TV

New to Netflix UK: April 2023

From Richard Armitage creating erotic tension in Obsession to Lewis Capaldi confronting his demons in How I'm Feeling Now, Netflix in April examines the secrets in people's souls

Charlie Murphy and Richard Armitage in Obsession, Netflix (Photo: Netflix)
Obsession
UK Netflix release date: Thursday 13 April



If eroticism has faded at the cinema, it’s vibrant and alive on television. In fact, many erotic thrillers from back in the day are being remade into TV shows (Dead Ringers, Fatal Attraction, etc). The latest example is Obsession, starring Stay Close’s Richard Armitage and Happy Valley’s Charlie Murphy as two very inappropriate lovers.

William (Armitage) is a top surgeon, loved by his wife Ingrid (Indira Varma) and his son Jay (Rish Shah). But he has a darker side: embarking on a steamy, intense affair with Jay’s fiancée Anna (Murphy). Adapted by the feminist playwright Morgan Lloyd Malcolm, this sizzling, four-part drama aims to be a more nuanced version of Josephine Hart’s 1991 novel Damage.

Beef
UK Netflix release date: Thursday 6 April



After leaving The Walking Dead, Steven Yuen dipped into many small and fascinating projects including Sorry to Bother You, Burning and Minari (for which he was Oscar-nominated) – showing his breadth and intrigue as an actor. Now, he stars alongside Paper Girls' Ali Wong in Beef, a black comedy from the indie company A24 (Euphoria).

And it’s a wonderfully weird concept. Yuen and Wong play drivers whose road-rage argument turns into a much longer feud. They come from different backgrounds: Danny (Yeun) is a failing contractor and Amy is a wealthy entrepreneur with a picturesque life. As the conflict continues, their lives unravel with hilarious and poignant results.

Transatlantic
UK Netflix release date: Friday 7 April



Immigration has always been an important issue, inspiring the best and worst of humanity. The new period drama Transatlantic captures its empathies and divisions within Nazi-occupied France, following the valiant efforts of the Emergency Rescue Committee (ERC).

Formed by journalist Varian Fry (portrayed by Cory Michael Smith) and helped by heiress Mary Jane Gold (Gillian Jacobs) in 1940, the ERC rescued over 2000 refugees including Hannah Arendt, André Breton and Max Ernst. This seven-part series – punctuated by laughs and lovemaking – shows their struggles navigating the Nazis, the local police, and the American diplomats.

Lewis Capaldi: How I’m Feeling Now
UK Netflix release date: Wednesday 5 April



It’s become a trend for musicians like Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish to reveal themselves in one-off documentaries, which examine the people behind the art. Now, it’s Lewis Capaldi’s turn. Capaldi is a swift success story: breaking through in 2018 with his first UK number-one single Someone You Loved, which has reached over 2.7 billion plays on Spotify. He’s also a funny, charismatic presence in interviews and on social media.

How I’m Feeling Now (named after his latest single) shows Capaldi behind the scenes, dealing with anxiety and panic attacks while trying to reconnect with his pre-fame life.

Moonage Daydream
UK Netflix release date: Wednesday 5 April



The death of David Bowie – mere days after releasing his sombre last album Blackstar – catalysed an infamous year of celebrity departures. Many Bowie documentaries have since been made (as well as a vacuous biopic starring Johnny Flynn), but Brett Morgan’s galactic effort Moonage Daydream is a moving, wondrous, hallucinogenic tribute to the great starman.

The film plunges into a fevered tapestry, stitching together many hours of archive footage from concerts to interviews – rifling through various stages of Bowie’s stardom. Given that his music and personas possessed a surreal, subconscious flair, Moonage Daydream is edited with much the same elegance. This is a documentary you experience rather than study, much like Bowie himself.

The full Netflix in April slate:

Saturday 1 April
The Deep House
Home
Thirteen
The Whole Truth


Sunday 2 April
War Sailor

Tuesday 4 April
Colors of Love
Mo’Nique: My Name is Mo’Nique


Wednesday 5 April
Lewis Capaldi: How I’m Feeling Now
Moonage Daydream


Thursday 6 April
Beef
Monster Hunter


Friday 7 April
Chupa
Oh Belinda
Thicker Than Water
Transatlantic


Wednesday 12 April
American Manhunt: The Boston Marathon Bombing

Thursday 13 April
Florida Man
Nobody
Obsession
Running for my Truth: Alex Schwazer


Friday 14 April
The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die
Queenmaker
Weathering


Saturday 15 April
Keeping Up With the Kardashians, season 13
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, season 8

Sunday 16 April
2 Hearts

Tuesday 18 April
How to Get Rich
Longest Third Date

Wednesday 19 April
Chimp Empire
The Marked Heart
, season 2
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once and Always

Thursday 20 April
Brooklyn Nine-Nine, season 8
The Diplomat

Friday 21 April
Chokehold
Indian Matchmaking
, season 3
One More Time
Rough Diamonds
A Tourist’s Guide to Love

Tuesday 25 April
John Mulaney: Baby J

Wednesday 26 April
Love After Music

Thursday 27 April
The Matchmaker
Sweet Tooth
, season 2

Friday 28 April
AKA
King of Collectibles: The Goldin Touch


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