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Spring has sprung. Flowers bud on trees, birds begin their migrations north, and the endless days of winter end, finally. Spring this year also means many films are finally coming out after their theatrical releases were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of the films on this list found homes on streaming services after the limbo of the last year, making May a good month to dive into fresh offerings.
Stacker scoured the slate of May additions to major streamers like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, and HBO Max and chose 15 great films that represent a diverse array of cinematic expression. They are presented in alphabetical order.
In addition to brand-new releases finally seeing the light of day, older films will become available to stream. They include an epic zombie flick set in Vegas, a documentary on one of America's greatest children's television heroes, and several classic films covering everything from the story of an honest cop to a crime epic about a Cuban immigrant turned drug lord in 1980s Miami. The oldest film was originally released in 1971 and the newest original release debuts this month. These movies star Hollywood legends, a country singer, and even an ex-football star who went on to be the focus of one of the most sensational celebrity trials in modern history.
Turn down the lights, find a comfy spot on the couch, and join Stacker as we give you 15 movies you can stream this month.
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'Army of the Dead' (2021)
- Where to watch: Netflix (premieres May 14)
- Director: Zack Snyder
- Runtime: 148 minutes
Army of the Dead is about a Las Vegas heist during a zombie outbreak. Filmmaker Zack Snyder said that the film is not a sequel to his 2004 film Dawn of the Dead, which was a reimagining of the 1978 George A. Romero film. After allegations of sexual misconduct broke, actor Chris D'Elia's scenes were reshot with comedian Tig Notaro.
'Barry Lyndon' (1975)
- Where to watch: HBO Max
- Director: Stanley Kubrick
- IMDb user rating: 8.1
- Metascore: 89
- Runtime: 185 minutes
A film adaptation of William Makepeace Thackeray's novel, the film features a young Irishman, played by actor Ryan O'Neal, who after several mishaps marries an aristocrat and squanders her fortune. Director Stanley Kubrick originally considered adapting Vanity Fair, another novel by William Makepeace Thackeray.
'Bound' (1996)
- Where to watch: Amazon Prime
- Directors: Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski
- IMDb user rating: 7.3
- Metascore: 61
- Runtime: 109 minutes
Two women carry on a passionate affair, though one is in a relationship with a man in the mafia. They come up with a plan to steal millions and escape in this thriller. Bound stars Jennifer Tilly, Gina Gershon, and Joe Pantoliano and marked the feature film directorial debut of Lana and Lilly Wachowski.
'Burning' (2018)
- Where to watch: Hulu
- Director: Lee Chang-dong
- IMDb user rating: 7.5
- Metascore: 90
- Runtime: 148 minutes
This South Korean psychological thriller is loosely based on the short story Barn Burning from the book The Elephant Vanishes by author Haruki Murakami. In the film, Jongsu runs into Haemi, a girl he used to know. She asks him to watch her cat while she travels to Africa, but when she returns from her trip, she is not alone and things become increasingly complicated.
'The French Connection' (1971)
- Where to watch: Amazon Prime
- Director: William Friedkin
- IMDb user rating: 7.7
- Metascore: 94
- Runtime: 104 minutes
The French Connection stars Gene Hackman and Roy Scheider, and is known for its epic car chase sequence. The film follows two New York City cops trying to intercept a massive drug shipment from France. The award-winning movie nabbed five Oscars including Best Actor, Best Director, and Best Picture.
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'The Land Before Time' (1988)
- Where to watch: Netflix
- Director: Don Bluth
- IMDb user rating: 7.4
- Metascore: 66
- Runtime: 69 minutes
In this animated film, an orphaned dinosaur meets up with other young dinos as he searches for the magical Great Valley. Judith Barsi, the young actress who voiced the character of Ducky in the film, was killed by her father just months before the film's release.
'MLK/FBI' (2020)
- Where to watch: Hulu
- Director: Sam Pollard
- IMDb user rating: 7.0
- Metascore: 81
- Runtime: 104 minutes
Exploring the government's surveillance of civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. with newly declassified files, director Sam Pollard creates a powerful documentary. Pollard also intersperses archival footage throughout the film. MLK/FBI had its official release on what would have been Martin Luther King, Jr.'s 92nd birthday.
'Saint Maud' (2019)
- Where to watch: Hulu
- Director: Rose Glass
- IMDb user rating: 6.8
- Metascore: 83
- Runtime: 84 minutes
A hospice nurse who recently converted to Catholicism believes she must save the soul of a former dancer stricken with cancer in this low-budget, independent film. Saint Maud marks the directorial debut of Rose Glass, who also wrote the screenplay. In a review for The New York Times, Jeannette Catsoulis wrote, "Folding sexual arousal and religious ecstasy into a single, gasping sensation, Saint Maud burrows into the mind of a lonely young woman and finds psycho-horror gold."
'Scarface' (1983)
- Where to watch: Netflix
- Director: Brian De Palma
- IMDb user rating: 8.3
- Metascore: 65
- Runtime: 170 minutes
Scarface is an update of the 1932 classic directed by Howard Hawks. It features Al Pacino playing Cuban immigrant turned drug lord Tony Montana. Not only did the film spawn one of the most famous lines in cinema history, "Say hello to my little friend," but the screenplay was also written by famed film director Oliver Stone.
'Serpico' (1973)
- Where to watch: HBO Max
- Director: Sidney Lumet
- IMDb user rating: 7.7
- Metascore: 87
- Runtime: 130 minutes
Al Pacino stars in this classic biographical crime drama concerning New York cop Frank Serpico, who exposed corruption within the New York police force. The screenplay was adapted from the book by Peter Maas. The Method actor spent a great deal of time with the real Frank Serpico to perfect his performance.
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'Thief' (1981)
- Where to watch: Amazon Prime
- Director: Michael Mann
- IMDb user rating: 7.4
- Metascore: 78
- Runtime: 123 minutes
Featuring a diverse cast including James Caan, country singer Willie Nelson, Tuesday Weld, and Jim Belushi, Thief marks Michael Mann's directorial debut. The film focuses on Frank, a highly skilled jewel thief who wants to complete one more big heist before retiring and settling down with his girlfriend to find the American dream. Things get complicated, though, and Frank may never get what he really wants.
'The Towering Inferno' (1974)
- Where to watch: Amazon Prime
- Director: John Guillermin
- IMDb user rating: 7.0
- Metascore: 69
- Runtime: 165 minutes
A fire breaks out at a party to celebrate the opening of a poorly constructed new highrise in this 1970s action thriller. The film features a star-studded cast that includes Steve McQueen, Paul Newman, William Holden, Faye Dunaway, Fred Astaire, Robert Wagner, and O.J. Simpson. McQueen did his own stunt jumping from a helicopter onto the burning building.
'The Virgin Suicides' (1999)
- Where to watch: Hulu
- Director: Sofia Coppola
- IMDb user rating: 7.2
- Metascore: 76
- Runtime: 97 minutes
This coming-of-age drama set in Detroit in the 1970s tells the story of five sisters from the point of view of a group of teenage boys who were transfixed by them. The Virgin Suicides, based on the novel by Jeffrey Eugenides, marks Sofia Coppola's feature film directorial debut. The film stars Kirsten Dunst, Josh Hartnett, Kathleen Turner, and James Woods.
'The Woman in the Window' (2021)
- Where to watch: Netflix (premieres May 14)
- Director: Joe Wright
- Runtime: 100 minutes
Based on the 2018 novel by A.J. Finn, The Woman in the Window saw its release date delayed due to a series of issues including reshoots and COVID-19. Netflix acquired the thriller from Disney. The film features an agoraphobic psychologist, played by Amy Adams, attempting to solve a heinous crime she witnesses from her window.
'Won't You Be My Neighbor?' (2018)
- Where to watch: HBO Max
- Director: Morgan Neville
- IMDb user rating: 8.4
- Metascore: 85
- Runtime: 95 minutes
This documentary is an exploration into the life of children's television pioneer Fred Rogers and features interviews with his wife, Joanne, and their two sons, John and James. The film trailer debuted on what would have been Fred Rogers' 90th birthday. Won't You Be My Neighbor? won the 2019 Independent Spirit Award.
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