6 new Netflix picks we can’t wait for this May

It’s almost hard to believe May is here. With cinema outings still on pause, streaming is no longer optional – it is currently the dominant method in which we consume entertainment. As we go into a new month, here are the Netflix offerings we’re most looking forward to  

Hollywood

The series, from Ryan Murphy and longtime collaborator Ian Brennan, “follows a group of aspiring actors and filmmakers in post-World War II Hollywood as they try to make it in Tinseltown — no matter the cost.” It stars past-Murphy actors including David Corenswet of  The Politician and Darren Criss of Glee alongside Samara Weaving, Dylan McDermott and Holland Taylor. It’s subverting the Hollywood barriers we know to exist, with the series centering on an array of characters: aspiring actors and directors, most of whom have to face biases against their race, gender and sexuality, as they try to make it in Tinseltown. What would have been if preconceived notions and stereotyping had ceased to exist in those glory days of Hollywood? This one is going to be big.

Streaming May 1st

Becoming

We adored the book, and at long last, we have a series. Becoming is an intimate look into the life of former First Lady Michelle Obama during a moment of profound change, not only for her personally but for the country she and her husband served over eight impactful years in the White House. The film offers a rare and up-close look at her life, taking viewers behind the scenes as she embarks on a 34-city tour.

“I’ve been a documentary cinematographer for 15 years and my focus has always been the craft of cinema vérité,” explains the film’s director Nadia Hallgren. ‘To make this film feel intimate I knew I had to get close. In practical terms, that can be a hard thing to do with Michelle Obama. For security reasons alone, she’s flanked by Secret Service everywhere she goes. She moves quickly and I had to learn to move with her — I filmed in tight, private spaces in a way that required the smallest possible footprint, but also allowed me to build a close relationship with her. What I noticed most was how she listens and interacts with people and how they react to her. There’s a magic that happens when people meet her — an afterglow and a boost in confidence. I wanted to translate this experience to the screen.”

Streaming May 6th

Dead To Me Season 2

Jen (Christina Applegate), Judy (Linda Cardellini) and the lies that entwine them are back. Picking up in the aftermath of that bloody backyard reveal, the irrepressible pair once again struggle to keep their secrets buried. With a surprising new visitor in town and Detective Perez (Diana Maria Riva) hot on their heels, Jen and Judy take drastic measures to protect their loved ones and each other – no matter the cost. The two leads are excellent; worth a watch for their performances alone.

Streaming May 8th   

White Lines 

From the teams that brought you La Casa de Papel and The Crown comes WHITE LINES. The body of a legendary Manchester DJ is discovered twenty years after his mysterious disappearance from Ibiza. When his sister returns to the beautiful Spanish island to find out what happened, her investigation leads her through a thrilling world of dance clubs, lies and cover-ups, forcing her to confront the darker sides of her own character in a place where people live life on the edge. An endlessly watchable Spanish-British thriller.

Streaming May 15th

Hannah Gadsby: Douglas  

Emmy and Peabody award-winning comedian Hannah Gadsby stopped the comedy world in its tracks with her genre-bending show, Nanette. Having given herself her very own tough act to follow, she named her difficult second album after her eldest dog and took it for a walk across the planet, finishing up in Los Angeles and recording her second Netflix comedy special, Hannah Gadbsy: Douglas.  You can expect your expectations to be set and met by Douglas: a tour from the dog park to the renaissance and back guided by one of comedy’s most sparkling and surprising minds. We need more laughter during quarantine and this is a welcome antidote to lockdown.

Streaming May 26th

I’m No Longer Here

In the mountains of Monterrey, Mexico, a small street gang named “Los Terkos” spend their days listening to slowed down cumbia music and attending dance parties, showing off their outfits, hairstyles and gang alliances. These different bands of disaffected youth refer to themselves as Kolombianos, combining the Cholo culture with Colombian music. Ulises Samperio (17), the leader of Los Terkos, tries to protect his friends from the nefarious elements of a quickly evolving drug/political war, but after a misunderstanding with a local cartel, he is forced to leave for Jackson Heights, Queens, a diverse immigrant community in New York City. Ulises tries to assimilate, but when he learns that his gang and the whole Kolombia culture is under threat, he questions his place in America and longs to return home.

Streaming May 27th

Main photograph: Netflix