April 2025’s Best Streaming Titles: Gundam, Andor, The Last of Us, Smokey and the Bandit, The Naked Gun

I feel the need, the need for speed… Directed with verve by Tony Scott and starring Tom Cruise in one of his most iconic roles, Top Gun is one of the great ’80s movies. Cruise plays Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, a hotshot fighter pilot who finds his abilities pushed to the limit when he’s assigned to the Navy’s elite fighter pilot school. Top Gun is jam-packed with amazing aerial sequences which are made all the more thrilling by a stellar soundtrack, including the classic “Danger Zone” by Kenny Loggins.

Kevin Bacon plays a country music-loving bounty hunter who’s killed on the job, only to be resurrected by the Devil in order to track down rogue demons. Which is pretty terrible, but might also be a second chance, not just at life, but at reuniting with his estranged family. The Amazon original series looks like a promising blend of horror, action, and humor à la the Evil Dead movies.

The latest installment in the long-running Gundam anime franchise is a partnership between Sunrise and Khara, the studio behind the Neon Genesis Evangelion reboot that wrapped up back in 2021. Set in an alternate timeline, the new series follows a young high school student whose quiet life gets turned upside down when she encounters a refugee and starts competing in underground mech duels.

The second season of Ncuti Gatwa’s tenure as the legendary Time Lord introduces a new companion, a new mysterious threat, and a new… singing cartoon? Mr. Ring-a-Ding (voiced by Alan Cumming) promises to be one of the Doctor’s more interesting challenges.

Andor’s first season was the best thing to happen to the Star Wars franchise in a looooong time (read my review). With its stellar performances, gripping storylines, and incisive comments about tyranny — which, in hindsight, were maybe more than a little prophetic — it was widely acclaimed by nearly everyone. So needless to say, anticipation for the second (and final) season is pretty high, with Cassian Andor, Luthen Rael, and the rest of the burgeoning Rebellion gathering their forces to take on the evil Empire.

One of the very best sci-fi films in recent years, Denis Villeneuve’s Arrival is a thought-provoking film unlike any alien invasion film you’ve seen. When strange alien ships appear around the globe, the military asks a linguist (Amy Adams) to help decipher the alien’s strange language. But as she begins to understand it, the language starts affecting her in mysterious ways. Arrival’s slow pace may frustrate some, but Villeneuve’s direction is masterful, the cinematography is gorgeous, the concepts are fascinating, and Jóhann Jóhannsson’s soundtrack is incredible (read my review).

I don’t mean this as an insult, but Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar is worth watching for the visuals alone. Of course, it has an emotional storyline, as an astronaut is forced to leave his family in order to find a new home for humanity. And Hans Zimmer’s score has become increasingly iconic. But the film’s visuals are simply jaw-dropping. Fun fact: Nolan worked with theoretical physicist Kip Thorne to make the black hole effects as realistic as possible, which ultimately advanced the scientific understanding of black holes and led to the publishing of several scientific papers on the topic.

Scientists figure out a way to clone extinct dinosaurs, and the first thing they do? Why, create an amusement park on a remote island, of course. What can go wrong? Plenty, as it turns out, and it’s up to some paleontologists and Jeff Goldblum’s chaos mathematician to find a way to survive when life, uh, finds a way. Jurassic Park is a summer blockbuster in the best way possible.

Mr. Fox has a fantastic life, with a loving wife, good friends, and a good job. But what he really wants to do is steal food and play pranks on the nasty farmers living near his home. Needless to say, hilarity and hijinks ensue. Fantastic Mr. Fox’s blending of stop motion animation with Wes Anderson’s trademark aesthetic and dry humor is a match made in heaven. And the star-studded voice cast — which includes George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Bill Murray, Willem Dafoe, and Owen Wilson — is the icing on the cake.

Arguably my favorite Wes Anderson film, The Royal Tenenbaums is a dark, drier-than-dry — and at times, quite poignant — comedy about a trio of genius siblings who must confront their deadbeat dad when he announces that he’s dying. The film stars the usual Anderson players, along with Danny Glover, Anjelica Huston, and Gene Hackman as the conniving-yet-lovable father, Royal, who seeks to redeem himself after causing his family years of grief.

One of the all-time great sci-fi action movies, The Terminator stars Arnold Schwarzenegger in the role he was born to play: an unstoppable killing machine from the future. His mission? Killing the mother of the child who will grow up to lead humanity in the war against the machines. With its ground-breaking special effects and intense storyline, The Terminator has influenced countless films, and has even been added to the National Film Registry for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”

Directed by the enigmatic Terrence Malick and starring Brad Pitt, Sean Penn, and Jessica Chastain, The Tree of Life is a luminous and visually stunning treatise on God, mortality, heaven, grace, and the power of fathers to shape their childrens’ lives for better or worse. Jumping between the 1960s and 2010 — with a notable segue that depicts the creation of the universe and the age of the dinosaurs — The Tree of Life is about as ambitious and transcendent as cinema gets.

Shinichirō Watanabe (Kids on the Slope, Cowboy Bebop, Macross Plus) returns with his first anime series in six years. In the year 2052, Dr. Skinner revealed a miracle drug that dramatically improved life around the Earth. Three years later, he announces that everyone who took the drug will soon die. The series follows the task force created to track down Skinner and find the vaccine in time to save everyone. On a fun sidenote, The Boo Radleys’ “Lazarus” will be used as the show’s closing theme. Requires Adult Swim.

Based on the popular video game franchise, The Last of Us was widely acclaimed after its first season premiered in 2023, with some even calling it the best video game adaptation of all time. In season two, which takes place five years after season one, Joel Miller (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) must continue to eke out an existence in a post-apocalyptic America even as their relationship becomes increasingly strained.

When it was released in 1995, Heat was widely promoted as the first film in which Al Pacino and Robert De Niro appear on-screen together. And while that’s cool, that overlooked the fact that Heat is a scorching (npi) crime thriller about a gang of elite thieves (led by De Niro) and the police officers (led by Pacino) trying to stop them. Directed with panache by Michael Mann, the film oozes style and atmosphere, and features one of the best shootouts in movie history. In 2022, Mann announced that a sequel was in the works.

One of the greatest suspense films of all time, Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho is iconic, no doubt about it. After a young woman on the run disappears, her sister and a private investigator pick up the trail, which leads them to a remote motel in the middle of nowhere — and the creepy house overlooking it. From the famous shower scene to the final twists, Psycho is widely considered one of the greatest and most influential films of all time.

Sometimes all you need to make a great movie is an iconic car, and it doesn’t get much more iconic than the Firebird Trans Am that Burt Reynolds drives in Smokey and the Bandit, as he tries to deliver a shipment of bootleg Coors beer without getting caught by the police. So in this movie, you’ve got a bitchin’ car, Burt Reynolds at his most Burt Reynolds-est, and Jackie Gleason as Sheriff Buford T. Justice (who delivers some of the greatest insults in cinema history). What else could you possibly want?

This seemed like the most unlikely adaptation, but it’s actually quite a delightful little cult comedy, due in large part to the film’s casting. Raul Julia and Anjelica Huston are perfect as Gomez and Morticia Addams, but it’s Christina Ricci’s deadpan portrayal of Wednesday Addams that steals the show. Behind the scenes, the film was quite a difficult production, hampered by illness, technical issues, and studio gaffes. But you’d never notice that from the film’s manic energy.

Director Shinji Higuchi has directed a number of cult titles, including the Attack on Titan live action movies as well as 2016’s well-received Shin Godzilla and 2022’s Shin Ultraman. His latest film is a remake of the 1975 Japanese thriller The Bullet Train. When a terrorist places a bomb on one of Japan’s vaunted bullet trains, the train’s crew and government officials must race against the clock to defuse the bomb and track down the mad bomber.

Tom Hardy stars in this Netflix original as a weary detective who must fight through a web of corruption and conspiracy in order to save a politician’s kid. Havoc was written and directed by Gareth Evans, who also directed the Raid films as well as Gangs of London, so I think we can expect plenty of bone-crunching action. The film also stars Forest Whitaker, Timothy Olyphant, Luis Guzmán, and Jessie Mei Li.

Adapted from Héctor Germán Oesterheld and Francisco Solano López’s famous comic, this Argentinian sci-fi series takes place after the city of Buenos Aires has been devastated by a mysterious toxic snowfall. The remaining survivors must band together in order to confront an invisible alien threat that could destroy the entire planet.

Filmed in about three weeks for less than $30,000, Kevin Smith’s Clerks is one of the great American indie films. Taking place almost entirely in a New Jersey convenience store, the film follows a couple of bored clerks and the various characters that meander through their shop. Controversial upon its release — it originally received an NC-17 rating for explicit dialog — Clerks went on to receive numerous awards and launched Kevin Smith’s career.

Malcolm is a geek who just wants to hang out, play punk rock, and discuss ’90s hip hop with his friends. Oh, and get into Harvard University. But that’s easier said than done for a kid living in the hood, especially when he gets caught up in a drug deal gone bad. Starring Shameik Moore (who voiced Miles Morales in Into the Spider-Verse), Dope is a truly fresh coming-of-age film filled with solid performances and a killer soundtrack.

Empire Records is the coolest record store in town, but it’s in danger of being sold and going corporate. The store’s ragtag staff must hatch a crazy scheme to save their store while also celebrating Rex Manning Day. The film was a critical and commercial failure when it was released in 1995, but has since become something of a cult favorite. And its soundtrack is peak ’90s, with songs from Cracker, The Cranberries, Gin Blossoms, The Innocence Mission, and Toad the Wet Sprocket.

I still remember the first time I watched this film, and being absolutely charmed and thrilled by its tale of a group of Shaolin monks who decide to use soccer to promote Shaolin kung fu (with the help of lots of CG effects, of course). Shaolin Soccer is completely bonkers, but also completely enjoyable from beginning to end.

This classic political thriller from 1975 stars Robert Redford as a low-ranking CIA analyst who must go on the run after everyone in his office is murdered. Seeking to bring his co-workers’ killers to justice while also staying one step ahead of a growing conspiracy, his only confidant is the woman that he’s taken hostage (Faye Dunaway). Three Days of the Condor was directed by Sydney Pollack and also stars Max von Sydow an an enigmatic assassin.

You know the story: two rock n’ roll-obsessed burn-outs are destined to save the world with their band Wyld Stallyns, but only if they can successfully complete high school with a kick-ass history presentation. Enter a time-traveling phone booth from the future and, well, the rest is history. Featuring what is arguably Keanu Reeves’ greatest role, this is truly a most bodacious movie. Be excellent to each other and party on, dudes.

In this time twisty sci-fi actioner, Tom Cruise plays a disgraced soldier who’s quickly killed while trying to defend Earth from mysterious alien invaders — only to discover that he now relives the same day over and over again. Not only does this allow him to become a super-soldier Groundhog Day-style, but it might also be the key to defeating the aliens once and for all. In the hands of a lesser cast and crew, Edge of Tomorrow’s premise could be ridiculous and boring, but that is most certainly not the case here (read my review).

As an ode to classic kung fu and ’70s exploitation movies, Kill Bill is arguably Quentin Tarantino’s most stylized and fantastical movie to date. If you’re in the mood for a blood-soaked, rip-roarin’ tale of revenge, then you’ve got your evening all lined up.

I’ll admit, I had very low expectations for The Lego Movie when it was originally announced. But I need not have worried: The Lego Movie turned out to be way more delightful, inventive, and affecting than I could’ve expected. When a lowly Lego guy named Emmet Brickowski (voiced by Chris Pratt) finds himself in possession of a powerful relic, he’s drawn into a conflict between freedom fighters and an evil overlord that will completely change his view of the world. The Lego Movie also features the voice talents of Will Arnett, Elizabeth Banks, Alison Brie, Will Ferrell, and Morgan Freeman (to name a few).

Sure, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is pretty cool and all. But does it feature a hero who’s really good at shoveling? When it was originally released in 1999, Mystery Men was something of a box office bomb, which is a shame. Its sendup of superhero tropes, as a team of misfit and wannabe superheroes try to take on their city’s arch-supervillain, is hilariously over-the-top. And it doesn’t hurt that the film boasts a truly awesome cast that includes the likes of Ben Stiller, William H. Macy, Greg Kinnear, Geoffrey Rush, and Janeane Garofalo.

Lieutenant Frank Drebin is a goofball and clutz. But he’s also the best man to protect Queen Elizabeth II from an assassination attempt, which he’ll do with site gags, pratfalls, and visual puns aplenty. Based on the Police Squad! series from 1982, The Naked Gun is widely considered one of the greatest movie comedies of all time.

Starring Wesley Snipes, Chris Rock, Ice-T, Mario Van Peebles, and Judd Nelson, New Jack City chronicles the rise of a vicious drug gang and the detectives determined to take them down. Upon its release in 1991, the film was a critical and commercial success and had a massive influence on the hip-hop and R&B scenes. The soundtrack, which featured songs by Ice-T, Keith Sweat, Color Me Badd, and 2 Live Crew, dominated the Billboard charts and quickly went Platinum, selling over a million copies.

Tom Hanks stars in this Sam Mendes-directed crime drama as a 1930s mob enforcer who must go on the run with his oldest son after his family is targeted by his boss. Based on Max Allan Collins and Richard Piers Rayner’ comic book series, Road to Perdition is a stylish gangster flick with an uncharacteristically dark performance from Hanks. The film also stars Jude Law, Daniel Craig, Stanley Tucci, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Paul Newman as the boss who betrays Hanks’ character.