May 2024: All the best things to stream (or see in cinemas) this month

Netflix 

May 2

A Man in Full

Facing relentless foes and sudden bankruptcy, an Atlanta real estate tycoon must claw his way back to the top when his empire begins to crumble. This is the story of one man’s fall from power and the ripple effects on those around him. Based on the novel by Tom Wolfe, Jeff Daniels stars.

May 3

Unfrosted

Jerry Springer’s directorial debut, Unfrosted is loosely based on the true story of the creation of Pop-Tarts toaster pastries. Set in Michigan in 1963, it’s a tale of ambition, betrayal, sugar, and menacing milkmen. 

May 9

Bodkin 

Bodkin is a darkly comedic thriller about a motley crew of podcasters who set out to investigate the mysterious disappearance of three strangers in an idyllic, coastal Irish town. Once they start pulling at threads, they discover a story much bigger and weirder than they could have ever imagined. Irish actor Siobhán Cullen stars.

May 16

Bridgerton Season 3 Part 1

This season is all about the steamy, friends-to-lovers romantic beginnings of Penelope Featherington (played by Nicola Coughlan) and Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton). Penelope has finally given up on her long-held crush on Mr Bridgerton after hearing his disparaging words about her last season. She has, however, decided it’s time to take a husband, preferably one who will provide her with enough independence to continue her double life as Lady Whistledown, far away from her mother and sisters. But lacking in confidence, Penelope’s attempts on the marriage mart fail spectacularly. Meanwhile, Colin has returned from his summer travels with a new look and a serious sense of swagger. But he’s disheartened to realise that Penelope, the one person who always appreciated him as he was, is giving him the cold shoulder. Part 2 premiers on Netflix on June 13.

May 17

Power

Driven to contain threats to social order, American policing has exploded in scope and scale over hundreds of years. This documentary delves into the untold history of American policing as it questions whether the people or the police are more powerful. 

May 30

Eric

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFJ58X0SLP4

A limited series coming to Netflix at the end of May, Eric is a thriller that follows a desperate father as he battles his demons on the vibrant, dangerous, and intoxicating streets of 80s New York in a race to bring home his missing son. Benedict Cumberbatch stars as Vincent,  one of the Big Apple’s leading puppeteers and creator of the hugely popular children’s television show Good Day Sunshine. But his life unravels when his nine-year-old son goes missing on the way to school. 

Disney+

May 1

Shardlake 

Drenched in mystery, suspense and deception, Shardlake is a compelling whodunnit based on the internationally popular Tudor murder mystery novels by C.J. Sansom. Matthew Shardlake, a brilliant lawyer with an acute sense of justice, finds his life turned upside down when Thomas Cromwell, Henry Vlll’s right-hand man, sends him to the remote monastery of Scarnsea to investigate a murder, and to ultimately claim its wealth for the King. Accompanied by the arrogant and ambitious Jack Barak, it soon becomes clear that the death they are investigating is not the first. 

May 3

Welcome to Wrexham Season 3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygVyFKLx_DM

In 2020, Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds teamed up to purchase the 5th-tier Red Dragons in the hopes of turning the Club into an underdog story the whole world could root for. The world took notice and change is afoot. After 15 painful seasons in the National League, the Club finally achieved promotion back into the English Football League. Back for a third season, new episodes gives viewers unprecedented access on the pitch, bringing you inside the locker room and alongside the players, while the action is unfolding in some of the team’s biggest matches to date.

May 6

Charles: In His Own Words

An intimate portrait of Britain’s new monarch using rarely-seen footage, never-before-heard interviews and forgotten interviews with Charles himself. According to the Disney description, “This is the story of King Charles as he is seldom seen: the son in search of manhood, the prince pursuing a radical new path, and the man trapped by duty and desire”.

May 8

Abbott Elementary Season 3 Part 1

An Emmy-winning mockumentary series, Abbott Elementary is a workplace comedy following a group of dedicated, passionate teachers – and a slightly tone-deaf principal – as they navigate the Philadelphia public school system. Speaking about what viewers can expect next, co-showrunner Justin Halpern told US Weekly that the new season will be “really interesting”. “I’ve never seen it on TV before.”

May 23

The Kardashians Season 5

Our favourite reality TV family are back for a fifth season. From the big screen to baby bliss, the family continues to defy expectations in all their endeavours. Cameras roll as Kourtney, Kim, Khloé, Kendall, and Kylie navigate contentious sister dynamics, all under the watchful eye of everyone’s favourite matriarch, Kris.

Apple TV+

May 1

Acapulco

In season three of “Acapulco,” it’s time to reconcile past mistakes and exciting new beginnings. In the present story, older Maximo (Eugenio Derbez) finds himself returning to a Las Colinas he no longer recognises. While in 1985, younger Maximo (Enrique Arrizon) continues his climb up the ladder of success while potentially jeopardising all the relationships he’s worked so hard to build.

May 8

Dark Matter

Considered one of the best sci-fi novels of the decade, Dark Matter is a story about the road not taken. The series follows Jason Dessen (played by Joel Edgerton), a physicist, professor and family man who – one night while walking home on the streets of Chicago – is abducted into an alternate version of his life. However, wonder quickly turns to nightmare when he tries to return to his reality amid the mind-bending landscape of lives he could have lived. In this labyrinth of realities, he embarks on a harrowing journey to get back to his true family and save them from the most terrifying, unbeatable foe imaginable: himself.

Hollywood Con Queen

A mysterious figure – known as the Con Queen – is impersonating powerful female executives in Hollywood, luring victims with the promise of life-changing career opportunities. A journalist and a private investigator set out to find the culprit behind the scam. 

May 22

Trying Season 4

In the exciting fourth season, we fast forward six years, discovering that Nikki (Esther Smith) and Jason (Rafe Spall) are experienced adopters having built a lovely little nuclear family, enriched by an extraordinary support network. However, as their teenage daughter, Princess (Scarlett Rayner), starts to yearn for a connection with her birth mother, Nikki and Jason find themselves confronted with the ultimate test of their parenting skills.

Prime Video 

May 2

The Idea of You

Anne Hathaway stars as Solène, a 40-year-old single mom who begins an unexpected romance with 24-year-old Hayes Campbell (Nicholas Galitzine), the lead singer of August Moon, the hottest boy band on the planet. When Solène must step in to chaperone her teenage daughter’s trip to the Coachella Music Festival after her ex bails at the last minute, she has a chance encounter with Hayes and there is an instant, undeniable spark. As they begin a whirlwind romance, it isn’t long before Hayes’ superstar status poses unavoidable challenges to their relationship, and Solène soon discovers that life in the glare of his spotlight might be more than she bargained for. Unfounded internet rumours believe this to be loosely based on Harry Styles fan fiction…

May 3

Clarkson’s Farm Season 3

The third series of Clarkson’s Farm finds Diddly Squat facing some seriously daunting challenges. The crops are failing in the severe hot weather, inflation has driven prices of supplies sky high, dreams for the beloved restaurant are dashed and now the farm shop also faces closure. Jeremy urgently needs to come up with creative new ways of making ends meet, so hatches a plan to turn a profit from hundreds of acres of unfarmed land – thick woodland and hedgerows that make up half of Diddly Squat. This triggers an avalanche of Clarkson-crafted schemes, involving everything from goats and pigs to mushrooms, nettles and deer.

May 17

99

99 is the story of Man Utd’s remarkable treble-winning season in 1998/99, told by those who were part of it.

In cinemas

May 2

The Fall Guy

Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt star in The Fall Guy, a movie about a a stuntman fresh off an almost career-ending accident. Now, this working-class hero has to track down a missing movie star, solve a conspiracy and try to win back the love of his life while still doing his day job. What could possibly go right? 

May 9

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

Director Wes Ball breathes new life into the global, epic franchise set several generations in the future following Caesar’s reign, in which apes are the dominant species living harmoniously and humans have been reduced to living in the shadows. As a new tyrannical ape leader builds his empire, one young ape undertakes a harrowing journey that will cause him to question all that he has known about the past and to make choices that will define a future for apes and humans alike.

Feature image Liam Daniel/Netflix © 2024