Our Top 5 Most Anticipated Netflix Originals Landing in April
AMATEUR – April 6th
Oddly enough, our first April offering was the last one I came across. Amateur tells the story of a young basketball player trying to navigate the twists and turns of high school ball, with his eye on the NCAA and NBA. The lead character is torn in multiple directions as outside influences pull at his interests. It looks to be both topical and fun. Besides, I have a sneaking suspicion that Josh Charles can play an excellent head coach/agent type character. Sleazy, honorable, a mixture of both? I’m thinking Charles can walk that line. Hopefully this kicks off a good month of programming.
COME SUNDAY – April 13th
Quite frankly, this trailer looks amazing, but early reviews look a little spotty. Now when I say early, I mean early. It’s sitting at a 40% on Rotten Tomatoes, but with only five reviews in the bag. The two “top critics” marked it fresh, while the three others marked it rotten. Take that how you like, but with a stellar cast and an ambitious plot, I’m going to remain hopeful on this one. I mean Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years A Slave), Martin Sheen (Apocalypse Now, The West Wing) and Lakeith Stanfield (Atlanta, Get Out). Oh and Danny Glover and Jason Segel just for kicks? This is certainly worth a watch.
LOST IN SPACE – April 13th
Easily the most anticipated release of the month, the revamp of the 1965 television series Lost In Space premiers on Netflix on April 13th. The production value seems to have gotten a bit of an upgrade since the original aired (haha), but hopefully we don’t lose all of the corny charm that made it so endearing in the first place. Visually, this thing looks absolutely stunning. The new robot no longer resembles a kitchen appliance and the landscapes are as striking as they are colorful. I can’t wait for this one.
KODACHROME – April 20th
The plot seems a little cliché and I’ve been let down by Netflix Original films with big-name casts this year (Mute, The Outsider), But I’m nothing if not an optimist. Ed Harris and Jason Sudeikis play a father and son who have lost touch over the years. A road trip spurred by a quest for a Kodachrome (film) development center leads to a good old-fashioned, heartwarming bond session. Plus, the fantastic Elizabeth Olsen in a supporting role has promise. I can’t recall seeing Sudeikis do much drama aside from maybe Colossal, but I’m intrigued.
3% - April 27th
I was late to watch the first season of 3%, but was able to binge it before doing this preview post. With season two set for an April 27th release date, it’s no surprise that people are hyped about its return. Set in a dystopian future where only 3% of the world’s population can live in the lavish “Offshore,” while the rest live in the slums of the “Inland,” this show is like the Netflix version of The Hunger Games. As a Brazilian production, the entire show is in Portuguese and I went back and forth between subtitles and English voiceovers, but that’s all personal preference. 3% is a solid show and I’m looking forward to the sophomore season.
(image via Netflix)
