What I Watched in April 2026
April was ridiculous. Mario broke the box office, Euphoria came back from the dead, and Richard Gadd proved Baby Reindeer was no fluke. Here's everything I watched โ and what I thought about it.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie
I took my nephew to see this. I stayed for myself.
The first Mario movie was fun. This one is better. The space setting lets Illumination actually do something creative for once โ galaxy-hopping, gravity puzzles, a genuinely intimidating Bowser Jr. who's trying to step out of his dad's shadow. The animation is gorgeous. There's a sequence on a lava planet that made me forget I was watching a movie based on a video game.
Is it high art? No. But it's the most fun I had in a theater this month. The box office numbers are insane โ and honestly deserved.
Star Wars: Maul โ Shadow Lord
I was skeptical. Very skeptical. But three episodes in, I'm hooked.
Disney finally figured out that Star Wars works best when it's small. Not galaxy-spanning wars, not Jedi academies, not multiverse nonsense. Just one angry former Sith trying to build a criminal empire from nothing. The tone is closer to Andor than anything else they've made. Ray Park is back in the role physically and the new voice actor nails it.
The production design is incredible. Every frame looks expensive. I've been adding episode data to the database as it airs โ this one's getting solid ratings across the board.
Euphoria โ Season 3
Four years. Four years we waited for this.
It's different. Very different. The characters are out of high school, the 65mm film stock gives everything a grainier, wider feel, and Sam Levinson clearly wants this to be his prestige goodbye to the series. Zendaya is phenomenal โ the Mexico sequences are the best thing the show has ever done. But some storylines feel rushed, like Levinson is cramming two seasons into one.
I respect the ambition. The shot-on-film look alone makes it worth watching. Whether it sticks the landing is another question โ I'm four episodes in and still not sure.
The Boys โ Season 5 (Final Season)
Everyone told me this season redeems the show. I disagree.
The Boys peaked at season two. That's not controversial anymore, it's just true. Season five has some great moments โ the Butcher arc finally goes somewhere meaningful, and there's one episode in the middle that's genuinely shocking. But the satire has become the thing it's satirizing. Every joke lands with a wink that says "aren't we clever?" No. You were clever. Now you're just loud.
I watched all of it because I had to see how it ends. The finale is... fine. Not terrible, not great. Just fine. Riley already called this before it even aired.
Half Man
This is the show of the month. Possibly the show of the year so far.
Richard Gadd followed up Baby Reindeer with something completely different โ a 30-year friendship between two men, told non-linearly, with Jamie Bell matching him scene for scene. It's six episodes. I watched them in one sitting. Then I watched the first two again.
The writing is raw. There's a scene in episode four that physically made me pause the TV and walk around my apartment. If you liked Baby Reindeer for the discomfort, this goes deeper. If you liked it for the craft, this is even tighter.
Best new show on HBO this year.
The Drama
Zendaya and Robert Pattinson. Kristoffer Borgli directing. A couple confessing their worst secrets before their wedding.
I saw this in theaters on a Tuesday night. Almost empty auditorium. Perfect way to watch it. The film is uncomfortable in the best way โ every confession escalates, the humor gets darker, and Borgli does this thing where the camera just... stays. Doesn't cut away. You're stuck with these people and their awful truths.
Pattinson is hilarious. Zendaya proves she can do comedy. The ending will divide people. I loved it.
Quick Mentions
Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair โ Four-episode revival on Disney+. Nostalgic and sweet. Frankie Muniz still has it. Not groundbreaking, but it made me smile.
Beef Season 2 โ New cast, new beef. Not as tight as season one but still better than 90% of what's on Netflix.
Hacks Season 5 โ Final season. Jean Smart deserves every award. I'm behind on this one, only three episodes in, but it's Hacks. It's great.
The Database Side
April was a big month for spameri.cz. All these new shows and movies mean new entries, new ratings, new connections in the database. I've been adding 2026 titles as they premiere โ Maul, Half Man, The Drama, the Mario sequel, the Malcolm revival.
The blog has been running strong too. 24 posts and counting, nine different authors, from data deep-dives to hot takes to binge guides. Building something that actually feels alive. Dฤlรก mi to radost.
See you next month.
Comments (0)
Log in to leave a comment.