Streaming is blooming (and booming) this month. If you’re looking for what to watch in May 2023, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve compiled a list of the most interesting new shows and movies that are arriving this month.
Two spinoffs of popular franchises are making their debuts, Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story and XO, Kitty from the To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before. Other fan-favorite series return, including Queer Eye season 7, The Great season 3, The Other Two season 3 and I Think You Should Leave With Tim Robinson season 3.
Other projects come from big names like Jennifer Lopez, Michelle Yeoh, Pete Davidson, Seth Rogen and Woody Harrelson.
Here’s our guide on what to watch in May 2023.
White House Plumbers (HBO)
We've heard and seen the story of US President Richard M. Nixon's downfall so many times, it almost felt like we'd stop hearing the word "Watergate" in movies. That’s not the case, as we see a new and hilarious-looking twist with E. Howard Hunt (Woody Harrelson) and G. Gordon Liddy (Justin Theroux) shown through a truly farcical lens.
Directed and produced by David Mandel (HBO’s “Veep”), who knows a thing or two about political comedy, White House Plumbers is about the destruction of a presidency by those who were trying to protect it. This miniseries runs only five episodes long, though, so treat each one like Nixon should have treasured his remaining days in office. – Henry T. Casey
Premieres May 1 on HBO and HBO Max
Bupkis (Peacock)
If you saw Pete Davidson’s semi-autobiographical film The King of Staten Island, then his semi-autobiographical series Bupkis will feel very familiar. Once again, Davison plays a heightened, barely fictionalized version of himself. All the usual jokes and zingers about his life are there, from living with his mom to using drugs to his notoriety.
The cast is stacked with actors and comedians playing either real figures or versions of themselves, including Edie Falco, Joe Pesci, John Mulaney, Steve Buscemi, Jon Stewart, Bobby Cannavale, Kenan Thompson, Ray Romano and Machine Gun Kelly. In Bupkis, reality and absurdity collide to paint a vivid portrait of Davidson, er, “Pete.” - Kelly Woo
Premieres May 4 on Peacock
The Other Two season 3 (HBO Max)
This satire about fame is criminally underseen. If you’ve never even heard of it, I’m actually envious since a hilarious binge session is ahead of you. In season 3, The Other Two makes a time jump of a few years from where it left off with gay aspiring actor Cary Dubek (Drew Tarver) finally landing a huge role.
Now, the show is finally airing and Cary is ready for the limelight. Meanwhile, sister Brooke (Heléne Yorke) has established herself as a manager. The forgotten siblings of former child pop star Chase (Case Walker) are not relegated to the shadows anymore. Then there’s mom Pat (Molly Shannon), who is at the pinnacle of success with her talk show but craves a normal life. - Kelly Woo
Premieres May 4 on HBO Max
Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story (Netflix)
Bridgerton has given us a number of striking characters, but none more than the gossip-craving Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel). So, it’s appropriate that she anchors the first spinoff in what could become a sprawling Netflix franchise.
The prequel chronicles the journey of teen Charlotte (India Amarteifio) as she transforms from a German outsider to the queen of England when she marries King George III (Corey Mylchreest). Charlotte not only has to contend with a domineering mother-in-law Princess Augusta (Michelle Fairley) but pave the way for other people of color to ascend into high society. - KW
Premieres May 4 on Netflix
Hannah Gadsby: Something Special (Netflix)
I saw comedian Hannah Gadsby’s current set live, in person, in Brooklyn, though Something Special was taped at the Sydney Opera House (my calendar was full that day). Described as a “feel-good show” and a “romantic comedy,” it’s more light-hearted than her previous Netflix specials Nanette and Douglas, while still grappling with LGBTQ+ issues.
Much of the set revolves around Gadsby’s wedding to her producer, Jenney Shamash. The stories are touching and romantic, but also convulsively funny. She somehow weaves together bits about her family, her feud with Netflix, Jodie Foster and a dead bunny into a rollicking ride. - KW
Premieres May 9 on Netflix
Class of ‘09 (FX on Hulu)
Nowadays, it only takes three words to get me to watch a project I've got no knowledge of: Brian Tyree Henry. Here, the charismatic co-star of Atlanta and Causeway is a part of a select group who have been recruited from outside of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigations.
Soon, though, Tayo (Henry) and fellow new agent Amy (Kate Mara) learn that the life of a Fed doesn't measure up to the bill of goods they were sold. And the lack of trust for the institution looks to create a perfect amount of tension. – HTC
Premieres May 10 on Hulu
The Great season 3 (Hulu)
What’s a little attempted murder between two spouses? Catherine (Elle Fanning) and Peter (Nicholas Hoult) have plotted to kill each other many times now. For them, the line between love and loathing is very porous.
As usual, the show deploys anachronisms to artful use. Catherine and Peter engage in a kind of marriage counseling. While they work on their relationship, Catherine is also engaged in statecraft. She holds a conference where peasants, nobles and merchants can all give their input on developing a new Russia. But her great idea may just be their empire’s downfall. - KW
Premieres May 12 on Hulu
Queer Eye season 7 (Netflix)
It's been a stale year and three since last we saw Antoni, Bobby, Jonathan, Tan and Karamo. But not only are The Fab Five returning for a seventh round of personal reboots, they're going to one of our favorite cities: New Orleans! And since NOLA is home to a never-ending party scene, we're not shocked to learn that the gang is headed to a fraternity house — which is in hilariously messy shambles.
Other featured guests include a teacher who (gasp) doesn't like avocados, a woman who is dealing with internalized negativity towards her homosexuality and a wheelchair-bound gentleman who's getting onto the basketball court. Of course, the group is going to shed tears and fight toxic masculinity along the way. – HTC
Premieres May 12 on Netflix
The Mother (Netflix)
Jennifer Lopez takes a break from her usual rom-coms to be an action star. Her titular, unnamed character is an assassin who gives up her baby daughter to protect her from deadly enemies (Joseph Fiennes and Gael García Bernal).
But 12 years later, the Mother comes out of hiding when Zoe (Lucy Paez) is kidnapped. She mounts a rescue, then begins training her daughter on everything from shooting a gun to handling a knife to driving. Zoe is reluctant but soaks it all up. Like mother, like daughter. - KW
Premieres May 12 on Netflix
XO, Kitty (Netflix)
The TATBILBCU (To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before Cinematic Universe) expands with this spinoff series centering on Kitty Song Covey (Anna Cathcart), the youngest sister and enthusiastic matchmaker. Now, she embarks on her own romantic journey, which takes her around the world to Korea.
She moves to Seoul to attend the same school as her long-distance boyfriend Dae (Minyeong Choi). But after arriving, Kitty soon discovers that relationships are much more complicated when her own heart is on the line. And beyond romance, she realizes that this chapter of her life is as much about reconnecting with her roots as it is about romance. - KW
Premieres May 18 on Netflix
American Born Chinese (Disney Plus)
Fresh off the Best Picture Oscar for Everything Everywhere All at Once, Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan and Stephanie Hsu reunite for this coming-of-age series based on Gene Luen Yang’s graphic novel. They’re joined by other notable actors of Chinese descent, including Poppy Liu, Ronnie Chieng, James Hong and Jimmy O. Yang.
Jin Wang (Ben Wang) is a teen trying to do his best juggling his high school and home lives. Normal stuff, but not for long.After he meets new Taiwanese exchange student Wei-Chen (Jim Liu), Jin is unwittingly plunged into a battle among the gods of Chinese mythology. - KW
Premieres May 24 on Disney Plus
Platonic (Apple TV Plus)
Will (Seth Rogen) and Sylvia (Rose Byrne) are walking-talking messes whose friends aren't sure they should be … friends. She's got a family, he's getting divorced and is the brewmaster at a bar. And while Will's friends think he shouldn't be hanging out with a married woman, her friends think he's too chaotic for her current state of life.
And they may have a point, as Will and Sylvia fall into one disaster after the other. Possibly the biggest sign that Apple's streaming service is more than the wholesome and uplifting platform it was originally marketed as, Platonic looks like the next Ted Lasso: a series that will actually get more people to try Apple TV Plus. – HTC
Premieres May 24 on Apple TV Plus
I Think You Should Leave With Tim Robinson season 3 (Netflix)
Many returning shows need trailers, previews and a plot synopsis to hype folks up. I Think You Should Leave With Tim Robinson is not one of those shows. One of the best sketch-comedy shows in ages, ITYSL is a permanent fixture of modern conversations, thanks to segments like the Hot Dog Car sketch, where a guy (Robinson) in a hot dog costume fails to shirk responsibility for his own automotive mishap. It's the ITYSL segment you know even if you've never seen the series.
ITYSL has cemented its status as one of the best shows on Netflix despite being incredibly short, as each of its two six-episode seasons can be watched in 90 or so minutes. And the announced details are slimmer than Corncob TV's chances at renewal. What we do know is that creators Tim Robinson and Zach Kanin are back, and Akiva Schaffer, Andy Samberg, and Jorma Taccone (The Lonely Island) are some of the executive producers listed. – HTC
Premieres May 30 on Netflix
Other notable premieres to watch in April 2023
- Ed Sheeran: The Sum of It All (May 3, Disney Plus)
- Silo (May 5, Apple TV Plus)
- The Muppets Mayhem (May 10, Disney Plus)
- City on Fire (May 12, Apple TV Plus)
- RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars season 8 (May 12, Paramount Plus)
- Fear the Walking Dead season 8 (May 14, AMC)
- High Desert (May 17, Apple TV Plus)
- Selling Sunset season 6 (May 19, Netflix)
- White Men Can’t Jump (May 19, Hulu)
- Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai (May 23, Max)
- Smartless: On the Road (May 23, Max)
- The Ultimatum: Queer Love (May 24, Netflix)
- Mayans M.C. season 5 (May 24, FX)
- The Kardashians season 3 (May 25, Hulu)
- Nancy Drew season 4 (May 31, The CW)
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