New on Netflix April 2021: The best shows, movies and original series coming soon
Spring has sprung and with it comes a ton of movies and shows that are new on Netflix in April 2021. This month delivers more Netflix originals, documentaries, comedy specials and kids programming for your streaming pleasure.
Plus, Netflix is releasing at least one major movie every week. Check out the 15 most exciting Netflix movies in 2021. April brings two great films: Thunder Force, an action-comedy starring Melissa McCarthy and Octavia Spencer; and Concrete Cowboy, with Idris Elba as a modern-day urban cowboy.
The new on Netflix calendar also includes several highly-anticipated original series, like Shadow and Bone, based on the popular Grishaverse books. Jamie Foxx leads a family-friendly comedy called Dad Stop Embarrassing Me. Plus, there’s The Circle season 2, which continues the voice-assisted reality TV experiment.
The streaming service is debuting a few more reality TV shows, like Pet Stars and The Wedding Coach. And as usual, the schedule is packed with fascinating documentaries. We’re looking forward to the nature program Life in Colour With David Attenborough.
Browsing by specific genres? Check out our guides to the best family movies on Netflix, the best romantic movies on Netflix and the best horror movies on Netflix.
In addition to the list of what’s new on Netflix for April 2021, we’ve also got a list of what’s leaving Netflix this month.
Best new shows and movies on Netflix in April 2021
Concrete Cowboy
Arrives on Netflix on April 2
Idris Elba on a horse? Sign us up. Elba stars in this fictionalized take on the Black horseriding community in Philadelphia, centered on the Fletcher Street Urban Riding Club. Urban cowboy Harp takes in his estranged son Cole (Caleb McLaughlin from Stranger Things) for the summer, with the troubled teen wavering between a life of crime and his father’s odd subculture.
Thunder Force
Arrives on Netflix April 9
The superhero future is female … at least on Netflix. Melissa McCarthy returns to the action-comedy genre she has achieved success in with hits like Spy and The Heat. This time, she teams up with Octavia Spencer, whose comedic chops are often overlooked. They play estranged best friends, reunite when scientist Emily Stanton (Octavia Spencer) accidentally bestows super powers on Lydia (Melissa McCarthy). They form a superhero duo called Thunder Force in order to save Chicago from the villainous plans of The King (Bobby Cannavale).
Shadow and Bone
Arrives on Netflix April 23
Leigh Bardugo’s bestselling Grishaverse novels come to life in Netflix’s adaptation. Shadow and Bone is the latest fantasy epic that hopes to capture some of the Game of Thrones audience. Orphan Alina Starkov (Jessie Mei Lin) has recently discovered an extraordinary power that could set her country free from the terrors of the Shadow Fold. Alina goes to train with the magical elite soldiers known as Grisha, but soon discovers that her new world is just as dangerous as the Fold.
Our top selections are in bold, and we’ve got quotes from Netflix to help explain its latest originals that you might not know about.
New on Netflix April 1
- Magical Andes: Season 2 (Netflix Documentary)
- Prank Encounters: Season 2 (Netflix Original)
- Tersanjung the Movie (Netflix Film)
- Worn Stories (Netflix Documentary)
- 2012
- Cop Out
- Friends with Benefits
- Insidious
- Legally Blonde
- Leprechaun
- The Pianist
- The Possession
- Secrets of Great British Castles: Season 1
- The Time Traveler’s Wife
- Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Big Happy Family
- White Boy
- Yes Man
New on Netflix April 2
- Concrete Cowboy (Netflix Film)
“While spending the summer in North Philadelphia, a troubled teen is caught between a life of crime and his estranged father’s vibrant urban-cowboy subculture.” - Just Say Yes (Netflix Film)
- Madame Claude (Netflix Film)
- The Serpent (Netflix Original)
- Sky High (Netflix Film)
New on Netflix April 3
New on Netflix April 4
New on Netflix April 5
- Coded Bias
- Family Reunion: Part 3 (Netflix Family)
New on Netflix April 6
- The Last Kids on Earth: Happy Apocalypse to You (Netflix Family)
New on Netflix April 7
- The Wedding Coach (Netflix Original)
“Bridesmaids and in-laws and mason jars, oh my! Weddings are a beautiful cause for celebration, but planning one is far from a party. After barely making it down the aisle of her own wedding, comedian Jamie Lee is on a hilarious, heartwarming mission to help six engaged couples overcome the stressful real-life challenges that pop up before and on The Big Day.” - The Big Day: Collection 2 (Netflix Original)
- Dolly Parton: A MusiCares Tribute (Netflix Documentary)
- Snabba Cash (Netflix Original)
- This Is A Robbery: The World’s Biggest Art Heist (Netflix Documentary)
New on Netflix April 8
- The Way of the Househusband (Netflix Anime)
New on Netflix April 9
- Thunder Force (Netflix Film)
“Two childhood best friends reunite as an unlikely crime-fighting superhero duo when one invents a formula that gives ordinary people superpowers.” - Have You Ever Seen Fireflies? (Netflix Film)
- Night in Paradise (Netflix Film)
New on Netflix April 10
New on Netflix April 11
- Diana: The Interview that Shook the World
New on Netflix April 12
- New Gods: Nezha Reborn (Netflix Film)
- Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn: Seasons 1-4
New on Netflix April 13
- My Love: Six Stories of True Love (Netflix Documentary)
“Six longtime couples in different parts of the world share their decades-long love in these tender portraits filmed over the course of one year.” - The Baker and the Beauty: Season 1
- Mighty Express: Season 3 (Netflix Family)
New on Netflix April 14
- The Circle: Season 2 (Netflix Original)
“Ready for more strategic shenanigans? A new cast of allies, enemies and not-so-subtle catfish connect and compete for a major cash prize.” - Dad Stop Embarrassing Me! (Netflix Original)
“Brian Dixon knows how important family is. When his teenage daughter comes to live with him, he enlists the help of his Pops, sister, and best friend to tackle teenage boys, TikTok, and the family business.” - Law School (Netflix Original)
- The Soul (Netflix Film)
- Why Did You Kill Me? (Netflix Documentary)
New on Netflix April 15
- Dark City Beneath the Beat
- The Master
- Ride or Die (Netflix Film)
New on Netflix April 16
- Arlo the Alligator Boy (Netflix Family)
“To find the father he never knew, optimistic Arlo leaves his swampy Southern home for New York City, making friends and dodging trappers along the way.” - Ajeeb Daastaans (Netflix Film)
- Crimson Peak
- Fast & Furious Spy Racers: Season 4: Mexico (Netflix Family)
- Into the Beat (Netflix Film)
- Rush
- Synchronic
- Why Are You Like This (Netflix Original)
- The Zookeeper’s Wife
New on Netflix April 18
- Luis Miguel – The Series: Season 2 (Netflix Original)
New on Netflix April 19
- Miss Sloane
- PJ Masks: Season 3
New on Netflix April 20
- Izzy’s Koala World: Season 2 (Netflix Family)
New on Netflix April 21
New on Netflix April 22
- Life in Color with David Attenborough (Netflix Documentary)
“Premiering this Earth Day, in a stunning new three-part series, David Attenborough travels the world from the rainforests of Costa Rica to the snowy Scottish Highlands to reveal the extraordinary and never-before-seen ways animals use color. Using revolutionary camera technology created specifically for this series, viewers will experience how colors invisible to the human eye play a vital role in animal interactions. From the seemingly magical ultraviolet signals on a butterfly’s wings to the surprising yet crucial purpose behind a Bengal tiger’s stripes, a hidden world of color is waiting to be discovered.” - Stowaway (Netflix Film)
“On a mission headed to Mars, an unintended stowaway accidentally causes severe damage to the spaceship’s life support systems. Facing dwindling resources and a potentially fatal outcome, the crew is forced to make an impossible decision.”
New on Netflix April 23
- Shadow and Bone (Netflix Original)
“Dark forces conspire against orphan mapmaker Alina Starkov when she unleashes an extraordinary power that could change the fate of her war-torn world.” - Heroes: Silence and Rock & Roll
- Tell Me When (Netflix Film)
New on Netflix April 24
- August: Osage County
- Battle of Los Angeles
- Fatma (Netflix Original)
- Go! Go! Cory Carson: Season 4 (Netflix Family)
New on Netflix April 28
- Headspace Guide to Sleep (Netflix Documentary)
“Learn all about sleep, your relationship with it, and how to build healthy habits for a more restful night in Headspace Guide to Sleep. Over the course of seven animated episodes, Headspace Director of Meditation and Mindfulness teacher, Eve Lewis Prieto, reveals the science behind a healthy night’s sleep and provides tips on how to get the best sleep you’ve ever had.” - Sexify (Netflix Original)
New on Netflix April 29
- Things Heard & Seen (Netflix Film)
“A Manhattan couple moves to a historic hamlet in the Hudson Valley and come to discover that their marriage has a sinister darkness, one that rivals their new home’s history. Based on the acclaimed novel by Elizabeth Brundage.” - Yasuke (Netflix Anime)
“He came from Africa and fought alongside a mighty feudal lord in brutal 16th century Japan. They called him the Black Samurai, and he became a legend.”
New on Netflix April 30
- The Mitchells vs. The Machines (Netflix Family)
“From the humans who brought you the Academy Award-winning Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse and The LEGO Movie comes The Mitchells vs. The Machines, an animated action-comedy about an ordinary family who find themselves in the middle of their biggest family challenge yet…saving the world from the robot apocalypse. No big deal, right?” - Pet Stars (Netflix Original)
“Follow talent management company Pets on Q as they work with the biggest animal influencers on social media in this reality series.” - The Innocent (Netflix Original)
- The Unremarkable Juanquini: Season 2 (Netflix Original)
What’s leaving Netflix in April 2021
Leaving April 2
Honey: Rise Up and Dance
Leaving April 4
Backfire
Leaving April 11
Time Trap
Leaving April 12
Married at First Sight: Season 9
Surviving R. Kelly Part II: The Reckoning: Season 1
Leaving April 13
Antidote
Leaving April 14
Eddie Murphy: Delirious
The New Romantic
Once Upon a Time in London
Thor: Tales of Asgard
Leaving April 15
Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant
Leaving April 19
Carol
The Vatican Tapes
Leaving April 20
The Last Resort
Leaving April 21
The Great British Baking Show: Masterclass: Seasons 1-3
Leaving April 22
Liv and Maddie: Seasons 1-4
Leaving April 23
Mirror Mirror
Leaving April 24
Django Unchained
Leaving April 26
The Sapphires
Leaving April 27
The Car
Doom
Leaving April 28
Paul Blart: Mall Cop
Leaving April 30
17 Again
Blackfish
Can’t Hardly Wait
Den of Thieves
How to Be a Latin Lover
I Am Legend
Jumping the Broom
Kingdom: Seasons 1-3
Knock Knock
Palm Trees in the Snow
Platoon
Runaway Bride
Snowpiercer
The Green Hornet
The Indian in the Cupboard
Waiting
