The Best TV Shows And Movies Coming To Netflix In May 2024

With things being so slow at the box office in the early going of 2024, you would half expect to hear people reporting sightings of tumbleweeds rolling across the floors of their local movie theaters. Praise to the cinema gods, May is finally arriving with a promising crop of tentpoles to help rejuvenate the marketplace, starting with director David Leitch's much-buzzed-about '80s series turned contemporary action-comedy "The Fall Guy" (you can read our own Jacob Hall's glowing review of the picture here). But never fear! If you're searching for something to watch at home, too, Netflix will provide in bountiful amounts.

Well, sort of. 

Truth be told, next month is looking kind of sparse when it comes to Netflix exclusives outside the purview of shows with firmly established fandoms (see: the latest season of "Bridgerton") or the service's usual smattering of specialty offerings, including live comedy events and ongoing anime series (which, if that's your thing, more power to you). Thankfully, if you're not really feeling the new Jennifer Lopez sci-fi action flick "Atlas" — a film where, no joke, J. Lo has to overcome her "deep distrust of AI" to save the day — and find yourself wondering if perhaps Jerry Seinfeld should've heeded Ian Malcolm's advice from "Jurassic Park" before making his Pop Tarts origin story movie "Unfrosted," then don't worry, there are other options.

Find you a vigilante who can weaponize a Home Depot knockoff into an absurdly deadly version of the "Home Alone" house and also quietly enjoy a cup of tea while reading a book during his sleepless nights. 10 years ago, 2014's "The Equalizer" introduced Denzel Washington as Robert McCall, a retired Marine and Defense Intelligence Agency officer who's spurred back into action after befriending a sex worker (Chloë Grace Moretz) who is brutalized as part of a trafficking ring run by Russian mobsters. What ensues is a satisfyingly grisly beat-em-up that's loosely inspired by the '80s TV show of the same name yet plays like a modern "Death Wish" movie without all the racism, misogyny, and transphobia.

/Film's Chris Evangelista listed this entry the lowest in his "Equalizer" film ranking and fairly so, noting that director Antoine Fuqua only got better at delivering the ultra-violent goods in the sequels. Be that as it may, Washington is his usual magnetic self here and it's good to familiarize yourself with Robert in his "How It Started" phase before jumping ahead to him stabbing people in the head with their own gun.

As much as some people are (understandably) ready to let the genre die out now that the superhero movie bubble has seemingly burst, might I suggest that we instead allow storytellers to take bigger swings with these films? I'm talking Ang Lee "Hulk" levels of weirdness, like shooting and editing your movie to look like a literal series of moving comic book panels while homaging Universal monster movies and "Citizen Kane." Mind you, all of this is in service of a story that explores toxic masculinity and constantly jumps back and forth between someone's repressed, painful memories of their past and scenes where a giant green man in remarkably stretchable purple pants fights mutated dogs and tosses tanks around in the desert.

Does everything in "Hulk" work? No, but even when it fails, it does so in unpredictable and idiosyncratic ways that are much more interesting than Marvel movies that play things strictly by the book. After years of increasingly generic superhero blockbusters, it's time to start innovating again, and revisiting Lee's underrated, misunderstood comic book movie is a fine place to start.

Family-friendly action-adventure movies benefit from having real stakes, which director Joe Johnston has understood throughout his career. The "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids" and "Rocketeer" filmmaker also gifted us with one of Robin Williams' better '90s kids movies in the shape of "Jumanji," an adaptation of Chris Van Allsburg's picture book about an enchanted board game that unleashes jungle-based dangers into the real world as you play it. For as purely fun and heartfelt as the Dwayne Johnson-led entries in this franchise are, it's Johnston's 1995 original that dares to put its young protagonists in actual danger while also forcing them to deal with everyday heartbreak and problems that are far removed from the world of the supernatural.

On the spectacle side, "Jumanji" remains a blast thanks to some first-class practical creature effects and enthralling sequences that continue to stand tall almost 30 years later. (The CGI is bad, but, frankly, it was bad even back in '95, so nothing has changed on that front.) If you're itching for some good old-school blockbuster thrills, this one might just do the trick. 

After delivering one of the most influential sci-fi action movies ever and a pair of sequels that expand upon their predecessor's mythology while also subverting it, "The Matrix" co-creator Lana Wachowski returned to put a decidedly metamodern spin on the franchise with "The Matrix Resurrections." Taking its cues from Wes Craven's "New Nightmare," the film picks up in a version of the Matrix where Neo (Keanu Reeves) is a middle-aged sadsack, Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) is a married stay-at-home mom, and the original "Matrix" trilogy exists as nothing more than a video game series created by Neo. Once again laced with queer subtext, "Resurrections" not only takes shots at our current capitalist hellscape like the entries before it, but it also goes straight for Hollywood's throat and its fixation on IP and mining nostalgia for every cent it's worth.

The fourth "Matrix" film is, admittedly, a bit at odds with itself, but in an era of cookie-cutter reboots, revivals, and legacy sequels, it's refreshing to watch an artist truly wrestle with the complicated legacy of their creation the way Lana Wachowski does here. It also leaves the property in an interesting place for Drew Goddard to pick up from with his upcoming "Matrix 5" (which will hopefully be just as bold and daring as the installments that came before it).

Wisely, this year's "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" TV reboot goes in a different direction than the original 2005 movie, preferring to dive deeper into the mundane realities of what it takes to make an adult relationship work instead of trying to match the film's unabated sexiness. To be sure, what director Doug Liman's movie lacks in substance, it more than makes up for with stars Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's electrifying screen chemistry. That and cleanly shot, exhilarating action; a simple story that's actually about something; and a proper ending that puts a bow on the whole thing rather than paving the way for a franchise. Y'know, all those things we used to take for granted when it came to our blockbusters.

With its 20th anniversary just around the bend (time does, in fact, keep on slippin' into the future), there's no better time to get a head-start on the inevitable retrospective articles that'll flood the internet in 2025 and indulge in the basic joys of watching two extremely hot people play spies unwittingly married to one another. Just don't ask how the real-world sequel is going.

Coming Soon

Buying London (GB) – NETFLIX SERIES

Follow luxury estate agent Daniel Daggers and team as they navigate London's super prime market, where the drama is as jaw-dropping as the price tags.

The Life You Wanted (IT) – NETFLIX SERIES

Gloria is finally happy after transitioning and settling down — until a longtime friend reappears with disrupting news and throws her world into chaos.

Monster (ID) – NETFLIX FILM

After being abducted and taken to a desolate house, a girl sets out to rescue her friend and escape from their malicious kidnapper.

Avail. 5/1/24

Deaw Special: Super Soft Power (TH) – NETFLIX COMEDY

From an all-star soccer game to awkward dating problems, Thai comic Udom Taephanich shares candid stories from his chaotic life.

Down The Rabbit Hole (MX) – NETFLIX FILM

Raised in opulence and culture, 10-year-old Tochtli's lavish life contrasts with the darkness that seeps in from his father's criminal activities.

Frankly Speaking (KR) – NETFLIX SERIES

A well-respected announcer suddenly loses his ability to self-censor on air, catching the attention of a TV writer who invites him on her variety show.

Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar (IN) – NETFLIX SERIES

The scheming Mallikajaan rules over an elite house of courtesans — but a new rival threatens her reign as rebellion brews in British-ruled India.

• Airport
• Airport '77
• Airport 1975
• The Best Man Holiday
• Blended
• Blue Mountain State: Season 1
• Blue Mountain State: Season 2
• Blue Mountain State: Season 3
• Blue Mountain State: The Rise of Thadland
• Eat Pray Love
• The Edge of Seventeen
• The Equalizer
• The Gentlemen
• Hellboy (2019)
• Hulk
• Jumanji (1995)
• Liar Liar
• Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa
• The Matrix Resurrections
• Mortal Kombat (2021)
• Mr. & Mrs. Smith
• The Nutty Professor
• The Nutty Professor II: The Klumps
• Outlander: Season 6
• Patriots Day
• Public Enemies
• Ride Along
• Shrek
• Shrek Forever After
• Starship Troopers
• Traffic
• The Wedding Planner
• White House Down
• Woody Woodpecker
• The Young Victoria

Avail. 5/2/24

A Man in Full – NETFLIX SERIES

Facing relentless foes and sudden bankruptcy, an Atlanta real estate tycoon must claw his way back to the top when his empire begins to crumble.

Beautiful Rebel (IT) – NETFLIX FILM

The origin story of one of Italy's greatest rock stars, Gianna Nannini, who chased her dream despite obstacles from her family and the music industry.

Lola

Secrets of the Neanderthals (GB) – NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY

SECRETS OF THE NEANDERTHALS take viewers on a journey from their preconceptions of Neanderthals as a dim-witted creature to a complex and creative people, through the lens of a unique, ongoing excavation and a landmark new discovery – the best preserved Neanderthal skeleton found in over a quarter century.

T・P BON (JP) – NETFLIX ANIME

After Bon accidentally intervenes in a Time Patrol case, he must join Agent Ream in saving innocent lives from the past — while watching history unfold.

Avail. 5/3/24

2 Hearts

John Mulaney Presents: Everybody's In L.A – NETFLIX COMEDY SPECIAL (LIVE EVENT)

In six live installments, John Mulaney explores Los Angeles during a week when pretty much every single funny person is in town.

Postcards (NG) – NETFLIX SERIES

When a Nigerian single mother travels to India for a medical checkup, her journey will end up touching the lives of everyone she meets.

Selling the OC: Season 3 – NETFLIX SERIES

The ambitious agents at The Oppenheim Group attempt to up their real estate game as more personal drama interferes with major professional endeavors.

The Unbroken Voice: Season 2 (CO) – NETFLIX SERIES

As her career takes off, Arelys struggles to balance her music and her family life as dangerous new foes threaten to destroy everything.

Unfrosted – NETFLIX FILM

In a time when milk and cereal ruled breakfast, a fierce corporate battle begins over a revolutionary new pastry. A Pop-Tart comedy from Jerry Seinfeld.

Avail. 5/4/24

The Atypical Family (KR) – NETFLIX SERIES

Blessed with superpowers, a man and his family begin to lose their abilities under the weight of the world — until a mysterious woman changes everything.

Katt Williams: Woke Foke – NETFLIX COMEDY SPECIAL (LIVE EVENT)

Comedian Katt Williams lets loose in real time as he hits the stage on May 4 for Netflix's second livestreamed stand-up event.

Avail. 5/5/24

The Peanut Butter Falcon

Roast of Tom Brady – NETFLIX COMEDY SPECIAL (LIVE EVENT)

Tom Brady will take the hits when sports and comedy stars team up to roast the greatest NFL quarterback of all time.

Avail. 5/6/24

30 for 30: Broke

30 for 30: Deion's Double Play

30 for 30: The Two Escobars

John Mulaney Presents: Everybody's In L.A – NETFLIX COMEDY SPECIAL (LIVE EVENT) (new episodes)

In six live installments, John Mulaney explores Los Angeles during a week when pretty much every single funny person is in town.

Reba: Seasons 1-6

Avail. 5/7/24

John Mulaney Presents: Everybody's In L.A – NETFLIX COMEDY SPECIAL (LIVE EVENT) (new episodes)

In six live installments, John Mulaney explores Los Angeles during a week when pretty much every single funny person is in town.

Super Rich in Korea (KR) – NETFLIX SERIES

Singaporean tycoons, Italian luxury brand heirs, and Pakistani nobles. Explore the lavish lives of multibillionaires living in Korea, and why they came.

Avail. 5/8/24

The Final: Attack on Wembley (GB) – NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY

With England finally in contention for a major championship, 6,000 ticketless football fans storm Wembley Stadium, leaving destruction in their wake.

John Mulaney Presents: Everybody's In L.A – NETFLIX COMEDY SPECIAL (LIVE EVENT) (new episodes)

In six live installments, John Mulaney explores Los Angeles during a week when pretty much every single funny person is in town.

War Dogs

Avail. 5/9/24

Bodkin – NETFLIX SERIES

In this darkly comedic thriller, a crew of podcasters sets out to investigate the mysterious disappearance of three strangers in an idyllic Irish town.

The Guardian of the Monarchs (MX) – NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY

The forests of Michoacán are home to millions of monarch butterflies. Activist Homero Gómez was highly vocal about its preservation – and then he vanished.

John Mulaney Presents: Everybody's In L.A – NETFLIX COMEDY SPECIAL (LIVE EVENT) (new episodes)

In six live installments, John Mulaney explores Los Angeles during a week when pretty much every single funny person is in town.

Mother of The Bride – NETFLIX FILM

In this breezy rom-com, a tropical island wedding teeters on the brink of disaster after the mother of the bride discovers the groom's father is her ex.

Sing Street

Thank You, Next (TR) – NETFLIX SERIES

After a painful breakup, a young lawyer sets out to find true love in the confusing world of modern dating with the support of her best friends.

Avail. 5/10/24

Blood of Zeus: Season 2 – NETFLIX ANIME

To escape the Underworld forever, Hades crafts a plan to claim Zeus's crown for himself and reunite with his beloved Persephone as ruler of Olympus.

Cooking Up Murder: Uncovering the Story of César Román (ES) – NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY

This docuseries analyzes a murder case implicating a Spanish chef, who built a career in the spotlight through a web of secrets and false identities.

John Mulaney Presents: Everybody's In L.A – NETFLIX COMEDY SPECIAL (LIVE EVENT) (new episodes)

In six live installments, John Mulaney explores Los Angeles during a week when pretty much every single funny person is in town.

Living with Leopards (GB) – NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY

A film crew follows two leopard cubs as they make the fascinating journey from infancy into adulthood in this up-close-and-personal nature documentary.

Pokémon Horizons: The Series Part 2 (JP) – NETFLIX FAMILY

The Rising Volt Tacklers continue their daring quest to find the black Rayquaza, with Liko and Roy upping their skills at every twist and turn!

The Ultimatum: South Africa (ZA) – NETFLIX SERIES

A six-way partner-swap sparks wild attractions and tearful betrayals. Participants choose whom to love and leave in this heart-pounding experiment.

Avail. 5/11/24

Mark Twain Prize Award: Kevin Hart – NETFLIX COMEDY SPECIA

Comedy's biggest stars gather to honor — and roast — Kevin Hart as he accepts the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in a heartfelt, hilarious ceremony.

Avail. 5/13/24

Archer: Seasons 1-13

Princess Power: Season 3 – NETFLIX FAMILY

After their coronation, the princesses have a new challenge: getting accepted to the Princess Adventure Academy! But first they must complete six quests.

Avail. 5/14/24

Married at First Sight: Season 15

Avail. 5/15/24

Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies & Scandal (GB) – NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY

When a dating site for people seeking adulterous affairs is hacked, millions of users' intimate data is exposed, wrecking marriages and destroying lives.

The Clovehitch Killer

Avail. 5/16/24

Bridgerton: Season 3 Part 1 – NETFLIX SERIES

As a new crop of debutantes yearns to become the brightest of the ball, a wallflower with a double life finds her light amid secrets and surprises.

Dumb and Dumber To

Maestro in Blue: Season 2 (GR) – NETFLIX SERIES

The consequences of a murder soon spread from the island of Paxos to Athens, forcing everyone to face their secrets and seek the truth — or hide it.

Upgrade

Avail. 5/17/24

The 8 Show (KR) – NETFLIX SERIES

Eight individuals trapped in a mysterious 8-story building participate in an irresistible but brutal show where they earn money as time passes.

Power – NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY

Driven to contain threats to social order, American policing has exploded in scope and scale over hundreds of years. Now, it can be described by one word: power.

Thelma the Unicorn – NETFLIX FAMILY

A singing pony who dreams of stardom finds instant fame when she transforms into a sparkly unicorn — but becoming a celebrity is one wild ride.

Avail. 5/19/24

A Simple Favor

Golden Kamuy (JP) – NETFLIX FILM

On the Hokkaido frontier, a war veteran and Ainu girl race against misfits and military renegades to find treasure mapped out on tattooed outlaws.

Avail. 5/20/24

The Parisian Agency: Exclusive Properties: Season 4 (FR) – NETFLIX SERIES

In a globe-trotting season spanning four continents, the international success of the family business gives the Kretzes a taste for travel and adventure.

Avail. 5/21/24

Rachel Feinstein: Big Guy – NETFLIX COMEDY

From her firefighter husband's unflattering pet name to her mom's aggressive accessorizing, Rachel Feinstein lets loose in this stand-up comedy special.

Wildfire: Seasons 1-4

Avail. 5/22/24

Act Your Age: Season 1

Toughest Forces on Earth (GB) – NETFLIX SERIES

This docu-series surveys military combat forces across the world to see how they train for dangerous missions using specialized equipment.

Avail. 5/23/24

El vendedor de ilusiones: El caso Generación Zoe (AR) – NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY

This documentary follows the rise and fall of Generation Zoe, a spiritual coaching network hiding the most unusual scam in Argentina's history.

Franco Escamilla: Ladies' Man (MX) – NETFLIX COMEDY

Franco Escamilla takes the stage with tales of teenage romance gone wrong, featuring painfully long kisses and rockstar cameos with surprising outcomes.

Garouden: The Way of the Lone Wolf (JP) – NETFLIX ANIME

On the run from a past crime, Juzo Fujimaki is blackmailed into joining an illicit tournament and has to face top martial artists in deadly match-ups.

In Good Hands 2 (TR) – NETFLIX FILM

A newly reunited father and son grapple with new beginnings after tragedy, but can they manage to fill the void left by a beloved mother and wife?

Tires – NETFLIX SERIES

At his father's auto shop, a hapless manager strives to improve customer service and drive profits while keeping his troublemaking cousin in line.

Avail. 5/24/24

Atlas – NETFLIX FILM

A brilliant but misanthropic data analyst (Jennifer Lopez) with a deep distrust of AI finds it may be her only hope when a mission to capture a renegade robot goes awry.

Butterfly in the Sky: The Story of Reading Rainbow

Jurassic World: Chaos Theory – NETFLIX FAMILY

A group of prominent TikTok dancers are trapped in a cult masquerading as a management company called 7M. Among them is Miranda Wilking, whose family is desperately trying to get their daughter out. As other dancers and former members escape and work to rebuild their lives, it isn't until they come together to try and put a stop to the cycle of their abuser that the real healing begins. This three part documentary series from director Derek Doneen, Dirty Robber and WV Alternative exposes the diabolical tactics used by cult-like organizations to exert control over people as well as the lengths families will go to keep their loved ones safe.

Mulligan: Part 2 – NETFLIX SERIES

Mulligan and his cabinet work together to keep what's left of America afloat while battling cruise ships, power outages and their own incompetence.

My Oni Girl (JP) – NETFLIX FILM

A shy teenage boy's inability to say no is tested when a headstrong girl drags him on a mystical journey amid summer snow to find her missing mom.

Avail. 5/28/24

Burnt

Avail. 5/29/24

Bionic (BR)– NETFLIX FILM

In a dystopian future where robotic prosthetics redefine sports, two sisters compete in long jump — but their rivalry leads them down a sinister path.

Colors of Evil: Red (PL) – NETFLIX FILM

A chilling murder at a Tri-City beach exposes a criminal underworld, testing the courage of a prosecutor and a grieving mother seeking answers.

Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult – NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY

A group of prominent TikTok dancers are trapped in a cult masquerading as a management company called 7M. Among them is Miranda Wilking, whose family is desperately trying to get their daughter out. As other dancers and former members escape and work to rebuild their lives, it isn't until they come together to try and put a stop to the cycle of their abuser that the real healing begins. This three part documentary series from director Derek Doneen, Dirty Robber and WV Alternative exposes the diabolical tactics used by cult-like organizations to exert control over people as well as the lengths families will go to keep their loved ones safe.

Patrick Melrose

Avail. 5/30/24

Eric (GB) – NETFLIX SERIES

A desperate father, alongside a tenacious cop, battles his own demons on the streets of 1980s New York as he searches for his missing nine-year-old son.

Geek Girl (GB) – NETFLIX SERIES

Awkward teen Harriet has always wanted to fit in. Until she gets scouted by a top London model agent and learns that some people are meant to stand out.

Avail. 5/31/24

A Part of You (SE) – NETFLIX FILM

A teenager struggles to pick up the pieces of her shattered world in this emotional and bittersweet coming-of-age drama about those who are left behind.

Chola Chabuca

How to Ruin Love: The Proposal (ZA) – NETFLIX SERIES

Suspecting infidelity, love-cynic Zoleka follows her boyfriend to Cape Town, only to ruin her own surprise proposal. Now, she must win him back.

Raising Voices (ES) – NETFLIX SERIES

When a 17-year-old reports a sexual assault at her high school, an investigation upends her life and tests her relationships.

Tòkunbọ̀ (NG) – NETFLIX FILM

Tokunbo, an ex-car smuggler, is on a dangerous mission to save his family by delivering a government official's daughter to her captors.