May is a big month for reality TV on Hulu, starting with the return of the genre’s undisputed queens in the latest season of “The Kardashians.” A new set of sisters attempt to grab some of that Kardashian glory in the Freeform series “Royal Rules of Ohio,” featuring descendants of literal Ghanaian royalty living in Ohio. Ubiquitous reality TV chef Gordon Ramsey returns with new seasons of his Fox series “Food Stars” and “MasterChef.” Plus, a documentary about a Japanese TV personality explores the darker side of reality TV.
Other new Hulu originals include the British historical mystery series “Shardlake,” Korean dramas “Uncle Samsik” and “Chief Detective 1958,” and a special featuring country music superstar Lainey Wilson.
Here are some highlights to look forward to on Hulu in May.
New on Hulu in May 2024: Top picks
'The Contestant'
The story of Japanese aspiring comedian Nasubi is so outlandish that it seems impossible to believe, which makes it the perfect subject for a documentary. In one of the earliest experiments in reality TV, starting in 1998, Nasubi was locked in a small apartment, naked, with no supplies, and tasked with acquiring everything he needed to live via magazine sweepstakes. He spent more than a year in isolation, unaware that his entire life was being broadcast live, rather than recorded for a later project.
Filmmaker Clair Titley examines the questionable ethics of Nasubi’s experience in her documentary feature, which premiered at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival. She provides a glimpse into the twisted side of Japanese pop culture that allowed Nasubi to become a massive celebrity essentially as a victim of kidnapping and torture, for the purposes of entertainment.
Premieres May 2 on Hulu
'Welcome to Wrexham' season 3
The third season of this unlikely hit continues to chronicle the equally unlikely rise of the football (or “soccer,” for uncouth Americans) team from the Welsh city of Wrexham, following its purchase by actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. It’s a feel-good docu-series about a pair of celebrities who do more than just lend their names to an investment property. They’re directly involved in building up the team and raising its status within the English football leagues.
That effort has paid off, and the third season (pushed from its original April premiere date) finds the team in a new position in the National League, with the challenges of more intense, high-level competition. This season will also focus on Wrexham’s women’s football team, expanding the scope of a popular series that combines the self-deprecating humor of its Hollywood stars with the excitement of athletic achievement.
Premieres May 3 on Hulu
'Prom Dates'
With earnest, endearing movies like “Big Time Adolescence,” “Plan B” and “Crush,” teen-focused production company American High has found a rewarding niche for its Hulu original movies. “Prom Dates” looks like it will be another winner, with a similar mix of goofy comedy and heartfelt bonding. Julia Lester and Antonia Gentry star as teenage best friends who are determined to have the perfect senior prom, even though they’re both left without dates just 24 hours before the big dance.
No doubt there will be plenty of ridiculous obstacles to overcome in order to have the prom of their dreams, and they’ll probably learn some important lessons, too. If past American High movies are any indication, both the ridiculousness and the lesson-learning will be delivered with charm and honesty.
Premieres May 3 on Hulu
'Black Twitter: A People’s History'
It’s easy to forget, given its transformation into the Elon Musk-owned hellhole known as X, but Twitter was once a positive force for connection and change, and this three-part documentary series looks back at a particularly vibrant niche on the once-thriving social network. Based on a Wired magazine article by Jason Parham, “Black Twitter” chronicles the community of Black creators and activists who came to prominence thanks to their presence on Twitter.
Directed by “Insecure” showrunner Prentice Penny, “Black Twitter” features interviews with major figures both online and off, including W. Kamau Bell, Roxane Gay and Jemele Hill. It captures a fleeting but essential moment in time when a major cultural force rose up from a group of marginalized voices given an unfiltered platform.
Premieres May 9 on Hulu
'The Kardashians' season 5
If there’s one constant in reality TV, it’s the Kardashians. While other reality stars burn brightly but quickly, Kim Kardashian and her extended family have been genre royalty since their E! show “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” premiered in 2007. After nearly 14 years on E!, the Kardashians found a new home on Hulu in 2022 with the retitled “The Kardashians,” but everything else has pretty much stayed the same.
Kim, her sisters Kourtney, Khloe, Kylie and Kendall, her mother Kris, and their various significant others and offspring navigate the world of fame and their family dynamics as cameras capture their carefully cultivated activities. The fifth season of “The Kardashians” promises to explore their multiple business ventures as well as Kim’s burgeoning acting career, along with all the requisite family drama.
Premieres May 23 on Hulu
Everything new on Hulu in May 2024
May 1
- Life Below Zero: First Alaskans: Complete Season 3
- Jujutsu Kaisen 0, 2021
- Naruto Shippuden: Complete Season 8 (Dubbed)
- Shardlake: Complete Season 1
- Pokemon Sun & Moon: Complete Season 20
- Pokemon Ultra Adventures: Complete Season 21
- Pokemon Ultra Legends: Complete Season 22
- The Beach, 2000
- Big, 1988
- Big Daddy, 1999
- Black Hawk Down, 2001
- The Bounty Hunter, 2010
- Cast Away, 2000
- The Chronicles of Riddick, 2004
- Come See The Paradise, 1990
- The Darjeeling Limited, 2007
- The Divergent Series: Insurgent, 2015
- The Divergent Series: Allegiant, 2016
- Elvis, 2022
- Fantastic Mr. Fox, 2009
- Free State of Jones, 2016
- Good Boys, 2019
- The Joy Luck Club, 1993
- The King's Man, 2021
- The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou, 2004
- Love, Gilda, 2018
- The Mask, 1994
- Meet the Spartans, 2008
- Mr. Turner, 2014
- Money Monster, 2016
- My Name Is Khan, 2010
- The Negotiator, 1998
- Night School, 2018
- Ocean's 8, 2018
- Once, 2007
- Once Upon a Time in America, 1984
- Rushmore, 1999
- The Royal Tenenbaums, 2001
- The Rundown, 2003
- School For Scoundrels, 2006
- Sideways, 2004
- Tyler Perry's Madea's Family Reunion, 2006
- That Thing You Do!, 1996
- Those Who Wish Me Dead, 2021
- Walk The Line, 2005
- The Wedding Ringer, 2015
- White Chicks, 2004
- White House Down, 2013
- 13 Going On 30, 2004
- 300, 2007
May 2
- The Contestant: Documentary Premiere
- Jeopardy! Masters: Season 2 Premiere
- Customer Wars: Complete Season 2
- The Proof Is Out There: Complete Season 3
- Bad Reputation, 2018
- Mad Money, 2008
May 3
- Prom Dates, 2024
- Welcome to Wrexham: Season 3 Premiere
- The Flood, 2023
- 3 Days in Malay, 2023
- Die Hard, 1988
- Die Hard 2, 1990
- Die Hard With A Vengeance, 1995
- A Good Day To Die Hard, 2013
- Live Free Or Die Hard, 2007
May 4
- 12 Hour Shift, 2020
May 5
- Bad Boys for Life, 2020
May 6
- Reminiscence, 2021
May 7
- Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story: Special Premiere
May 8
- In Limbo: Complete Season 1
- Bloodshot, 2020
May 9
- Black Twitter: A People's History: Complete Docuseries
- Kings of BBQ: Complete Season 1
- The Mother/Daughter Experiment: Celebrity Edition: Complete Season 1
- Stove Tots: Complete Season 1
- Witness to Murder: Digital Evidence: Complete Season 1
May 10
- Past Lies: Complete Season 1 (Subbed)
- Biosphere, 2022
- Wanted Man, 2024
- Eileen, 2023
May 12
- Where the Crawdads Sing, 2022
May 14
- The Killing Kind: Complete Season 1
May 15
- Uncle Samsik: Complete Season 1
- Cutthroat Kitchen: Complete Season 5, 12 and 13
- Extreme Homes: Complete Season 4
- Flea Market Flip: Complete Season 1
- Man vs. Wild: Complete Season 5
- My 600-lb Life: Complete Season 6
- My 600-lb Life: Complete Season 7
- My Strange Addiction: Complete Season 6
- Naked and Afraid : Complete Season 12, 14 and 15
- NASA's Unexplained Files: Complete Season 4
- Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta: Complete Season 8
- Say Yes to the Nest: Complete Season 1
- Unusual Suspects: Complete Seasons 6 and 8
- Worst Cooks in America: Complete Season 16 and 24
- Tanked: Complete Season 1
- Torn from the Headlines: New York Post Reports: Complete Season 1
- 1000-lb Sisters: Complete Season 4
- I Am Not Your Negro, 2016
- My Scientology Movie, 2015
May 16
- Royal Rules of Ohio: Season 1 Premiere
- Living Smaller: Complete Season 1
- Women on Death Row: Complete Season 1
- Paddington, 2015
May 17
- Birth/Rebirth, 2023
- He Went That Way, 2023
- The Sweet East, 2023
May 22
- Chief Detective 1958: Complete Season 1
May 23
- The Kardashians: Season 5 Premiere
- Gordon Ramsay’s Food Stars Season 2 Premiere
- The Ape Star, 2021
- The Seeding, 2023
May 24
- Ferrari, 2023
- Sentinel, 2024
May 27
- Fantasy Island, 2020
May 28
- Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted: Complete Season 4
May 29
- Camden: Complete Season 1
- Lainey Wilson: Bell Bottom Country: Doc-Style Special Premiere
- Beat Shazam: Season 7 Premiere
- The Quiz With Balls: Complete Season 1
May 30
- MasterChef: Season 14 Premiere
- The Promised Land, 2023
May 31
- Sympathy for the Devil, 2023
- T.I.M., 2023
Leaving Hulu in May 2024
May 1
Apollo 18, 2011
The Libertine, 2004
May 7
War Dogs, 2016
May 11
The Last Unicorn, 1982
May 13
Empire of Light, 2022
May 14
The Brass Teapot, 2012
The Cleaner, 2021
Dior and I, 2014
Dramarama, 2020
Elena Undone, 2010
Enron: The Smartest Guys In The Room, 2005
The Etruscan Smile, 2018
Hurricane Bianca, 2016
One Last Thing ..., 2005
Pit Stop, 2013
Sordid Lives, 2000
We The Animals, 2018
May 15
The Fabulous Filipino Brothers, 2021
Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping, 2016
The Tiger Rising, 2021
May 16
Under the Eiffel Tower, 2018
May 18
Sophie's Choice, 1982
May 25
How to Please a Woman, 2022
May 30
Elvis, 2022
May 31
Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem, 2007
Ali, 2001
Bad Teacher, 2011
Beasts of the Southern Wild, 2012
Bend It Like Beckham, 2003
The Big Lebowski, 1998
Blockers, 2018
Dangerous Beauty, 1998
The Descendants, 2011
Divergent, 2014
The Divergent Series: Insurgent, 2015
The Divergent Series: Allegiant, 2016
Don't Worry Darling, 2022
Dune, 2021
Drive Angry 3D, 2011
Epic, 2011
Ever After, 1998
Firehouse Dog, 2007
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, 2005
The Huntsman: Winter's War, 2016
Ice Age: Continental Drift, 2012
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, 2018
Kingdom Come, 2001
L.A. Confidential, 1997
The Little Hours, 2017
Life of Pi, 2012
Masterminds, 2016
Melancholia, 2011
Night School, 2018
No Good Deed, 2014
Ocean's Eleven, 2001
Ocean's Twelve, 2004
Ocean's Thirteen, 2007
Pokemon Detective Pikachu, 2019
Salt, 2010
Scarface, 1983
Sexy Beast, 2001
Shark Tale, 2004
Street Kings, 2008
Taken, 2009
Takers, 2010
Thank You for Smoking, 2006
Thirteen, 2003
The Tree of Life, 2011
Tyler Perry's Madea's Big Happy Family, 2011
Tyler Perry's Madea Goes to Jail, 2009
A Walk in the Woods, 2015
The Upside, 2017
Win Win, 2011
The Wrestler, 2008
21 & Over, 2013
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