What's on DocPlay in April

Here's what's streaming on DocPlay in April.

This month on DocPlay, experience exclusive new titles from master documentarians Raoul Peck (Ernest Cole) and Asif Kapadia (2073), alongside The Pool, Australian director Ian Darling’s (The Final Quarter) homage to the iconic Bondi Icebergs pool. Plus, settle in for Ken Burns' definitive 10-part epic on the history of jazz music.

7 Apr

Ernest Cole: Lost and Found • Exclusive

The new documentary from director Raoul Peck (I Am Not Your Negro) follows Ernest Cole’s journey as the first Black freelance photographer working in apartheid South Africa. Featuring narration from Oscar®-nominee LaKeith Stanfield, Peck’s search for the soul of the overlooked artists is nestled in an international thriller, delving into the complexities of race through this timeless imagery.

I Am Here

On her 98th birthday, a spirited South African Holocaust survivor reveals her astonishing life journey.

10 Apr

2073 • Exclusive

In this ingenious mixture of visionary science fiction and speculative nonfiction, Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Asif Kapadia transports us to a future foreshadowed by the terrifying realities of our present moment. 

14 Apr

Jazz

This must-see, 10-part series from master documentarian Ken Burns follows the growth and development of jazz music from the gritty streets of New Orleans to the Lincoln Gardens on Chicago's south side.

Mark Twain

In his time, Mark Twain was considered the funniest man on earth. Yet he was also an unflinching critic of human nature, using his humour to attack hypocrisy, greed and racism. Ken Burns presents an illuminating portrait of the man who is also one of the greatest writers in American history.

17 Apr

The Pool • Exclusive • AU only

Bondi Icebergs is the most photographed pool in the world – an inviting destination for everyone from locals to tourists, beginners to competitive lap swimmers. From sunrise to sundown, rain or shine, we meet the diehard regulars recalling tales of Icebergs past and present. A must-see for all ocean-lovers, The Pool is an evocative, joyous and beautiful picture of a beloved place and its community. 

21 Apr

A Hip-Hop Minute • Exclusive

Relive the glory days of the iconic 1980s New York City rap scene in Pascal Garnier’s directorial debut, which picks up 35 years after the classic Dutch TV documentary Big Fun In The Big Town left off.

What's on Prime Video in April

Here's everything that's streaming on Prime Video in April.

This April, Jacob Elordi stars as Dorrigo Evans in the highly anticipated Amazon Original series, The Narrow Road to the Deep North. A savagely beautiful five-part series adapted from Richard Flanagan’s Booker Prize-winning novel, the story is a testament to the power of love, even in the darkest of times.

Viola Davis stars in action-thriller G20 as U.S. President Danielle Sutton, who becomes the number one target when the G20 summit comes under siege. She must do all she can to defend her country, safeguard world leaders and  – most importantly – protect her family.

Following one uninhibited night, pre-med student Shaw (Sydney Taylor) and tattoo artist Rule (Chase Stokes) alter their friendship forever in Marked Men. Kevin Bacon raises hell in The Bondsman as a murdered bounty hunter resurrected by the Devil to catch demons that have escaped the prison of Hell. Created by Ramy Youssef, the absurd and hilarious adult animated series, #1 Happy Family USA presents the Hussein family navigating post 9-11 America. 

Also new this month is It Ends With Us, Mobile Suit Gundam Gquuuuuux, Leverage: Redemption Season Three, Ash and Terrifier 3.

NEW ADDITION TO MARCH

MobLand, the new global crime series from Guy Ritchie, will premiere March 31, exclusively on Prime Video in New Zealand.  The series stars Tom Hardy, Helen Mirren and Pierce Brosnan as the head of an organised crime family, fighting for power within a global crime syndicate. 

Mobland (March 31)

MobLand is an electrifying, new global crime series from Guy Ritchie centered around two warring families based in London whose enterprises stretch all corners of the globe and the fiercely loyal "fixer" charged with protecting one of them at all costs. The series stars Tom Hardy, Helen Mirren and Pierce Brosnan as the head of an organised crime family, fighting for power within a global crime syndicate.

MobLand stars Tom Hardy, Pierce Brosnan, Paddy Considine, Joanne Froggatt, Lara Pulver, Anson Boon, Mandeep Dhillon, Jasmine Jobson, Geoff Bell, Daniel Betts, Lisa Dwan, Emily Barber and Helen Mirren.

The Narrow Road To the Deep North (April 18)

The Narrow Road to the Deep North is a savagely beautiful five-part series charting the life of Dorrigo Evans (played by Jacob Elordi as a young man, with Ciarán Hinds as the older Dorrigo), through his passionate love affair with Amy Mulvaney (Odessa Young), his time held captive in a POW camp, and his later years spent as a revered surgeon and reluctant war hero.

The Narrow Road to the Deep North is an intimate character study of a complex man, a compelling portrayal of the courage and cruelty of war, and an unforgettable love story that sustains one through the darkest of times.

The Narrow Road to the Deep North is directed by Justin Kurzel and stars Jacob Elordi, Ciarán Hinds, Odessa Young, Olivia DeJonge, Show Kasamatsu, Thomas Weatherall,  and Simon Baker.

G20 (April 10)

When the G20 summit comes under siege, U.S. President Danielle Sutton (Academy Award winner Viola Davis) becomes the number one target. After evading capture by the attackers, she must outsmart the enemy to protect her family, defend her country and safeguard world leaders in this action-packed thrill ride.

G20 stars Viola Davis, Anthony Anderson, Marsai Martin, Ramón Rodríguez, Douglas Hodge, Elizabeth Marvel, Sabrina Impacciatore, Christopher Farrar, Antony Starr.

The Bondsman (April 3)

Murdered bounty hunter Hub Halloran (Kevin Bacon) is resurrected by the Devil to trap and send back demons that have escaped from the prison of Hell. By chasing down those demons with the help and hindrance of his estranged family, Hub learns how his own sins got his soul condemned–which pushes him to seek a second chance at life, love, and country music.

The Bondsman stars Kevin Bacon, Jennifer Nettles, Damon Herriman, Beth Grant, Maxwell Jenkins, and Jolene Purdy.

Marked Men (April 4)

Pre-med student Shaw (Sydney Taylor) has always harboured deep feelings for Rule (Chase Stokes), a rebellious friend who's a tattoo artist. Their friendship soon shifts after an uninhibited night becomes a test to see if love can bring them together–or tear them apart.

Marked Men stars Chase Stokes, Sydney Taylor, Natalie Alyn Lind, Alexander Ludwig.

Etoile (April 24)

Set in New York City and Paris, the eight-episode Étoile follows the dancers and artistic staff of two world-renowned ballet companies, as they embark on an ambitious gambit to save their storied institutions by swapping their most talented stars.

This dramedy is the much-anticipated follow-up to creators Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino’s beloved comedy The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, which over the course of five seasons on Prime Video collected 22 Primetime Emmy Awards, 6 Critics Choice Awards, 3 Golden Globes, and a Peabody, as well as countless fans worldwide.

Étoile stars Luke Kirby, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Lou de Laâge, Gideon Glick, David Alvarez, Ivan du Pontavice, Taïs Vinolo, David Haig, Simon Callow, Yanic Truesdale

#1 Happy Family USA (April 17)

From creator Ramy Youssef comes #1 Happy Family USA, an adult-animated series following the maniacally upbeat Husseins - the most patriotic, most peaceful, and most definitely-not-suspicious Muslim family in post-9/11 "Amreeka." With satire and absurdity, it redefines finding humor in hardship as they navigate the early 2000s under the watchful eyes of their terrified neighbors.

#1 Happy Family USA stars Ramy Youssef, Mandy Moore, Chris Redd, Alia Shawkat, Kieran Culkin, Akaash Singh, Whitmer Thomas, Salma Hindy, Randa Jarrar.

It Ends With Us (April 6)

Lily Bloom moves to Boston to chase her dream of opening her own business. A chance meeting with charming neurosurgeon soon sparks an intense connection, but as the two fall deeply in love, she begins to see sides of Ryle that remind her of her parents' relationship. When Lily's first love re-enters her life, her relationship with Ryle gets upended.

It Ends With Us stars Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni, Jenny Slate, Brandon Sklenar, Hasan Minhaj.

Mobile Suit Gundam GQUUUUUUX (April 9)

Amate Yuzuriha, a high school girl who lives a peaceful life in a space colony floating in space, meets Nyaan, a war refugee girl, and gets caught up in the illegal mobile suit dueling competition 'Clan Battle.' Using the entry name 'MACHU' Amate pilots a GQuuuuuuX and throws herself into fierce battles every day. At the same time, an unidentified Mobile Suit 'Gundam,' pursued by both the space army and the police, and its pilot, a boy named Shuuji, appears before her. And the world is about to enter a new era. 

Mobile Suit Gundam Gquuuuuux stars Tomoyo Kurosawa, Yui Ishikawa, Shimba Tsuchiya

Ash (April 24)

On the mysterious planet of Ash, Riya (Eiza González) awakens to find her crew slaughtered. When a man named Brion (Aaron Paul) arrives to rescue her, an ordeal of psychological and physical terror ensues while Riya and Brion must decide if they can trust one another to survive. 

Ash is directed by Flying Lotus and stars Eiza González, Aaron Paul, Iko Uwais, Kate Elliott, Beulah Koale, and Flying Lotus.

Never Let Go (April 11)

In this psychological thriller/horror, as an Evil takes over the world beyond their front  doorstep, the only protection for a mother (Halle Berry), and her twin sons is their house and their family’s protective bond. Needing to stay connected at all times – even tethering themselves with ropes – they cling to one another, urging each other to never let go.

Never Let Go stars Halle Berry, Matthew Kevin Anderson,Christin Park, Stephanie Lavigne, 

Terrifier 3 (April 10)

After surviving Art the Clown's Halloween massacre, Sienna and her brother are struggling to rebuild their shattered lives. As the holiday season approaches, they try to embrace the Christmas spirit and leave the horrors of the past behind. But just when they think they're safe, Art the Clown returns, determined to turn their holiday cheer into a new nightmare.

Terrifier 3 stars Lauren LaVera, David Howard Thornton, Elliott Fullam, Samantha Scaffidi, Antonella Rose, Margaret Anne Florence, Bryce Johnson, Alexa Blair, Mason Mecartea.

Leverage Redemption Season 3 (April 17)

In Season Three of Leverage: Redemption, the team pits themselves against a power broker stealing the clean water under people's feet and turning into dirty money, fight against a mayor who's literally the judge and jury of his small town, outrun a mark who's finally caught up with them mid-con, outhustle a pool hustler with a side business in international extortion, and bring down an industrialist exploiting child labor. All this while dodging an intricate plan of vengeance from a past enemy and working through the fallout of their new personal relationships. But no matter what, when someone needs help, they provide ... Leverage.

Leverage: Redemption Season Three stars stars Gina Bellman as Sophie Deveraux, Christian Kane as Eliot Spencer, Beth Riesgraf as Parker, Aleyse Shannon as Breanna Casey, Noah Wyle as Harry Wilson, and Aldis Hodge as Alec Hardison.

APRIL 2025 TOP PICKS:

RENT OR BUY

THE BRUTALIST (MOVIE) AVAILABLE NOW TO RENT OR BUY

MICKEY 17 (MOVIE) COMING SOON

STREAMING ON PRIME VIDEO

MOBLAND (SERIES) 31/03/2025

LEGALLY BLONDE (MOVIE) 1/04/2025

LEGALLY BLONDE 2: RED, WHITE AND BLONDE (MOVIE) 1/04/2025

THE AMITYVILLE HORROR (1979) (MOVIE) 1/04/2025

THE AMITYVILLE HORROR (2005) (MOVIE) 1/04/2025

THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS (MOVIE) 1/04/2025

HOT PURSUIT (MOVIE) 1/04/2025

OVERBOARD (1987) (MOVIE) 1/04/2025

OVERBOARD (2018) (MOVIE) 1/04/2025

DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS (MOVIE) 1/04/2025

DEAD MAN WALKING (MOVIE) 1/04/2025

FARGO (MOVIE) 1/04/2025

RAIN MAN (MOVIE) 1/04/2025

HOT TUB TIME MACHINE (MOVIE) 1/04/2025

HOT TUB TIME MACHINE 2 (MOVIE) 1/04/2025

1984 (MOVIE) 1/04/2025

MADAGASCAR (MOVIE) 1/04/2025

MOONSTRUCK (MOVIE) 1/04/2025

UPTOWN GIRLS (MOVIE) 1/04/2025

THELMA & LOUISE (MOVIE) 1/04/2025

THE BONDSMAN (SERIES) 3/04/2025

GHOSTBUSTERS (2016) (MOVIE) 3/04/2025

MARKED MEN (MOVIE) 4/04/2025

MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM GQUUUUUUX S1 (SERIES) 9/04/2025

PINEAPPLE EXPRESS (MOVIE) 9/04/2025

TERRIFIER 3 (MOVIE) 10/04/2025

G20 (MOVIE) 10/04/2025

NEVER LET GO (MOVIE) 11/04/2025

GET SMART (MOVIE) 15/04/2025

#1 HAPPY FAMILY USA S1 (SERIES) 17/04/2025

THE BOOGEYMAN (2023) (MOVIE) 17/04/2025

LEVERAGE: REDEMPTION S3 (SERIES) 17/04/2025

THE NARROW ROAD TO THE DEEP NORTH (SERIES) 18/04/2025 

LAW & ORDER: SVU S1-S13 (SERIES) 21/04/2025

ÉTOILE (SERIES) 24/04/2025 

ASH (MOVIE) 24/04/2025

DJANGO UNCHAINED (MOVIE) 28/04/2025

JUPITER ASCENDING (MOVIE) 30/04/2025

Snow White: Movie Review

Cast: Rachel Zegler, Gal Gadot, Andrew Burnap

Director: Marc Webb

The 2025 remake of Disney's jewel in its animated crown is a curious beast, an uncanny valley of a movie that never really seems to dabble in much other than anti-climactic endings and aloof emotional edges.

But in among all the fury over the woke edges, and the truly unnerving CGI dwarf updates, there is a bright shining star to anchor it all.

Rachel Zegler's Snow White is a princess who takes control, but who has warmth, kindness, empathy and a great deal of charisma as the story whirls through the very familiar beats of the 200-year old story.

Sadly the same can't be said for Gal Gadot's woefully underwritten wicked witch, whose character is so poorly painted that even with big vampy Shirley Bassey-style musical numbers, she can't muster the menace of someone wracked with insecurity that someone else would be finer than she.

Despite shimmering in some slinky costume choices and trying her best, she pales into insignificance compared to Zegler, who musters through her part with ease.

Written through more with a Robin Hood-esque storyline, with Snow White playing Maid Marian to the troupe (feeling much like Baldrick actor Tony Robinson's Maid Marian and her Merry Men 80s TV series for children), Andrew Burnap's Jonathan does as well as he can with the updated prince motif. His and Zegler's bickering song Princess Problems is a new addition to the film is a joyous touch, a rare diamond in plenty of soulless updates.

Yet the film seems confused about what it wants to do. It hits every single original story beat without hitting any emotional high, giving a feeling of rushing through bizarrely. And the colour grade on Webb's film feels muted, more washed out than vibrant - even if the enchanted forest's twisted darkness and menace bristles with nightmare fuel.

As for the dwarves themselves, their Hi-Ho introudction is perfectly fine, a warm fuzzy blanket of nostalgia washing over viewers to take them back to when they first saw it. But the CGI proves to be distracting, and the fact there's even a person with dwarfism in Jonathan's band of merry men makes the Disney creative decision jarring in extremis.

Ultimately, while nowhere near as ghastly as early worries would suggest, the 2025 remake of Snow White works only because of Zegler - elsewhere throughout, thanks to underwritten edges and weak narrative beats where action happens simply because it should rather than organically, the film feels like it's sold the legacy short rather than enhanced it greatly.

Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii: Review

Developed by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
Published by SEGA
Platform: PS5

If you thought the idea of a Yakuza game being set inside a pirate sim was madness, you'd be right.

But what you'd be wrong about is the next thought you'd have which probably would be to dismiss it outright as a waste of time and a distraction from everything you love about the series.

In fact, what Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii does instead is take everything from the franchise, transplant it into a pirate setting and make it extremely playable for anyone wanting to sit down and pour a few hours into it all.

You take control of Goro Majima, the main protagonist of the franchise. Waking up on a shore with a bad case of amnesia and only the clothes he's dressed in, Goro must explore Rich Island and find some idea what has happened before to help him continue on into the future.Saved by a local boy Noah, he gets the lay of the land and must take on pirates, steal and crew ships and generally lord it up as a pirate.

In many ways, it's a very simple premise and in truth, the game offers little depth for long-term play. But what it does proffer is a very enjoyable combat system and series of minigames to wile away the hours with ease.

It's really only once the game takes out to the seas after you've beaten up some local pirates terrorising the chilled Hawaiian natives that it starts to find its sealegs. With swift combat on the waters and a sense of purpose, Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii entangles the player in a world of gangster-based absurdity but places it squarely in the pirate world.

Angling definitely for a more compact experience, the latest Like A Dragon has the bonus of appealing to non-fans from the genre - and with a wider remit than just GTA in Japan that's dogged the previous outings, the studio's desire to try something different pays off handsomely.

Sniper Elite Resistance: PS5 Review

Developed by Rebellion Games
Published by Rebellion
Platform: PS5

It's very much a feeling of deja vu for Rebellion's Sniper Elite series with the latest release that really doesn't offer much in terms of improvement from its last release to make you feel like you have a new iteration of the game.

With Harry Hawker taking over the reins of the rifles and stepping out into his starring role, the game puts you squarely in the French lines in the run-up to D-Day. With Hawker engaged in helping the resistance bring down the Nazis, it's also up to you to find out more about a Nazi superweapon that's been talked about.

Within an eight level set up and with the option to play alone or in co-op, Sniper Elite Resistance continues to do what it does well. 

From the opening cinematic that sets the scene through to the dynamics of stalking your prey and executing them from afar, the game knows what it wants to do and doesn't really veer from it - for better or worse.

If perhaps you'd missed Sniper Elite 5, which this game runs parallel to, you'd feel perhaps this is a solid entry into the Sniper world. With the trademark X-ray killcam in place and the game's commitment to bloody dispatches when necessary, it certainly feels like a usual release for Rebellion.

Perhaps that's a disappointing element at times - there's little that feels wildly fresh here, no matter how well the gameplay reaches its targets. Maps are riddled with open spaces for you to let fly at the bad guys, and there are plenty of vantage points to kill or be killed, so there's nothing that's wildly unenjoyable about this.

It has to be said, Sniper Elite Resistance hits the target but it fails to hit a bullseye - even in slow motion. 

Avowed: XBox Series X Review

Developed by Obsidian Entertainment
Platform: XBox Series X

The Last of Us' fungus has a lot to answer for.

Having collectively ravaged the consciousness back in the games and then the phenomenally popular TV series, the ripple effect of the idea lives on in Obsidian Entertainment's Avowed.

Within moments of opening, a curious and cute critter is overrun by spores, its decaying body turned into a mesh of spores and hatred (looking somewhat like an iconic Brian Bolland 2000AD cover too) - signalling the previously lush-looking Living Lands are about to become a nasty fighting ground for your future gaming pleasure.

As an envoy of a distant empire, you have been sent to investigate - and what you find at every corner is less than ideal, but requires you to summon all your RPG experience to ensure the future of the Living Lands as well as your own.

While you investigate the plague (known as the Dreamscourge) you also get to meet a myriad of characters and face a large amount of choices, as well as fighting off reanimated corpses, skeletons and other creatures determined to see you go.

Avowed does what it does very well.

While it has been criticised for not breaking the mould, it's an unfair arrow to sling - sometimes games don't need to offer new mechanics to exist, nor do they need to be outrageously different simply because. It's something Obsidian knows well here, making sure that the game is immersive and also engaging enough for those who want to purchase it.

With plenty of customisation options as well as many different ways of upgrading for combat, there are more than a few options for players to lose themselves in - and while the options are many, the need for them is light.

Simple gameplay mechanics take a little time to adjust to, but once it kicks in, Avowed heads off at a gallop as it spins off from the Pillars of Eternity universe.

With a substantial world to explore and plenty of reasons to engage for long periods with the game, Avowed shows that just committing to the bit is sometimes more than enough.

Synduality: Echo of Ada: PS5 Review

Developed by Bandai Namco
Published by Bandai Namco
Platform: PS5

Marking Bandai Namco's return to the mecha-heavy world of gaming, Synduality: Echo of Ada is a perfectly playable game that's bogged down early on by somewhat of a grind that feels unnecessary and almost punishing.

Set in the world of 2222, it's upto you to control a group of freelancers called the Drifters who pilot mech machines to earn their keep and help humanity to survive. But it's no easy task - especially when blue rain kills humans on contact but makes animals and plants vicious to deal with.

Simply put Synduality: Echo of Ada is a shoot and collect kind of game, the sort you've seen in some ways before.

But where it benefits is in its sleek design and visuals which are crisp and offer enough visual heft to make you realise that you are actually piloting a massive craft and have the future of the world on your shoulders.

With a slow burning plot though some may feel the game isn't quite up to speed for what it should offer. Details of the story are dripfed and feel like they're deliberately withheld to encourage further playing on.

Yet with perfectly serviceable mechanics and some impressive graphics, the game has a tendency to bury its way under your skin, leading to you becoming more obsessed than you'd have thought.

The more you upgrade your craft, the more devastating it is when you lose it and its contents - and the more frustrating it is to have to start all over again. But much like any survival game, this is about knowing what the right way to tackle a situation is - and evolving with the game rather than your own desires.

Ultimately serviceable enough, Synduality: Echo of Ada makes an impressive beeline into the mech world - but had it moved slightly faster and been a bit more engaging early on, it would have become more essential than it is.