What to Watch in April: ‘Tokyo Vice, ‘Outer Range’ and the Return of ‘Barry’

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It seems like the Covid-induced fallow period in which there wasn’t enough new movies or TV shows to watch has truly ended. It would probably be impossible to keep up with everything coming out in April, which includes everything from a Covid-themed comedy to a tale of Mormons and murder. It also includes a new film from one of Texas’s greatest filmmakers. Let’s start with that.

Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood (Netflix, April 1)

Richard Linklater returns to animation for this story of a Texas kid growing up against the background of the Apollo moon landing. (Any resemblance the protagonist bears to a young Richard Linklater is not accidental). Watch on Netflix here.

The Bubble (Theaters and Netflix, April 1)

We haven’t seen many comedies — or dramas, for that matter — that acknowledged the existence of Covid-19, much less made it central to their plots. The latest from Judd Apatow changes that with the story of Hollywood blockbuster’s cast and crew (played by Karen Gillan, Fred Armisen, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm’s Maria Bakalova, David Duchovny, Iris Apatow and others) trying to make a highly anticipated sequel while sequestered in a London hotel. Watch on Netflix here.

The Outlaws (Prime, April 1)

The last couple of months have been kind to Christopher Walken fans. First he showed up on Severance. Now this six-episode series co-created by Stephen Merchant (who also co-stars) and Elgin James (Mayans M.C.) about criminals who run into some unexpected complications while trying to fulfill a community service requirement. Watch with a 30-day free trial to Amazon Prime here.

Slow Horses (Prime, April 1)

Gary Oldman is so good in the 2011 film Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy it’s really a shame we never got a whole string of films in which he played John Le Carré’s spy hero George Smiley. This new series, which adapts a Mick Herron novel about disgraced MI5 agents assigned to humiliating tasks who nonetheless get in over their heads. Oldman stars opposite Olivia Cooke, Jonathan Pryce, Kristin Scott Thomas, and Jack Lowden. Watch with a 30-day free trial to Amazon Prime here.

Tokyo Vice (HBO Max, April 7)

Michael Mann helped revolutionize television in the Eighties with his work on Miami Vice. An adaptation of journalist Jake Adelstein’s coverage of the Tokyo underworld, Tokyo Vice isn’t a sequel to that groundbreaking series, but the name most likely isn’t an accident. Mann both directs the pilot and serves as the series’ executive producer and the cast includes Ansel Elgort (as Adelstein) and Ken Watanabe. Watch on HBO Max here.

Ambulance (Theaters, April 8)

After a foray into Netflix territory with 6 Underground, director Michael Bay returns to the big screen with his thriller about a pair of adoptive brothers (Jake Gyllenhaal and Yahya Abdual-Mateen), a heist gone wrong, and (you guessed it), an ambulance. Shot on a (relatively) low budget after Covid-19 scuttled Bay’s plan for another movie, it remakes a 2005 film from Denmark.

All the Old Knives (Theaters and Prime, April 8)

In this espionage thriller adapted from a novel by Olen Steinhauer, Chris Pine and Thandiwe Newton star as former lovers and co-workers who reunite for a dinner that’s maybe not what it seems at first, thanks to some unanswered questions about an old tragedy. Could one of them have been involved? Jonathan Pryce and Laurence Fishburne round out the cast. Watch with a 30-day free trial to Amazon Prime here.

Metal Lords (Netflix, April 8)

Game of Thrones’ co-creator D.B. Weiss shifts gears with his latest screenplay, a teen comedy starring Jaeden Martell and Adrian Greensmith as a pair of teenage metalheads who might have found the perfect way to fill out their sound by adding a cellist (Emily Spector). Peter Sollett (no stranger to movies about music thanks to Nick & Nora’s Infinite Playlist) directs and no less than Tom Morello serves as the executive music producer. Watch on Netflix here.

61st Street (AMC, April 10)

Created by Peter Moffat (Your Honor) this new legal drama set in Chicago stars Tosin Cole (The Souvenir) and Courtney B. Vance as, respectively, a high school athlete and his lawyer fighting a case involving a dead police officer — and a police force bent on revenge. Watch on AMC Network here.

Killing It (Peacock, April 14)

It’s always good to see Craig Robinson on television, and even better to see him starring in a new show created by Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s Dan Goor and Luke Del Tredici. Claudia O’Doherty co-stars as an eccentric Uber driver who helps guide Robinson’s character out of a tough financial spot by drawing him into the world of snake hunting. Watch with a free subscription to Peacock here.

Not So Pretty (HBO Max, April 14)

Documentarians Amy Ziering and Kirby Dick (On the Record) co-direct this four-part expose of the cosmetics industry. Based on the team’s track record, expect to learn a lot of dirty truths about the business of beauty. Watch on HBO Max here.

Paris, 13th District (Theaters and VOD, April 15)

Three stories by cartoonist Adrian Tomine, a master of intimate, bittersweet tales of personal relationships, provide the inspiration for the latest from Jacques Audiard (A Prophet, The Sisters Brothers), which takes its name from the French neighborhood that serves as its central setting. One of France’s most consistently compelling filmmakers, Audiard co-wrote the script with two peers: Léa Mysius and Céline Sciamma (who also has a new film this month; see below).

Outer Range (Prime, April 15)

At first, this new series starring Josh Brolin as a Wyoming rancher might look like an attempt to draft off the success of Yellowstone, but don’t be fooled by first impressions. Sure, a la Yellowstone, it’s got a name star and a strong supporting cast (including Imogen Poots and Lili Taylor). But does Yellowstone feature a mysterious disappearance and a supernatural black void? It does not, which both sets this series apart and makes it look pretty intriguing. Watch with a 30-day free trial to Amazon Prime here.

Roar (Apple TV+, April 15)

The phrase “all-star cast” gets tossed around a lot, but what else can you call a series that features Nicole Kidman (who also serves as executive producer), Cynthia Erivo, Merrit Wever, Alison Brie, Betty Gilpin and more? Don’t expect to see them all at once, however. This eight-part anthology series features eight stories taken from the short story collection of the same name by Cecelia Ahern. Watch on Apple TV here.

The First Lady (Showtime, April 17)

And speaking of all-star anthology series, this new series focuses on the stories of First Ladies, including Michelle Obama (Viola Davis, who also executive produces), Betty Ford (Michelle Pfeiffer), and Eleanor Roosevelt (Gillian Anderson). Watch with a free trial to Showtime here.

The Northman (Theaters, April 22)

You’ll also find Nicole Kidman appearing in this much different project, a tale of bloody revenge starring Alexander Skarsgård as a Viking warrior prince who’s not to happy about the murder of his father. Robert Eggers (The Witch) directs a cast that also includes Ethan Hawke, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Björk.

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (Theaters, April 22)

Nicolas Cage has been one of the biggest stars in the world, a meme, a tabloid punchline and, most recently, an incredible actor in the midst of a renaissance thanks in large part to his work in last year’s remarkable Pig. He also, based on his willingness to appear in this meta-comedy in which he plays struggling actor/shopaholic “Nick Cage,” has a healthy sense of humor about his public ups and downs.

The Survivor (HBO Max, April 22)

Barry Levinson directs this fact-inspired story starring Ben Foster as Harry Haft, a Polish survivor of Auschwitz who used his boxing skills to keep alive. Hailed as a morally complex comeback for Levinson, the film earned strong reviews when it played Toronto last fall. Watch on HBO Max here.

A Very British Scandal (Prime, April 22)

Claire Foy and Paul Bettany star in this companion piece to the 2018 miniseries A Very English Scandal, playing a couple whose divorce causes a significant public stir. You might even call it a scandal. Watch with a 30-day free trial to Amazon Prime here.

Petite Maman (Theaters, April 22)

French director Céline Sciamma experienced something of an international breakthrough with her 2019 film Portrait of a Lady on Fire. With her latest she offers a smaller scale contemporary story of loss and grief in which an eight-year-old girl attempts to sort through the death of her maternal grandmother.

The Baby (HBO, April 24)

A story of reluctant motherhood and a seemingly evil baby, this eight-part British horror-comedy stars Michelle de Swarte (The Duchess) as a woman who finds herself caring for a child that may not have her best interests in mind. Watch on HBO Max here.

Barry (HBO, April 24, Season 2)

The Baby’s mix of laughs and scares would seemingly make it the ideal companion piece for the alternately funny and bloody (and occasionally quite sad) Barry, which returns for a highly anticipated, Covid-delayed third season tonight. Watch on HBO Max here.

Gaslit (Starz, April 24)

It’s a big night for premium cable premieres. Over on Starz, Julia Roberts, Sean Penn, Dan Stevens, and Betty Gilpin star in this adaptation of a series of the Slow Burn podcast, which retold the Watergate scandal. Specifically, this adaptation focuses on the story of Martha Mitchell (Roberts), the wife to Attorney General John Mitchell who unexpectedly finds herself at the center of the scandal. Watch with a free trial to Starz here.

The Man Who Fell to Earth (Showtime, April 24)

Walter Tevis’s 1963 novel about an alien who visits Earth on a desperate mission of survival was previously adapted as a memorable 1976 movie directed by Nicolas Roeg and starring David Bowie. This new series of the same name serves as a kind of sequel, with Bill Nighy stepping into the Bowie role and Chiewetel Ejiofor playing a new visitor from parts far away (and Naomie Harris and Jimmi Simpson rounding out the cast). (The show hasn’t forgotten the Bowie connection, however. Bowie songs double as episode titles.) Watch with a free trial to Showtime here.

We Own This City (HBO, April 25)

David Simon and George Pelecanos. Crime story. Baltimore. That’s probably all you really need to know to consider this new miniseries a must-see. But here’s a bit more: It stars Jon Bernthal and it’s based on a non-fiction book about corruption in the Baltimore PD’s Gun Trace Task Force. Watch on HBO Max here.

The Offer (Paramount+, April 28)

Thanks to temperamental stars, the objections of the mafia (at least at first), and studio interference, it wasn’t easy to make The Godfather. Starring Miles Teller and Matthew Goode as, respectively, producers Albert S. Ruddy and Robert Evans, this miniseries sets out to tell the inside story. Watch with a free trial to Paramount+ here.

Under the Banner of Heaven (FX/Hulu, April 28)

Based on Into the Wild author Jon Krakauer’s 2003 bestseller of the same name, this new series explores a case in which faith and murder intersect. Andrew Garfield stars as a detective investigating a murder involving polygamy and the outskirts of Mormonism. Watch with a free trial to Hulu here.