The best new shows to stream in May

Looking for a new show to stream this month? I’m particularly keen on Apple TV’s black comedy, Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed, because any showcase of Orphan Black star Tatiana Maslany is appointment viewing, while the web-slinging 1930s superhero tale Spider-Noir on Amazon Prime Video is the first big TV role for the one and (definitely) only Nicolas Cage. It’s time to load up your watchlist.

Netflix

My top Netflix recommendation is Legends (May 7).

Scottish screenwriter Neil Forsyth knows his British crime history. In 2023, he turned the infamous 1983 Brink’s-Mat armed robbery into the compelling crime drama, The Gold (both seasons are on Stan*). His new series is based on a risky 1990s operation by British Customs, which aimed to staunch the flow of illegal drugs by infiltrating several violent drug gangs and taking them down from the inside. The undercover operatives were not police officers, but customs officers recruited and – barely – retrained for covert work. With Steve Coogan (Philomena) as the head of the operation, this crime thriller should combine two definitive Forsyth traits: dry humour and biting tension.

Also on Netflix: A mix of Stranger Things and Cocoon, The Boroughs (May 21) is a science-fiction series from the Duffer Brothers set in a vast American retirement community where living gracefully soon gives way to otherworldly mysteries. Alfred Molina (Three Pines) plays a newly arrived resident unprepared for what eventuates, with his neighbours-turned-comrades in the ensemble cast including Geena Davis (Thelma and Louise), Clarke Peters (The Wire), and Bill Pullman (Independence Day). A promising element? The trailer promises a sense of wonder straight from 1980s Steven Spielberg. It’s daring and discovery for these senior citizens.

Ever since Disney+’s Only Murders in the Building debuted in 2021, mercurial Canadian comic Martin Short has been flourishing as a new generation discovered his outrageous wit. That means the time is right for Marty, Life is Short (May 12), a feature-length biographical documentary about the 76-year-old’s early life and a career that spans more than 50 years. Directed by Lawrence Kasdan (The Big Chill), the archival footage and self-deprecating commentary will be punctuated by Short’s friends and collaborators, including Steve Martin. Fingers crossed Short explains the origins of his outrageously ill-mannered celebrity interviewer, Jiminy Glick.

April highlights: Charlize Theron headlined the Australian-set survival thriller, Apex, Oscar Isaac and Carey Mulligan starred in a new season of Beef, Big Mistakes was a crime-comedy about chaotic siblings, Heartbreak High graduated, and Something Very Bad is Going to Happen absolutely lived up to its title.

HBO Max

My top HBO Max recommendation is Make That Movie (May TBC).

We need more original Australian comedies, making this series from Australian stand-up Sam Campbell (Taskmaster) a welcome addition (even if it does come via Channel 4 in the UK). As an arrogantly heightened version of himself, Campbell plays a filmmaker who, along with his creative team, sets out to turn the ideas of ordinary Australians into a feature film across a three-day production sprint. Each episode will present a new genre from a different amateur collaborator, setting up all kinds of difficulties. In an inspired piece of casting, Aaron Chen (Fisk) will play the crew’s intimacy co-ordinator, Sebastian.

April highlights: Euphoria finally resurfaced with its superstar cast – Zendaya, Jacob Elordi, Sydney Sweeney – once more on contentious ground, while Colour Theories with Julio Torres was a sweetly absurd Broadway show.

Amazon Prime Video

My top Amazon Prime recommendation is Spider-Noir (May 27).

This is quite the intricate web. Back in 2018, animated superhero adventure Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse showcased alternative universes full of different Spider-Man iterations. One of the briefly seen but memorable crime fighters was Spider-Man Noir, a monochromatic 1930s private eye voiced by Nicolas Cage (Longlegs). Now, Cage returns in a live-action series dedicated to the character. Set in New York, it stars Cage as Ben Reilly, a detective who stepped aside from Spider-Man’s vigilante web-slinging following a tragedy, only to don his suit once more when a new client needs his help. Brendan Gleeson (The Banshees of Inisherin) and Jack Huston (Boardwalk Empire) co-star in a show committed to its stylised aesthetic – each episode will be available in both full colour and black-and-white formats.

Also on Amazon Prime Video: Four seasons of Tom Clancy’s righteous CIA analyst turned field operative was not enough. John Krasinski (The Office) returns to the role – which has previously been played by Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford, and Chris Pine – for Jack Ryan: Ghost War (May 20), a feature-length geopolitical thriller that has Ryan on a global trail of a rogue black-ops unit. Wendell Pierce (The Wire) also returns, as Ryan’s unconventional mentor James Greer, while Sienna Miller (Anatomy of a Scandal) supplies action accelerant as an MI6 agent. Does the character make sense in today’s conflict-driven world, or will he work as a throwback to a simpler era?

April highlights: A bad audition for the role of James Bond becomes a risky opportunity in Riz Ahmed’s satirical British comedy Bait.

Stan*

My top Stan recommendation is Devil in Silver (May 7).

The horror anthology, The Terror, has covered a lot of ground: the first season followed doomed 19th century British polar explorers, the second was set in a World War II interment camp for Japanese-Americans, and the latest – Devil in Silver – relocates the supernatural menace to a decaying New York psychiatric ward. Author Victor LaValle has adapted his 2012 novel of the same name and secured English actor Dan Stevens (Downton Abbey, Legion) for the lead role of Pepper, a hot-head shanghaied into a monstrous version of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. We’re talking creepy corridors, questionable meds, and Judith Light (Transparent) happily hinting at a horrible fate.

April highlights: Matthew Macfadyen and Elizabeth Banks were aces together in the downsized satirical romp, The Miniature Wife; Half Man was a demanding dissection of male friendship; plus a final season for one of streaming’s best comedies in Hacks.

Apple TV

My top Apple TV recommendation is Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed (May 20).

That fine line where dissatisfaction can cross over into danger is at the centre of this blackly comic thriller about a newly divorced mother of two, Paula (Tatiana Maslany, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law), who is barely holding it together even before she gets caught up in blackmail and murder. Maslany is an actor who makes you believe devoutly in her character no matter their extremes, which is a great tool for the show’s creator, David Rosen (Hunters). Adding to the tonal twistiness is co-star Jake Johnson (Minx), a laid-back comic normally not in the screen vicinity of blackmail and murder. Hopefully, this is the right kind of fun.

Also on Apple TV: Science-fiction has been Apple TV’s signature genre, and no show exemplifies that more than For All Mankind. The drama has spent five seasons using the Cold War space race – reimagined with the Russians reaching the moon first and the Americans responding in unexpected ways – to create astronaut endeavour and an entire alternative history. With that series set to end next year after six seasons, Star City (May 29) is the spin-off. The clock resets to 1969, but this time the focus is the Soviet Union’s space program. Rhys Ifans (House of the Dragon) plays the program’s technical head, simply referred to as Chief Designer, while Anna Maxwell Martin (Ludwig) is his draconian KGB watchdog. The crucial question is whether the show can stand alone even as it works around the American plot.

April highlights: Elle Fanning and Michelle Pfeiffer delivered motherhood truths in the gutsy comic-drama, Margo’s Got Money Troubles, while Jon Hamm stayed on the wrong side of the law in the returning Your Friends and Neighbours.

Binge

My top Binge recommendation is Prisoner (May 5).

Created by Matt Charman (Hostage), this British thriller is an update of a classic sub-genre: the diligent guard trying to keep a dangerous prisoner alive as former associates attempt to eliminate them. In this case, the protector is Amber Todd (Izuka Hoyle, Boiling Point), a security officer whose transport is attacked by assassins seeking to kill Tibor Stone (Tahar Rahim, The Serpent), a hitman for an organised crime syndicate whose testimony in court would damage his former employers. Not knowing whom she can trust as corrupt colleagues are revealed, Amber is literally handcuffed to Tibor as they try to stay one step ahead. It’s a simple premise that needs to be smartly executed.

Also on Binge: Whatever the era, A Woman of Substance (May 11) has always been a historic saga of feminine fortitude, tragedy and vengeance. Barbara Taylor Bradford’s novel was a bestseller in 1979, the 1984 miniseries set viewing records in Britain, and now the 2026 remake is ready. Brenda Blethyn (Vera) plays Emma Harte, an ageing 1970s mogul whose sons are plotting to dismantle her business empire. As she fights them off, Emma’s rags-to-riches tale is told, starting in the 1910s when she was a penniless maid (Jessica Reynolds, Outlander) to an aristocratic family whose son seduced her and then cast her out when she fell pregnant. In an era of inequality, the plot once again has relevance.

April highlights: Fans of the fantasy drama, The Way Home, got a new season of the Canadian cult hit starring Andie MacDowell.

Disney+

My top Disney+ recommendation is The Punisher: One Last Kill (May 13).

In Marvel’s realm of superheroes, The Punisher stands out for his brutal simplicity. The unique powers of former soldier Frank Castle are simply rage and endurance, a vigilante driven by the murder of his family who wages a one-man war on criminals. No actor has captured that thousand-yard-stare intensity better than Jon Bernthal (His & Hers), who returns to the character for this feature film that seeks to tie up Castle’s violence-laden journey. Bernthal wrote the script with director Reinaldo Marcus Green, his collaborator on We Own This City, and it’s going to have a serious body count alongside the post-traumatic stress disorder and survivor’s guilt. Hopefully, there’s a measure of spiritual transcendence, too.

April highlights: It was back to the dystopic nightmares of Gilead as The Handmaid’s Tale spin-off The Testaments jumped forward in time and a new generation of young women joined the battle.

ABC iview

My top iview recommendation is Shaun Micallef’s Going for Broke (May 19).

Comic genius Shaun Micallef (Mad as Hell) hasn’t made a bet in decades, which makes him the perfect guide for this three-part examination of Australia’s growing obsession with gambling. This documentary series will look at how the traditional concept of “having a flutter” turned into a $32 billion industry where access has never been easier due to betting apps, the most vulnerable are often targeted, and the social cost of gambling addiction is steadily increasing. With typical wit and empathy, Micallef will meet victims and question corporate policies.

April highlights: Anne Edmonds and Kitty Flanagan were on opposing sides of the arts world comedy, Bad Company.

SBS On Demand

My top SBS On Demand recommendation is A Gentleman in Moscow (May 14).

Coming to free-to-air for the first time, this 2024 British drama is a bittersweet historical sit-in. Adapted from the acclaimed 2016 novel by Amor Towles, it tells the story of Count Alexander Rostov (Ewan McGregor, Obi-Wan Kenobi), a Russian aristocrat who after the 1917 Russian Revolution is exiled to the attic of Moscow’s luxurious Metropol Hotel. As long as the penniless enemy of the proletariat stays in the hotel, he’s safe. Outside, he’s to be shot on sight. What unfolds is a journey inward, tied to the hotel’s eclectic staff and menacing overseers, that’s a mix of the fantastical and melancholic.

April highlights: British drama Riot Women turned up the volume on middle-aged women finding collective solace in starting a band, Big Tech’s failings were sharply satirised in The Audacity, and the 1970s policing drama Dark Winds continued to be a hidden gem.

Other streamers

My top recommendation for the other streaming services is Paramount+’s Dutton Ranch (May 15).

How far can Yellowstone’s appeal travel? We’ll find out with this spin-off to Taylor Sheridan’s hit Montana ranch drama, which is relocating two crucial characters – the ornery couple of Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) and Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser) – to a South Texas ranch where, in true Yellowstone fashion, they have to contend with ruthless neighbours and violent challenges. The characters are fan favourites, with a salty back-and-forth that gave way to a deep bond as their relationship grew. It’s up to creator Chad Feehan (who has since exited the series) to give new impetus to their union. The supporting cast is a big plus: Annette Bening (Apples Never Fall) and Ed Harris (Westworld) will be going full Texan.

Also: BritBox’s comic-thriller The Revenge Club (May 7) updates a classic Alfred Hitchcock concept for the present day. Six strangers meet in a support group for the newly divorced. Each is struggling with heartbreak and betrayal, but as they grow closer their mutual consolation becomes more practical: they start to anonymously play pranks and direct inconveniences at each other’s ex-partners. But the more the group collectively heal, the more dangerous their retribution becomes. The ensemble cast features Martin Compston (Line of Duty), Aimee-Ffion Edwards (Peaky Blinders), and Douglas Henshall (Shetland).

April highlights: Paramount+’s Curfew used speculative fiction to upend the crime thriller, depicting a Britain where men were required by law to stay inside at night.

* Nine is the owner of Stan and this masthead.

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