Shoppers are clearing their schedules for a month of queer TV and film hits, from Netflix teen dramas to A24’s glossy psychosexual thriller; here’s who’s returning, who’s new, and why these releases matter for representation and pure viewing pleasure.
Essential Takeaways
- Big Netflix drop: XO, Kitty season 3 lands on 2 April with a bisexual lead and more sapphic moments, all eight episodes available at once.
- Prestige send‑off: Hacks season 5 begins weekly on HBO Max (US) and Sky (UK) from 9/17 April, wrapping the Deborah/Ava story with ten episodes.
- Cultural buzzer: Euphoria season 3 premieres mid‑April, shot on 35mm and 65mm for a cinematic look and a time jump that ages characters into their mid‑twenties.
- Must‑see cinema: A24’s Mother Mary opens 17 April, a psychosexual pop thriller with Anne Hathaway and Michaela Coel centre‑stage.
- Festival horror with queue appeal: Forbidden Fruits is in cinemas now and streaming to Shudder soon , a witchy, queer ensemble piece with strong camp energy.
XO, Kitty season 3 , bisexual lead means mainstream teen queerness keeps growing
Kitty Song Covey returns to the Korean Independent School of Seoul on 2 April, and the show feels brighter and gayer than when it began. The series now foregrounds Kitty’s bisexuality as part of her senior year storyline, with the Yuri romance and a close queer friendship group giving the show a properly warm, lived‑in feel.
The spin‑off’s move to more explicit sapphic beats hasn’t been without chatter , some fans pointed out last season sidelined the Kitty/Yuri thread , but a bisexual lead in a mainstream Netflix teen franchise still shifts the dial. If you like quick, comfort bingeing, all eight episodes dropped at once, so it’s perfect for an Easter long weekend marathon.
How to watch: Netflix (UK and US). Tip: watch with subtitles for the Seoul school setting to catch small cultural details and beats you might miss on the first pass.
Hacks season 5 , the finale you’ll want to savour weekly
This is the one Brits should mark on their calendars: Deborah Vance and Ava Daniels head into a final, ten‑episode season that starts streaming weekly from early April. Jean Smart’s Deborah remains a masterclass in comic control, while Hannah Einbinder’s queer, bisexual Ava is the emotional counterpoint , their chemistry has been the show’s emotional engine.
Hacks’ last run is designed to be felt slowly, so plan to save Thursdays for the new instalments rather than bingeing. According to reviews and previews, the season leans into legacy, stagecraft and the messy business of fame, which feels fitting for a show that’s always balanced sharp satire with sincere character work.
How to watch: HBO Max (US) from 9 April; Sky Atlantic and NOW (UK) from 17 April.
Euphoria season 3 , they’ve aged up and upped the visuals
After long delays, Euphoria’s third and final season drops in mid‑April and flings its characters into their mid‑twenties. Expect a sleeker, stranger aesthetic , the season was shot on Kodak 35mm and 65mm film, so the images should look sumptuous, tactile, and cinematic in a way the show has always flirted with.
Narratively, the time jump sends Rue to Mexico and scatters the gang into new lives: art school, suburban engagements and Hollywood hustles. The full original cast returns alongside high‑profile newcomers, which means this season is as much about portraiture as plot. If you’re invested in queer character arcs on TV, Zendaya and Hunter Schafer’s work remains central.
How to watch: HBO Max (US) 12 April / Sky Atlantic and NOW (UK) 13 April. Practical note: episodes drop weekly, so this is a cliffhanger season to savour episode by episode.
Mother Mary , A24’s glossy pop noir is a cinema event
David Lowery’s Mother Mary arrives 17 April as a psychosexual pop thriller with a cast that practically demands theatre applause: Anne Hathaway plays a comeback pop icon opposite Michaela Coel as an estranged creative partner. The film is eyebrow‑raisingly stylish and framed by an original soundtrack from Charli XCX, FKA twigs and Jack Antonoff.
Lowery called it “a weird, weird film”, which is exactly the kind of pitch that’ll split audiences , but if you love charged female dynamics, theatre‑of‑fame set pieces and a blockbuster‑adjacent arthouse sheen, this one’s for you. It’s a film to watch loud and deliberate in the cinema before skipping to streaming chatter.
How to watch: In cinemas (UK and US) , limited release from 17 April, wide from 24 April.
Forbidden Fruits and other queer genre delights , witches, camp and big ensemble casting
If you missed Forbidden Fruits in late March, don’t worry , it’s still screening and heading to Shudder. Meredith Alloway’s witchy horror comedy blends mall boutique satire with a femme cult narrative and a floaty, camp sensibility. The cast , including Lili Reinhart, Victoria Pedretti and Alexandra Shipp , is stacked with queer performers and icons, and reviewers have praised the film’s performances and cheeky gore.
This is precisely the sort of small‑budget genre film that builds word‑of‑mouth: watch it for the performances, the sly humour and the culty buzz.
How to watch: In cinemas now, coming soon to Shudder. Tip: if you like your horror with a wink and a queer centre, get to the cinema early.
What to prioritise and how to schedule your April viewing
If you want a mixed month: binge XO, Kitty over the Easter weekend, then set Hacks and Euphoria as your weekly appointment TV for the rest of April and May. Reserve Mother Mary for a cinema night , its audio‑visual punch benefits from a big screen , and slot Forbidden Fruits in as a late‑night cinema treat.
Practical buying tip: if you’re in the UK, check Sky and NOW release dates for Hacks and Euphoria; a streaming pass or free trial window could save you a multi‑platform subscription. And if representation matters to you, these releases show different flavours of queer storytelling , from teen comfort to arthouse provocation.
It’s a small scheduling shift that can make April feel like a properly queer TV celebration.
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