Photo: 20th Century Fox/MGM/Columbia/Universal/Summit Entertainment (Composite)
We’re still some weeks away from summer, before the weather turns hot and you’ll not want to spend any more time indoors. No better moment than now to still enjoy your favorite movies and shows from the comfort of your couch – and the five biggest streaming platforms have a packed month for you ahead.
As it’s become tradition, we’re to help: every month, autoevolution brings you a curated must-watch guide with the latest additions with content relevant to our interests. If there’s a new film, documentary or series with cars, whether based on a real story or fictional, heavy action featuring aircraft or watercraft, or even space exploration, you’ll find it here on the list.
April is still a transition month in showbiz, with big studios gearing up for the summer blockbuster season, starting with the days off during Easter celebrations. The same pattern is noticeable with streaming, so grab some popcorn and enjoy yourself: here’s what’s in store for April 2023.
Could just be the irresistible combination for cinephiles and car enthusiasts: a period drama packed with ‘70s nostalgia and the evergreen tale of good vs. evil (con men vs. feds, in this case), a huge A-list ensemble cast, excellent costumes, and David O. Russell’s distinctive approach to filmmaking. American Hustle is a fictional story set in the ‘70s, starring heavyweights Cristian Bale, Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence, and while it’s not as action-packed as you might be tempted to believe from the trailers, it’s like a window into those times, down to the incredible costumes and the vehicles of that era.
If you can build an entire film franchise off a popular toy, a board game will work just as well. Inspired by the success of Transformers, Universal made Battleship in 2012, a film that has gone down in history as the silliest and most shameless attempt at making money off a game. With a most random cast that brings together Alexander Skarsgard, Liam Neeson, Taylor Kitsch, and Jessie Plemons, and model Brooklyn Decker and pop superstar Rihanna, it drops on April 1. Don’t let critics discourage you, though: this action flick is bad for story, dialog and acting, but it’s all thrilling pew-pew and boom-boom, as humanity engages in a desperate battle to save itself from invading alien forces.
Hardly any need for a presentation with this one: the Matt Damon-led franchise is reintroducing itself to younger audiences willing to let themselves be educated in what a classic action spy thriller is like. Identity (2002), Supremacy (2004), Ultimatum (2007) and the Jeremy Renner-ledThe Bourne Legacy (2012) all premiere on April 1, so make this one into a fun Bourne binge.
Miriam Margolyes: Almost Australian (2020)
Not a new series, but one with excellent timing given the current #vanlife frenzy: British actress Miriam Margolyes, famous for her work in Harry Potter and Hollywood blockbusters like Romeo + Juliet, is using her newly-acquired Australian citizenship to travel the country and explore what it means to be Australian. The 3-part docuseries sees her meet with vanlifers and isolated communities, hitch rides with truckers, and live briefly in a van conversion, even though she declares at one point that an “old lady” like herself has needs – and number one is a toilet outside of the kitchen.
If you’re in the mood for some WWII drama and a gritty look at the life of merchant sailors of that era, combined with foreign filmmaking and Oscar prestige, look no further. Krigsseileren/War Sailor is a limited series initially released as a feature film, arriving on Netflix on April 2 after its run for Best International Film at the 2023 Oscars. It tells the story of two sailors and lifelong friends on a merchant ship caught by WWII in the middle of the Atlantic and commandeered for the war effort. Starring Kristoffer Joner, Pal Sverre Hagen and Ine Marie Wilmann under Gunnar Vikene’s direction, it’s a somber and bloody look at the atrocities of war, and what sea life was like back in those days.
HBO and HBO MAX
Drive Angry (2011)
You gotta love a movie that’s as straightforward as this one. Drive Angry is exactly what its name says, a fun and thrilling (and silly) example of a grindhouse production that probably ranks up there with Nicholas Cage’s best action films. Starring Amber Heard, a 1964 Buick Riviera, an insane 1969 Dodge Charger R, and a 1971 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 454, it tells the story of one man and his quest for vengeance against a satanic cult – and his fight against Devil’s messenger, sent to fetch him back to hell. It was one of the first movies shot in 3D, so it featured awesome eye-popping action, but it’s just as fun and bonkers on a smaller screen, without the 3D.
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006)
“The story of one man who could only count to 1.” Another classic, this time a comedy: Talladega Nights is the story of NASCAR champ Ricky Bobby, a man accustomed to always winning, but now forced to fight to prove that he really is the best. Starring a 13-branded 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu, Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, Sacha Baron Cohen, Gary Cole, Amy Adams, Michael Clarke Duncan, and a slew of other famous faces, it’s the perfect way to spend close to 2 hours: a delicious mix of physical comedy, car chases and car stunts, and general NASCAR mayhem.
HULU
Elysium (2013)
If he’s not stranded in space by accident, Matt Damon is desperately trying to make his way there. Elysium is a sci-fi action movie set in a post-apocalyptic universe in which Earth is the dumping ground for the last of the human race, while the elites chill on a war-, poverty-, and sickness-free man-made paradise space station called Elysium. The poor people of Earth, still plagued by every ill you can think of, including a robot-enforced dictatorship, are constantly trying to make their way to Elysium, but all attempts end in death. Until Matt Damon’s Max comes along, with the right help and the right motivation. A film by Neill Blomkamp, widely under-appreciated because of comparisons to similar big-screen stories, like Tom Cruise’s Oblivion.
Mission to Mars (2000)
Speaking of getting to outer space, here’s another classic, this time from the hands of the incredible Brian de Palma, a director famous for his visual storytelling. “Getting to Mars is the easiest part,” says one of the taglines from this space-set drama, which sees a team of astronauts sent to Mars to investigate the causes of an accident that killed all but one member of the first manned mission. Starring Tim Robbins, Gary Sinise, Don Cheadle, and Jerry O’Connell, this film was done with assistance from NASA, though that’s the last thing that recommends it for viewing. Its acting, story and development do.
Joyride (2022)
A different kind of joyride, for those who might want one with a bit more feeling to it. This is your typical indie foreign film (it’s British, so it qualifies as foreign for U.S. viewers), with Olivia Colman playing a solicitor traveling to her sister’s place, so she can “unload” her newborn baby, and Charlie Reid, as a young delinquent who steals the taxi she’s supposed to ride in. An unlikely friendship forms as the two travel together, forced by circumstance but choosing to continue the journey out of newly-developed love and understanding. Cars and love have been making the world spin since forever, we all know it.
Throwing it all the way back to the mid-’90s, “Get ready for rush hour”with Keanu Reeves, Sandra Bullock, and Dennis Hopper, and a city bus that mustn’t go under 50 mph (80.4 kph) or it will explode, killing everyone onboard. Often dubbed the “ultimate action movie,” it's a throwback to a time in Hollywood when action movies combined solid acting with a good story, and didn’t rely exclusively on action scenes to numb viewers into submission. It’s a must-see, is what we’re saying.
James Cameron’s most famous and successful movie to date, Titanic is back to retell the tragic story of the sinking of the Titanic, and of Jack and Rose, the modern Romeo and Juliet on a boat. Love story aside, the drama still holds its own after all these years for the portrayal of life onboard the vessel, as well as the realistic portrayal of its collision with the iceberg and everything that followed. Now that we know that Jack couldn’t have fit on that door even if Rose scooted over and made some room for him, here’s to hoping the vessel itself will get the attention it deserves.
Top Gun (1986)
The OG action flick and cult icon with heavy doses of patriotism and courage, set at the U.S. Navy’s Top Gun elite Fighter School. Top Gun is Tom Cruise’s first outing as Lieutenant Pete Mitchell, aka Maverick (the second came in 2022, under another director), and remains to this day one of the most spectacular instances of military-themed cinematography, famous for its dog-fighting aerial sequences, all of them filmed in real-life scenarios, with real aircraft and as little Hollywood trickery as possible. Tom Cruise gets a lot of attention for his solid work ethic these days, which involves seemingly impossible physical stunts, but this ‘86 film shows he’s been doing it for decades.
A new arrival on the scene: a spy action series starring Richard Madden, Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Stanley Tucci, and hopefully with enough action to live up to the pre-release hype. Madden and Chopra Jonas play former elite agents who have had their memories wiped after Citadel, an independent global spy agency they worked for, was taken down by the evil Manticore syndicate. A chance meeting brings it all back, and they’re pulled back into action to fight a new attempt by Manticore to set a new world order. Citadel has action scenes, a love story, Stanley Tucci, and reportedly a huge budget, so it’s worth checking out.
PARAMOUNT+
Mad Max (1979)
We’re rounding up this guide with a huge bang: the most famous post-apocalyptic saga ever to grace the big screen, courtesy of director George Miller, starring Mel Gibson and the now-iconic “last of the V8 Interceptors,” a black 1974 Ford Falcon XB GT aptly called Black Pursuit. The first film, which is streaming on Paramount+ this month, is the lowest-budget entry in franchise but still a must-see after all these years. It’s the story of Max (Gibson), a highway patrol office out to exert vengeance on a gang of bikers with “his only weapon, 600 horses of fuel-injected vengeance.” Dark and bloody, the film is well-paced and well-done, and packed with action scenes – but most importantly, it’s well-aged, like a fine wine.
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
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