Spring binge: All the Netflix shows and movies to obsess over in April

Winter is thawing, the sun is out, and nature is thriving. Spring always brings the urge to curl up indoors with a fresh stack of releases, and April 2018 delivered a tidy mix of catalog favorites and Netflix Original titles. Classic genre films landed on the first of the month while a slate of new projects arrived throughout the weeks that followed. Here are Film Daily’s 18 choicest Netflix picks from that spring lineup.

April 1

Bad Boys (1995)

Michael Bay (Transformers) directs this legendary action spectacular about shit getting hella real for two cops (Will Smith & Martin Lawrence) as they protect a murder witness.

Cabin Fever (2002)

Featuring the most ghastly shaving sequence known to mankind is Eli Roth’s flesh-eating virus horror. Starring Jordan Ladd (Death Proof) & Rider Strong (Boy Meets World), the movie still holds up as being a truly barfworthy watch.

Deep Blue Sea (1999)

Make no mistake, folks – Deep Blue Sea is not a good movie but boy, is it fun. Renny Harlin’s thriller about super-smart sharks is ludicrous on just about every possible level. Starring Thomas Jane (The Thin Red Line), the worst CGI rendering of Samuel L. Jackson (Pulp Fiction) you’ll ever see, and LL Cool J (Mindhunters) kicking it with a talking parrot, the movie is tremendously terrible.

The Iron Giant (1999)

With a special guest appearance in Steven Spielberg’s Ready Player One, The Iron Giant is so hot right now. The movie packs a lot of major emotions alongside performances from Jennifer Aniston (Friends), Harry Connick Jr. (Independence Day), and Vin Diesel (The Fast and the Furious), so prepare to cry like a child.

The Lost Boys (1987)

Joel Schumacher’s horror comedy classic is still one of the coolest, queerest, and funniest vampire movies you will ever see. Jason Patric (Sleepers) & Kiefer Sutherland (Mirrors) are still absolute babes, Corey Haim (License to Drive) & Corey Feldman (Stand by Me) are still the kids you want to be pals with, and all the damn vampires in Santa Barbara are still scarier than they have any right to be.

Se7en (1995)

The macabre noir thriller starring Brad Pitt (Moneyball), Morgan Freeman (Million Dollar Baby), and Gwyneth Paltrow (Shakespeare in Love) is one of David Fincher’s finest and demands multiple rewatches. That ghoulish finale? Still utterly chilling no matter how many times you’ve seen it. “What’s in the box!?”

Sin City (2005)

Adapted from Frank Miller’s iconic comic series, Robert Rodriguez’s stylized noir features a set of surprising performances from a cast including Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler), Elijah Wood (Wilfred), Clive Owen (Children of Men), and Jessica Alba (Machete).

April 5

Behind the Curtain: Todrick Hall (2017)

This inspiring documentary from Katherine Fairfax Wright centers around multifaceted performer Todrick Hall as he launches the full-scale original musical Straight Outta Oz. As well as showcasing Hall’s eminent grit and perseverance as one of drag’s most shining stars, the documentary also celebrates the redemptive power of art.

April 6

6 Balloons (2018)

Following a woman (Abbi Jacobson) learning her brother (Dave Franco) has relapsed on heroin, 6 Balloons offers a daunting look at the enabler-addict relationship and is full of phenomenal performances alongside a startling story.

April 13

Lost in Space (2018)

Netflix’s reboot of the sci-fi classic crash-lands Parker Posey (Superman Returns), Molly Parker (Deadwood), Mina Sundwall (Maggie’s Plan), and Toby Stephens (The Machine) on an alien planet where they’re forced to fight against the odds to survive and escape.

Come Sunday (2018)

Joshua Marston’s adaptation of a 2005 episode of This American Life has received rave reviews, stars Lakeith Stanfield (Selma), Jason Segel (Forgetting Sarah Marshall), and Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave), and follows evangelist Carlton Pearson as he’s ostracized by the church for preaching there is no Hell.

I Am Not An Easy Man (2017)

This timely French romcom from Eleonore Pourriat (You’ll Be a Man) sees a shameless chauvinist facing some bitter karma when he wakes up in a matriarchal society and faces off against a powerful female author.

April 20

Dude (2018)

Starring Lucy Hale (Pretty Little Liars), Alex Wolff (My Friend Dahmer), and Alexandra Shipp (X-Men: Apocalypse), Dude follows a group of teenage girlfriends as they struggle with post-high school adulthood. Directed by Olivia Milch (Ocean’s 8), the film sounds like it could be the perfect Sunday night drama to watch while you fret about the direction of your own adult life.

Kodachrome (2017)

Set during the final days of a beloved photo development system, Kodachrome stars Elizabeth Olsen (Ingrid Goes West), Ed Harris (mother!), and Jason Sudeikis (Colossal) in this road trip movie in which a father & son try to reach the Kansas photo lab before it closes forever.

Mercury 13 (2018)

Profiling the women who were tested for spaceflight in 1961 (only to discover men were the only ones being chosen to become astronauts), this Netflix Original documentary looks powerful and captivating.

April 27

The Week Of (2018)

The good news is that this Adam Sandler (The Waterboy) movie stars Chris Rock (Top Five) & Steve Buscemi (Ghost World). The bad news is it was written by Sandler. The Week Of follows the parents of a soon-to-be married couple making the final preparations for the wedding ceremony and sounds like it may be this month’s best hate-watch material.

3% (2016-)

The second season of Netflix’s Portuguese dystopian series looks set to be just as enthralling as the first. S2 of the show in which poverty is rampant and only a select few people are picked for paradise will give audiences their first glimpse of The Offshore (where the wealthy few live).

Bobby Kennedy for President (2018)

This four-part Netflix Original docuseries from Dawn Porter (Trapped) combines never-before-seen archived footage with an array of impressive expert interviews to examine the impact of Bobby Kennedy on America. Premiering to coincide with the 50th anniversary of his 83-day Presidential bid, Bobby Kennedy for President is a must-binge event for all inquisitive history lovers.

Reception and Legacy of the 2018 Netflix Originals

Mercury 13 earned a 100% Rotten Tomatoes score. 3% ultimately spanned four seasons. Lost in Space continued for three seasons total. Viewers who returned to these titles later could trace how modest April premieres grew into longer arcs or became reference points for later prestige documentaries and sci-fi revivals.

Behind the Scenes: Todrick Hall's Post-Documentary Career

The documentary centered on the launch of Straight Outta Oz. Hall continued as a prominent drag performer and creator after 2017. His later tours, television appearances, and online content kept the same high-energy blend of choreography and social commentary that the film captured during rehearsals.

The Enduring Appeal of 90s Action Thrillers on Streaming

Multiple high-profile 90s titles arrived simultaneously on April 1, 2018. These films remain popular rewatches for their stars and directors. The sudden concentration of Michael Bay spectacle, Eli Roth gore, David Fincher moodiness, and Joel Schumacher camp gave subscribers an instant crash course in late-century studio genre filmmaking.

Gender Role Satire in I Am Not an Easy Man

The film flips gender stereotypes in a matriarchal society. It was one of the early French-language Netflix Originals. The comedy’s brisk premise and pointed role reversal offered a light but pointed contrast to the heavier dramas that dropped the same week.

April 2018 proved that Netflix could still surprise with a single day of catalog deep cuts while rolling out original titles that kept subscribers checking release calendars through the end of the month. The mix of retro thrills and new voices gave the platform a distinctive spring identity that lingered in conversation long after the weather turned warm.