May is just a hop, skip and a jump away, which means there are a ton of movies to stream before they disappear from your favorite streaming service at the end of the month. Still not sure what to cross off your list this week? Don’t worry; we’ve compiled our list of the best movies to stream until the end of April.
From horror thrillers like Bram Stoker’s Dracula to classic action films like Bloodsport And The Rockthere is plenty of great entertainment to choose from.
Here are the 12 best movies you need to see before they stop streaming at the end of April.
Image: Cannon International
When it comes to martial arts films celebrating bodies in motion, there are few better examples than Jean-Claude Van Damme’s film. Bloodsport. Van Damme plays U.S. Army Captain Frank Dux, a skilled martial artist who is invited to an underground fighting tournament in Hong Kong. When his superiors refuse to let him participate, Dux goes anyway, which leads to 1) two Army investigators (including Forest Whitaker) following him to Hong Kong; 2) Dux falling in love with a journalist (Leah Ayres) investigating the tournament; and 3) Dux fighting a lot of guys.
Allegedly based on the apocryphal achievements of the real Frank Dux, Bloodsport is rather best seen as an effective demonstration of Van Damme’s charisma, movie fighting skills and good looks, as well as action villain Bolo Yeung’s incredible performance as the villainous Chong Li. Get ready for many, many impressive moments of JCVD doing the splits. —Pete Volk
Bloodsport Leaves HBOMax on April 30th.
Image: Universal Pictures
Douglas Sirk’s 1959 drama Imitation of life follows the story of Lora (Lana Turner), an aspiring actress and single mother, her black live-in housekeeper Annie (Juanita Moore), and their young daughters Susie and Sarah. While Lora tries to build her career, Annie is heartbroken over her relationship with her daughter, who is struggling with her identity and trying to pass as white. Told over a ten-year period, Sirk’s final film is a poignant and devastating portrait of love and parenthood at the intersection of race, class and gender, and a stirring work of cinematic storytelling. -THE
Imitation of life Leaves Criterion channel on April 30th.
Photo: Universal Pictures
A silly cape comedy about a group of pint-sized superheroes who must save the day when a Superman replacement (Greg Kinnear) goes missing. Mysterious men is a surprisingly sharp critique of the intersection of capitalism and superhero culture that isn’t above throwing in a few fart jokes. Featuring a hilarious ensemble cast that includes Ben Stiller, Wes Studi, William H. Macy and many, many more, the acclaimed commercial director’s only feature film is an absolute smash. —PV
Mysterious men Leaves peacock on May 1st.
Image: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
A classic Michael Bay flick and a classic 90s action film. The Rock Sean Connery, Nicolas Cage and Ed Harris are in their respective commanding roles in this action thriller set on Alcatraz. When a group of renegade Marines led by a charismatic general (Harris) steal chemical weapons and take control of the iconic prison island, the FBI sends its top chemical weapons expert (Cage) and a former MI6 agent (Connery) to save the day. As in many Bay films, beneath the big explosions and tough-guy machismo lies a stirring story about forgotten people: In this case, Harris’s largely sympathetic cause is to raise money for his soldiers and the families of the men who died on secret missions the government won’t recognize. Of course, his sympathetic cause is undermined by his extreme methods, but that’s par for the course in this kind of film. —PV
The Rock Leaves Amazon Prime Video on April 30th.
Bruce Willis stars in Terry Gilliam’s 1995 science fiction film 12 monkeys as James Cole, a federal prisoner in 2035 who is sent back in time to prevent a man-made virus from devastating humanity. Accidentally transported back in time several years before the virus’ arrival, James is declared insane by Dr. Kathryn Railly (Madeleine Stowe) and committed to an insane asylum. While escaping the facility, James must uncover the identity of the leader of the mysterious anarcho-environmentalist group “Army of the Twelve Monkeys” before they plunge the planet into doom. Inspired by Chris Markers The Pier and the subject of a notorious legal dispute between Universal Pictures and the architect Lebbeus Woods, 12 monkeys is a thrilling apocalyptic drama with an ending that hits us in the stomach and leaves the audience stunned. -THE
12 monkeys Leaves peacock on May 1st.
