Wicked must-see May movies
Blockbusters are back in the form of a sequel, a reboot and an origin story, and the streaming services boast a Pink doco and Amy Adams’ latest. James Croot picks his favourites.
Normally the start of the blockbuster season, this May at least shows some signs of Hollywood finally cranking up after a 14-month hiatus. Among the eclectic titles released into cinemas are Japanese animated romance Josee, the Tiger and the Fish, Ireland-set romantic drama Finding You, football documentary The United Way (all Thursday), animated adventure Cranston Academy, Alzheimer’s drama The Artist’s Wife (both May 20) and modern Western No Man’s Land (May 27).
For at-home viewers, Netflix’s lineup includes the Laura Dern-starring Trial By Fire (May 17), crime drama Monster ( from today) and family movie Blue Miracle (May 27). Amazon Prime Video boasts a documentary on reggaeton singer J Balvin (The Boy From Medellin, from today) and Shudder has the latest horror from The Descent’s Neil Marshall (The Reckoning, Thursday). Nicolas Cage fans should also keep a look out for their boy’s latest crazy adventure – Willy’s Wonderland – available to rent on streaming services such as iTunes and GooglePlay from Thursday.
However, after looking through the schedules, Stuff has come up with this list of the dozen films we’re most excited about seeing this month.
Army of the Dead (May 21, Netflix)
Having finally got a retooling of the muchmaligned Justice League out of his system, Zack Snyder now revisits the sub-genre that first made him famous. But rather than a George Romeo remake, this original tale mashes a zombie movie with a heist, as a group of mercenaries attempt to take down a Las Vegas casino in the middle of an outbreak. In the thick of the action are Guardians of Galaxy’s Dave Bautista and Belgravia’s Ella Purnell.
Cruella (May 27, Cinemas)
Delayed by six months, after filming was already suspended because star Emma Stone damaged her shoulder, this 101 Dalmatians’ villain’s origin story is set to debut on Disney+ just a day after hitting cinemas. The impressive cast also includes Emma Thompson and Mark Strong.
Fried Barry (Today, Shudder)
Based on the critically acclaimed and much-loved short of the same name, this South African sci-fi, horror-comedy focuses on an infamous Cape Town ne’er-do-well who finds himself having to take a back seat when aliens abduct him and assume control of his body. ‘‘A visual juggernaut that takes the viewer on one of the wildest cinematic journeys this century, Fried Barry is an unexpectedly emotional movie; ET [literally] on acid,’’ wrote THN’s Kat Hughes.
James & Isey (On now, Cinemas)
Kiwi documentarian extraordinaire Florian Habicht’s latest tale focuses on the Northland son and mother of the title, in the lead-up to the latter’s 100th birthday. ‘‘It’s a rare film that can be free of sentiment and saccharine, while still positively rolling in romanticism, nostalgia and pure, honestly given aroha. James & Isey, at every level it pitches itself, is an unclassifiable triumph of heart and instinct over the odds,’’ wrote Stuff’s own Graeme Tuckett.
Litigante (Thursday, Cinemas)
Critically-acclaimed Colombian drama about a single mother who has to balance taking care of her cancer-stricken mother, while also dealing with a corruption scandal at work. ‘‘There’s an abrasively realist candour to this portrait of a woman pushed to the brink by the incremental stresses of her daily life,’’ wrote The Observer’s Wendy Ide.
Oxygen (Wednesday, Netflix)
Melanie Laurent and Mathieu Amalric headline this French sci-fi thriller about a woman who wakes up in a cryogenic chamber with no recollection of how she got there. She then finds she is in a race against time to find a way out. Crawl and Mirrors helmer Alexandre Aja directs.
P!nk: All I Know So Far (May 21, Amazon Prime Video)
The Greatest Showman director Michael Gracey helms this documentary which follows the beloved singer-songwriter during her 156-date, 18-country Beautiful Trauma World Tour. Promises to mix footage from the road with personal material and behind-the-scenes interviews.
A Quiet Place Part II (May 27, Cinemas)
Rushed into production after the runaway, surprise success of the spooky 2018 original, fans have been kept in suspense for more than 14 months (even though a red carpet premiere actually took place on March 8 last year) waiting to see how Emily Blunt and family attempt to continue to stay silent – and alive – in the face of such overwhelming odds. Peaky Blinders’ Cillian Murphy joins in the action this time around.
Songbird (May 20, iTunes/Google Play)
New Zealand’s own KJ Apa headlines this dystopian sci-fi thriller inspired by the current pandemic. Set in the year 2024, it posits a future where the virus has mutated into Covid-23, and all those infected have been forced into quarantine camps. Apa plays a motorbike courier who, having been previously infected, is now immune. The cast also includes Demi Moore, Sofia Carson, Bradley Whitford and Alexandra Daddario.
Spiral (Thursday, Cinemas)
An exciting, star-studded reboot for the dormant Saw horror franchise which had been in decline for years, this one has essentially been on ice for 12 months. Samuel L Jackson and Chris Rock play father and son policemen who find themselves caught up in a grisly investigation into murders that are eerily reminiscent of the city’s gruesome past.
Those Who Wish Me Dead (Thursday, Cinemas)
Angelina Jolie plays veteran fire warden and wilderness survival expert Hannah Faber in Sons of Anarchy director Taylor Sheridan’s adaptation of Michael Koryta’s 2014 novel. She offers a young boy shelter when he is being pursued by two assassins who have already killed his father. Nicholas Hoult, Tyler Perry, Aidan Gillen and Jon Bernthal also star.
The Woman in the Window (May 14, Netflix)
Based on A J Finn’s mega popular 2018 book of the same name, this thriller focuses on an agoraphobic developmental psychologist who ends up in the middle of a crime scene while spying on her new neighbours. The impressive ensemble includes Amy Adams, Julianne Moore, Gary Oldman and Anthony Mackie.