We've all been there: staring at the screen as we try to decide among hundreds of titles what movie to watch on Netflix, Prime Video or any of the other popular streaming services. It can be daunting, which is why it's always nice to have a little help from someone else. So allow me to humbly offer my services in suggesting movies to stream in May.
I've selected eight movies this month that range from brand new 2023 movies to classics and old favorites. Some you may be familiar with or have seen and would enjoy watching again, while others are hopefully brand new movies that maybe you wouldn't have seen based on the computer algorithm's recommendations off of what you previously watched.
Here are my personal recommendations for movies launching on streaming services this month that you should watch, in alphabetical order for ease of reference:
Leon: The Professional (Netflix)
Whatever you want to call it — Leon, The Professional or Leon: The Professional — this movie is the definition of a cult classic. The Luc Besson-directed movie made less than $20 million at the global box office, but it has become a fan favorite for its action, its fantastic performances (an off-the-wall Gary Oldman, a breakout Natalie Portman and a career best from Jean Reno) and is a surprisingly touching movie about an assassin who becomes an adoptive father to a little girl. Besson has directed bigger movies, but Leon is still probably his best.
The Mother (Netflix)
Pairing well with Leon as a potential double feature in May is Netflix's new original movie The Mother, starring Jennifer Lopez and landing on the streaming service on May 12 (happy Mother's Day). Lopez returns to the action genre (Enough, Out of Sight) in this movie about an assassin who decides to give up her daughter at birth. But when the child is in danger years later, she comes out of hiding to teach her daughter how to survive. Though not going to be on the big screen, The Mother has all the ingredients for a potential blockbuster movie hit.
The Mummy (Peacock)
It's been almost two months since Brendan Fraser capped his resurgence with his Oscar win for The Whale, but it's never a bad time to enjoy one of the movies that made Fraser a '90s superstar. The Mummy is a blast, the kind of old-school adventure movie with humor, action and a touch of romance that makes it timeless and endlessly rewatchable. And if you haven't yet seen it, watch it ASAP, you won't be disappointed (though feel free to skip the two sequels, as the franchise definitely saw some diminishing returns).
Once (Hulu)
Once is a gem of a movie. Writer/director John Carney has gone on to make movies with some big Hollywood stars (for what it's worth, Begin Again and Sing Street are both very good as well), but Once is something entirely unique. Starring real-life musicians Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová, the story of how a down-on-his-luck Irishman and a Czech immigrant form a beautiful connection through music is a winner — literally, it won the Oscar for Best Original Song and was then made into a Tony-winning musical. It's a movie musical grounded in more realism than most, but it'll sweep you off your feet nonetheless.
Paper Moon (HBO Max)
The late, Oscar-nominated director Peter Bogdanovich had a stretch in the 1970s like few other directors, of which included Paper Moon, a Great Depression-set crime comedy about a conman who takes charge of a girl who could possibly be his daughter, teaching her the tricks of the trade until he can finally get rid of her. Ryan O'Neal and Tatum O'Neal are real-life father and daughter that starred opposite each other, and the chemistry between them on screen is perfection. It's a great introduction to Bogdanovich's filmography if you've never seen one of his movie's before.
Parasite (HBO Max)
The historic Best Picture winner is streaming once again after only being available to watch on-demand for a bit. Parasite took the world by storm as Bong Joon-Ho's social satire was darkly funny and thrilling all at the same time. If you didn't catch it when it was in theaters or shortly after its Oscar win, how can I put this delicately — DO IT NOW! This is a movie that is destined to be an all-time classic. Don't let the subtitles scare you.
The Rundown (Prime Video)
Dwayne Johnson movies nowadays are treated like events, though admittedly with varying success (Jumanji movies and Hobbs & Shaw were fun; Jungle Cruise, Red Notice and Black Adam were not), but one of my favorite movies from his resume is still one of his earliest — The Rundown. He plays a tough but not invincible hero, gets a great partner to banter with in Sean William Scott and the movie has a fun villain performance from Christopher Walken. Is it a perfect move, no, but it's good old fashioned fun that's definitely worth a try.
Sicario (Peacock)
I'm not sure why, but it feels like we all just forgot about Sicario (OK, maybe it had something to do with the extremely disappointing sequel). But this movie is incredible. Directed by Denis Villeneuve (pre-Dune)and written by Taylor Sheridan (pre-Yellowstone), Emily Blunt stars as an FBI agent who gets involved with a shady mission in the US's war against drugs alongside a mysterious and dangerous hitman played brilliantly by Benecio Del Toro; both Blunt and Del Toro should have been Oscar nominees. Rewatch this movie and tell me we shouldn't be hailing Sicario as one of the better action/crime movies of the last 10 years.
If you make your way through these suggestions or just want to see all of what's available on streaming service this month, check out our roundups:
