Best OTT Releases This Week (April 20–26, 2026): Stranger Things, APEX, If Wishes Could Kill & More
Weekly Streaming Guide
April 20, 2026 · Netflix · Prime Video · Apple TV+ · 10 min read
⚡ Quick Answer
The top OTT releases for the week of April 20–26, 2026 are: APEX (Netflix, Apr 24) — a survival thriller with Charlize Theron; Stranger Things: Tales from ’85 (Netflix, Apr 23) — an animated spin-off; If Wishes Could Kill (Netflix, Apr 24) — a South Korean horror series; Criminal Record Season 2 (Apple TV+, Apr 22) — a British crime drama; Kevin (Prime Video, Apr 20) — an adult animated comedy; and Flunked (Netflix, Apr 23) — a French comedy thriller.
The final full week of April 2026 has arrived — and streaming platforms are not holding back. Whether you’re in the mood for survival action, supernatural horror, true crime, or absurdist comedy, this week’s lineup delivers across every genre and platform. We’ve broken down the most notable new releases so you can spend less time scrolling and more time actually watching.
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Editor’s Must-Watch of the Week
APEX — Charlize Theron vs. Taron Egerton in the Australian outback. A rare Netflix action film that earns its runtime. Don’t sleep on this one.
01Netflix
APEX
April 24, 2026Survival ThrillerAction
If you are looking for a single reason to open Netflix this week, APEX is it. Charlize Theron plays a woman abandoned and hunted through the brutal expanse of the Australian outback, while Taron Egerton plays the calculating predator pursuing her. The premise is stripped back and punishing — think The Most Dangerous Game meets modern survival cinema — and the execution reportedly lives up to the premise.
Director-driven pacing, stunning Australian desert cinematography, and two powerhouse leads make this the biggest theatrical-quality event of the week. Theron continues her pattern of choosing physically demanding, character-driven roles, and Egerton leans fully into menace. If you watch nothing else this week, watch this.
🎬 Best for: Fans of survival thrillers, action cinema, and anyone who loves watching Charlize Theron be absolutely relentless.
02Netflix
Stranger Things: Tales from ’85
April 23, 2026AnimatedHorrorSci-Fi
The Hawkins universe expands in animated form. Tales from ’85 is an anthology series set during the summer of 1985 — before the events of the later Stranger Things seasons — and explores smaller supernatural stories and urban legends connected to the Upside Down. Rather than continuing the main storyline, each episode functions as a standalone chapter of lore.
The animation style channels classic 1980s Saturday morning cartoons, which is both a creative choice and a smart one — it allows the show to reach younger audiences while giving longtime fans a nostalgic, visually distinct experience. This is exactly the kind of spin-off expansion that can work when executed thoughtfully, and early impressions suggest it does.
🎬 Best for: Stranger Things fans hungry for more lore, parents looking for something the whole family can enjoy together, and anyone who grew up watching 80s cartoons.
03Netflix
If Wishes Could Kill
April 24, 2026K-HorrorThrillerKorean Drama
South Korean horror continues its extraordinary run on Netflix, and If Wishes Could Kill looks set to add another entry to the canon. The story centres on five high school students at Seorin High who discover a mysterious app called Girigo. The app grants their darkest wishes — but attaches a deadly countdown to each one, tying the characters into a spiral of social betrayal, guilt, and occult horror.
The concept weaponizes something universally relatable — the dark desires we never say out loud — and filters it through the visual and psychological tension that Korean thriller filmmakers have mastered. The high school setting amplifies every conflict, since the stakes of social dynamics at that age already feel life or death.
🎬 Best for: K-drama fans, horror enthusiasts, and viewers who love supernatural series with strong social commentary underneath the scares.
04Apple TV+
Criminal Record — Season 2
April 22, 2026Crime DramaThrillerBritish
One of Apple TV+’s best-kept secrets returns. Criminal Record brings back Peter Capaldi and Cush Jumbo as two detectives with very different methods who are repeatedly forced into uneasy alliance. Season 2 picks up in London’s charged political atmosphere — a fatal stabbing at a political rally draws both characters into a case involving an undercover operation and far-right extremism.
The first season proved that this is one of the smartest police procedurals currently on streaming, distinguished by its willingness to engage with systemic issues inside law enforcement alongside the case-of-the-season thriller plot. If you haven’t watched Season 1, this week is a great excuse to binge both back-to-back.
🎬 Best for: Fans of prestige British crime drama, viewers who enjoyed Showtrial or Broadchurch, and Apple TV+ subscribers looking for something meaty.
05Prime Video
Kevin
April 20, 2026Adult AnimationComedy
Created by Aubrey Plaza and voiced by Jason Schwartzman, Kevin follows a pampered tuxedo cat who finds himself suddenly “broken up with” when his owners divorce. Deposited into a rescue shelter in Queens, Kevin must navigate independence, new relationships, and the existential chaos of being a formerly coddled house cat. The supporting cast includes Whoopi Goldberg and John Waters, which tells you everything about the show’s tone.
This is absurdist, sharp adult animation that prioritizes wit over sentimentality. At a time when the animated space is flooded with either children’s content or edgy adult fare that mistakes shock for comedy, Kevin threads the needle toward something genuinely clever. A great option if you need something lighter this week.
🎬 Best for: Fans of adult animation like BoJack Horseman, viewers who appreciate dry, character-driven comedy, and honestly, cat owners.
06Netflix
Flunked
April 23, 2026French ComedyCrime
The French contribution to this week’s lineup is a comedic thriller with genuine energy. Flunked follows a gifted mathematician and conman who gets forced into going undercover as a high school teacher. His actual mission: locate the child of a criminal mastermind hidden somewhere in the school. What follows is part caper, part classroom chaos comedy, with a persistent police officer also on his tail.
It’s the kind of premise that demands sharp writing to work, and by all accounts the show delivers that. If you’re open to subtitled content and enjoy the kind of comedic thriller that France tends to produce — quick, confident, willing to be silly without losing its nerve — Flunked is a pleasant surprise for your midweek viewing.
🎬 Best for: Fans of French cinema, viewers who enjoyed Lupin, and anyone looking for something lighter between the heavier releases this week.
07Netflix
Unchosen
April 21, 2026Psychological ThrillerBritish
A six-part British psychological thriller that begins slowly and tightens into something genuinely unsettling. Unchosen stars Molly Windsor as a woman living inside a closed religious community — until an affair with an escaped prisoner begins to crack open the community’s carefully maintained facade. Asa Butterfield and Christopher Eccleston round out a strong ensemble.
The show earns its slow-burn reputation honestly, using atmosphere and character psychology rather than cheap shocks to build dread. For viewers who have patience for a deliberate pace, the payoff is worth it.
🎬 Best for: Viewers who enjoyed Midsommar or The Village, fans of atmospheric British drama, and psychological thriller fans.
08Prime Video
Killing Grounds: The Gilgo Beach Murders
April 22, 2026True CrimeDocumentary
For true crime fans, this four-part documentary series on Prime Video is the week’s essential non-fiction viewing. Killing Grounds covers the Rex Heuermann case — the Long Island serial killer whose 2025 guilty plea followed years of investigation into the Gilgo Beach murders. The series draws on victim family interviews and detailed accounts of the forensic breakthroughs that finally brought Heuermann to justice after he avoided detection for decades.
Unlike many true crime documentaries that sensationalize, this series reportedly keeps victim humanity at the centre of its storytelling — making it not just informative but genuinely respectful of those most affected.
🎬 Best for: True crime documentary fans, viewers who followed the Gilgo Beach investigation in the news, and Prime Video subscribers looking for prestige non-fiction.
Full Week at a Glance
All OTT releases for April 20–26, 2026, sorted by date.
| Title | Platform | Release Date | Genre |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kevin | Prime Video | April 20 | Adult Animation / Comedy |
| Funny AF with Kevin Hart | Netflix | April 20 | Comedy / Reality |
| Unchosen | Netflix | April 21 | Psychological Thriller |
| Untold: The Shooting at Hawthorne Hill | Netflix | April 21 | Sports Documentary |
| Criminal Record — Season 2 | Apple TV+ | April 22 | British Crime Drama |
| Killing Grounds: The Gilgo Beach Murders | Prime Video | April 22 | True Crime Documentary |
| Stranger Things: Tales from ’85 | Netflix | April 23 | Animated / Horror |
| Flunked | Netflix | April 23 | French Comedy Thriller |
| APEX | Netflix | April 24 | Survival Thriller / Action |
| If Wishes Could Kill | Netflix | April 24 | K-Horror / Thriller |
What are the best OTT releases this week (April 20–26, 2026)?
The standout releases this week are APEX on Netflix (April 24), Stranger Things: Tales from ’85 on Netflix (April 23), If Wishes Could Kill on Netflix (April 24), and Criminal Record Season 2 on Apple TV+ (April 22). For animation fans, Kevin on Prime Video (April 20) is also a strong option.
When does Stranger Things: Tales from ’85 come out on Netflix?
Stranger Things: Tales from ’85 releases on Netflix on April 23, 2026. It is a 10-episode animated anthology spin-off set during the summer of 1985 in the Stranger Things universe.
What is the APEX movie on Netflix about?
APEX is a survival thriller starring Charlize Theron as a woman being hunted through the Australian outback by a predator played by Taron Egerton. It releases on Netflix on April 24, 2026.
Is If Wishes Could Kill on Netflix a Korean show?
Yes. If Wishes Could Kill is a South Korean horror-thriller series on Netflix. It follows five high school students who find a mysterious app called Girigo that grants dark wishes, each accompanied by a deadly countdown. It releases on April 24, 2026.
What is new on Prime Video this week?
Prime Video has two new releases this week: Kevin (April 20), an adult animated comedy created by Aubrey Plaza and starring Jason Schwartzman, and Killing Grounds: The Gilgo Beach Murders (April 22), a four-part true crime documentary series.
Do I need to watch Criminal Record Season 1 before Season 2?
It is highly recommended. Season 2 continues the story of detectives Daniel Hegarty (Peter Capaldi) and June Lenker (Cush Jumbo) and builds on their complex dynamic established in Season 1. Watching Season 1 first will significantly improve the experience.
Final Word: A Strong Week to Stay Home
The week of April 20–26 is one of the most well-balanced OTT weeks of 2026 so far. Netflix dominates with sheer volume — five of the ten notable releases land there — but there’s quality across the board. APEX and If Wishes Could Kill are the weekend priorities. For mid-week viewing, Criminal Record Season 2 and Kevin offer very different but equally compelling experiences.
The Stranger Things animated spin-off is a smart bet if you’re watching with family or want something that captures the feel of the original franchise without requiring the emotional weight of the main series. And if you’ve never given French-language streaming content a chance, Flunked is an accessible, fun entry point.
Bookmark this guide, check what you have available across your subscriptions, and build your watchlist. There’s plenty here to fill every night of the week.
© 2026 Entertainment Weekly Guide · All release dates are subject to regional availability · Content descriptions based on official platform synopses and pre-release information.