April’s Netflix Lineup: ‘Black Mirror’ Returns and ‘You’ Concludes
For many people, April is not a fun month given that it’s also Tax Month. Some April Netflix viewers will find additional pain by their coming in very late on the series “You” or seeing Orange Fascist-friendly comedian Tony Hinchcliffe get a platform on the network.
Fortunately, there are still other things worth checking out this April on Netflix. The new season of “Black Mirror” features a sequel to its acclaimed “U.S.S. Callister” episode and a former Doctor Who starring in another episode. The last project from the late creator of the original “Ugly Betty” series sees an unassuming debt collector forced to impersonate a corrupt casino owner while dealing with powerful people who very much want the casino owner dead. The new film from the director of “The Raid” may not have Thai martial arts craziness, but it will still have plenty of righteous ass-kicking.
If watching good Netflix stuff is part of your self-care in these troubled times, maybe one of the following suggestions will point you to something you hadn’t previously considered.
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The Age Of Innocence–Martin Scorsese’s classic film adapts the titular Edith Wharton novel set in Gilded Age Manhattan. Lawyer Newland Archer (Daniel Day-Lewis) hasn’t committed to a society marriage to conformist socialite May Welland (Winona Ryder). When May’s cousin Countess Ellen Olenska (Michelle Pfeiffer) returns to Manhattan, it’s under a cloud of social ostracism for what high society deems scandalous behavior. Archer’s soon attracted to Olenska’s nonconformist views on high society, but tries to preserve his own social standing by going through with marrying Welland. Needless to say, this situation is not a setup for a happy ending.
The Apothecary Diaries Season 1–In an Imperial China-like country, apothecary’s daughter Maomao winds up becoming a maid at the imperial court. She’s not interested in attracting attention to herself, so she hides her extensive knowledge of medicine. But her secret attempt to cure the Emperor’s ill children leads to her being discovered by the eunuch Jinshi. Rather than getting punished, Maomao gets promoted to become a lady-in-waiting to the Emperor’s favorite concubine Gyokuyou. That position allows the pharmacist’s daughter to apply her extensive medical knowledge to help cure other ill members of the imperial court.
Bonnie & Clyde–Arthur Penn’s classic biopic about the titular Depression-era bank-robbing duo may take some liberties with the actual facts. But the film’s realistic for the time depiction of violence (when somebody gets hit by a bullet, the viewer sees blood) made it a milestone in American cinema. When bored Texas waitress Bonnie Parker (Faye Dunaway) encounters petty ex-con Clyde Barrow (Warren Beatty), she’s soon drawn to his unconventional lifestyle. Bonnie’s challenge to Clyde to prove his capability to commit armed robbery soon leads to their falling in love…and becoming wanted fugitives across several states for their string of successful robberies. However, because the targets of Bonnie and Clyde’s crimes happen to be banks and large stores, the criminals become pop heroes a la Luigi Mangione.
Garnachas: Glorious Street Food Season 1–A garnacha is a popular Guatemalan and Mexican dish consisting of a fried corn tortilla topped with refried beans, shredded cabbage, cheese, and whatever other garnishes the eater wants. This docuseries takes viewers into Mexico’s street food scene and features fans of the dish having friendly debates about their shared love for this food.
The Mauritanian–In November 2001, Mohamedou Ould Slahi agrees to talk to some Americans, but winds up getting imprisoned in Guantanamo Bay. Allegedly, he’s accused of being one of the 9/11 organizers. But does that justify holding him incommunicado for several years? Attorneys Nancy Hollander (Jodie Foster) and Teri Duncan (Shailene Woodley) wind up representing Mohamedou. They soon discover that Slahi had been tortured and even raped by Guantanamo guards into making a false confession But getting their client out of the notorious prison would be a different matter altogether.
The Place Beyond The Pines–When motorcycle stuntman Luke Glanton (Ryan Gosling) learns he unknowingly fathered ex-lover Romina Gutierrez’ (Eva Mendes) child Jason, he’s determined to do what he can to provide for his child’s future. But Glanton’s “what he can” means committing bank robberies. After one bad robbery leads to the stuntman’s fatefully crossing paths with rookie cop Avery Cross (Bradley Cooper), the consequences of that encounter will have ripple effects down through the years.
April 8
How To Sell Drugs Online (Fast) Season 4–The hit German crime dramedy returns for its final season. Protagonist Moritz has been released from prison after a four-year sentence and is determined to start a legal business this time. However, the world and his friends have moved on. Bonus Life has been turned by Moritz’ former business partner (and former romantic rival) Dan and his best friend Lenny into one of the top supplement startups. What makes Moritz truly angry is that Dan’s living the life of luxury he once dreamed of. So what will the former drug czar do now?
Kian’s Bizarre B&B Season 1–In this unusual South Korean reality show, webtoon artist and entertainer Kian joins forces with K-pop superstar Jin (BTS) and SNL Korea comedian Ji Ye-eun to run a bed and breakfast on Ulleungdo Island. But as the three celebrities try to figure out how to make their joint enterprise work, the cartoonist’s wild ideas often clash with reality. For example, how about trying a climbing wall – which is located on a barge rocking up and down on the ocean?
April 9
Bad Influence: The Dark Side Of Kidfluencing–This true crime docuseries looks at the allegations surrounding kid influencer Piper Rockelle and her momager Tiffany Smith. Yes, the duo racked up millions of views and dollars. But was it at the expense of sexualizing and abusively intimidating the squad of kid influencers who worked with the duo?
Minted: The Rise (And Fall?) Of The NFT–Nicholas Bruckman directs this documentary which looks at the rise and crash of the NFT market. When crypto met digital art, the result was a mad electronic gold rush. Some renegade outsider artists sought to profit off Non-Fungible Tokens aka NFTs, but they hadn’t counted on the controversies that would collapse the market.
April 10
Black Mirror Season 7–It’s the new season of the Charlie Brooker-created anthology series about the intersection between technology and social issues. This particular season features a couple of sequel episodes. “USS Callister: Into Infinity” brings yet another take on the “Star Trek”-like scenario of “USS Callister.” “Plaything,” the sequel to “Bandersnatch,” brings together an eccentric elderly man (Peter Capaldi), an unusual 1990s video game, a bunch of cute little yellow dudes, and an unsolved murder.
Frozen Hot Boys–In this Thai comedy, a teacher at a youth rehabilitation center wants to reunite with her father. Her plan involves getting a crew of delinquent teen misfits to take part in a snow sculpting contest in Japan.
April 12
How To Make Millions Before Grandma Dies–University dropout and aspiring video game streamer M feels he has no future. But when grandma Mengju is diagnosed with colorectal cancer and is expected to die in a year, M volunteers to care for his grandma in hopes of inheriting her estate. The frosty relationship between grandmother and grandson does change after he informs her of her cancer diagnosis. So why are Mengju’s adult children suddenly solicitous regarding the older woman’s care?
April 15
The Glass Dome–In this Swedish crime drama series, criminologist Leijia travels with former police officer Valter to a small community to investigate the disappearance of a young girl. Can Leijia help despite getting triggered by returning to the same community where she was herself held hostage as a young girl by person(s) unknown?
April 16
The Diamond Heist–Guy Ritchie takes a leap into true-crime documentaries with this mini-series about an audacious real-life crime. When the Millennium Dome (now the O2 Arena) opened in 2000, it provided a venue for housing some of the world’s most expensive diamonds. South-East London criminal Lee Wenham decides his last job will be an audacious theft of the valuable jewels. The plan involved the criminals using a bulldozer in broad daylight to ram their way through the Dome and into the vault, haul off as many diamonds as they can (including the world’s second biggest flawless diamond), and make their getaway via a speedboat down the Thames. Unfortunately for the would-be thieves, they didn’t know the Flying Squad were already watching them.
I Am Not Mendoza–In this dramedy created by the late Fernando Gaitan (“Ugly Betty”), unassuming debt collector Julian Garcia is forced to assume the identity of Mendoza. The man Garcia is impersonating happens to be the president of a major Mexico City casino that’s gone bankrupt. But being forcibly married to Mendoza’s fiancee Laura Santander is the least of Garcia’s problems. There are powerful enemies who want the man they think is Mendoza very much planted six feet under.
Project UFO–This 1980s-set Polish TV series is based on the Emilcin Abduction. When a reported UFO landing in a small town grips Poland in fear, two men get caught up in the search for answers. One man hosts a “Close Encounters”-type TV show. The other is an extraterrestrial enthusiast. However, neither man suspects a political opportunist has launched a conspiracy to use the supposed landing in a bid to seize power.
April 18
iHostage–On February 22, 2022, a masked assailant took the customers and staff of an Amsterdam Apple store hostage and demanded a ransom of 200 million euros. This dramatization focuses on a Bulgarian man who finds himself in the center of the crisis, but it also focuses on the perspectives of the attacker and the first responders involved. While police input helped bring technical accuracy to the film, certain details of the actual incident have been deliberately fictionalized.
Oklahoma City Bombing: American Terror–This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Oklahoma City Bombing. On this date in 1995, Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols set off a truck bomb at the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building that claimed 168 lives (including that of 19 children) and injured more than 600 people. Director Greg Tillman’s documentary recounts the events that would make this bombing the deadliest act of domestic terrorism in U.S. history.
April 21
American Sniper–When Chris Kyle (Bradley Cooper) sees footage of the 1998 U.S. embassy bombings, he joins the Navy and eventually becomes a U.S. Navy SEAL sniper. Sent to Iraq in the wake of the September 11 attacks, Kyle’s record of successful kills soon gets him involved with the hunt for al-Qaeda leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. But guilt over his war experiences plays havoc with his home life, a situation that worsens as the Syrian Olympic Games medalist sniper Mustafa successfully decimates U.S. military personnel.
April 23
Bullet Train Explosion–In this remake of the Japanese film “The Bullet Train,” the Tokyo-bound Hayabusa 60 shinkansen and all aboard become hostages to a bomber whose explosive device will go off if the train slows below 100 km/h. The price of saving everyone aboard: 100 billion yen. Now both the train crew and government agents must race against time to find both the bomber and a safe way to defuse his bomb. For the curious, “The Bullet Train” came out years before “Speed.”
UnBroken: Would You Hide Me?–How did director Beth Lane’s mother and her six siblings in the Weber family manage to survive the Holocaust as children and escape to the United States? The director’s international search for answers leads to her piecing together an incredible story of children forced to use their cunning and instincts to both stay united and evade such hazards as hunger, rape, and fear for two years in Nazi Germany. Ironically, what would help the young Webers leave war-torn Germany for a fresh start overseas meant separating from each other for several decades.
April 25
Havoc–Is it enough to know that this film is the new action flick from Gareth Evans aka the director of the martial arts classic “The Raid?” There might be no martial arts in this one, but there is Tom Hardy in the lead role. Hardy is Walker, a jaded and bruised police detective who’s just watched a drug heist swerve lethally out of control. Now he has to dive deep into his city’s criminal underworld to both save a politician’s estranged son and unravel the web of conspiracy and corruption strangling his city.
April 28
Chef’s Table: Legends–The 10th anniversary of this acclaimed food docuseries presents an edition focusing on “the culinary icons who have helped shape the modern world of food.” Subjects for this series are living legends Jamie Oliver, Jose Andres, Alice Waters, and Thomas Keller.
April 30
Asterix & Obelix: The Big Fight–Rene Goscinny and Albert Uderzo’s classic graphic novel series gets a new film adaptation based on the stories “Asterix And The Big Fight” and “Asterix And The Soothsayer.” For those just coming in, the Roman legions have conquered nearly all of Gaul. The only successful holdout is a teeny-tiny Gallic village which has a special secret weapon: a magic potion whipped up by the Druid Getafix that gives the people who drink it superhuman strength. But when Asterix and Obelix’ efforts to rescue Getafix from an attempted Roman kidnapping effort accidentally results in the Druid forgetting how to make the magic potion, the village is in big trouble. To make matters worse, conman Prolix uses his soothsayer scam to prey on the villagers’ superstitions.
The Eternaut–In this adaptation of an acclaimed graphic novel by disappeared Argentine comics writer Hector G. Oesterheld and artist Francisco Solano Lopez, a mysterious summer night snowfall in the skies of Buenos Aires leaves millions of people dead the next morning. Juan Salvo and other survivors soon discover the snow-like substance is actually a weapon serving as a prelude to an alien invasion. But this incursion is one that Salvo and other survivors on the continent must fight alone. World leaders have let the aliens have their way in South America to spare their own nations from attack.
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