The theatrical release slate for May 2025 looks impressive.
We can all look forward to lots of action and horror, and a decent amount of thrills and drama. There are currently fifteen movies scheduled for a wide release in theaters during the month of May, and those are the movies I’m previewing here.
Rather than just list the films in release order (which I’ve done at the bottom of this article as a reference), I’m ranking these upcoming films based on how excited I am to go see them. Release dates and ticket links accompany each write-up.
Release date: May 30 | Check showtimes
I’m a huge fan of the Philippou brothers’ previous film, Talk to Me. It was my favorite horror movie of 2023. I’m actively avoiding looking too far into the plot of Bring Her Back because I want to be surprised, and because I trust the Philippou brothers to create something dark, unsettling, and amazing. There’s a good chance this will be towards the top of my favorites list this year.
Release date: May 2 | Check showtimes
Yeah, I know. Marvel movies after Avengers: Endgame have been hit or miss. I’ve enjoyed them all to varying degrees, but I get it. Some are better than others. However, I love a ragtag team, and this team contains one of my favorite heroes (Bucky) and one of the antagonists I most wanted to see come back for another film (Ghost). Plus, the trailer for Thunderbolts* just makes it look like a ton of fun.
Release date: May 2 | Check showtimes
Nicolas Cage is always a treat to watch, especially when the film he’s in requires a performance that exists within a liminal space between black comedy, madness, and psychological terror. The Surfer is about a man who is pulled into conflict with local surfers who don’t want him on their beach, and everything I’ve seen and heard about it points to it being a wild experience that only someone like Nicolas Cage could carry.
Release date: May 16 | Check showtimes
It’s difficult to get a good read on exactly what Hurry Up Tomorrow is going to be, and that’s what has me intrigued. The official synopsis describes a story about a musician (The Weeknd) who has “the very core of his existence” unraveled by a stranger (Jenna Ortega). It looks dark with a mind-bending, dreamlike quality, and I can’t wait to see what it’s all about.
Release date: May 9 | Check showtimes
Articles have come out recently talking about how layered and surprising the story is in Clown in a Cornfield. That’s great, and I’m sure the allusions and metaphors are all intentional, but that’s not really why I want to see it. After all, it’s not unusual for horror movies to be deeper than they appear at first glance. What has me looking forward to Clown in a Cornfield is simply the fact that it’s a slasher movie getting a wide theatrical release. I’m always excited to see that.
Release date: May 23 | Check showtimes
I’d never name Mission: Impossible as one of my favorite action franchises, but I’ve enjoyed every movie I’ve seen in the series (which is most of them). I expect Final Reckoning—which features Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) on a mission to stop a rogue agent from destabilizing the world with AI—will be another big crowd-pleaser. It’s from the same director and co-writer as the past three M:I movies, so it should be just as fun as those.
Release date: May 16 | Showtimes TBD
Next Sohee is about a detective investigating the incidents surrounding the death of a young woman who is exploited and abused during her time training at a call center. It was a hit at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival, and it went on to win many awards the following year. But more than that, I’m always excited to see a South Korean movie get a decent theatrical release in the United States.
Release date: May 9 | Check showtimes
A new action movie from Joe Carnahan, the writer and director of Smokin’ Aces (2006) and The Grey (2011)? Yes, I’d like to watch that. The story of two special forces operatives in love might appear somewhat generic, but it looks fun regardless. Plus, the cast of Shadow Force is strong with Kerry Washington (Scandal), Omar Sy (The Intouchables), and Mark Strong (Kick-Ass).
Release date: May 9 | Check showtimes
The trailer for Fight or Flight makes me think of Bullet Train (2022), but on a plane. I enjoyed Bullet Train fine, so the comparison is a positive for me. Fight or Flight is about a mercenary who is forced to team up with his target when the plane they’re on turns out to be filled with assassins. Stylized aesthetics, over the top action, and Josh Hartnett. What’s not to like?
Release date: May 30 | Check showtimes
I was a decent fan of the original Karate Kid (1984) when I was, well, a kid, but I admit that I haven’t kept up with the revival of the franchise. So, not having seen the 2010 reboot nor Cobra Kai (2018-2025), the biggest selling point of Karate Kid: Legends is lost on me. I think it’s awesome that they’re connecting the entire franchise in this film, and hopefully it’s satisfying for bigger fans of the franchise. I’ll go see it just because I like Jackie Chan, and I love martial arts films.
Release date: May 16 | Check showtimes
I like a good haunted house movie, and The Ruse certainly looks like it has potential. The story involves an in-home caregiver who is sent to an elderly woman’s house. The woman’s previous caregiver disappeared under mysterious circumstances, and the new nurse might be headed for the same fate as she begins having inexplicable experiences.
Release date: May 16 | Check showtimes
I’ve never been a big fan of the Final Destination series. It’s fine, it’s just not for me. I am, however, a gigantic fan of Tony Todd, and seeing him in one of his final performances is the biggest reason why I’ll watch Final Destination Bloodlines. And to be fair, the idea of a generational line of death is interesting, so it could be good.
Release date: May 23 | Check showtimes
The idea of live-action remakes of animated films has rarely ever appealed to me. I’ve seen a few and enjoyed them okay for what they are, but they’ve always just made me want to re-watch the animated original. Stitch looks cute in “live action” though, so I’m sure I’ll enjoy Lilo & Stitch if I watch it (which will probably end up happening through Disney+).
Release date: May 9 | Check showtimes
The first thought that came to mind when I saw the trailer for Juliet & Romeo is that it reminds me of movies like A Knight’s Tale (2001). I’m specifically thinking of the anachronistic disconnection caused by using modern music in a period setting. I love musicals, but this one doesn’t look like it’s for me. I hope others get something out of it though.
Release date: May 23 | Check showtimes
The Last Rodeo is about a retired rodeo star who takes the bull by the horns when his grandson is injured. Entering a bull-riding competition as the oldest competitor ever, Joe Wainwright (Neal McDonough) risks his own health and safety to win the money his estranged daughter needs for her son’s operation. The film looks formulaic and melodramatic, but there’s certainly an audience for this kind of feel-good drama.
All dates are according to thenumbers.com, as posted at the time of this writing.
We can all look forward to lots of action and horror, and a decent amount of thrills and drama. There are currently fifteen movies scheduled for a wide release in theaters during the month of May, and those are the movies I’m previewing here.
Rather than just list the films in release order (which I’ve done at the bottom of this article as a reference), I’m ranking these upcoming films based on how excited I am to go see them. Release dates and ticket links accompany each write-up.
1. Bring Her Back
Bring Her Back is the second feature film from Australian twin brothers Danny and Michael Philippou.Release date: May 30 | Check showtimes
I’m a huge fan of the Philippou brothers’ previous film, Talk to Me. It was my favorite horror movie of 2023. I’m actively avoiding looking too far into the plot of Bring Her Back because I want to be surprised, and because I trust the Philippou brothers to create something dark, unsettling, and amazing. There’s a good chance this will be towards the top of my favorites list this year.
2. Thunderbolts*
Thunderbolts* is the final movie of MCU’s Phase Five.Release date: May 2 | Check showtimes
Yeah, I know. Marvel movies after Avengers: Endgame have been hit or miss. I’ve enjoyed them all to varying degrees, but I get it. Some are better than others. However, I love a ragtag team, and this team contains one of my favorite heroes (Bucky) and one of the antagonists I most wanted to see come back for another film (Ghost). Plus, the trailer for Thunderbolts* just makes it look like a ton of fun.
3. The Surfer
The Surfer was directed by Lorcan Finnegan (Vivarium, Nocebo).Release date: May 2 | Check showtimes
Nicolas Cage is always a treat to watch, especially when the film he’s in requires a performance that exists within a liminal space between black comedy, madness, and psychological terror. The Surfer is about a man who is pulled into conflict with local surfers who don’t want him on their beach, and everything I’ve seen and heard about it points to it being a wild experience that only someone like Nicolas Cage could carry.
4. Hurry Up Tomorrow
Director and co-writer Trey Edward Shults also wrote and directed It Comes at Night (2017).Release date: May 16 | Check showtimes
It’s difficult to get a good read on exactly what Hurry Up Tomorrow is going to be, and that’s what has me intrigued. The official synopsis describes a story about a musician (The Weeknd) who has “the very core of his existence” unraveled by a stranger (Jenna Ortega). It looks dark with a mind-bending, dreamlike quality, and I can’t wait to see what it’s all about.
5. Clown in a Cornfield
Clown in a Cornfield is based on the 2020 novel of the same title by author Adam Cesare.Release date: May 9 | Check showtimes
Articles have come out recently talking about how layered and surprising the story is in Clown in a Cornfield. That’s great, and I’m sure the allusions and metaphors are all intentional, but that’s not really why I want to see it. After all, it’s not unusual for horror movies to be deeper than they appear at first glance. What has me looking forward to Clown in a Cornfield is simply the fact that it’s a slasher movie getting a wide theatrical release. I’m always excited to see that.
6. Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning
Despite the finality of the title, it has not been confirmed nor denied that Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning will be the final movie in the series (either for the series as a whole or for any of the characters specifically).Release date: May 23 | Check showtimes
I’d never name Mission: Impossible as one of my favorite action franchises, but I’ve enjoyed every movie I’ve seen in the series (which is most of them). I expect Final Reckoning—which features Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) on a mission to stop a rogue agent from destabilizing the world with AI—will be another big crowd-pleaser. It’s from the same director and co-writer as the past three M:I movies, so it should be just as fun as those.
7. Next Sohee
Bae Doona (Sense8, The Host) and Kim Si-eun (Squid Game season two) star in Next Sohee.Release date: May 16 | Showtimes TBD
Next Sohee is about a detective investigating the incidents surrounding the death of a young woman who is exploited and abused during her time training at a call center. It was a hit at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival, and it went on to win many awards the following year. But more than that, I’m always excited to see a South Korean movie get a decent theatrical release in the United States.
8. Shadow Force
Shadow Force was written by Joe Carnahan and Leon Chills.Release date: May 9 | Check showtimes
A new action movie from Joe Carnahan, the writer and director of Smokin’ Aces (2006) and The Grey (2011)? Yes, I’d like to watch that. The story of two special forces operatives in love might appear somewhat generic, but it looks fun regardless. Plus, the cast of Shadow Force is strong with Kerry Washington (Scandal), Omar Sy (The Intouchables), and Mark Strong (Kick-Ass).
9. Fight or Flight
Release date: May 9 | Check showtimes
The trailer for Fight or Flight makes me think of Bullet Train (2022), but on a plane. I enjoyed Bullet Train fine, so the comparison is a positive for me. Fight or Flight is about a mercenary who is forced to team up with his target when the plane they’re on turns out to be filled with assassins. Stylized aesthetics, over the top action, and Josh Hartnett. What’s not to like?
10. Karate Kid: Legends
Karate Kid: Legends is reported to be set three years after the events of Cobra Kai, though it is not a direct continuation of the series.Release date: May 30 | Check showtimes
I was a decent fan of the original Karate Kid (1984) when I was, well, a kid, but I admit that I haven’t kept up with the revival of the franchise. So, not having seen the 2010 reboot nor Cobra Kai (2018-2025), the biggest selling point of Karate Kid: Legends is lost on me. I think it’s awesome that they’re connecting the entire franchise in this film, and hopefully it’s satisfying for bigger fans of the franchise. I’ll go see it just because I like Jackie Chan, and I love martial arts films.
11. The Ruse
Release date: May 16 | Check showtimes
I like a good haunted house movie, and The Ruse certainly looks like it has potential. The story involves an in-home caregiver who is sent to an elderly woman’s house. The woman’s previous caregiver disappeared under mysterious circumstances, and the new nurse might be headed for the same fate as she begins having inexplicable experiences.
12. Final Destination Bloodlines
Final Destination Bloodlines is the sixth movie in the series.Release date: May 16 | Check showtimes
I’ve never been a big fan of the Final Destination series. It’s fine, it’s just not for me. I am, however, a gigantic fan of Tony Todd, and seeing him in one of his final performances is the biggest reason why I’ll watch Final Destination Bloodlines. And to be fair, the idea of a generational line of death is interesting, so it could be good.
13. Lilo & Stitch
With rumors of Disney delaying their live-action remakes in the wake of Snow White (2025), Lilo & Stitch might be the last we see for a while.Release date: May 23 | Check showtimes
The idea of live-action remakes of animated films has rarely ever appealed to me. I’ve seen a few and enjoyed them okay for what they are, but they’ve always just made me want to re-watch the animated original. Stitch looks cute in “live action” though, so I’m sure I’ll enjoy Lilo & Stitch if I watch it (which will probably end up happening through Disney+).
14. Juliet & Romeo
Juliet & Romeo was directed by Timothy Scott Bogart.Release date: May 9 | Check showtimes
The first thought that came to mind when I saw the trailer for Juliet & Romeo is that it reminds me of movies like A Knight’s Tale (2001). I’m specifically thinking of the anachronistic disconnection caused by using modern music in a period setting. I love musicals, but this one doesn’t look like it’s for me. I hope others get something out of it though.
15. The Last Rodeo
The Last Rodeo is from Angel Studios who are best known as the distributor for Sound of Freedom (2023).Release date: May 23 | Check showtimes
The Last Rodeo is about a retired rodeo star who takes the bull by the horns when his grandson is injured. Entering a bull-riding competition as the oldest competitor ever, Joe Wainwright (Neal McDonough) risks his own health and safety to win the money his estranged daughter needs for her son’s operation. The film looks formulaic and melodramatic, but there’s certainly an audience for this kind of feel-good drama.
Full Calendar of May’s Wide Release Theatrical Films
All dates are according to thenumbers.com, as posted at the time of this writing.