4 Best New-to-Netflix Movies to Stream in May 2024
There's more to watch for the month of May.
2018 and 2019 seem to have dominated the long list of new additions, with these four boasting great stories and high critical acclaim. From a heartwarming friendship to a dark cover-up, there's something here for everyone.
Dark Waters (2019)
Arrived on Netflix May 1
Dive right in, because this film has been available since the first of the month, and it's certified fresh, with an RT score of 89% from critics and 95% from fans.
Based on true events and featuring an all-star cast including Mark Ruffalo, Anne Hathaway and Tim Robbins, Dark Waters follows a corporate lawyer who risks everything to take down the giant corporation he once worked to protect. The film is based on true events in many ways, but delivers a gripping story that follows the decades-long contamination of a small town's water supply and the efforts to cover it up.
With Todd Haynes at the helm, Dark Waters manages to expose a depressing reality and comment on the evils of capitalism without letting the serious tone of the film detract from the thrilling story and moving performances of its cast.
The Peanut Butter Falcon (2019)
Arrived on Netflix May 5
Next up is the highest-rated movie release on this list, and the most heartwarming we've seen in a long time. RT critics and fans were moved by what they called a sincere and charming movie, giving The Peanut Butter Falcon 95% and 96% respectively.
The Peanut Butter Falcon stars Shia LaBeouf and Dakota Johnson, but the main attraction has to be Zach Gottsagen, who plays a young man who has run away from his foster home to pursue his dreams of pro wrestling. Along the way, he meets an outlaw and drifter (LaBeouf), and the two form a touching and unlikely friendship.
Surrounded by so many cynical movies, it's rare to come across a sweet, simple adventure like this. If you're looking for a feel-good movie and one of Shia's best performances, The Peanut Butter Falcon needs to be on your watch list.
Upgrade (2018)
Coming to Netflix May 16
Many movies have fed off our fear of AI taking over the world, but what if it takes over our bodies?
Set in the not-too-distant 2046, Upgrade follows Grey, whose life is turned upside down when a robbery leaves his wife dead and his body paralyzed. Approached by a tech investor, he agrees to have an experimental chip called STEM implanted to take over his body and restore his mobility.
With his newfound superhuman strength and the robotic voice in his head, Grey embarks on a violent quest for revenge, hunting down and taking out everyone involved in his wife's death. Letting STEM take control begins as a brutally satisfying, action-packed adventure that quickly spirals out of control. Well, out of Grey's control.
With a critics and audience rating of 88%, Upgrade has been praised for and promises to be a masterfully crafted, futuristic and dark tale of revenge that can be compared to an expanded Black Mirror episode.
A Simple Favor (2018)
Coming to Netflix May 19
Stephanie (Anna Kendrick) and Emily (Blake Lively) make for an interesting and rather complicated friendship, playing two very different women who become friends after meeting at their children's school.
When the wealthy and mysterious Emily suddenly disappears, Stephanie, a single mother and popular blogger, takes it upon herself to uncover the truth. This story takes audiences on a wild ride that lands somewhere between comedy and thriller, with dark and unexpected twists along the way.
The dynamic between Kenrick and Lively really brings the gritty but funny murder mystery to life and makes us want to sip an ice-cold martini and watch a "mom-blog". Fans felt the same way and were pleasantly surprised by the story, which quickly moved away from what many assumed would be a "chick flick," earning A Simple Favor an 84% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.