It’s rare that an animated project leads our weekly round-up of the best new movies and TV shows on the world’s leading streaming services.
There’s a first time for everything, though – and, luckily for Netflix’s anime adaptation of the popular Devil May Cry videogame series, that time is now.
Not interested in that particular project? Fret not, because there are six other terrific and/or much-anticipated films and TV series to wrap your eyeballs around this weekend (April 4 to 6). Without further ado, then, here’s what we recommend you stream over the next couple of days. – Tom Power, senior entertainment reporter
Devil May Cry (Netflix)
I’ll readily admit to not seeing many of Netflix’s animated TV adaptation of beloved video game franchises (don’t worry, Arcane, you’ll always be in my heart).
As a huge fan of Capcom’s – and, more recently, Ninja Theory’s – Devil May Cry (DMC) games, though, you can bet I was seated day one to see demon hunter Dante slice and shoot his way through the worst that the underworld could throw his way.
Helmed by Adil Shankar, i.e. the brains behind other critically-acclaimed but under-appreciated anime-inspired Netflix adaptations including Castlevania, the streamer’s DMC TV reimagining has all the tools necessary to enter our best Netflix shows hall of fame. Make sure you’ve got Ebony, Ivory, and The Rebellion to hand while you watch it, everyone. – TP
A Real Pain (Disney+)
I still haven’t seen Jesse Eisenberg’s directorial debut, When You Finish Saving the World, but that doesn’t mean I’m not excited to watch this, especially with Kieran Culkin wining this year’s Best Supporting Actor Oscar.
A Real Pain also has two BAFTAs under its belt and TechRadar’s very own stamp of approval as one of the best movies of 2024. So, if you’re still unsure about streaming it on Disney+ this weekend – the film made its streaming debut stateside on Hulu in January – then let those doubts fade away.
This heartwarming buddy comedy-drama follows Eisenberg and Culkin, who play two cousins on a trip to Poland to honor their grandmother that ends up taking them on a whole other journey. It’s undoubtedly one of the best Disney+ movies you’ll watch. – Amelia Schwanke, senior entertainment editor
The Bondsman (Prime Video)
Kevin Bacon as a demon bounty hunter in a new gothic series with an original blues music soundtrack? You read that right.
The Bondsman may not have been on your Prime Video radar but, with an 85% RT critical score (at the time of writing), it should be. Based on that alone, this Amazon TV Original will make the cut to be one of the best Prime Video shows – and it’s easy to see why when you hear that it’s being compared to similar R-rated projects like Constantine and Ash vs. the Evil Dead.
Speaking to TechRadar, series producer Erik Oleson revealed that the goal was to “create a scream out loud, laugh out loud mashup of family dramedy with Appalachian lore with demon hunting and music”. Bacon poking chainsaws through demons’ foreheads is just for good measure! – AS
Y2K (Max)
Y2K is the latest A24 film to debut on Max but, unfortunately, it bombed critically and is among the studio’s worst-rated movies.
With 42% on Rotten Tomatoes, Y2K won’t be appearing on our best Max movies list. But, if you’re keen to make up your own mind about it, here’s what it’s about: a group high school juniors crash a New Year’s Eve party, but typical young adult dramas are the least of their worries when machines rise up against humanity.
Inspired by the real-life-but-thankfully-not-actually-happening Y2K problem (millennials, you’ll know what I’m talking about!), this movie turns a technology glitch into something darker, with some humor scattered throughout It might not be the best A24 movie out there, but it’s definitely unique! – Lucy Buglass, senior entertainment writer
Pulse (Netflix)
With medical drama The Pitt earning rave reviews from critics and general audiences alike following its season 1 release on Max in January, it’s Netflix’s turn to *ahem* surgically enhance its own back catalog of hospital-based projects.
Pulse, which was renewed for a second season well before its debut outing landed on the streaming titan this Thursday (April 3), looks like a modern take on classic medical drama ER. Indeed, with its romance-laced storylines, melodrama aplenty, and dramatization of how medical facilities function, it’s easy to see why such comparisons have been made.
Will it set our hearts aflutter and land a spot on our best Netflix series list? Time will tell. – TP
Dying for Sex (Disney+/Hulu)
I love a good podcast, and theis new Hulu and Disney+ series is based on a very heartfelt one. Dying for Sex is based on Nikki Boyer, who sits down with her best friend Molly Kochan to get candid about her experiences after she was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer.
The show dramatizes Kochan’s life, with Michelle Williams in the leading role as a woman who ends her 15-year marriage to explore herself and her sexuality before her death. The real-life Kochan passed away in 2019, and her legacy lives on through this series, with Boyer serving as executive producer.
Across eight episodes, we follow Kochan’s life and experiences, with plenty of humor balanced with the drama. It’s quite the rollercoaster and very binge-worthy, too. One to keep an eye out for on our best Hulu shows and best Disney+ shows lists. – LB
Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer (Netflix)
Not at all affiliated with the David Fincher movie, this new true-crime documentary series explores the hunt for Rex Heuermann, aka ‘The Long Island Serial Killer’.
Told from the perspective of his victims, their loved ones, and the police, Gone Girls reveals how the local New York architect managed to hide in plain sight and exposes a web of corruption, but it’s not the end of the story. Gone Girls focuses on a live case, meaning there’s a very real chance more information could come out about Heuermann and his crimes.
Speaking to Tudum, director Liz Garbus said: “After we completed and turned in our cuts to Netflix, there was another victim added to [Heuermann’s] docket. Will there be more between now and the time that we air? It’s possible. Will there be more between now and the time that we go to trial, if they go to trial? It’s probable.” – LB
For more streaming recommendations, read our guides on the best Max shows, best Paramount+ movies, best Apple TV+ shows, and best Paramount+ shows.
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