Every month, all the top streaming services release new shows. Some of these shows get a lot of attention with plenty of promotion leading up to their release, like Amazon Prime Video‘s Fallout. Others quietly premiere without much fanfare, some of which get more attention once people start to watch and chatter begins to form. But when great shows fade into the background of more high-profile titles, subscribers may potentially miss out on quality content.
These three hidden-gem streaming TV shows for April fall into both these categories. You might have heard of one or more of them but are waiting to see if they’re worth watching. We can assure you that all three of these shows are ones you don’t want to miss.
Sugar (2024)
A cinematic-like marvel on the small screen, Sugar melds various genres into one, reinventing the traditional private investigator show as something darker, more thrilling, and arguably more like a movie than a TV show. The Penguin‘s Colin Farrell stars as John Sugar, an incredibly talented yet troubled private investigator who will go to great lengths to do his job and solve even the most difficult cases, sometimes for unsavory characters. One particular case that presents itself, however, proves unlike any other for John: He is tasked by a wealthy movie producer to help find his missing granddaughter. Secrets and lies are revealed along the way making this case one of John’s most challenging and obsessive yet.
Described by Apple TV+ as a “contemporary, unique take on one of the most popular and significant genres in literary, motion picture, and television history,” Sugar will grip you right from the noir-styled opening scene. Farrell is wonderfully convincing as the title character. It’s almost more interesting to figure him out than it is the case he’s investigating. That’s a testament to the actor’s performance, as he draws you into both the plot and John’s mysterious personal trauma.
Stream Sugar on Apple TV+.
Ripley (2024)
If you’re familiar with the movie The Talented Mr. Ripley as well as the Patricia Highsmith psychological-thriller novel of the same name on which it is based, you’ll appreciate this serialized, largely faithful version of the story. Tom Ripley (Andrew Scott) is a conman tasked with bringing a young man home to his wealthy father, who mistakes Tom for someone else. But when Tom realizes that Dickie Greenleaf (Johnny Flynn) lives an admirably lavish lifestyle of opulence and excess, his fascination with the man and his life becomes a dangerous obsession.
Set in the ’60s, Ripley is just as gripping as the movie with a plot that combines opulent lifestyles and social climbing with crime and deception. You’ll be intrigued by Ripley’s charming demeanor and the ease at which he can convince anyone of just about anything. A worthy revival of a story we haven’t seen on screen since the late ’90s, Ripley will be enjoyed by fans both familiar with the tale and those becoming acquainted with it for the first time.
Stream Ripley on Netflix.
Parasyte: The Grey (2024)
A live-action spinoff the Hitoshi Iwaaki manga series Parasyte, Parasyte: The Grey has been met with widespread praise, becoming a sleeper hit for Netflix. The sci-fi horror show is about parasitic creatures that make human bodies their home, hellbent on killing and taking over their hosts. Once the alien creatures completely take over a human’s body, it can shapeshift their heads into virtually any form. At the heart of the series is Jeong Su-in (Jeon So-nee), a young woman who thwarts the parasite’s murder attempt because of severe injuries. But this leads her to become oddly co-existent with the mutant creature.
Released in early April, Parasyte: The Grey is a gruesome, horrifying watch for fans of the horror and sci-fi genres. Digital Trends’ Blair Marnell says you don’t need to know anything about the original manga series to enjoy the series, likening the dynamic of Jeong’s relationship with the parasite, named Heidi, to that of Marvel’s Venom. He applauds the show for offering a “different take on traditional alien invasion stories” with a shared universe that makes a second season a viable possibility.
Stream Parasyte: The Grey on Netflix.
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