Every month in 2018 promises more Netflix original content more diverse and international than the last, and May definitely delivers the goods. With the release of some classics mixed in with new thrillers, comedies and highly-anticipated animated films, it’s the perfect combination for those late night dates and chilled TV-focused weekends.
Coco
The critically-acclaimed Pixar adventure will be available at the end of the month as one of the most anticipated movies of the year. It follows Miguel Rivera, a young boy who dreams of becoming a guitar player like his father. Beautifully animated and full of intricate details – every time a character plays the guitar, it’s technically accurate – it’s full of life, with a warm and witty storyline that will literally pull at the strings of your heart.
Anon
This netflix original sci-fi thriller is from Andrew Niccol, director of Gattaca, and stars Clive Owen and Amanda Seyfried. Owen is Sal Frieland, a detective in a near-future world without privacy, where lives are transparent, traceable and recorded by the government. While investigating a series of murders, Sal stumbles upon a young woman known only as “The Girl”, a completely unknown woman with no identity or history who is invisible to the cops. The Orwellian-esque thriller will be out mid-May.
Busted
A Korean variety show with a twist – the cast members are tasked with discovering the “murderer” amongst them. Billed as a hilarious game show featuring some of the most famous actors, singers and comedians in the Korean entertainment industry, each episode is a whodunnit with some silliness thrown in. If you like shows that don’t take themselves seriously and are looking for some light entertainment with a bit of mystery thrown in, this is a show for you. Out early May.
Shrek
It’s been 17 years since the green ogre first graced our screens in an animated fairytale that turned the genre on its head. It was so good that it created a new academy award category for best animated feature – which it won in 2001. You can relive the magic of Donkey, Shrek and Fiona on Netflix starting in early May.
Manhunt
Manhunt is an action movie directed by John Woo, the man behind classics like Face/Off, Mission Impossible 2 and The Killer. Woo wanted to pay tribute to actor Ken Takakura, who starred in the 1976 adaptation of the Japanese book. In Manhunt, after a Chinese pharmaceutical lawyer is framed for a crime, he teams up with a Japanese detective to stop a dangerous plot. Hailed as hilarious and fun, reminiscent of Woo’s older style of films, Manhunt is a hell of a ride that will be released in the beginning of May.
Safe
Michael C Hall, aka Dexter, is back as Tom, a recently widowed man bringing up his two teenage daughters in an affluent gated community. With close friends nearby and a new relationship blossoming, it seems like the hard times are over. But then his oldest daughter goes missing in some mystery circumstances, he realises that in fact he knows nothing about the people closest to him. This intriguing drama series premieres mid-May.
Hellboy II: The Golden Army
Before Stranger Things’ David Harbour takes on the role in a reboot due for release early 2019, remind yourself of the creative genius brought to life by Guillermo Del Toro in the second movie starring Ron Perlman. It’s a digitally stunning comic book sequel that is arguably better than the first, with a strong, witty script, imaginative character design and explosive action.
Trollhunters: Part 3
Another Guillermo Del Toro favourite, this animated fantasy follows a young boy forced to become a guardian that defends human from a secret civilization of dangerous monsters. The third and final series will air on Netflix in late May, but the show did so well during its first two seasons, winning six daytime emmy awards in 2017 (the most for any series, animated or otherwise), that three spinoff series were planned to expand the universe: Tales of Arcadia, Three Below and Wizards.
The 40-Year-Old Virgin
It’s been 13 years since this comedic gem was first in theatres, but now you can relive the laughs as 40-year-old Andy desperately tries to lose his virginity with help from some guys at work. The movie successfully launched the careers of comedians like Kevin Hart and Seth Rogan and blew Steve Carell out of the water. Get ready to watch Carell’s iconic chest waxing scene – which was 100% real, and performed by an actress who had lied in the audition and said she had waxing experience) – from around the 16th May, depending on your region.
The Rain
After the success of Dark, Netflix’s first German language original, the network decided to go international again with a pick from Denmark. This Walking Dead natural disaster series is a glimpse of a post apocalyptic world after a storm and deadly virus wiped out millions of people. It follows a brother and sister who emerge from a bunker after seven years of hiding and have to figure out how to survive – and stay dry. It’s out in early May.
Cargo
Starring British actor Morgan Freeman (From Sherlock, The Hobbit and Avengers) and Australian Suzie Porter as a couple trying to protect their infant daughter during a zombie apocalypse in the Australian outback, this Netflix original actually started out as a seven-minute short film back in 2013. It’s a story about human connection and the bonds that tie us together in an examination of the best and worst of humanity. Avoid the short film if you don’t want spoilers, and check out the feature film in mid-May.
Ibiza
This is one for the rom-com lovers out there, in a comedy film starring Gillian Jacobs of critically-acclaimed gems like Love and Community and SNL genius Vanessa Bayer. Jacobs plays Harper, a bored can-kicker employee who gets sent on a work trip to Barcelona. Her two best friends decide to crash, because why not? It quickly becomes a NSFW trip when Harper falls for a cute DJ before he jets off on his tour. What’s a girl to do, except listen to her wild friends, ditch work and follow the man of her dreams to Ibiza? Check it out at the end of the month on Netflix.
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