Last month brought us great audiovisual titles such as the third installment of The Mandalorian on Disney+, the electrifying release of the thriller The Power on Prime Video, and the long-awaited second season of Shadow and Bone available on Netflix.
Undoubtedly, the beginning of the year has been unbeatable as far as premieres are concerned and April will give no respite to fans either, keeping the bar high.
Over the next few weeks, streaming services will be placing big bets with premieres such as Tiny Beautiful Things, an insightful and poignant TV adaptation produced by Hulu; or the highly anticipated launch of Citadel, one of the most expensive shows in TV history; we will also see Jennifer Garner take on an intense new role in the upcoming Apple TV+ series The Last Thing He Told Me.
Other series highlighted in April include: Dead Ringers, a psychological thriller inspired by director David Cronenberg’s film of the same name; and Love & Death, a true crime based on the book Evidence of Love: A True Story of Passion and Death in the Suburbs.
Here are the new releases you should keep in mind for the fourth month of the year:
Tiny Beautiful Things
Hulu | Limited Series | Release date: Friday, April 07
Based on Cheryl Strayed’s best-selling novel, Tiny Beautiful Things follows Clare (Kathryn Hahn), a struggling writer who becomes a popular advice columnist as her own life falls apart.
According to the official synopsis:
“When we first meet Clare, her marriage to her husband Danny is barely limping along; her teenage daughter, Rae, is pushing her away; and her once-promising writing career is non-existent. So when an old writing pal asks her to take over as the advice columnist Dear Sugar, she thinks she has no business giving anyone advice.”
Nonetheless, Clare eventually relents and becomes the voice of Sugar. Her new job leads her to reflect on her personal experiences in order to offer useful advice to her readers. In this way, the writer will demonstrate how we can make the most of life’s small, precious moments to overcome difficult times.
Tiny Beautiful Things reminds us that none of us is too broken to thrive in life; in addition to Kathryn Hahn, the series cast features Sarah Pidgeon, Quentin Plair and Tanzyn Crawford.
Hulu will premiere all episodes of Tiny Beautiful Things on April 7.
The Last Thing He Told Me
Apple TV+ | Limited Series | Release date: Friday, April 14
The new Apple original series is executive produced by Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Garner and Lauren Neustadter, and co-created by Oscar winner Josh Singer.
The Last Thing He Told Me is based on the novel of the same name by Laura Dave. The mystery thriller, published in 2021, became a #1 New York Times bestseller.
The limited series follows Hannah (Jennifer Garner), whose husband mysteriously disappears. The FBI begins investigating the case and Hannah learns that her partner Owen may be hiding serious secrets. In the midst of the chaos, the protagonist must mend her relationship with her stepdaughter, Bailey (Angourie Rice) to get answers and unravel the suspicious situation.
The Last Thing He Told Me consists of seven episodes. The first two episodes will air together on premiere day.
The show’s directors include: Olivia Newman (Where the Crawdads Sing), Deniz Gamze Ergüven (The Handmaid’s Tale), Daisy Von Scherler Mayer (Yellowjackets) and Lila Neugebauer (Causeway).
Davis
Peacock | Season 1 | Release date: Thursday, April 20
Peacock’s original series was created by Tara Hernandez and Damon Lindelof. Lindelof, for his part, has been the showrunner of ambitious projects such as Watchmen, Lost and The Leftovers.
Mrs. Davis promises to be a spectacular clash between technology and faith. The new and mysterious fiction is about a nun named Simone de Reno (Betty Gilpin), who embarks on a mission to take down an all-powerful artificial intelligence.
This A.I., named Mrs. Davis, has practically conquered the hearts and trust of the entire world. At first glance, Mrs. Davis is kind, friendly and helpful. However, the algorithm has a dangerous quality: it is capable of nimbly manipulating people. Although users may not suspect it, they may find themselves in enormous danger.
The large and talented cast also includes Chris Diamantopoulos, David Arquette, Katja Herbers, Margo Martindale, Elizabeth Marvel, Ashley Romans, Tom Wlaschiha, Ben Chaplin and Mathilde Ollivier.
The first season of Mrs. Davis consists of eight episodes. The first four episodes will premiere on April 20, with new episodes every Thursday.
Dead Ringers
Prime Video | Limited Series | Release date: Friday, April 21
Prime Video’s psychological thriller is a remake of director David Cronenberg’s 1988 film of the same name, which itself is an adaptation of the novel Twins, written by Bari Wood and Jack Geasland in 1977.
Dead Ringers follows the complicated lives of twin gynecologists Elliot and Beverly Mantle, who perform morally questionable procedures on infertile women.
The official synopsis reads as follows:
“A modern take on David Cronenberg’s 1988 thriller starring Jeremy Irons, Dead Ringers will feature Rachel Weisz playing the double-lead roles of Elliot and Beverly Mantle, twins who share everything: Drugs, lovers, and an unapologetic desire to do whatever it takes—including pushing the boundaries on medical ethics—in an effort to challenge antiquated practices and bring women’s health care to the forefront”.
This series was created, written and produced by playwright Alice Birch, responsible for notable dramas such as Normal People and Succession.
It should be noted that, both the 1977 book and the 1988 film were loosely based on the real lives of New York-based gynecologists Stewart and Cyril Marcus, twins.
The limited series will air worldwide exclusively on Prime Video on April 21. All episodes (6) will be available on the premiere date. Each episode is 60 minutes in length.
Love & Death
HBO Max | Limited Series | Release date: Thursday, April 27
HBO’s true crime drama series Love & Death chronicles the gruesome case of Betty Gore.
Inspired by John Bloom and Jim Atkinson’s book Evidence of Love: A True Story of Passion and Death in the Suburbs, HBO’s Max tells the true story of Candy Montgomery and the brutal crime of her neighbor.
According to HBO Max, the limited series explores the story of friendship between two Texas couples who went from having a nice camaraderie to being involved in a sinister murder.
Candy and Betty lived across the street from each other. Everything was going along quite normally until Candy began an extramarital affair with Betty’s husband Allan. On June 13, 1980, Betty was found dead after being stabbed more than 40 times with an axe. The show attempts to delve deeper into this event.
It is noteworthy that Candy Montgomery’s life has given way to three television adaptations. The first was a television movie in 1990. The second came in 2022, with a Hulu series starring Jessica Biel. And the third, coming soon HBO Max with Love & Death.
The first three episodes of the limited series will premiere on April 27, the rest will air weekly; David E. Kelley, creator of popular series such as Big Little Lies and The Undoing, serves as executive producer, and is responsible for this small screen adaptation.
Citadel
Amazon Prime | Season 1 | Release date: Friday, April 28
Citadel is a television series created by Patrick Moran and the Russo brothers. This thriller is described as an “action-packed spy series with a compelling emotional center”. Citadel is the second most expensive series of all time, after The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.
Prime Video’s particularly extensive synopsis is as follows:
“Eight years ago, Citadel fell. The independent global spy agency—tasked to uphold the safety and security of all people—was destroyed by operatives of Manticore, a powerful syndicate manipulating the world from the shadows. With Citadel’s fall, elite agents Mason Kane (Richard Madden) and Nadia Sinh (Priyanka Chopra Jonas) had their memories wiped as they narrowly escaped with their lives. They’ve remained hidden ever since, building new lives under new identities, unaware of their pasts. Until one night, when Mason is tracked down by his former Citadel colleague, Bernard Orlick (Stanley Tucci), who desperately needs his help to prevent Manticore from establishing a new world order. Mason seeks out his former partner, Nadia, and the two spies embark on a mission that takes them around the world in an effort to stop Manticore, all while contending with a relationship built on secrets, lies, and a dangerous-yet-undying love.”
Citadel has been touted as a major global event. The production traveled to locations such as Atlanta, London, Morocco and Spain to capture the scope of a “secret spy war.”; it should be noted that, this series will have spin-offs in Italian Alps, India, Spain and Mexico.
The six-episode first season will premiere with two episodes on April 28. New episodes will air every Friday through May 26.