The summer movie season is finally here, andNetflixis helping to kick it off with some of the new original films heading to the service in May. From bloody slashers, thought-provoking dramas, and heartwarming flicks, here are seven of the best new movies arriving on the service in May.
‘The Lego Movie’
Available on: Thursday, May 1
Over a decade beforeA Minecraft Movieturned a beloved property involving building into a blockbuster hit,Phil LordandChris Miller(Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse) turned everyone’s favorite plastic brick into one of the most critically acclaimed movies of the 2010s inThe Lego Movie.
Emmett, a happy-go-lucky construction worker minifigure, lives in the hyperactive town of Bricksburg, where “Everything Is Awesome,” or at least that’s what the evil President Business wants everybody to think. After chasing the mysterious woman, Wyldstyle, through his worksite, Emmett finds the Piece of Resistance and is believed to be the chosen one, a Master Builder who can lead a resistance to take down Lord Business. The problem is, Emmett isn’t as creative as the prophecy states, but maybe he does have potential. Emmett and Wyldstyle team up with the egocentric Batman, the elder wizard Vitruvius, the 1980s-something space guy Benny, the unicorn-cat Unikitty, and the swashbuckling Metalbeard to save their world from total utter destruction.
The Lego Moviefeatures an outstanding voice-cast includingChris Pratt(Guardians of the Galaxy),Will Ferrell(Elf),Elizabeth Banks(The Hunger Games),Will Arnett(Arrested Development),Nick Offerman(Parks and Recreation),Alison Brie(Glow),Charlie Day(It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia),Channing Tatum(21 Jump Street), Academy Award nomineeJonah Hill(22 Jump Street),Cobie Smulders(How I Met Your Mother), with Academy Award nomineeLiam Neeson(Schindler’s List), and Academy Award winnerMorgan Freeman(Million Dollar Baby).
The Lego Movie
‘Past Lives’
Available on:Thursday, May 1
During the 96th Academy Awards,Celine Song’s emotional whirlwind of adirectorial debut,Past Lives, was nominated for two Oscars: Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay. And for good reason, this is a damn good movie. With Song’s new movie,Materialists, opening in theaters this summer, now is the perfect time to revisit this gem.
The film follows childhood friends, Nora and Hae Sung, who are separated after the former’s family immigrates to Canada. While the two become reacquainted virtually over a decade later, they are forced to move on. In the present, Nora now lives in New York City with her husband and fellow author Arthur. Out of the blue, a new single, Hae Sung, reaches out to Nora, telling her that he’s traveling to New York and hopes to see her. What transpires is an emotional reunion, as the two contemplate what their love that never was could have been.
Past LivesstarsGreta Lee(The Morning Show),Teo Yoo(The Recruit), andJohn Magaro(September 5).
Past Lives
‘Heart Eyes’
Available on:Thursday, May 8
Valentine’s Day may be over, but if you’re still feeling the love but desire an extra splash of blood,Heart Eyeswill surely do the trick.
The film is centered around the masked serial killer known as the Heart Eyes Killer, who, every Valentine’s Day, pops up in a new city, and murders romantic couples in the most gruesome ways imaginable. When young workaholic Ally and her charming and oh-so-handsome new co-worker, Jay, are mistaken as a couple by the killer, they must race through the streets of Seattle in order to stay alive, and hopefully, take down the Heart Eyes Killer once and for all.
Josh Ruben(Werewolves Within) directs the slasher romantic-comedy, which starsOlivia Holt(Totally Killer),Mason Gooding(Scream),Gigi Zumbado(The Rookie),Michaela Watkins(Casual),Devon Sawa(Final Destination), andJordana Brewster(Fast and Furious).
Heart Eyes
Available on:Friday, May 9
Vince Vaughn(Wedding Crashers) headlines the heartwarming new Netflix original film,Nonnas, which is based on a true story.
The film follows Joe, a single man working a dead-end job. The only bright light in Joe’s life is his mother and her incredible cooking. When she dies, Joe decides to honor his mother’s legacy by opening an Italian restaurant where all the chefs are Italian grandmothers.
Stephen Chbosky(Wonder) directs the film, which also stars Academy Award nomineeLorraine Bracco(The Sopranos), Academy Award nomineeTalia Shire(Rocky), Academy Award nomineeBrenda Vaccaro(Once Is Not Enough),Joe Manganiello(True Blood), withLinda Cardellini(Dead to Me), and Academy Award winnerSusan Sarandon(Thelma & Louise).
Available on:Wednesday, May 14
Contrary to the title,Parker Finn’s 2022 horror hitSmileis far from a happy sit. In fact, this horror movie is far more sinister than the title suggests.
While working in a psychiatric ward, therapist Rose Cotter is horrified when she witnesses the suicide of Laura Weaver, a young woman who claims that she is being terrorized by a supernatural entity that appears through smiling hosts. Trying to move past the tragedy, Rose begins to be haunted by creepy smiling faces, continuously taunting her, claiming that she will be dying very soon. The only way to break free of the curse is to kill yourself in front of somebody else, all while smiling, and from there, the smile demon will find a new unfortunate victim.
SmilestarsSosie Bacon(Mare of Easttown),Jessie T. Usher(The Boys),Kyle Gallner(Strange Darling),Kal Penn(Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle), andRob Morgan(Don’t Look Up).
‘Fear Street: Prom Queen’
Available on:Friday, May 23
Get ready to return to a familiar street, as four years after Netflix released theFear Streetmovie trilogy in the summer of 2021, the franchise returns with a fourth installment based on the series byR.L. Stine,Fear Street: Prom Queen.
Fear Street: Prom Queenfinds the students at Shadyside High School preparing for the 1988 Prom. However, when a mysterious new girl throws her hat into the ring for Prom Queen, the more popular girls begin disappearing one by one.
Matt Palmer(Calibre) directs the new film, which starsIndia Fowler(The Agency),Suzanna Son(Red Rocket),Fina Strazza(Paper Girls),David Iacono(The Summer I Turned Pretty),Ella Rubin(Anora),Chris Klein(American Pie),Ariana Greenblatt(Barbie),Lili Taylor(The Conjuring), andKatherine Waterston(Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them).
Fear Street: Prom Queen
‘The Wild Robot’
Available on:Saturday, May 24
Animation legend and Academy Award nomineeChris Sanders(How To Train Your Dragon) returns to DreamWorks Animation withone of their finest collaborations to date,The Wild Robot.
Based on the best-selling series of children’s novels byPeter Brown, The Wild Robot begins when Roz, a helper robot, washes ashore on a remote island filled with wildlife critters. After getting into a freak accident, Roz learns to adapt to her new environment, and alongside her new friend, Fink the Fox, helps raise an orphaned gosling named Brightbill.
The film received three Academy Award nominations: for Best Animated Feature Film, Best Original Score, and Best Sound.
The Wild Robotfeatures an all-star voice cast including Academy Award winnerLupita Nyong’o(12 Years a Slave),Pedro Pascal(The Last of Us),Kit Connor(Heartstopper),Catherine O’Hara(Schitt’s Creek), Academy Award nomineeBill Nighy(Love Actually), Academy Award nomineeStephanie Hsu(Everything Everywhere All at Once),Mark Hamill(Star Wars),Ving Rhames(Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning), andMatt Berry(What We Do in the Shadows).
