What's Coming to Netflix in April? A Lot of Great Sci-fi Bangers
'Lost in Space' leads the way for new sci-fi this month.
Netflix has long been established as a true haven for streaming sci-fi in film and television, and April is only going to fortify that even further.
On Tuesday, Netflix released what it has in store for the streaming service in April, and the list of new releases throughout the month is loaded with tons of sci-fi, both old and new — but also a few original series and movies. The highlight in April will no doubt be the release of Netflix’s very own Lost in Space reboot, but the streaming platform has enough sci-fi to satiate nostalgia-fueled nerds who love sciencence fiction that’s so bad it’s good,, but also a few options for for eventhe little kids out there.
Many of these options are just fun and inherently watchable stories you remember, but there’s at least a few that you absolutely cannot miss, regardless of your age.
Here are 10 of the best new sci-fi coming to Netflix in April, all in chronological order of release date.
10. Battlefield Earth
Earth has been ruled for 1,000 years by an alien race called the Psychlos in this cult classic sci-fi film that’s one of those “this is so incredibly bad that we actually kind of love it.” It’s basically The Room but for sci-fi nerds, and has an unrecognizable John Travolta as one of the Psychlos.
In case you need even more of a reason: The novel this story is based on was written by L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology. So Hubbard probably thinks of this as predictive non-fiction instead of ridiculous sci-fi.
- Available April 1.
9. Cats & Dogs
Cats & Dogs is perhaps one of the most offensive movies ever made … if you’re a cat person. (All of of the cats are villains.) In this bizarro world, cats and dogs are locked in a centuries-long global conflict, employing lots of complex gadgetry and technology. It’s the kid ersion of The Kingsman with good-guy dogs and cats as the maniacal villains.
- Available April 1.
8. Deep Blue Sea
This oceanic sci-fi horror film is like Jaws on steroids, literally. The sharks in this movie were experimented on, and it made them super-intelligent, so when a research facility is damaged during a storm, a bunch of scientists are totally screwed. A true highlight in this film is spoiler Samuel L. Jackson’s epic inspirational monologue that ends in his grisly death by a brilliant shark attack.
- Available April 1.
7. The Iron Giant
If you haven’t seen this Nineties animated classic just yet, there’s never been a better time, because the Iron Giant plays a pretty important role in Steven Spielberg’s Ready Player One. After a young boy from Maine befriends a giant made of iron who crash-landed near his home, the two of them work together to avoid the government — which wants the giant as a weapon — and ultimately save the day in an inspirational story.
- Available April 1.
6. Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
In 2003, it was great to see Arnold Schwarzenegger step into the Terminator boots once more, but this middling entry in the franchise is a tired version that feels like more of the same but somehow less. The absence of Linda Hamilton as an amazing Sarah Connor means means the film rests on Nick Stahl, who is perhaps the worst version of John Connor we’ll ever see. Still, consider rewatching this because there’s a better Terminator 3 coming from James Cameron.
- Available April 1.
5. Orbiter 9
This Spanish sci-fi film feels a lot like Netflix’s answer to Duncan Jones’s Moon and 2016’s lackluster blockbuster Passengers. A woman who’s lived her entire life alone on a spaceship suddenly becomes enamored with an engineer who enters her life. File this one under “solitary romance in space.”
- Available April 6.
4. Lost in Space — Season 1
Perhaps April’s flagship sci-fi property from Netflix, this Lost in Space reboot is yet another veversion of a classic spacefaring adventure. The Robinson family goes into space to write a new chapter in human history when the Earth is in crisis. This family of pioneering space colonistss gets literally “lost in space” after their ship enters a rip in spacetime and sends them to an alien planet.
- Available April 13.
3. The Magic School Bus Rides Again — Season 2
Don’t kid yourself: This educational animated series is hard magical sci-fi at its finest. This season, Ms. Frizzle takes her students to the center of the sun. What’s more gnarly than that?
- Available April 13.
2. Psychokinesis
A man tries to reconnect with his estranged daughter after he randomly acquires telekinetic powers, and he sort of becomes a celebrity superhero in the process. This South Korean superhero action comedy comes to us from director Yeon Sang-ho, the man behind Train to Busan, one of 2016’s best zombie movies.
- Available April 25.
1. 3% — Season 2
In this dystopian sci-fi drama, the competition isn’t like the murder-filled Hunger Games. Instead, it’s a battle of intellect to join the 3 percent of the population who thrive in the lavish Offshore, while the 97 percent majority of the world live impoverished. Rebellious forces seek to undermine the structure of this society in Season 2 as the next Process draws near, which will induct a new group of students into the exclusive utopia.
- Available April 27
