HBO Max is coming off one of its biggest months to date, and is looking to keep some of this momentum in April 2021. Subscribers can dig into the dual theatrical release of the month: the most anticipated video game movie of the year, Mortal Kombat. The R-rated adaptation comes two weeks into April, giving people enough time to revel in the glory of Godzilla vs. Kong from its end of March premiere. The next few weeks should prove to be an interesting time for the streamer, as many expect WarnerMedia to announce an increase in metrics, having the last two mentioned blockbusters along with Zack Snyder’s Justice League all available at the same time in April.
A slew of new HBO originals will also be making their way. If there’s anything HBO Max has above the other streamers, it’s selections of great variety and interest, and the service isn’t looking to disappoint any time soon. Check out more of our recs below along with everything coming to and leaving HBO Max in April. See what’s also in store for Disney+ and Netflix.
Our Recs:
Mortal Kombat
Everything shown from Mortal Kombat looks incredibly promising, leading many to believe that this could possibly be the best video game film of modern times. The bar isn’t very high in that field, but this film’s dedication and clear love of the original games could be a turning point. Will this be a tough act to follow for the upcoming Resident Evil and Uncharted films, or just another lackluster Hollywood attempt at pleasing the fans? The cast lead by Joe Taslim, Lewis Tan, Hiroyuki Sanada, and Sisi Stringer are looking to prove the naysayers wrong.
Scorpion and Sub-Zero get another go at the big screen via HBO Max on April 23!
Made For Love
After making a buzz at SXSW, Made For Love is set to be another standout original for HBO Max. Based on the 2017 novel of the same name, the dark comedy series follows the wife of a billionaire tech guru on the run. The only thing making her escape and hopeful divorce more complicated than it should be is a highly advanced chip in her brain, unknowingly implanted by her abusive husband so that their minds can be linked 24/7. This is already really bleak, but Cristin Milioti, Billy Magnussen, and Ray Romano manage to bring a tasteful sense of humor to this surreal, mind trip of a show.
Made For Love kicks off the month for HBO Max on April 1!
Mare of Easttown
HBO’s latest limited series, Mare of Easttown is looking to bring the signature thrills of a crime drama, but through a different lens. Kate Winslet is front and center as a middle-aged detective trying to solve the murder of a young teen before her personal life falls to shambles. Joining her on this mystery are, notably, Guy Pearce and Evan Peters. With enough star power and hints of Silence of the Lambs and Prisoners, will this limited series live up to the quality of HBO’s past?
Find out when Mare of Easttown debuts on HBO Max April 18!
HBO Max’s Arrivals for April 2021
Coming April 1
A Shock To The System, 1990 (HBO)
Abandon, 2002 (HBO)
Adam’s Rib, 1949
All Is Lost, 2013 (HBO)
Assume the Position with Mr. Wuhl
Barbarosa, 1982 (HBO)
Black Dynamite, 2009
Blindness, 2008 (HBO)
The Bodyguard, 1992
Boogie Nights, 1997
Bringing Up Baby, 1938
The Butcher’s Wife, 1991 (HBO)
Caddyshack, 1980
The Collection, 2012 (HBO)
The Color Purple, 1985
Dante’s Peak, 1997 (HBO)
Dark Shadows, 2012 (HBO)
Dead Silence, 2007 (HBO)
Dirty Harry, 1971
The Eagle Has Landed, 1977 (HBO)
Early Man, 2018 (HBO)
Easy Rider, 1969
Ella Enchanted, 2004 (HBO)
The Evil That Men Do, 1984 (HBO)
Eye For An Eye, 1996 (HBO)
Fear, 1996 (HBO)
genera+ion, Season 1 Part One Finale
Ghost Rider, 2007
Goodfellas, 1990
The Great Pottery Throwdown, Max Original Season 4 Premiere
Green Lantern, 2011
Hardball, 2001 (HBO)
Happy Endings
Haywire, 2012 (HBO)
In & Out, 1997 (HBO)
Kicking & Screaming, 2005 (HBO)
King Arthur: Legend Of The Sword, 2017 (HBO)
Lassiter, 1984 (HBO)
Leatherface Texas Chainsaw Massacre III, 1990 (HBO)
Let’s Go To Prison, 2006 (HBO)
The Longest Yard, 1974 (HBO)
Made For Love, Max Original Series Premiere
Man Up, 2015 (HBO)
The Mask of Zorro, 1998
The Man With The Iron Fists, 2012 (Unrated Version) (HBO)
Missing In Action 2 – The Beginning, 1985 (HBO)
Missing In Action, 1984 (HBO)
My Super Ex-Girlfriend, 2006 (HBO)
The Nanny
The Natural, 1984
Now, Voyager, 1942
One Day, 2011 (HBO)
Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment, 1985 (HBO)
Police Academy 3: Back In Training, 1986 (HBO)
Police Academy 4: Citizens On Patrol, 1987 (HBO)
Police Academy 5: Assignment: Miami Beach, 1988 (HBO)
Police Academy 6: City Under Siege, 1989 (HBO)
Police Academy: Mission To Moscow, 1994 (HBO)
Primal Fear, 1996 (HBO)
Reasonable Doubt, 2014 (HBO)
Red Dawn, 1984 (HBO)
The Return, 2006 (HBO)
Risky Business, 1983 (HBO)
Roger & Me, 1989
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, 1939
Sneakers, 1992 (HBO)
Space Jam, 1996
Speed 2 Cruise Control, 1997 (HBO)
Spellbound, 2003 (HBO)
Stuart Little, 1999
The Shack, 2017 (HBO)
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning, 2006 (Extended Version) (HBO)
Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Big Happy Family, 2011
Wanderlust, 2012 (HBO)
The Warriors, 1979 (Director’s Cut) (HBO)
The Watch, 2012 (HBO)
White Noise, 2005 (HBO)
The Wild Life, 2016 (HBO)
Within, 2016 (HBO)
Wolves At The Door, 2017 (HBO)
Coming April 2
On the Spectrum
Coming April 3
Ted, 2012 (Unrated Version) (HBO)
Coming April 4
Q: Into The Storm, Documentary Series Finale (HBO)
Coming April 5
Hard, Season 2 Finale (HBO)
Coming April 6
Genndy Tartokovksy’s Primal, Season 1B
Coming April 7
Exterminate All The Brutes, Documentary Series Premiere (HBO)
- Exterminate All The Brutes, by acclaimed filmmaker Raoul Peck (“I Am Not Your Negro,” HBO’s “Sometimes in April”), is a four-part series that pushes the boundaries of traditional documentary filmmaking, offering an expansive exploration of the exploitative and genocidal aspects of European colonialism, from America to Africa and its impact on society today
South Side, Season 1
Coming April 9
Intemperie (Aka Out In The Open), 2019 (HBO)
The Other Two, Season 1
A Tiny Audience, Season 2 Finale (HBO)
Coming April 10
The New Mutants, 2020 (HBO)
Coming April 11
The Nevers, Drama Series Premiere (HBO)
- August, 1896. Victorian London is rocked to its foundations by a supernatural event which gives certain people – mostly women – abnormal abilities, from the wondrous to the disturbing. But no matter their particular “turns,” all who belong to this new underclass are in grave danger. It falls to mysterious, quick-fisted widow Amalia True (Laura Donnelly) and brilliant young inventor Penance Adair (Ann Skelly) to protect and shelter these gifted “orphans.” To do so, they will have to face the brutal forces determined to annihilate their kind.
Coming April 12
Pray, Obey, Kill, Documentary Series Premiere (HBO)
- In a remote Swedish village called Knutby, a small tight-knit Pentecostal congregation believed Jesus was returning to Earth to marry their leader. When a young woman in the community was murdered and her neighbour suffered multiple gunshot wounds, the ensuing court case became an international sensation. Acclaimed investigative journalists Anton Berg and Martin Johnson, alongside Director Henrik Georgsson (The Bridge) are on a mission to shed light on what really happened in the village of Knutby.
Coming April 13
Our Towns, Documentary Premiere (HBO)
Coming April 15
Infinity Train, Max Original Season 4 Premiere
Wahl Street, Max Original Series Premiere
- The 6-episode documentary series offers fans a glimpse into global star Mark Wahlberg’s life as he juggles the demands of a rigorous film schedule coupled with an ever-growing network of diverse businesses including his clothing line, Municipal; his gym studio, F45; restaurant chain Wahlburgers and his production company, Unrealistic Ideas. Along the way, viewers will learn powerful business and life lessons as he navigates the numerous challenges of a global pandemic, all while trying to maintain and expand his vast portfolio. “Wahl Street” will also introduce the cast of colorful characters that make up Wahlberg’s real-life entourage.
Coming April 16
Piano Y Mujer (HBO)
Coming April 17
The Dark Knight Rises, 2012 (HBO)
Coming April 18
Mare of Easttown, Limited Series Premiere (HBO)
- Starring Kate Winslet, an exploration into the dark side of a close community and an authentic examination of how family and past tragedies can define our present.
Coming April 20
Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel (HBO)
Coming April 22
1,2,3 All Eyes On Me, 2020(HBO)
Ellen’s Next Great Designer, Max Original Series Premiere
- In “Ellen’s Next Great Designer,” design aficionado Ellen DeGeneres is giving uniquely talented, up-and-coming furniture designers the chance to push their creativity to the limit.
Generation Hustle, Max Original Series Premiere
- A 10-part HBO Max original from CNN Original Series and Jigsaw Productions about the lengths young people will go to for fame, fortune, and power.
First Ladies, 2020
Princess Cut, 2020 (HBO)
Rizo, 2020 (HBO)
Coming April 23
A Black Lady Sketch Show, Season 2 Premiere (HBO)
- Created by and starring Robin Thede, A Black Lady Sketch Show is an Emmy® nominated narrative sketch comedy series featuring a core cast of Black women living relatable, hilarious experiences in a magical reality that subverts traditional expectations.
El Robo Del Siglo (Aka Heist Of The Century) (HBO)
Mortal Kombat, Warner Bros. Film Premiere, 2021
Coming April 24
Dreamgirls, 2006 (HBO)
Coming April 26
The Artist, 2011
Coming April 29
Looney Tunes Cartoons, Season 1D
The Big Shot with Bethenny, Max Original Series Premiere
- In “The Big Shot with Bethenny,” the next generation of business moguls will compete for a chance to be second-in-command to business tycoon and Skinnygirl founder Bethenny Frankel, and win a coveted position working on her executive team. In business and in life, Frankel never settles and only accepts excellence. Through a series of real-life tasks and challenges, each aspiring mogul will be tested to see how far they can push their creativity and determination to rise to the top.
Leaving HBO Max in April
Updated: HBO Max is going to say goodbye (for now) to a plethora of titles in April. Two huge films to note right away are Godzilla vs. Kong and Godzilla: King Of The Monsters. It was already going to hurt losing the latest showdown after one month but to also see the previous sequel leave? Classic horror films like An American Werewolf In London and The Exorcist will also be leaving, holding the door open for the departure of recent Horror hits like The Invisible Man. Originally, HBO Max had announced that classic Hanna-Barbera cartoons (such as the Looney Tunes and Scooby-Doo) were set to leave at the end of the month, but they have been since given another chance and are no longer leaving. Other hits such as Loony Tunes: Back In Action are still saying goodbye.
Leaving April 11
Reservoir Dogs, 1992
Leaving April 15
Lego DC Shazam: Magic And Monsters!, 2020
Leaving April 30
3 Godfathers, 1949
9½ Weeks, 1986
Above The Rim, 1994 (HBO)
The Adventures Of Robin Hood, 1938
Adventures Of Tom Thumb And Thumbelina, 2002 (HBO)
After Hours, 1985
An American Werewolf In London,1981 (HBO)
Beasts Of The Southern Wild, 2012 (HBO)
Being There, 1979
Bullitt, 1968
Bundle Of Joy, 1956
Can’t Buy Me Love, 1987 (HBO)
The Candidate, 1972
Cast Away, 2000 (HBO)
Catwoman, 2004
Chasing Liberty, 2004
Cheyenne Autumn, 1964
Cimarron, 1960
Critters 2, 1988
Critters 4, 1992
Dead Man Walking, 1995 (HBO)
Diner, 1982
Dirt, 2017
The Exorcist, 1973
Femme Fatale, 2002 (HBO)
Fool’s Gold, 2008
Get Carter, 1971
Godzilla: King Of The Monsters, 2019 (HBO)
Godzilla vs. Kong , 2021
Green Lantern: Emerald Knights, 2011
The Green Mile, 1999
Grumpier Old Men, 1995
Grumpy Old Men, 1993
The Hangover Part II, 2011 (HBO)
A Hidden Life, 2019 (HBO)
The Hills Have Eyes II, 2007 (Extended Version) (HBO)
The Hills Have Eyes, 2006 (Extended Version) (HBO)
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, 2012
Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies, The, 2014
Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug, The, 2013
How The West Was Won, 1962
I Am Sam, 2002
The Invisible Man, 2020 (HBO)
Jojo Rabbit, 2019 (HBO)
Just Mercy, 2019 (HBO)
Looney Tunes: Back In Action, 2003
Lying And Stealing, 2019 (HBO)
Ma, 2019 (HBO)
The Man Who Would Be King, 1975
Marvin’s Room, 1996 (HBO)
Mildred Pierce, 1945
Mister Roberts, 1955
My Blue Heaven, 1990
My Dog Skip, 2000
My Favorite Year, 1982
National Lampoon’s European Vacation, 1985
National Lampoon’s Vacation, 1983
The Neverending Story, 1984
New Jack City, 1991
New York Minute, 2004
Of Mice And Men, 1992 (HBO)
Open Water 2: Adrift, 2006 (HBO)
Open Water, 2004 (HBO)
Patriots Day, 2016
Presumed Innocent, 1990
Pride And Prejudice, 1940
Private Benjamin, 1980
Red Tails, 2012 (HBO)
Reversal Of Fortune, 1990
Rio Bravo, 1959
Rise Of The Guardians, 2012 (HBO)
School Of Rock, 2003 (HBO)
The Secret Garden, 1993
She’s All That, 1999
Snakes On A Plane, 2006
Son Of The Mask, 2005
Space Cowboys, 2000
Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride, 2005
Tom And Jerry (Classic), 1967
Tower Heist, 2011 (HBO)
Under Siege, 1992
Viva Las Vegas, 1964
We Bought A Zoo, 2011 (HBO)
What Ever Happened To Baby Jane?, 1962 (HBO)
Where The Wild Things Are, 2009
The Wild Bunch, 1969
The Wind And The Lion, 1975
