Oscar winner A Real Pain is the only notable movie release on streaming this week, but it’s backed up by some great TV series options like Michelle Williams’s Dying for Sex, the return of Black Mirror, and more!
SERIES
Dying for Sex S1
4 April 2025 – Disney+
If you’re looking to feel all the feels this week, then make sure to check out Dying for Sex on Disney+. The eight-episode dramedy series is based on the smash hit Wondery podcast and stars two-time Golden Globe winner Michelle Williams and SAG Award-winner Jenny Slate as real-life best friends Molly Kochan and Nikki Boyer. When Molly is diagnosed with Stage IV metastatic breast cancer, it forces her to realize just how much she’s missed out on in life, specifically when it comes to her woefully lacking sexual experiences. With the clock ticking, and with Nikki’s help, Molly to finally address those personal shortcomings, with all the messiness they entail.
Reyka S2
8 April 2025 – Showmax
With two International Emmy nominations and four SAFTA wins, locally produced criminal thriller series Reyka was one of the biggest TV hits when it released in 2021 (after opening the Monte-Carlo Television Festival, the first season went on to sell in over 150 territories worldwide). Now star Kim Engelbrecht is back in her titular role as criminal profiler Reyka Gama, this time investigating a series of attacks on couples at the docks in Durban Harbour, Africa’s largest port. Scottish-born actor Iain Glen also returns as Reyka’s childhood abductor, Angus Speelman, alongside fellow returnees Anna-Mart van der Merwe, Nokuthula Ledwaba and Gerald Steyn.
The Handmaid’s Tale S6
9 April 2025 – Showmax
It’s a little crazy to think that The Handmaid’s Tale was once arguably the biggest and best TV series out there and then began running out of steam just as the show’s absolutely chilling alternative timeline version of America started seemingly coming true. But now, after a three-year hiatus, the show is back at what appears to be the most perfectly topical time possible with a sixth and final season, wrapping up the story of Elisabeth Moss’ June and her fight to take down the oppressive Gilead. And I’m intentionally avoiding spoilers here, because if anybody has not seen this show before, now is the perfect time to catch up as Showmax added all five previous seasons (which won a combined 15 Emmy Awards!) just a few days ago.
Black Mirror S7
10 April 2024 – Netflix
Speaking of the return of dystopian visions, the long-awaited seventh season of Charlie Brooker’s dark, satirical sci-fi anthology series Black Mirror is back. Boasting six episodes, two of which are nearly feature-length, the new season will see “a mix of genres and styles” according to Booker, with the showrunner explaining further that “some of them are deeply unpleasant, some are quite funny, and some are emotional.” One episode, in particular, stands out as it’s a follow up to Season 4’s now-classic opener, “USS Calister”, making it the first sequel in the show’s history. As always, Black Mirror is absolutely stacked with stars, including Christin Milioti, Jimmi Simpson, Billy Magnussen, Paul Giamatti, Chris O’Dowd, Rashida Jones, Tracee Ellis Ross, Emma Corrin, Issa Rae, Awkwafina, Peter Capaldi, Will Poulter, and more.
Moonrise S1
10 April 2024 – Netflix
We don’t often feature new anime on here, but it’s also not often that we get a new anime from Masashi Koizuka, the director of Attack on Titan, featuring character designs by Fullmetal Alchemist manga artist Hiromu Arakawa, and produced by WIT Studio, the acclaimed Japanese animation house behind Attack on Titan, Spy x Family, Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress, and more. That is a whole lot of talent and as a result, Moonrise is looking phenomenal. The sci-fi action series is set in the not-too-distant future in which humanity has achieved relative peace on Earth after establishing a world government managed by an international AI network called Sapienta. However, while Earthlings live good lives, Sapienta exiles criminals and “pollutants” to the Moon, creating a harsh, poverty-stricken lunar society, and inadvertently setting the stage for a vast war.
MOVIES
A Real Pain
1 April 2025 – Disney+
This is actually not an upcoming release as Disney+ just snuck this award-winner into their catalog a few days ago (we actually got the press release about it after it had already been added). Written and directed by Jesse Eisenberg, who also co-stars alongside Kieran Culkin, this comedy-drama follows mismatched cousins David and Benji, who reunite for the first time in years for a Jewish heritage tour through Poland in honor of their late grandmother. However, it’s not long before their old tensions resurface against the backdrop of their family history. A Real Pain was a critical smash hit, earning multiple nominations at all the major shows, with Culkin eventually winning the Oscar, Golden Globe, and SAG Award for Best Supporting Actor, while Eisenberg earned the BAFTA for Best Original Screenplay.