April is bringing a shower of new shows and movies to watch this weekend on Netflix, Apple TV Plus, Disney Plus and other top streaming services.
Movies dominate the weekend slate. Tetris is the unbelievable, yet true story of how the video game was introduced to the world. Murder Mystery 2 reunites Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston for more detective hijinks. The movie has already hit No. 2 on the Netflix movie list and will likely take over the top spot.
On the TV side, whimsical dramedy The Big Door Prize explores the idea of destiny, while Rob Lowe and son John Owen Lowe team up for the workplace comedy Unstable. Sci-fi saga Power imagines a world where girls are a force to be reckoned with.
Here’s our guide on what to watch this weekend.
Murder Mystery 2 (Netflix)
Adam Sandler is who he is and does what he does. The movies he makes for Netflix continue to be hugely popular, and range in quality from good (Hustle) to … well, Ridiculous 6. The first Murder Mystery falls somewhere in the middle. Did it need a sequel? Probably not, but Sandler and co-star Jennifer Aniston clearly have great comedic chemistry.
Since the events of the first film, married couple Nick and Audrey Spitz have become full-time detectives with their own private agency. When their friend the Maharaja is kidnapped at his own lavish wedding, the Spitzes become embroiled in an international intrigue.
For more, see our quick guide on whether to stream or skip Murder Mystery 2 based on critics reviews and audience reactions.
Streaming now on Netflix
Tetris (Apple TV Plus)
This is not an adaptation of the iconic classic video game, so don’t expect an action-adventure movie where characters dodge giant blocks falling down around them. Instead, this is a biographical drama based on the true story of how Tetris became a global phenomenon.
When game publisher Henk Rogers (Taron Egerton) first tries Tetris at the Consumer Electronics Show in 1988, he’s immediately transfixed. Hoping to distribute it around the world, Henk heads to the Soviet Union to talk to creator Alexey Pajitnov (Nikita Efremov). But Cold War tensions, British media moguls and shady dealmakers loom as obstacles to the game reaching the masses. Check out our Tetris review for our full take.
Streaming now on Apple TV Plus
The Big Door Prize (Apple TV Plus)
Based on M.O. Walsh’s book, this dramedy takes a page from the Twilight Zone. The surreal premise: A vending machine mysteriously appears one day in a small-town grocery store, promising to reveal anyone’s “true life potential” (for $2, their fingerprints and Social Security number).
History teacher Dusty Hubbard (Chris O’Dowd) sees the machine, called Morpho, on his 40th birthday. He’s generally content with wife Cass (Gabrielle Dennis) and daughter Trina (Djouliet Amara). As more of his neighbors opt to get their destiny cards from Morpho, Dusty can’t resist the siren call of knowledge. But the words on his card throw him for a loop. There’s a reason you don’t open Pandora’s box.
Streaming now on Apple TV Plus
Unstable (Netflix)
Hollywood is a family business. Rob Lowe and John Owen Lowe are the latest parent/child pair to work together in this workplace comedy. The elder Lowe is Ellis Dragon, a brilliant but narcissistic biotech mogul who’s in emotional free-fall after the death of his wife. His son, Jackson, is a career flute player who couldn’t be less ambitious.
Yet, he might be the key to saving his dad’s company. CFO Anna (Sian Clifford) enlists Jackson’s help in calming down the volatile Ellis. While their personalities may be near polar opposites, father and son may prove to be the perfect team.
Streaming now on Netflix
The Power (Prime Video)
Naomi Alderman’s feminist sci-fi tale gets a series adaptation starring Toni Collette, John Leguizamo and Josh Charles. The world is forever changed when teen girls develop the ability to shoot electricity out of their fingers. Those who had the least power in society now have the most.
Margot Cleary-Lopez (Collette) is the mayor of Seattle and mother of Jos (Auli’i Cravalho), who struggles to control her new ability. London girl Roxy (Ria Zmitrowicz) seeks her gangster father’s approval, while displaced American orphan Allie (Halle Bush) finds peace and acceptance in a convent. In Nigeria, videographer Tunde (Toheeb Jimoh) documents the phenomenon via his YouTube channel.
Streaming now on Prime Video
Prom Pact (Disney Plus)
A welcome dose of ‘80s nostalgia boosts this sweet, quirky teen rom-com. Prom looms large in the life of a high schooler, memorably shown in scenes from She’s All That, 10 Things I Hate About and Pretty in Pink, among others.
Yet, prom is actually the last thing on Mandy Yang’s (Peyton Elizabeth Lee) mind. While promposals are going on around her, she’s focused on her dream of attending Harvard. After getting waitlisted, Mandy decides to do whatever it takes to win acceptance — even if it means asking for help from popular jock Graham Lansing (Blake Draper), whose father is a powerful senator and Harvard alum.
Streaming now on Disney Plus
Rye Lane (Hulu)
For a more adult romantic comedy, meander over to Rye Lane. Two strangers have a meet-cute after getting brutally dumped. At an art gallery show, Yas (Vivian Oparah) hears Dom (David Jonsson) weeping in a bathroom stall next to her. They exchange their tales of romantic woe, then set off to walk and talk through south London’s neighborhoods.
It’s all very Before Sunrise, and like that film, the leads share a palpable chemistry. The characters are mismatched: Yas is a free-spirited costume designer, Dom is an uptight accountant. But, you know, opposites attract.
Streaming now on Hulu
What else to watch this weekend
Riverdale season 7 (The CW)
Archie and the gang are transported to the 1950s.
Streaming now on The CW.com
Doogie Kamealoha, M.D. season 2 (Disney Plus)
Lahela is torn between boyfriend Walter and the new bad boy on the island.
Streaming now on Disney Plus
Die Hart season 2 (The Roku Channel)
Kevin tries something new to become the greatest action star ever: avant-garde cinema.
Streaming now on The Roku Channel
