final Destination (HBO Max) - leaving on April 30
So many horror movies from the early 2000s feel dated, of their time and, in many cases, just don't hold up to modern scrutiny. One of the exceptions to that rule though is director James Wong's "Final Destination." There is a reason that this movie kicked off a franchise that is still going to this day, with a reboot currently in the works. The premise that death has a plan and that plan cannot be cheated is a compelling one, paving the way for outstanding set pieces, amazing death sequences, and lots of mystery weaved into the narrative to keep the audience guessing. And while some might argue "Final Destination 2" perfected the formula, the original film laid it all out for the rest to follow. The first act leading up to the plane disaster that sets everything in motion thanks to Alex Browning (Devon Sawa) and his prophetic dream does, unlike a lot of other horror from that time, hold up. More than two decades removed, it's worth revisiting this turn-of-the-millennium classic.