There’s plenty to enjoy about the start of a new month, especially one as predictably joyous as May.
With summer just starting to rear its head and the blustery days of winter officially behind us, some people might find happiness in an array of surprising places, from the looming end of a school semester to the fresh vegetables sprouting up in our backyard gardens.
Not only that, but the beginning of a new month also brings with it dozens of new films arriving to every major streaming service. From heartbreaking love stories to brand-new horror films, here are some of the best new releases you can stream this May.
Fresh off the success of his HBO drama Succession, director Jesse Armstrong returns with his Max-exclusive film, Mountainhead. As with Armstrong’s previous award-winning dark comedy series, Mountainhead promises to be a star-studded dramatic comedy centered around wealth, privilege, and a person’s social standing in contemporary America. Led by Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman, and Cory Michael Smith, it’s the perfect film for today’s ongoing socioeconomic happenings, reflecting the precarious state of our current financial standings. Mountainhead arrives on Max on May 31.
Step aside, My Bloody Valentine, because 2025’s Heart Eyes might be the new definitive slasher of the Valentine’s Day season. An inventive cross between a heartfelt romantic comedy and a gore-laden horror film, Heart Eyes finds a way to cross-pollinate each of its conflicting genres into extraordinary ease. Terrifyingly dark in some places yet unabashedly funny and sweet in others, it’s the perfect addition to Netflix’s catalog of films, remaining required viewing for horror or romcom fans every time the heart-shaped chocolate boxes and flower bouquets arrive at CVS. Heart Eyes comes to Netflix on May 8.
In summer 2021, Netflix released three equally fantastic slasher films based on R.L. Stine’s YA horror series, Fear Street. Four years later, Stine’s eerie horror universe returns with Netflix’s Fear Street: Prom Queen (scheduled for release on May 23). Set in the late 1980s and incorporating a new cast of characters into Fear Street’s overarching narrative, Prom Queen bills itself as a nostalgic love letter to the genre’s most popular era, complete with references and homages to everything from Prom Night to A Nightmare on Elm Street. Fear Street: Prom Queen comes to Netflix on May 23.
A24
If we could lend one piece of advice for those going into Past Lives, it’s that you keep a steady supply of tissues within easy reach while viewing. Making its way to Netflix this month, Past Lives traces the lengthy journeys of two childhood best friends over the course of 24 years, each of whom go on to live vastly different lives from one another. In what one might almost describe as the dramatic equivalent to When Harry Met Sally…, Past Lives illustrates the profound changes that affect us all with the passing years, as well as time’s inevitable impact on our individual relationships and respective outlooks on life, friendship, and love. Past Lives is now streaming on Netflix.
Sony Pictures
Making its official debut to Disney+’s streaming catalog, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse acts as a first-rate continuation of Miles Morales’ story from Into the Spider-Verse. Opening the doors to other branching realities and countless Spider-Man variations, Across the Spider-Verse also poses deep-seated questions about heroism, sacrifice, and Miles’ own differing loyalties to his friends, family members, and duties as New York City’s resident webslinger. Led by glistening animation, first-rate vocal performances, and an exceptionally well-crafted story, it’s a superhero movie capable of entertaining the whole family, no matter viewers’ age or respective demographic. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is now streaming on Disney+.
A24
Earning significant acclaim upon its release last year, 2024’s The Brutalist finds a welcome place on Max’s online streaming library this coming May 16. One of the greatest films of the past year, The Brutalist acts as a luminous portrayal of immigrants’ experiences migrating to America, as well as the difficulties establishing new opportunities in the wake of such a dramatic transition. Boasted by Adrien Brody’s impeccable performance, it’s a period drama every viewer should make an effort to watch at least once, establishing itself among the most remarkable films of the 2020s yet. The Brutalist comes to Max on May 16.
With summer just starting to rear its head and the blustery days of winter officially behind us, some people might find happiness in an array of surprising places, from the looming end of a school semester to the fresh vegetables sprouting up in our backyard gardens.
Not only that, but the beginning of a new month also brings with it dozens of new films arriving to every major streaming service. From heartbreaking love stories to brand-new horror films, here are some of the best new releases you can stream this May.
Mountainhead (2025)
Fresh off the success of his HBO drama Succession, director Jesse Armstrong returns with his Max-exclusive film, Mountainhead. As with Armstrong’s previous award-winning dark comedy series, Mountainhead promises to be a star-studded dramatic comedy centered around wealth, privilege, and a person’s social standing in contemporary America. Led by Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman, and Cory Michael Smith, it’s the perfect film for today’s ongoing socioeconomic happenings, reflecting the precarious state of our current financial standings. Mountainhead arrives on Max on May 31.
Heart Eyes (2025)
Step aside, My Bloody Valentine, because 2025’s Heart Eyes might be the new definitive slasher of the Valentine’s Day season. An inventive cross between a heartfelt romantic comedy and a gore-laden horror film, Heart Eyes finds a way to cross-pollinate each of its conflicting genres into extraordinary ease. Terrifyingly dark in some places yet unabashedly funny and sweet in others, it’s the perfect addition to Netflix’s catalog of films, remaining required viewing for horror or romcom fans every time the heart-shaped chocolate boxes and flower bouquets arrive at CVS. Heart Eyes comes to Netflix on May 8.
Fear Street: Prom Queen (2025)
In summer 2021, Netflix released three equally fantastic slasher films based on R.L. Stine’s YA horror series, Fear Street. Four years later, Stine’s eerie horror universe returns with Netflix’s Fear Street: Prom Queen (scheduled for release on May 23). Set in the late 1980s and incorporating a new cast of characters into Fear Street’s overarching narrative, Prom Queen bills itself as a nostalgic love letter to the genre’s most popular era, complete with references and homages to everything from Prom Night to A Nightmare on Elm Street. Fear Street: Prom Queen comes to Netflix on May 23.
Past Lives (2023)
A24
If we could lend one piece of advice for those going into Past Lives, it’s that you keep a steady supply of tissues within easy reach while viewing. Making its way to Netflix this month, Past Lives traces the lengthy journeys of two childhood best friends over the course of 24 years, each of whom go on to live vastly different lives from one another. In what one might almost describe as the dramatic equivalent to When Harry Met Sally…, Past Lives illustrates the profound changes that affect us all with the passing years, as well as time’s inevitable impact on our individual relationships and respective outlooks on life, friendship, and love. Past Lives is now streaming on Netflix.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)
Sony Pictures
Making its official debut to Disney+’s streaming catalog, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse acts as a first-rate continuation of Miles Morales’ story from Into the Spider-Verse. Opening the doors to other branching realities and countless Spider-Man variations, Across the Spider-Verse also poses deep-seated questions about heroism, sacrifice, and Miles’ own differing loyalties to his friends, family members, and duties as New York City’s resident webslinger. Led by glistening animation, first-rate vocal performances, and an exceptionally well-crafted story, it’s a superhero movie capable of entertaining the whole family, no matter viewers’ age or respective demographic. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is now streaming on Disney+.
The Brutalist (2024)
A24
Earning significant acclaim upon its release last year, 2024’s The Brutalist finds a welcome place on Max’s online streaming library this coming May 16. One of the greatest films of the past year, The Brutalist acts as a luminous portrayal of immigrants’ experiences migrating to America, as well as the difficulties establishing new opportunities in the wake of such a dramatic transition. Boasted by Adrien Brody’s impeccable performance, it’s a period drama every viewer should make an effort to watch at least once, establishing itself among the most remarkable films of the 2020s yet. The Brutalist comes to Max on May 16.