The Best TV Shows & Movies To Watch In April

Awards season may have ended when the Oscar winners were revealed last month, but — not to alarm you — the next one isn’t too far behind. The proof? The heavy-hitting lineup of movies and TV debuting this month. Studios, networks, and streaming services are dropping some of their biggest, most acclaimed can’t-miss titles, especially on the TV front where we’re seeing the return of many Emmy favorites. 

For example, hit comedy Hacks (48 total Emmy nominations, nine wins) is back for Season 4, which follows the fallout of Ava (Hannah Einbinder) blackmailing her boss (Jean Smart) into making her the head writer of their new late-night show. After a long break, literary adaptation The Handmaid’s Tale (76 nominations, 15 wins) is back for one last season as June (Elisabeth Moss) sets out to take down Gilead once and for all. And let’s not forget that The Last Of Us (24 nominations, 8 wins with just one season) finally returns with its adaptation of the sequel to the bestselling video game. Chances are, we’ll be seeing all of these shows — plus maybe even a few others that we’re looking forward to below — being feted with awards, so let’s all take note now. 

When we shared our favorite TV shows of 2024, I wrote about how compelling I thought the third season of Hacks was, as well as how daring and world-altering the last moments of the finale — which saw Ava (Hannah Einbinder) blackmail her friend/boss/mentor Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) into giving her the promotion she believes she deserves — were for the series. 

With the Emmy-winning comedy finally returning for Season 4, fans get to see just how much will change in the fallout of Ava’s power move. The sarcastic millennial comedian is now working as the head writer on Deborah’s new late-night talk show — a hard-earned career dream come true for the veteran standup. Tension between the two, who have had plenty of ups and downs in their friendship/working relationship, is higher than ever, and they’re tackling a new-to-them part of the entertainment industry while fighting. It’s a big refresh for a well-loved show, and a huge gamble — which is only fitting since Deborah called Las Vegas home for so long.

Where to watch: Max
When: April 10
Watch if you like: Broad City, The Other Two, The Studio 

North Of North has been out in Canada for a few months, so I can say with complete certainty that the Arctic-set comedy series is not just a delight — it’s a must-watch. Set in a fictional town in Nunavut (the Canadian territory where production actually took place), the show follows Siaja (True Detective: Night Country’s Anna Lambe), a 20-something woman who blows up her life when she publicly asks her well-liked husband for a divorce. From there, Siaja must define — and chase — her own goals, establish a career for herself, support her vibrant Inuit community, learn how to be a single mother while working on her relationship with her own mother (Maika Harper), and deal with a few unexpected obstacles along the way. 

You will find so much to enjoy in North Of North: it carefully balances genuine laughs with emotional moments that can catch you off guard; it’s a wonderful showcase of the many Inuit creatives who worked on the show; and it offers a stunning look at the Arctic — cold, yet radiating with warmth and joy provided from the quirky cast of characters. Then there’s Lambe, who brings so much brightness and nuance to Siaja that it’s almost hard to believe it’s her first time leading a show. But, ultimately, North Of North is a show about women who are trying their best to figure it out — and who among us can’t relate?

Where to watch: Netflix
When: April 10
Watch if you like: Reservation Dogs, Kim’s Convenience, Mom 

When it comes to The Last of Us, it feels weird to be like, “I missed this TV show set in an incredibly harrowing dystopian future in which a mushroom pandemic turned most of the population into zombies,” but… I did! I missed The Last of Us’ character-driven approach to video game adaptations; I missed its moving depiction of love and community; and, most of all, I missed the heart-wrenching found-family relationship between its two lead characters, Ellie and Joel, and the chemistry between stars Bella Ramsey and Pedro Pascal that made the whole thing work. After a two-plus-year hiatus, it’s a relief to have the acclaimed drama back. 

Season 2 of The Last Of Us is set five years after the Season 1 finale — which, if you don’t remember, sees Joel kill many people to prevent them from performing a deadly brain surgery on Ellie in search of a cure for the infection, then lie to his surrogate daughter about his actions. In the time since, distance has grown between the pair in Wyoming, where they’ve been living with Joel’s brother (Gabriel Luna) — until they’re pulled back into the fight for humanity’s survival. This season also starts adapting the popular sequel game, The Last of Us Part II, and is pulling in some major talent to help tell the story: Catherine O’Hara, Jeffrey Wright, Young Mazino, Isabela Merced, and Kaitlyn Dever are among the new faces joining the cast. The only question? Which one of them will leave as big of a mark as notable Season 1 guest stars Nick Offerman and Murray Bartlett?

Where to watch: HBO/Max
When: April 13
Watch if you like: The Last of Us Season 1, The Walking Dead, Station Eleven 

The first season of The Valley, the Vanderpump Rules spinoff that followed VPR alums Jax, Brittany, Kristen, and their new friends north of the Hills, had a real slow start. Marriage, parenting, and real adulting (sort of) isn't as compelling as bar fights, cheating scandals, and what inevitably will go down on Stassi's birthday. So it was understandable to wonder whether The Valley could ever meet the heyday of its predecessor. But damn, once the show hit its stride mid-season, it de-liver-eddd. 

Season 2 picks up right where we left off: Michelle and Jesse are both in new relationships and in full divorce mode as they try to coparent. Meanwhile, Janet has given birth, but her and Kristen’s drama reach a new level of personal pain as they deal with the fallout of a serious accusation (will either of them ever be crowned the Queen Bee of the Valley?). Nia and Danny are still struggling as parents to three kids under the age of 3 (and the couple recently announced they are expecting their fourth). Jasmine is thriving with her girlfriend Melissa, and I love love love seeing more of them on screen together. Zack is there. 

But of course, the big headline going into last summer's filming was Brittany and Jax’s separation, which we now know wraps with Brittany filing for divorce. The season premiere teases a major conflict that solidifies the split, and despite knowing the ending of this chapter, you can bet I'll still be tuning in.

Where to watch: Bravo, Peacock (next day)
When: April 15
Watch if you like: Vanderpump Rules, Southern Charm, Summer House

I am not a horror girly, BUT the only time I can remotely tolerate it is when some kind of mass infection forces humans to turn against each other and all the familiar social constructs fall apart. In other words, zombie movies.

Throw in a period angle and you get Sinners, the latest collaboration between writer-director Ryan Coogler and the always delectable Michael B. Jordan. Sinners tells the story of twin brothers (Jordan) who return home for a fresh start, but those homecoming plans soon get derailed when they’re confronted by an unimaginable evil. The film is sexy and terrifying and bring a fresh take on what can feel like a saturated genre. And of course, there’s not one, but two MBJs — which means double the fun. Rounding out the cast are Hailee Steinfeld, Omar Benson Miller, Jayme Lawson, and Wunmi Mosaku. This isn’t one for the squeamish but it’ll be well worth the time.

Where to watch: Theaters
When: April 18
Watch If You Like: Kingdom, The Last Of Us

I’ll say it: Andor is the best Star Wars has ever been — on both the big and small screen. Effortlessly blending the action, sci-fi, and political thriller genres, the show chronicles Cassian Andor’s (Diego Luna) journey from thief to the diehard revolutionary and Rebellion fighter audiences first met in the 2016 movie Rogue One. (Rogue One is a prequel to A New Hope; Andor is a prequel to Rogue One.) In its first season, Andor was cinematic, grown-up, grounded, and urgent, running bold choices or ideas, like deftly examining how oppressive administrations exert their political power. I think this is exactly the kind of storytelling we need right now. 

That’s a lot for Season 2 to live up to, but with an impressive cast (Adria Arjona, Stellan Skarsgard, Forest Whitaker, and Ben Mendelsohn also appear) and the steady hands of creator Tony Gilroy (the Bourne movies, Michael Clayton) guiding the (space)ship, there’s no question in my mind that it can meet the moment. Plus, this 12-episode season will be wrapping up the Andor story, closing the loop by bringing Cassian to the man we know from Rogue One. While I’ll be sad to see the show go, I’m glad we can go into this season knowing the team has told exactly the story they want to tell. 

Where to watch: Disney+
When: April 22
Watch if you like: Any Star Wars movie/TV show, Silo, Snowpiercer

This month, two of the shows that have, arguably, helped define the streaming era are finally coming to the end. 

First up is the increasingly resonant The Handmaid’s Tale. In Season 6 of the Elisabeth Moss-led literary adaptation, revolution has arrived as June and company make their way back toward Gilead to take down the totalitarian government — at any cost. 

Then there’s the always addictive You, Penn Badgley’s serial killer drama, which is wrapping its run with Season 5. Set three years after the events of Season 4, Joe and his wife Kate (Charlotte Richie) are living in New York, where Kate’s role as a powerful CEO has brought them a lot of public attention and adoration. But once an obsessive stalker/serial killer, always an obsessive stalker/serial killer, and it isn’t long before Joe is back to his old ways. 

Where to watch: Hulu (The Handmaid’s Tale) & Netflix (You)
When: April 8 (The Handmaid’s Tale) & April 24 (You)
Watch if you like: Any previous season of The Handmaid’s Tale or You

For Netflix-specific titles, check out our Treats for April. And if you're still trying to figure out what to watch, check out our picks for March.