The Best Movies & TV Shows Coming To Netflix In April 2017
Now that the weather is getting nicer, you might not want to sit at home on the couch to watch stuff on Netflix, but the streaming service is going to do their best to keep you there with their new line-up of shows and movies getting added to their library in April.
As usual, there are a bunch of Netflix originals, including some movies that debuted at the SXSW Film Festival, new episodes of Mystery Science Theater 3000, a new comedy special from Louis C.K., a new season of The Get Down and more. But there are also plenty of licensed titles ranging from a Disney sports classic to a Best Picture winner.
Get our personal recommendations and the full list of TV shows and movies coming to Netflix in April 2017 below.
Cool Runnings
It's a shame that Disney rarely makes underdog sports comedies like this anymore. The story of the Jamaican bobsled team who didn't make it anywhere near victory, but stared in the face of adversity and gained the respect of Olympic athletes and fans everywhere is a little goofy, but it has that signature uplifting spirit that Disney sports movies ran rampant with in the 1990s. Feel the rhythm, feel the rhyme, get on up, it's bobsled time. Feel free to make this a fun double feature by watching Eddie the Eagle along with it. Available April 1.
Gremlins
Here's another prime example of the kind of movie that just doesn't get made anymore. Director Joe Dante and producer Steven Spielberg teamed up to make this horror comedy that features some creature effects that are still impressive to this day. Scary, funny and just plain great, it's one of those movies that doubles as a Halloween favorite and a Christmas staple. But really, you can watch it at any time and be just as satisfied. Available April 1.
Schindler's List
It's hard to believe, but Steven Spielberg managed to have a Best Picture winner the exact same year that his action adventure Jurassic Park hit theaters. The movies couldn't be more different, but it's a testament to just how great of a filmmaker Spielberg really is. Schindler's List is close to the filmmaker's heart since he's a Jewish American, and his passion shows in this historical drama that is one of the definitive depictions of the Holocaust during World War II. Available April 1.
Tropic Thunder
Take Three Amigos and mix it with Apocalypse Now and you get Tropic Thunder, a raucously hilarious romp that delivers a fine parody of war dramas while also coming through with some impressive action and setpieces, albeit riddled with raunchy, gutbusting humor. Robert Downey Jr. got an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor, a rare honor for an actor in a comedy, and absolutely deserved it. But the real scene stealer is Tom Cruise as Les Grossman, the jerk-off film executive who will make you crack up every time he yells, which is pretty much all the time. Available April 1.
The D-Train
This Jack Black comedy went under the radar after it premiered at Sundance Film Festival a couple years ago, but it's marginally better than pretty much everything else Jack Black has done in the past decade (with the exception of Bernie). In this indie, he's paired with James Marsden as the two party it up for their high school reunion and have more than a friendly bond. This one takes one particularly surprising turns and you'd be far better served just watching it rather than knowing what's in store. Available April 2.
Win It All
This is one that I haven't seen yet, but the buzz from SXSW was rather strong for Joe Swanberg's latest. But our own Jacob Hall enjoyed it quite a bit at the festival, saying:
"The greatest trick Win It All pulls is that it's not about a schlub learning about the important things in life – it's a movie about a schlub learning about the important things in life and then meticulously putting the pieces of his life back together. So much of the film's comedy and sweetness stems from Eddie acknowledging that its time to grow up and take personal responsibility. You know, the stuff that's usually jammed into a third act montage in most comedies.
In fact, Win It All's biggest stumble comes when it disregards Eddie's growth in favor of a silly and slapdash (if admittedly crowd-pleasing) climax, where personal growth is thrown to the wayside in favor of big stakes. Thankfully, the film rebounds with its very sudden and very perfect ending."
Jake Johnson stars in the movie, if that does anything for you, and it's available on April 7.
Kubo and the Two Strings
Even though it didn't win the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, this stop-motion masterpiece from Laika deserves your full attention, not just for its stunning animation, but for its touching story of love and loss. Not much more needs to be said about this one, so just go watch it. Available April 8.
The Prestige
Everyone loves to talk about Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy, but The Prestige deserves much more attention than it seems to get. It's a cinematic magic trick, both literally and figuratively, and if you don't know what I mean from that, you should take the time to read this fantastic article at The AV Club from last year, which examines the trick at the center of the movie much more deeply. Just make sure you watch the movie first, or even rewatch it, before you take the dive into the deeper meaning. Available April 21.
Small Crimes
Here's one more that debuted at SXSW, which Jacob Hall also liked a fair amount. In his review he wrote:
"Small Crimes isn't Cheap Thrills, but that's okay. It's different enough to prove that [E.K.] Katz isn't a one-trick pony while also being unpredictable and gnarly enough to prove that he's not going soft on us. There's a gas station paperback energy to this film: fast, mean, direct, and not concerned at all with your feelings. There's a place for this kind of entertainment and Katz is pretty damn good at delivering it."
That sounds like a suspenseful thriller worth watching. Available April 28.
Get the full list of Netflix releases coming in April 2017 on the next page.
April 1A Weekend with the Family (2016)
A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
Across the Universe (2007)
An American Tail (1986)
An American Tail: Fievel Goes West (1991)
An American Tail: The Mystery of the Night Monster (1999)
Boy Bye (2016)
Born To Be Free (2016)
Cool Runnings (1993)
Good Witch: Season 2 (2016)
Gremlins (1984)
Only for One Night (2016)
Richard Pryor: Live & Smokin' (1971)
Scooby-Doo (2002)
Schindler's List (1993)
Something's Gotta Give (2003)
Thunderstruck (2012)
Wynonna Earp: Season 1 (2016)
Trouble with the Curve (2012)
Tropic Thunder (2008)
The Tenth Man (2016)
April 2
The D Train (2015)
April 4Chewing Gum: Season 2—NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Louis C.K. 2017—NETFLIX ORIGINAL
April 6Disney's The BFG (2016)April 7El Faro De Las Orcas—NETFLIX ORIGINAL FILM
Dawn of the Croods: Season 3—NETFLIX ORIGINAL
The Get Down: Part 2—NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Win It All—NETFLIX ORIGINAL FILM
April 8Kubo and the Two Strings (2016)April 10Documentary Now!: Season 2 (2016)April 11Kevin Hart: What Now? (2016)April 12DC's Legends of Tomorrow: Season 2 (2016)April 14Chelsea: Season 2—NETFLIX ORIGINAL
El Elegido (2017)
Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Return—NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Sandy Wexler—NETFLIX ORIGINAL FILM
April 15Disney's Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey (1993)
Slam—NETFLIX ORIGINAL FILM
April 18Lucas Brothers: On Drugs—NETFLIX ORIGINALApril 19A Plastic OceanApril 21Bill Nye Saves the World: Season 1—NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Girlboss: Season 1—NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Hot Girls Wanted: Turned On: Season 1—NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Sand Castle—NETFLIX ORIGINAL FILM
Tales by Light: Season 2—NETFLIX ORIGINAL
The Mr. Peabody & Sherman Show: Season 4—NETFLIX ORIGINAL
The Prestige (2006)
Tramps—NETFLIX ORIGINAL FILM
April 22The Great British Baking Show: Masterclass: Season 1-3 (2016)
The Secret Life of Pets (2016)
April 23Liv and Maddie: Season 4 (2016)
Phantom (2013)
April 24Long Nights Short Mornings (2016)April 25Disney's Queen of Katwe (2016)
The 101-Year-Old Man Who Skipped Out on the Bill and Disappeared—NETFLIX ORIGINAL FILM
Vir Das: Abroad Understanding—NETFLIX ORIGINAL
April 26Real Rescues: Season 6-7 (2012)
Trust (2010)
April 27Las Chicas del Cable: Season 1—NETFLIX ORIGINALApril 28A Murder in the Park (2014)
Casting JonBenet—NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Dear White People: Season 1—NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Rodney King—NETFLIX ORIGINAL FILM
Small Crimes—NETFLIX ORIGINAL FILM
April 30Sofia the First: Season 3 (2015)