Netflix movies (April 2021): 50 best films to stream on the platform

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The 50 best movies streaming on Netflix (April 2021)

A new month means more movies to devour from Netflix’s extensive catalog, ranging from some old favorites to some new editions. We’ve sorted the best movies on the streaming service for the month of April. All of these movies are on Netflix, unless they are noted with an arrival date.

You can also check out some of our other lists:

Let’s get to the movies!

1
THE DARK KNIGHT

AP Photo/Warner Bros. Pictures, Stephen Vaughan

As Batman, Lt. Gordon and the district attorney continue to dismantle Gotham’s criminal underground, a new villain threatens to undo their good work.

Starring: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart

2
THE ENDLESS

Michael Kappeler/dpa via AP

As kids, they escaped a UFO death cult. Now, two adult brothers seek answers after an old videotape surfaces and brings them back to where they began.

Starring: Aaron Moorhead, Justin Benson, Callie Hernandez

3
IP MAN

Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP

An occupying Japanese general challenges Chinese men to duels to prove the superiority of the Japanese, but Ip Man refuses to fight — at first.

Starring: Donnie Yen, Simon Yam, Louis Fan

4
RUNAWAY BRIDE

Dan MacMedan-USA TODAY NETWORK

Sparks fly when a newspaper columnist writes a one-sided, sexist story about a commitment-phobic bride who abandoned three men at the altar.

Starring: Julia Roberts, Richard Gere, Joan Cusack

5
MY OCTOPUS TEACHER

Invision for Producers Guild of America/AP Images

A filmmaker forges an unusual friendship with an octopus living in a South African kelp forest, learning as the animal shares the mysteries of her world.

Starring: Craig Foster, Tom Foster

6
KISS THE GROUND

Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP

A revolutionary group of activists, scientists, farmers and politicians band together in a global movement of “Regenerative Agriculture” that could balance our climate, replenish our vast water supplies, and feed the world.

Starring: Woody Harrelson, Ray Archuleta, John Wick

7
TRAINING DAY

AP Photo/John McConnico, file

A rookie cop spends his first day as a Los Angeles narcotics officer with a rogue detective who isn’t what he appears to be.

Starring: Denzel Washington, Ethan Hawke, Scott Glenn 

8
I AM LEGEND

AP Photo/Marco Ugarte

Years after a plague kills most of humanity and transforms the rest into monsters, the sole survivor in New York City struggles valiantly to find a cure.

Starring: Will Smith, Alice Braga, Charlie Tahan

9
HOOK

Martin Keene/PA Wire

When Captain James Hook kidnaps his children, an adult Peter Pan must return to Neverland and reclaim his youthful spirit in order to challenge his old enemy.

Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Robin Williams, Julia Roberts

10
SHERLOCK HOLMES

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Detective Sherlock Holmes and his stalwart partner Watson engage in a battle of wits and brawn with a nemesis whose plot is a threat to all of England.

Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Rachel McAdams

11
SEARCHING FOR BOBBY FISCHER

Mario Tama/Getty Images

A prepubescent chess prodigy refuses to harden himself in order to become a champion like the famous but unlikable Bobby Fischer.

Starring: Joe Mantegna, Ben Kingsley, Max Pomeranc

12
JULIE AND JULIA

AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia

In this heartwarming tale, Julie Powell decides to spice up her uneventful life by cooking all 524 recipes outlined in Julia Child’s classic cookbook.

Starring: Meryl Streep, Amy Adams, Stanley Tucci

13
THE PATRIOT

Peaceful farmer Benjamin Martin is driven to lead the Colonial Militia during the American Revolution when a sadistic British officer murders his son.

Starring: Mel Gibson, Heath Ledger, Joely Richardson 

14
HUNT FOR THE WILDERPEOPLE

A national manhunt is ordered for a rebellious kid and his foster uncle who go missing in the wild New Zealand bush.

Starring: Sam Neill, Julian Dennison, Rima Te Wiata

15
TAXI DRIVER

ORG XMIT: UT40073

A mentally unstable veteran works as a nighttime taxi driver in New York City, where the perceived decadence and sleaze fuels his urge for violent action by attempting to liberate a presidential campaign worker and an underage prostitute.

Starring: Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster, Cybill Shepherd

16
PROSPECT

Evan Agostini/Invision/AP

A father and daughter travel to an alien moon in search of a valuable gem but are forced to alter their plans when a nefarious outlaw gets involved.

Starring: Sophie Thatcher, Jay Duplass, Pedro Pascal 

17
BURNING

Joel C Ryan/Invision/AP

An aspiring writer goes to the airport to pick up a high school friend returning from a trip to Africa but is disheartened to see her with another man.

Starring: Yoo Ah-in, Steven Yeun, Jun Jone-seo

18
BIRD BOX

Netflix

Five years after an ominous unseen presence drives most of society to suicide, a survivor and her two children make a desperate bid to reach safety.

Starring: Sandra Bullock, Trevante Rhodes, John Malkovich

19
PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER

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An introvert freshman is taken under the wings of two seniors who welcome him to the real world.

Starring: Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, Ezra Miller

20
LEGALLY BLONDE

(Screenshot)

When dazzling L.A. sorority girl Elle Woods gets dumped by her snobby boyfriend, she decides to win him back by following him to Harvard Law School.

Starring: Reese Witherspoon, Luke Wilson, Jennifer Coolidge

21
THE TIME TRAVELER'S WIFE

FRANCOIS GUILLOT/AFP via Getty Images

Due to a genetic disorder, handsome librarian Henry involuntarily zips through time, appearing at various moments in the life of his true love.

Starring: Rachel McAdams, Eric Bana, Arliss Howard

22
YES DAY

Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY

A mom and dad, who usually say no, decide to say yes to their kids’ wildest requests — on a whirlwind day of fun and adventure.

Starring: Jennifer Garner, Edgar Ramirez, Jenna Ortega

23
2012

AP Photo/Francois Mori

When a flood of natural disasters begins to destroy the world, a divorced dad desperately tries to save his family by outrunning the cataclysmic chaos.

Starring: John Cusack, Amanda Peet, Chiwetel Ejiofor

24
TYLER PERRY'S MADEA'S BIG HAPPY FAMILY

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Upon learning of her niece’s health issues, super-grandma and problem-solver Madea takes over once again, summoning together her fragmented clan.

Starring: Tyler Perry, Loretta Devine, Bow Wow

25
THE PIANIST

Famed Polish pianist Władysław Szpilman struggles to survive the onslaught of Nazi tyranny during World War II in this drama based on his memoirs.

Starring: Adrien Brody, Thomas Kretschmann, Frank Finlay

26
COP OUT

AP Photo/Peter Kramer

Eager to pay for his daughter’s pricey wedding, a suspended cop sets out to recover a valuable baseball card with the help of his loyal partner.

Starring: Bruce Willis, Tracy Morgan, Seann William Scott

27
FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS

AP Photo/Ivan Sekretarev

When a recruiter and an art director strike up a friendship, they decide to capitalize on their chemistry with casual sex and no emotional attachments.

Starring: Justin Timberlake, Mila Kunis, Patricia Clarkson

28
INSIDIOUS

Raphael Dias/Getty Images for Sony Pictures

A family moves into a new home, where their son falls into a coma and series events begin to reveal something far more sinister is lurking in the house.

Starring: Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Lin Shaye

29
CONCRETE COWBOY

Netflix via AP

Sent to live with his estranged father for the summer, a rebellious teen finds kinship in a tight-knit Philadelphia community of Black cowboys.

Starring: Idris Elba, Caleb McLaughlin, Jharrel Jerome

30
JUST SAY YES

FERDY DAMMAN/ANP/AFP via Getty Images

Incurable romantic Lotte finds her life upended when her plans for a picture-perfect wedding unravel — just as her self-absorbed sister gets engaged.

Starring: Yolanthe Cabau, Jim Bakkum, Noortje Herlaar

31
MADAME CLAUDE

Aurore Marechal/Abaca/Sipa USA

In 1960s Paris, Madame Claude’s influence extends beyond the world of sex work — until an affluent young woman threatens to change everything.

Starring: Karole Rocher, Garance Marillier, Roschdy Zem

32
THE ZOOKEEPER'S WIFE

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

During World War II, a young polish couple use their zoo to protect families hiding from the Nazis.

Starring: Jessica Chastain, Johan HeldenberghMichael McElhatton

33
CRAZY, STUPID, LOVE

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Blindsided by the end of his marriage and hopeless at dating, Cal receives a helping hand from a smooth-talking player who’s about to meet his match.

Starring: Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Julianne Moore

34
SKY HIGH

Sipa via AP Images

After falling for Estrella, Ángel, a mechanic from the Madrid suburbs, dives into a world of heists and becomes the target of a relentless detective.

Starring: Miguel Herrán, Luis Tosar, Carolina Yuste

35
Saving Private Ryan

(Dreamworks and Paramount)

Eight U.S. Army Rangers penetrate German-held territory during World War II to find and bring home a soldier whose three brothers have been killed.

Starring:Tom Hanks, Tom Sizemore, Edward Burns

36
Brokeback Mountain

Two sheepherders in 1963 Wyoming become involved in an increasingly passionate affair, but hiding the relationship from their wives proves agonizing.

Starring: Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Williams

37
FIGHTING

In New York City, a young counterfeiter is introduced to the world of underground street fighting by a seasoned scam artist, who becomes his manager on the bare-knuckling brawling circuit.

Starring: Channing Tatum, Terrence Howard, Luis Guzmán 

38
MILK

Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP, File

Businessman and activist Harvey Milk fights the system — and becomes a target — as he makes history as California’s first openly gay elected official.

Starring: Sean Penn, Emile Hirsch, Josh Brolin

39
THE LITTLE RASCALS

Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Favored.by

As Alfalfa tries to charm Darla, a group of pint-sized mischief-makers land in all sorts of antics. Inspired by Hal Roach’s “Our Gang” series.

Starring: Travis Tedford, Bug Hall, Brittany Ashton Holmes

40
THE WEDDING PLANNER

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X

41
YES MAN

AP Photo/Matt Sayles

After a bitter divorce, a loan officer falls under the sway of a self-help guru who urges him to say yes to everything that comes his way for a year.

Starring: Jim Carrey, Zooey Deschanel, Bradley Cooper

42
THE FISHERMAN'S DIARY

OLIVIER DOULIERY/AFP via Getty Images

Ekah is determined to go to school in a village of fishermen where a girl child’s education is considered a taboo. Her drive to break this old adage gets her embroiled with her father, Solomon’s past.

Starring: Cosson Chinopoh, Faith Fidel, Onyama Laura 

43
THUNDER FORCE (April 9)

Jordan Strauss/Invision for the Producers Guild of America/AP Images

Two childhood best friends reunite as an unlikely crime-fighting superhero duo when one invents a formula that gives ordinary people superpowers.

Starring: Melissa McCarthy, Octavia Spencer, Jason Bateman

44
THE STAND IN (April 10)

Evan Agostini/Invision/AP

THE STAND-IN is the story of a disaffected comedy actress and her ambitious stand-in trading places.

Starring: Drew Barrymore, Michael Zegen, T.J. Miller

45
THE MASTER (April 14)

AP Photo/Joel Ryan

A Naval veteran arrives home from war unsettled and uncertain of his future – until he is tantalized by the Cause and its charismatic leader.

Starring: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams

46
RUSH (April 16)

AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi

The merciless 1970s rivalry between Formula One rivals James Hunt and Niki Lauda.

Starring: Daniel Brühl, Chris Hemsworth, Olivia Wilde

47
MISS SLOANE (April 19)

Eduardo Parra/Getty Images

In the high-stakes world of political power-brokers, Elizabeth Sloane is the most sought after and formidable lobbyist in D.C. But when taking on the most powerful opponent of her career, she finds winning may come at too high a price.

Starring: Jessica Chastain, Mark Strong, Gugu Mbatha-Raw

48
STOWAWAY (April 22)

Getty Images/Getty Images for Hollywood Foreign Press Association

A three-person crew on a mission to Mars faces an impossible choice when an unplanned passenger jeopardizes the lives of everyone on board.

StarringAnna Kendrick, Toni Collette, Daniel Dae Kim

49
AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY (April 27)

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

A look at the lives of the strong-willed women of the Weston family, whose paths have diverged until a family crisis brings them back to the Oklahoma house they grew up in, and to the dysfunctional woman who raised them.

Starring: Meryl Streep, Dermot Mulroney, Julia Roberts

50
THE MITCHELLS VS. THE MACHINES (April 30)

OLIVIER DOULIERY/AFP via Getty Images

A robot apocalypse put the brakes on their cross-country road trip. Now it’s up to the Mitchells — the world’s weirdest family — to save the human race.

Starring: Olivia Colman, Eric André, Maya Rudolph

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