11 new movies and shows to watch on Netflix, Prime Video, HBO Max and more

April is bringing a veritable shower of new movies and shows to watch on Netflix, Prime Video, HBO Max, Hulu and other streaming services. This weekend features a variety of options, from an espionage thriller to a coming-of-age rocker to a teen murder mystery.

The headliner is All the Old Knives, a spy vs. spy suspense film that sizzles thanks to the chemistry between leads Chris Pine and Thandiwe Newton. For more light-hearted but louder fare, Metal Lords follows two teen boys whose quest for Battle of the Bands glory is upended by a female bassist. 

Several fan-favorite series make returns, including Elite season 5, Woke season 2 and iCarly season 2. Among new premieres, documentary fans have two very different choices in Tony Hawk: Until the Wheels Come Off (one of our picks for the must-see new movies and shows in April 2022) and Ken Burns’ Benjamin Franklin.

And reality fans who like mess can tune into The Ultimatum, the new offering from the team behind Love Is Blind. 

Here’s our guide on what to watch this weekend.

All the Old Knives (Prime Video)

Chris Pine and Thandiwe Newton star in this tense thriller as spies and ex-lovers who play a smoldering cat-and-mouse game over dinner — shades of Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Henry has been tasked by his CIA boss (Lawrence Fisbhburne) to look into an old case: a plane hijacking that ended with the deaths of everyone on board, including the terrorists. 

The disaster still haunts the CIA to this day, especially since they suspect a mole might’ve leaked info to the terrorist. Celia is a prime suspect, since she left the agency immediately after the event. Now, she’s married with two kids living in Carmel, California. And Henry must wine and dine her, trading on their previous relationship to dig for the truth. As the meal progresses, it begins to feel like one of them might not make it to dessert. 

Streaming now on Prime Video (opens in new tab)

Tokyo Vice (HBO Max)

Miami Vice producer Michael Mann may direct the first episode of the crime drama Tokyo Vice, but don’t think it’s a spinoff of the iconic ‘80s hit. They do share Mann’s stylish visual flair: neon lights, shadowy night shots, angled close-ups. The series is loosely based on Jake Adelstein’s memoir about his experience as a white journalist working for a Japanese newspaper. 

Ansel Elgort plays a fictionalized version of Adelstein, a “gaijin” crime reporter who is determined to prove himself to editor Emi (Rinko Kikuchi) and veteran detective Katagiri (Ken Watanabe). Despite his proficiency with the language, Jake is a fish out of water. Yet, his outsider status also makes him bold enough to jump right into the city’s seedy underbelly and begin investigating the notorious, very dangerous Yakuza. 

Streaming now on HBO Max (opens in new tab)

This is no tale of a boy band. First of all, the band in question isn’t made up of just boys. And second, they’re called Skull F*cker — not the kind of name you’ll hear on pop radio. Metal Lords comes from writer D.B. Weiss (Game of Thrones), director Peter Sollett (of Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist) and music consultant Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine).

Kevin (Jaeden Martell) and Hunter (Adrian Greensmith) are fans of heavy metal groups like Metallica and Black Sabbath. They decide to enter their school’s Battle of the Bands with Kevin on drums and Hunter on guitar/vocals, but need a bassist. Enter talented and temperamental cellist Emily (Isis Hainsworth). Kevin is very welcoming, partially because he has a crush on her, while Hunter is resistant. A bitter falling-out ensues, blocking their dreams of glory.

Streaming now on Netflix (opens in new tab)

61st Street (AMC)

This new legal drama explores the difficult and often devastating experience of Black people in the historically prejudiced legal system. Moses Johnson (Tosin Cole) is a gifted track star with a ticket out of Chicago’s South Side by way of a college athletic scholarship. But when a drug bust goes wrong and results in the death of a police officer, Moses finds himself targeted by the city’s notoriously corrupt criminal justice agencies. 

Public defender Franklin Roberts (Courtney B. Vance) has just received a cancer diagnosis but that doesn’t stop him from taking Moses’ case. He and his wife Martha (recent Oscar nominee Aunjanue Ellis) believe his plight could provoke an outcry for real reform. 

Airing Sunday, April 10 at 10 p.m. ET on AMC (via Sling (opens in new tab) or Fubo (opens in new tab))
Also streaming same day on AMC Plus (opens in new tab)

Woke season 2 (Hulu)

The satirical comedy returns with more takes on race and society, as cartoonist Keef Knight (Lamorne Morris) now finds himself to be a celebrity activist. Last season, Keef had experienced an awakening after being racially profiled by an overly aggressive police officer. He began to see and hear inanimate objects speak, like Marker (voiced by JB Smoove). 

He turned the experience into an acerbic comic and as a result, was heralded as a leader of the racial injustice movement. In season 2, Keef grapples with his newfound fame as an influencer. He and his friends want to effect real change, but they also run into the hard truth that activism has become a big business unto itself. 

Streaming now on Hulu (opens in new tab)

Elite season 5 (Netflix)

New school year, new murder to deal with — it’s just a rite of passage for the teens at Las Encinas school. The hit Spanish drama Elite is back with eight new episodes of intrigue, thrills, romance and schoolwork (LOL, no, that’s not a thing on this show). The action picks up where season 4 left off, after Guzmán (Miguel Bernardeau) shot Armando (Andrés Velencoso) for attacking Ari Carla Díaz) attacker. 

Armando’s body is at the bottom of the lake, but it seems likely to surface one way or another. Guzmán and Ander (Arón Piper) left Spain to travel together, but may have to return if police start asking questions. Meanwhile, love is in the air for couples Rebe (Claudia Salas) and Mencía (Martina Cariddi) and Ari and Samu (Itzan Escamillia). But will new students catch someone’s eye?

Streaming now on Netflix (opens in new tab)

Tony Hawk: Until the Wheels Come Off (HBO)

The guy in HBO’s new documentary kind of looks like Tony Hawk. Kidding, I couldn’t pass up referencing the meme based on people not recognizing the most famous skateboarder in history. The 52-year-old legend is credited with bringing skateboarding into the mainstream, yet he’s shared many stories of interactions where he’s told he looks like himself. 

The documentary chronicles Hawk’s childhood, his time with the Bones Brigade led by skateboard pioneer Stacy Peralta and his rise into the upper echelon of the sport. It features never-before-seen footage and interviews with Hawk, Peralta, Rodney Mullen, Mike McGill and others. The doc also follows its subject as he defies his aging body and continues to skate. The guy who looks like Tony Hawk still has some new tricks up his sleeve.

Streaming now on HBO Max (opens in new tab)

The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On (Netflix)

The producers of Love Is Blind unleash a new dating show upon us to obsess over and talk about on Twitter. They’ve even hired the same hosts, Nick and Vanessa Lachey, to side-eye the proceedings. 

The premise is fairly simple: Six couples are on the verge of making a decision about marriage. One person in each couple is fully ready to tie the knot; the other person has cold feet. Everyone gets to choose a new partner from the rest of the cast to date in a kind of “trial marriage.” Essentially, it’s like the show Wife Swap, but with the potential for even more D-R-A-M-A. At the end of the experiment, the original couples must decide if they want to move forward down the aisle.

Streaming now on Netflix (opens in new tab)

Ronny Chieng: Speakeasy (Netflix)

Ronny Chieng’s first Netflix special, Asian Comedian Destroys America!, is one of my favorite comedy acts — and not just because it speaks to me as an Asian American. He has a distinctive, straightforward, no-BS style of delivery that just cracks me up. 

And clearly, it’s won him many other fans, since his star has risen quite a bit in the last few years. As he winkingly notes, he’s now part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In his native land of Singapore, that means he’s truly arrived. Speakeasy showcases Chieng in peak no-holds-barred form, as he takes on anti-vaxxers, cancel culture, birth control and nemesis Mr. Bean. 

Streaming now on Netflix (opens in new tab)

iCarly season 2 (Paramount Plus)

Watch out, internet — Carly Shay (Miranda Cosgrove) is determined to win you over. The revival of the beloved Nickelodeon series returns with the further adventures of the now-twentysomething web series creator. Last year, she moved back to Seattle and reunited with brother Spencer (Jerry Trainor) and friend Freddie Benson (Nathan Kress). Now, she’s working to take her revived web show to the next level. 

Season 2 sees Carly refocusing on her friends and family after her love life imploded in a big mess. Plus, she gets a new, very aggressive manager played by Josh Peck, formerly of Drake and Josh (where Cosgrove got her start). The reunion should delight nostalgic Nick fans. 

Streaming now on Paramount Plus (opens in new tab)

Benjamin Franklin (PBS)

Ken Burns’ latest docu-series starts with a Benjamin Franklin quote: “Histories of lives are seldom entertaining, unless they contain something admirable or exemplary.” Few historical figures could claim to have a more admirable or exemplary life than the Founding Father. Franklin was a writer, publisher, inventor, diplomat and philosopher and one of the leading intellectual figures of his time (but never President of the United States, got it?). 

The two-part, four-hour miniseries chronicles the entirety of Franklin’s life, from childhood to his professional pursuits to his vital role in the American Revolution. The doc uses all of Burns’ usual tools — interviews with historians and experts, archival documents and celebrity narrators (including Mandy Patinkin as Franklin and Paul Giamatti once again portraying John Adams). 

Streaming now on the PBS app (opens in new tab)

In other entertainment news, James Bond movies are coming to Prime Video — but only in one region. Plus, Netflix confirms this popular original series is ending. 

And don’t forget to also check out the the 2022 Grand National live stream, the Masters live stream 2022 (including Tiger Woods!) and the F1 Australian Grand Prix in what is a massive sporting weekend.