What to watch on Netflix in May

The surfeit of streaming options today can often overwhelm those looking to settle in front of the TV for an evening, from the casual viewer to the aficionado of the arthouse. So, with time being precious, after all, especially in an age in which attention spans are being buffeted by the day, we’ve done the bulk of the research for you by focusing specifically on Netflix and creating a tightly considered selection of the best films, series and documentaries that will be added to the platform in the month ahead…

Jeff Daniels is one of America’s finest on-screen leads, the one who moved from easy-feeling roles (101 Dalmatians; Dumb and Dumber) to characters with a determined grit (The Newsroom; Steve Jobs). This Netflix series sees him add to the latter category, as he plays a property-developing mogul from Atlanta who faces imminent bankruptcy and an onrush of allies turned foes.

Hot off the Curb Your Enthusiasm finale, Jerry Seinfeld writes, directs and stars in this comedy about Post and Kellogg's – the cereal juggernauts – and their rush to invent an innovative breakfast pastry (Pop-Tarts). Set in Michigan, 1963, the cast is padded out by Hugh Grant, Melissa McCarthy, and Max Greenfield.

On a high-speed train rushing from Tokyo to Kyoto, Brad Pitt plays the out-of-luck assassin Ladybug whose on one final job. Four other for-hire killers are also onboard, as each one tries to undertake their own separate assignment, before finding out that their missions are intertwined. One particular highlight within the film is Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s run out as Tangerine, a gruff Cockney hitman whose packed punches are matched by his comedic chops.

An occasion that promised so much – a European Championship title; a squad that would be immortalised alongside the greats of 1966 – ended in penalty pain and hooliganism. This docufilm’s focus is on the latter issue, and features first-hand testimonies on how 6,000 ticketless fans caused an eruption of chaos and stormed Wembley Stadium on the day of the Euro 2020 final.

Segmented into six parts, Eric stars Benedict Cumberbatch who takes on the role of Vincent, the maker of a beloved children’s TV programme and a renowned puppeteer. His life – set in 1980s New York – is upended rather horrifically when his nine-year-old son goes missing on the way to school, an incident that leads Vincent into an unsettling mission to get his child back.

David Chang, one of the most seminal chefs in the US, takes an unfiltered approach to live cooking – there are no edits, no cuts, no re-dos; burnt food and flawed food are very much staples – as he prepares an onslaught of courses for his dinnertime panel, with past guests including Steven Yeun and Rashida Jones, Nick Kroll and John Mulaney, and Terry Crews and Fortune Feimster. For a true flavour of the freewheeling spirit, catch the episode featuring Seth Rogen and Ike Barinholtz, in which caviar is liberally slapped around the kitchen.

Since his time as manager of Barcelona, Pep Guardiola has shaped football all over the world, innovating tactics and styles that now trickle from the top tiers down to the amateur leagues. This docuseries, split into six parts, follows him and his Manchester City side during their treble-winning 2022–23 season, starting from the signing of Erling Haaland in the summer to the Champions League final against Inter Milan.

For years, Andrew Scott has seemingly been the actor of the moment, and his most recent big-screen hit was the soft, poignant All of Us Strangers. Here, he returns to TV as the titular, sociopathic role in the limited series adaptation of The Talented Mr Ripley. Of course, we’re looking forward to Scott’s performance, as well as those of Dakota Fanning and Johnny Flynn, who play Marge Sherwood and Dickie Greenleaf, respectively, but it’s the effortless, boxy wears that we’re looking forward to seeing most.

Late 2019 saw Prince Andrew at the centre of one of the most infamous interviews in modern memory as he spoke publicly for the first time, on Newsnight, about his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein. In Scoop, a Netflix original, we see how BBC managed to secure airtime with the now disgraced royal, with a punchy cast that features Rufus Sewell taking on the role of Prince Andrew, Gillian Anderson as the journalist and former newsreader Emily Maitlis, and Billie Piper who plays Sam McAlister, the Newsnight guest booker who secures the opportunity.

Continuing his beeline towards more ‘serious’ roles (Uncut Gems, Hustle), Adam Sandler stars in this Netflix film as Jakub, a Czech astronaut who’s half a year into his solo expedition to the outer spheres of the solar system. Here, all by himself, he ponders his in-the-dumps marriage back on Earth – but he soon finds connection with an ancient arachnid-like creature that's also onboard.

Netflix’s next major live sporting event will see tennis veteran Rafael Nadal, a winner of 22 grand slams, play against Carlos Alcaraz, the current Wimbledon champ and the figure likely to dominate clay, grass and hard surface in the next decade plus. The match, which could be seen as a sort of changing of the guard between the two Spaniards, will stream live from the Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, in Las Vegas. Court greats Andre Agassi and Andy Roddick will bring further colour with their on- and off-court commentary.

The streaming giant is in no short supply of sports content at the moment, with the latest Drive to Survive instalment having just been released. For those looking to prolong their behind-the-scenes fix, you'll be glad to know that season two of Full Swing, which provides an inside look into the high-stakes world of golf, is about to tee off. New episodes will focus on the surprise proposed agreement between the PGA Tour, the DP World Tour and the backers of the controversial LIV Golf.

Lead by The White Lotus’s Theo James (who, as Eddie Horniman, inherits a vast family estate that’s also home to a cannabis empire), this series is a world of Guy Ritchie hallmarks: guns, east-end career gangsters (Ray Winstone), Vinnie Jones and stretches of ruthless scenes. With members of Britain’s dark underbelly wanting a bit of the action, Horniman finds himself going deeper down an unsavoury rabbit hole.

Set six decades after Revolutions, the fourth instalment of The Matrix sees Thomas Anderson (better known as Neo) now living a conventional life as a videogame developer – however, following difficulties to tell reality from fiction, he soon finds himself plugged back into the simulated reality that once upended his life. Though it didn’t receive the warmest of receptions, the film is worth seeing just for the on-screen reunion of Carrie-Anne Moss and Keanu Reeves, both of who continue to instil scenes with a simultaneous warmth and cool.

Speed and unwavering intent meet in this film about driver Ken Miles (Christian Bale), car designer Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon) and their mission to mastermind a Ford supercar that'll pip Ferrari at the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans.

More than three decades on from when the OG film was released, Pete Mitchell, AKA Maverick, continues to be at the cutting-edge of naval aviation. In this smash-hit of a follow-up, we see him confronted with dark reminders of the past as he trains a blazing detachment of Top Gun graduates for a one-of-a-kind mission.

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