Another month, another new slate of titles hitting Prime Video. While fans in March couldn’t get enough of Donald Glover’s sensational series, Swarm, April has no shortage of must-see titles for horror fans, hardened and casual alike. There are new series, new movies, and new treats for all. Here, we’re highlighting five of the best titles hitting the streamer this month, with the full list available at the end.
Jigsaw
The Spierig Brothers’ Jigsaw might not have been the Saw revival fans were hoping for (that honor undoubtedly belongs to Darren Lynn Bousman’s Spiral). But, in retrospect, Jigsaw works considerably better than most give it credit for. Arguably the most accessible film in the Saw canon, Jigsaw has a certain polish that makes it that much more palatable for series detractors. The traps are great, even if the deaths never get as ooey-gooey grim as past entries. As a springboard for more Saw, it’s a fantastic entry point for newer audiences not around for the annual, “If it’s Halloween, it must be Saw” tradition.
Small Soldiers
Joe Dante’s Small Soldiers has everything a burgeoning horror fan could want. Great action, a whip-smart script courtesy of Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio, and Kirsten Dunst fending off killer Barbie dolls. Small Soldiers leans more into its action roots than something like Child’s Play, though as a fiendishly clever fable of action figures run amok, it’s the nineties grunge equivalent to Gremlins. Tons of fun, and at times, uproariously cute.
Tales From the Darkside: The Movie (1990)
When I was a kid, I could never make it all the way through John Harrison’s Tales From the Darkside: The Movie. A spin-off of the anthology series of the same name, the truncated filmic offering had heaps of every horror imaginable, whether that’s evil witches or killer mummies. The wrap-around, featuring Matthew Lawrence’s Timmy telling witch, Betty (Deborah Harry) scary stories to keep her from eating him, stressed me out considerably. I couldn’t watch it, terrified that a witch was going to kidnap me and serve me as an entrée. When I finally had the moxie to do so, I was in for a treat. The cast is sensational (there’s an early appearance from one Julianne Moore in segment “Lot 49”), the stories are clever, and they strike the right balance between terror and fun.
Vanishing on 7th Street
Brad Anderson hasn’t really gotten the credit he deserves. While he continues to put out titles (including last year’s Blood), he never really gets discussed among the contemporary greats. The person behind both Session 9 and The Machinist deserves to be. Sure, Vanishing on 7th Street isn’t quite as accomplished as either of those, but it’s a lot better than its DTV status suggests. A kind of post-apocalyptic fable, the lights go out in Detroit, and everyone disappears. As night approaches, they come to realize that something is waiting for them in the dark. There’s plenty of style to spare, and the choice to keep the threat vague heightens the abstract terror considerably.
Dead Ringers
This month brings the premiere of the gender-swapped Dead Ringers, a Rachel Weisz (yessss) vehicle adapted from David Cronenberg’s 1988 classic of the same name. Taking over the role of Jeremy Irons’ twin gynecologists, Weisz will play Elliot and Beverly Mantle with the broad goal of changing the way women give birth. Early promotional material has been vague, but if anyone is up to the task of replicating one of Irons’ best performances, it’s Weisz. All six episodes are poised to premiere on Prime Video on April 21.
While those are just the highlights, be certain to check out the full list of new genre titles being added to Prime Video this month below. Are you excited to check out Dead Ringers? Are you just going to stream Small Soldiers a dozen times? Let me know over on Twitter @Chadiscollins.
Streaming April 1
At the Gate of the Ghost (2013)
Face/Off (1997)
Jigsaw (2017)
Small Soldiers (1998)
Tales From the Darkside: The Movie (1990)
Streaming April 12
Alter Ego (2022)
Big Bad Wolves (2014)
Streaming April 19
Demon Warriors (2007)
Playback (2012)
Vanishing on 7th Street (2010)
Streaming April 21
Dead Ringers (2023)
