Wait, what the heck happened to April? Somehow, against all reason, we’re hearing that it is, in fact, May, which means it’s time to get excited for a whole new batch of movies to watch. But this year is definitely going to be a bit different. May is usually the time when summer movie season kicks off in earnest, but with theaters around the world still closed down due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic response, the May 2020 movie season is going to be pretty unique.
Fortunately, we live in an era of entertainment that’s an honest to goodness embarrassment of riches, and while we’re going to have to wait for big blockbusters likeBlack Widow,Mulan, andNo Time to Die, we’ve still got a whole host of streaming options to keep us entertained. And this month especially, Netflix has a darn robust lineup of options – including one movie that was supposed to be heading to theaters.
That would beThe Lovebirds, which was formerly at Paramount, and which now arrives new on Netflix at the end of the month. There are also several new Netflix originals, including the tremendous YA romanceThe Half of It, the breathless 2019 standoutUncut Gems, and a few of the old favorites, including the entireBack to the Futuretrilogy, available to stream on Netflix in its complete form at last. Check out all our top picks for what to watch on Netflix this month below and for more, you cansee all the new movies and tv shows on Netflix in May 2020 here.
The Half of It
Available:May 1
Writer/Director:Alice Wu
Cast:Leah Lewis, Enrique Murciano, Alexxis Lemire, Becky Ann Baker, Daniel Diemer, Collin Chou
Netflix has become the home of some real home run romantic comedies in recent years, and the latest gemThe Half of Itmight have just threatened to knock the crown off ofTo All the Boys I’ve Loved Before. Written and directed byAlice Wu, the film offers an update on the classic Cyrano de Bergerac – and not in the deeply unsettling catfishing waySierra Burgess Is a Loserdid. Wu’s touching, gorgeously shot tale finds three teenagers searching for their identity and hungry for their first love, all wrapped up in a messy, hungry love triangle that never feels cheap or exploitative. Gorgeously shot, expertly paced, and filled with characters you may’t help but learn to love,The Half of Itis a knockout self-aware teen romance that’s as bittersweet as the real thing.
All Day and a Night
Writer/Director:Joe Robert Cole
Cast:Jeffrey Wright, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Andrea Ellsworth, Ashton Sanders, Regina Taylor
Black Pantherco-writerJoe Robert Colehelms his first feature film in almost a decade withAll Day and a Night, the bracing and sometimes pensive new character drama that takes on cycles of violence and the criminal justice system in disenfranchised black communities. Or as the trailer put it “Born. Gangsta. Repeat.” because I guessLove Wedding Repeatmust have donereallywell for them. The generational tale starsAshton Sandersas a young man who spent his life being taught its a “dog eat man” world by his criminal father (Jeffrey Wright), who finds himself repeating the same tragic, violent mistakes as he becomes a man with a family of his own. Setting aside comfortable depictions of violence or easy morality in his deeply flawed characters, Cole crafts a bleak but often beautiful drama that never offers easy answers. Cole doesn’t always stick the landing, but if you’re looking for something dramatic and a bit meatier to watch in May,All Day and a Nightmight just be the ticket.
Director:Scott Derrickson
Writers:Scott Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill
Cast:Ethan Hawke, Juliet Rylance, James Ransone, Fred Dalton Thompson, Clare Foley
There are very few modern films that have gotten under my skin and made me feel that sick, legitimately scary feeling that makes you want to turn the lights on and hug the person next to you. But you know what?Sinisteris that bitch. FutureDoctor StrangedirectorScott Derricksonmade his imprint on the early era of Blumhouse’s horror hits with the story of a true-crime writer who discovers a box of horrifying super 8 snuff films, and oops, accidentally leads himself right to a demon. Derrickson’s footage of the found footage is chilling, cutting stuff and withEthan Hawkein the lead, the film is carried by a gripping performance between the nightmare fuel.
Dangerous Lies
Director:Michael M. Scott
Writer:David Golden
Cast:Camila Mendes, Jessie T. Usher, Elliott Gould, Jamie Chung, Cam Gigandet
If you want an old-fashioned, nuts and bolts thriller, Netflix has you covered withDangerous Lies. The new mystery starsRiverdale’sCamila MendesandThe Boys’Jessie T. Usheras a young couple with big dreams who wind up inheriting a stunning home and all the secrets inside it. As you might expect from the title,Dangerous Liesis all about trust, and what happens when it’s broken. Mendes stars as a young woman working as a caretaker to a kindly retired man named Leonard (played, miraculously, byElliott Gouldfor some reason). While she and her hot-headed boyfriend Adam (Usher) struggle to make ends meet until Leonard dies unexpectedly one day, shocking everyone by leaving her everything. And that’s when things get dangerous. It’s a bit silly and majorly cheesy, and directorMichael T. Scottseems to have a lot of fun flexing a resume of Hallmark and Lifetime thrillers backed by Netflix money and star-power. Basically,Dangerous Liesis peak Netflix easy-watching; you’ll enjoy every second it’s on before it evaporates from your mind in record time as soon as it’s over.
Back to the Future 1 & 2
Director:Robert Zemeckis
Writers:Robert Zemeckis & Bob Gale
Cast:Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover, and Thomas F. Wilson
Back to the Future: Part IIIhas been available on Netflix for a while, but with the first two films joining it on the streaming service, one of the most iconic trilogies in cinematic history is available to stream in its entirety right now! The firstBack to the Futureis a full-on cinematic classic.Robert Zemeckisstarted with the nugget of an idea—what if you went to high school with your parents?—and blossomed that into an unforgettable sci-fi time travel yarn.Michael J. Fox’s performance is key to keeping the film grounded as it delves into the depths of time travel physics, and Zemeckis’ use of plot mirroring in the sequels adds a brilliant twist on the “free will vs. determinism” debate. While the sequels aren’t as good as the first, there’s a ton of fun wish-fulfillment future stuff inPart IIand the final chapter,Part III, is really a love letter to the Western genre. –Adam Chitwood
Underworld
Available on:May 1
Director:Len Wiseman
Writer:Danny McBride (not that one)
Cast:Kate Beckinsale, Scott Speedman, Bill Nighy, Michael Sheen, Shane Brolly, Sophia Myles
Vampires and werewolves at war in modern society! Ancient secret societies and blood feuds!Kate Beckinsalerocking a badass bodysuit! There’s a lot aboutUnderworldthat I genuinely adore, even while acknowledging it’s not necessarily thebestvampire movie in the world. Boy, it sure is fun though. You know, fun in that inky, self-serious and somewhat dour way that was so popular in the early-aughts. Semi-goth with a soundtrack full of post-hardcore and a just truly ugly ugly ugly design for a new hybrid monster,Underworldis a total product of its era, and while that means not all of it holds up, the action-packed “Romeo and Juliet but make it vampires and werewolves” is a lot of fun, with an intriguing enough mythology to fuel another decade of films. And if you’re interested in getting into allthat, you can watch the next two sequels on Netflix in May too, though you’ll have to look elsewhere for the surprisingly solid prequelUnderworld: Rise of the Lycans, unfortunately.
The Wrong Missy
Available on:May 13
Director:Tyler Spindel
Writers:Chris Pappas and Kevin Barnett
Cast:David Spade, Lauren Lapkus, Sarah Chalke, Molly Sims, Nick Swardson
Imagine you met the girl of your dreams, Missy (Molly Sims), and had the opportunity to invite her for an all-expenses-paid vacation to Hawaii. But instead, you accidentally invited the weird Missy (Lauren Lapkus), some might sayThe Wong Missy, an eccentric blind date gone wrong from your past, who unlike the other Missy, never even won a single beauty pageant. What a nightmare. Ok, now imagine that you’reDavid Spade. Anyway, that’sThe Wrong Missy, the new comedy coming to Netflix this month that stars Spade as a hapless man stuck in Hawaii with a bad date, where he learns that maybe she’s just a goofball who does things her own way and that doesn’t make her unf*ckable.
The Lovebirds
Available on:May 22
Director:Michael Showalter
Writers:Aaron Abrams and Brendal Gall
Cast:Kumail Nanjiani, Issa Rae, Paul Sparks, Anna Camp
The latest Coronavirus casualty to his home video much earlier than expected,The Lovebirdswas set to hit theaters this summer after a debut as SXSW, but after the word went on lockdown, the romantic caper headed to Netflix, where it launches this month. Starring the knockout comedic duoKumail NanjianiandIssa Raeas the titular Lovebirds, the film finds the pair on the brink of a breakup when they get tangled up in a murder mystery and discover that to solve the crime, they have to solve what’s ailing their relationship. That’s one commanding leading duo, butThe Lovebirdsalso hasThe Big SickandWet Hot American SummerdirectorMichael Showalterbehind the camera, making it a must-watch to help get you through the month when Summer movie season should be kicking off.
Uncut Gems
Available on:May 25
Writer/Directors:Josh and Benny Safdie
Cast:Adam Sandler, Eric Bogosian, Kevin Garnett, Julia Fox, Idina Menzel, LaKeith Stanfield, Keith William Richard,
Uncut Gemsis a ruthless, relentless, pulse-pounding assault on the nerves, and that might sound like a bad thing, but I absolutely could not recommend it higher. If you saw Safdie Brothers’Good Time, you probably have an idea of what you’re in for, butUncut Gemsis a stronger, better, faster 2.0 model of the Sadfie freakout film that absolutely soars, even as it turns your guts into a knotted game of operation that can’t stop buzzing around the edges. So yeah, it’s intense.Adam Sandlershould have earned an Academy Award nomination as Howard Ratner, a compulsive gambler and NYC diamond district jeweler who fast-talks and shuffles his way into a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the win of a lifetime when a rare precious stone, a peak-career Kevin Garnett, and some impatient loan sharks wind up in his shop. Get caught up in the chaotic race for the win, fall in love with newcomerJulia Fox, marvel at Sandler’s abrasive magnetism, and be prepared to practice some breathing exercises to make it to the credits.
