This April, streaming services, theaters and VOD are delivering in terms of thrillers. From HBO Max, to Amazon Prime Video, to Netflix, fans in need of a mystery, adrenaline rush or a bit of both may want to check out the following titles, which include crime thrillers, action flicks and even some science-fiction.
Mare of Easttown
HBO has a new mini-series this month, Mare of Easttown, and it appears to be playing with some of the most tried and true tropes of crime thrillers, including a worn out local detective who must team up with a big time county detective in order to solve a small town's murder mystery. Along with the tragedy of a missing child, the show is set up to explore the tight dynamics of a small community going through a tragedy and media circus.
Created by Brad Ingelsby, Mare of Easton stars Kate Winslet, Evan Peters, Angourie Rice and Guy Pearce and premieres April 18 on HBO.
Vanquish
On the more action packed side of the thriller genre is Vanquish, which is giving off John Wick vibes with its lead, who's a former drug smuggler. She's forced back into action after a corrupt, retired police officer kidnaps her daughter. Full of shoot outs, explosions and motorcycle chases, Vanquish appears to be exploring the world of dirty cops and drugs, while mixing in a story about the lengths a mother would go for her daughter.
Directed by George Gallo, Vanquish stars Morgan Freeman and Ruby Rose. The film arrives on demand and on digital April 23, with a Blu-ray and DVD release on April 27.
Tom Clancy's Without Remorse
Another action-thriller coming this month, Tom Clancy's Without Remorse is based off the novel of the same name by the author behind Rainbow Six. The protagonist, played by Michael B. Jordan, is a deadly soldier who's out for revenge, giving viewers a glimpse at what Erik Killmonger might have been like when he was still working for the Navy Seals. In the trailer alone, this anti-hero already has a daunting body count that will likely grow as the film progresses.
Directed by Stefano Sollima from a screenplay written by Taylor Sheridan and Will Staples, Without Remorse stars Michael B. Jordan, Jodie Turner-Smith, Jamie Bell, Lauren London, Brett Gelman and Guy Pearce. The film premieres April 30 on Amazon Prime Video.
The Believer
Shifting away from the action, The Believer is more so a relationship thriller. A husband realizes something is off with his wife, who at first he believes is losing touch with reality; however, things escalate as she refuses to let her husband walk out, threatens to frame him for beating her and gets physically violent. It's a mystery what the wife's endgame is, but it appears she is willing to go to extreme lengths to get what she wants, much to her husband's dismay.
Written and directed by Shan Serafin, The Believer stars Aidan Bristow, Sophie Kargman and Susan Wilder and is now available on VOD.
Things Heard and Seen
Another relationship thriller for April, Netflix's Things Heard and Seen is about a husband and wife moving into a new house that has a dark past. While this sets the film up to be a typical haunted house movie, the trailer focuses more so on how the past takes its toll on the couple and those sucked into their spiritual and secretive drama.
Written and directed by Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini, Things Heard and Seen stars James Norton, Amanda Seyfried, Natalia Dyer and Alex Neustaedter and premiers April 29 on Netflix.
Made for Love
The first three episodes of HBO Max's Made for Love have already dropped, and the new series has been regarded highly, earning a 94 percent critic score and a 93 percent audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. The sci-fi series takes place in a not so distant future, where the wife of a tech billionaire runs away after learning her husband plans to implant his newest invention -- a chip that connects their minds -- in her head; however, it's too late, and he can track her every move, see exactly what she sees and know what her emotions are. For fans of Netflix's You, this comedic sci-fi thriller could be the next best thing.
Created by author Alissa Nutting and showrunner Christina Lee, Made for Love stars Cristin Milioti, Billy Magnussen, Ray Romano, Noma Dumezweni, Augusto Aguilera and Dan Bakkedahl. New episodes arrive Thursdays on HBO Max.
Stowaway
There's another sci-fi thriller set for release this April, this time taking place in space. Stowaway is about a space exploration crew discovering that an engineer working on the shuttle before takeoff was injured and passed out. It's too late to return to Earth, so he is now stuck on this two year expedition, and while this initially seems like an adventure, the crew realizes the shuttle was not designed for four passengers, and they will die from suffocation before landing on Mars, so for fans of movies like Gravity, The Martian or Cast Away, this could be a great flick.
Directed and co-written by Joe Penna, Stowaway stars Anna Kendrick, Daniel Dae Kim, Shamier Anderson and Toni Collette. The film arrives on Netflix April 22.
Voyagers
Another space based thriller coming this month is Voyagers. While Stowaway is more of a survivalist tale, Voyagers is a chaotic mystery where the passengers give into their most primal desires. This may seem like a fun time at first, but these passengers aren't normal, as they were bred for this mission into space and raised without families or freedom, so their introduction to pleasure and emotions is more jarring, especially as they begin to question those in charge of them, making this film almost like an intergalactic version of The Giver in terms of its themes.
Written and directed by Neil Burger, Voyagers staring Tye Sheridan, Lily-Rose Depp, Fionn Whitehead, Chanté Adams, Isaac Hempstead Wright,Viveik Kalra, Archie Madekwe, Quintessa Swindell, Madison Hu and Colin Farrell premiers April 9 in theaters.