April 2024’s Best Streaming Titles: “Fallout,” “The Big Lebowski,” “Harry Potter,” “Smokey and the Bandit,“ “Dark City”
Post-apocalyptic action, White Russians and bowling, the Boy Who Lived, Burt Reynolds, mysterious sci-fi, and more.
As Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, et al. add more content, it can be difficult to know what to look for amidst all of the new titles. I’ve compiled a list of particularly noteworthy and interesting movies and TV shows to add to your streaming queues in the coming month.
Amazon Prime Video
Chinatown (Apr 1)
Chinatown may be overshadowed by the crimes committed by its director, Roman Polanski. Which is a shame, because Chinatown is considered one of the greatest movies, and certainly one of the greatest noir movies, of all time. A private investigator (Jack Nicholson) finds himself in a political conspiracy involving California water rights in the ’30s, only to discover an even deeper and more disturbing mystery.
Ong Bak (Apr 1)
Ong Bak thrilled and delighted martial arts fans when it was released back in 2003. Starring Tony Jaa as a young man from the country who travels to the big city of Bangkok in search of his village’s sacred Buddha statue, Ong Bak is filled with mind-blowing action scenes. Jaa dispatches the bad guys with a flurry of feet, fists, knees, and elbows — sometimes even while on fire — and his acrobatic stunts recall classic Jackie Chan (read my review).
The Station Agent (Apr 1)
In this quirky indie drama, Peter Dinklage (aka Tyrion Lannister) inherits an abandoned train station, which leads him to meeting a cast of odd individuals who slowly draw him out of his shell. If “quirky indie drama” turns you off, rest assured there’s plenty of heart and fascinating character study to go along with the offbeat material.
Top Gun (Apr 1)
I feel the need, the need for speed… Directed with verve by Tony Scott and starring Tom Cruise in one of his most iconic roles, Top Gun is one of the great ’80s movies. Cruise plays Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, a hotshot fighter pilot who finds his abilities pushed to the limit when he’s assigned to the Navy’s elite fighter pilot school. Top Gun is jam-packed with amazing aerial sequences which are made all the more thrilling by a stellar soundtrack, including the classic “Danger Zone” by Kenny Loggins.
Wayne’s World (Apr 1)
Arguably the best Saturday Night Live-inspired film, Wayne’s World follows the adventures of Wayne (Mike Myers) and Garth (Dana Carvey) as they bring to their public access TV show to the big time. It’s basically an opportunity for Myers and Carvey to do their schtick, but what a schtick it is. Party on, Wayne. Party on, Garth. Sha-wing!
Fallout, Season One (Apr 11)
Centuries after nuclear war has decimated Earth, a young woman leaves the underground vault she’s known her entire life to explore the surface world. Based on one of the most popular video game franchises of all time, Amazon’s Fallout stars Ella Purnell, Walton Goggins, Kyle MacLachlan, and Chris Parnell. Although it’s clear that Amazon is spending a pretty penny on the series, it’ll be interesting to see if it captures the video games’ darkly satirical sense of humor.