Ajeeb Daastaans, The Big Bull, Without Remorse: What's streaming on Netflix, Amazon, Disney+ Hotstar in April

If you spent your Holi weekend binge-watching The Irregulars on Netlfix, and are facing a roadblock on what to do next?  Well, to your relief a new month indicates that the digital calendar is brimming with new content, from horror, fantasy shows to psychological thrillers and action extravaganzas.

On Netflix, get ready to head into the YA fantasy series Shadow & Bone, film festival favourite The Disciple, and action superhero film Thunder Force. On the other hand, the Disney streaming service will debut the John Stamos' basketball dramedy Big Shot. 

We have dug deep into the abyss of OTT platforms to collate a comprehensive list of content that is available to stream on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ Hotstar, MUBI India, among several others in April.

Netflix

Irul - 2 April

Directed by Naseef Yusuf Izuddin, the film stars Fahadh Faasil, Soubin Shahir, Darshana Rajendran.  It promises a gripping murder mystery and revolves around three people in an empty house trying to find a killer during a power cut amid heavy rain.

Irul is jointly produced by Anto Joseph Film Company and Shameer Muhammed, Jomon T John's Plan J Studios. Jomon is also the director of photography while Shameer has also donned the editor's hat.

Madame Claude - 2 April

She was a salacious icon of 20th century Paris — the brothel-keeper to the stars — and Netflix hopes the basis for another hit in the recent run of French successes.

In the 1960s and 1970s, Madame Claude, real name Fernande Grudet, had a client book that read like the guest list to a royal wedding: captains of industry, President John F Kennedy, Marlon Brando, the Shah of Iran. There were enough secrets being divulged on her pillows to ensure protection from the authorities, as well as considerable interest from the secret services.

But in the latest telling, releasing on Netflix on 2 April, the glamour in which her story was often shrouded is stripped away to show a darker reality.

Concrete Cowboys - 2 April

Concrete Cowboys, based on the novel Ghetto Cowboy by author Greg Neri, marks the directorial debut of Ricky Staub, who has also penned the screenplay with Dan Walser.

It follows 15-year-old Cole (Caleb McLaughlin), who is taken to live with his estranged father Harp (Idris Elba) in North Philadelphia, where he discovers the city’s vibrant urban cowboy subculture, which flourishes despite the surrounding poverty, violence, and encroachment of gentrification.

The film, which had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2020, has been produced by Lee Daniels Entertainment in collaboration with Tucker Tooley Entertainment and Elba’s Green Door Pictures.

The Serpent - 3 April

The Serpent is based on the crimes of a serial killer named Charles Sohbraj. Sobrahj was a notorious murderer, thief, and what some would consider being a seductive master of disguise that hid in the shadows murdering many young tourists during the mid-’70s on Asia’s infamous hippie trail.

The eight-part limited series stars Tahar Rahim as Charles Sobhraj, Jenna Coleman as Marie-Andrée Leclerc, Billy Howle as Herman Knippenberg; Ellie Bamber as Angela Knippenberg, Amesh Edireweera as Ajay Chowdhury and Tim McInnerny as Paul Siemons, among others.

Thunder Force - 9 April

Octavia Spencer and Melissa McCarthy team up for Thunder Force, Netflix's superhero spoof where they play two best friends. While McCarthy's special powers include mammoth strength, Spencer dabbles with invisibility. Jason Bateman appears as a minor villain with the main position filled up by Bobby Cannavale.

Ajeeb Daastaans - 16 April

After Lust Stories and Ghost Stories, Karan Johar is bringing another anthology of interesting tales to Netflix titled Ajeeb Daastaans. It consists of four shorts that explore the surprising ways in which unexpected catalysts inflame the uncomfortable emotions simmering under fractured relationships. The film has been co-directed by Neeraj Ghaywan, Shashank Khaitan, Raj Mehta, and Student of The Year actor Kayoze Irani. It features Nushrratt Bharucha, Konkona Sen Sharma, Shefali Shah, Aditi Rao Hydari, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Jaideep Ahlawant, Inayat Verma, Manav Kaul, Tota Roy Chowdhury, and Abhishek Banerjee in interesting roles.

Stowaway - 22 April

Directed by Joe Penna, Stowaway is billed as a space thriller and stars Anna Kendrick, Daniel Dae Kim, Toni Collette and Shamier Anderson. The official synopsis reads, "On a mission headed to Mars, an unintended stowaway accidentally causes severe damage to the spaceship’s life support systems. Facing dwindling resources and a potentially fatal outcome, the crew is forced to make an impossible decision."

Shadow and Bone - 23 April

Shadow and Bone is an upcoming adaptation of Leigh Bardugo’s Grishaverse fantasy novels.

The series is set in a war-torn world where, per Netflix, “lowly soldier and orphan Alina Starkov (played by English actress Jessie Mei Li) has just unleashed an extraordinary power that could be the key to setting her country free. With the monstrous threat of the Shadow Fold looming, Alina is torn from everything she knows to train as part of an elite army of magical soldiers known as Grisha.”

The Disciple - 30 April

The Disciple, an award-winning movie encapsulates the journey of Sharad (Aditya Modak), who diligently follows the traditions and discipline of the old masters- his guru and his father and devoted his life to becoming an Indian classical music vocalist. However, as the years go by, Sharad starts to wonder whether it’s really possible to achieve the excellence he’s striving for.

Written and directed by Chaitanya Tamhane, the film is produced by Vivek Gomber and executive produced by Alfonso Cuarón. The Disciple was awarded the FIPRESCI International Critics Prize (FIPRESCI, short for Federation Internationale de la Presse Cinematographique) and the Best Screenplay award at the 77th Venice International Film Festival.

Amazon Prime Video

Them - 9 April

Joining the ranks of eerie anthology series Black Mirror and Homecoming, Them is a new original terror anthology created by Little Marvin and executive produced by Lena Waithe. The trailer gives a taste of the fraught 1950’s setting and with plans to develop further series based on terror in America, the first chapter of Them follows a Black family moving to an all-white neighbourhood in Los Angeles during a period of time called “The Great Migration.” But moving pains give way to malevolent, monstrous forces that threaten to destroy them. It stars Deborah Ayorinde, Ashley Thomas, Allison Pill and is set to premiere on Prime Video on 9 April.

Tom Clancy's Without Remorse - 30 April

Without Remorse, led by Michael B Jordan, is a new film series based on author Tom Clancy's character John Clark.

Jordan has taken on the part of John Terrence Kelly aka Clark, who is Clancy's second most famous character after Jack Ryan.

First published in 1993, Without Remorse is an origin story about John Kelly, a Navy SEAL who avenges his wife's murder only to find himself inside a larger conspiracy. "When Kelly joins forces with fellow SEAL Karen Greer and shadowy CIA agent Robert Ritter, the mission unwittingly exposes a covert plot that threatens to engulf the U.S. and Russia in an all-out war," reads the official description.

Disney+Hotstar

The Big Bull - 8 April

The Big Bull is based on the life of Harshad Mehta, a stockbroker, involved in financial crimes over a period of 10 years, from 1980 to 1990. Abhishek Bachchan will portray the protagonist in the film, co-starring Nikita Dutta, Ileana D'Cruz, Sohum Shah, Ram Kapoor and Saurabh Shukla.

Directed by Kookie Gulati, The Big Bull is produced by Ajay Devgn and Anand Pandit. Kumar Mangat Pathak and Vikrant Sharma team up as co-producers.

Big Shot - 16 April

Big Shot follows Coach Korn (John Stamos) who, after getting ousted from the NCAA, is given a chance for redemption with a coaching position at an elite private high school. He soon learns that the teenage players require empathy and vulnerability — foreign concepts for the stoic coach. By learning how to connect with his players, Korn starts to grow into the person he’s always hoped to be. The girls learn to take themselves more seriously, finding their footing both on and off the court.

The New Mutants - 10 April

In this terrifying, action-filled film based on the Marvel comic series, five young people who demonstrate special powers are forced to undergo treatment at a secret institution — allegedly to cure them of the dangers of their powers. But it’s soon clear that their containment is part of a much bigger battle between the forces of good and evil!

22 vs Earth - 30 April

A prequel to SOUL, this short follows 22 in her hilarious antics to prevent young souls from going to Earth.

Mare of Easttown - 19 April

As her life crumbles around her, a small-town Pennsylvania detective Mare Sheehan (Kate Winslet) investigates a local murder. The series explores the dark side of a close community and provides an authentic examination of how family and past tragedies can define our present.

MUBI India

The Beach Bum - 3 April

Harmony Korine’s first feature since 2012’s Spring Breakers, The Beach Bum is an original and irreverent stoner comedy that follows the hilarious misadventures of Moondog (Matthew McConaughey), a rebellious and lovable rogue who lives life large.

When Hari Got Married - 11 April

Directed by Ritu Sarin and Tenzing Sonam this documentary follows Hari, a taxi driver in Himachal, as he is all set to get married to Suman, a girl he has never met. Tradition dictates that they will only see each other on the day of their wedding. But Hari has found another way to get to know her: on the mobile phone. Over the past few months, they have spoken to each other every day and have fallen in love. Hari’s unusual courtship and marriage provide a warm and illuminating insight into the changes taking place in India as modernisation and globalisation collide with age-old traditions and customs.

SonyLiv

Kathmandu Connection

The narrative revolves around three parallel investigations across borders. Directed by Sachin Pathak, the show has an ensemble cast that includes Amit Sial, Gopal Datt, Aksha Pardasany, Anshumaan Pushkar and others.

Leonardo - 9 April

The series will track how Leonardo da Vinci grew into an unparalleled genius whose work overturned the established order. His restless curiosity flitted between arts, science and technology, driven by a profound quest for knowledge and determined to unfold the mysteries of the world around him. The series attempts to unlock the enigma of this extraordinary man, through an untold story of mystery and passion. Created by Frank Spotnitz and Steve Thompson the show features Aidan Turner, Giancarlo Giannini, Matilda De Angelis amongst others.

Zee5

Raat Baaki Hai - 16 April

The ZEE5 Original, Raat Baaki Hai, is based on Atul Satya's popular play Ballygunje-1990, which was set in Rajasthan.

The film, which will feature actors Paoli Dam, Anup Soni and Rahul Dev in the lead, has been described as a tale of "love, deceit and revenge". It revolves around one night where two estranged lovers end up meeting each other after 12 years under strange circumstances.

Main Hero Boll Raha Hu - 20 April

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The show stars Parth Samthaan, Patralekha and Arslan Goni in the lead roles and revolves around the story of a gangster, who aims to make it big as a film financier in Bollywood.

His Storyy - 25 April

His Storyy stars Satyadeep Misra, Priyamani and Mrinal Dutt in the lead roles. Misra talked about the show, and said, “The story is set in Bombay, and is about a family, where the couple has been together for years and also have teenage children. But then the husband’s infidelity comes into the picture, and he is in a relationship with another man, and that breaks the family. The series shows the perspective of three people in the show, and how they react to everything that is going on.”

BookMyShow Stream (All TBA)

Ammonite

Directed by Francis Lee, Ammonite follows an unlikely romance between a palaeontologist Mary Anning (Kate Winslet) and a rich tourist (Saoirse Ronan) recuperating from a personal tragedy.

Midsommar

Directed by Ari Aster, Midsommar sess a couple travelling to Scandinavia to visit a rural hometown's fabled Swedish mid-summer festival. What begins as an idyllic retreat quickly devolves into an increasingly violent and bizarre competition at the hands of a pagan cult. The film stars Florence Pugh, William Jackson Harper, Will Poulter, Jack Reynor, Vilhem Blomgren, Ellora Torchia and Archie Madekwe.

The Catcher Was A Spy

The Catcher Was a Spy is a 2018 American war film directed by Ben Lewin and written by Robert Rodat, based on the book of the same name by Nicholas Dawidoff. It stars Paul Rudd as Moe Berg, a former baseball player who joined the war effort during World War II and participated in espionage for the US Government.