Summer is near and with it comes a seasonal update to Netflix’s offerings. It has been a full year since the last trip to the Ton with the Bridgerton spinoff Queen Charlotte. Now, a new season of the original series is upon us—and centered on long-awaited friends-to-lovers romance between Penelope (Nicola Coughlan) and Colin (Luke Newton). “Their story really speaks to me—the unrequited crush, the wallflower-underdog coming off the wall,” first-time showrunner Jess Brownell, who takes over duties from Chris Van Dusen, tells Vanity Fair. “That speaks to high school Jess. I liked that the Penelope and Colin story lends itself so well to rom-com tropes because it’s a friends-to-lovers story. There’s more playfulness and familiarity to the story and that allows us to lean into awkward banter and play up the humor a little bit more.”
Elsewhere on the platform, Netflix is investing further in the live event business—streaming Kevin Hart’s Mark Twain Prize Award ceremony on May 11, a roast of retired quarterback Tom Brady on May 5, and John Mulaney Presents: Everybody’s In L.A. in which the comedian mingles with his fellow standups on the West Coast for episodes that debut throughout the month, beginning on May 3.
Scandal and corruption permeate Netflix’s newest documentaries. Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies & Scandal, a lookback at the dating site designed for infidelity that was hacked in 2015, debuts on May 15. It is followed by Power, a history of policing in America, on May 17, as well as May 29’s Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult—a deep dive into a cult of TikTok dancers disguised as a management company called 7M.
Here’s what else is coming to Netflix in May:
A Man in Full
Netflix’s newest original series comes with a veritable cache of talent. Based on The New York Times bestselling novel by the late Tom Wolfe, Jeff Daniels stars as Charlie Croker—an embattled Atlanta real estate mogul facing a financial, political, and societal fall from grace. David Kelley of Big Little Lies serves as the series’ creator and showrunner with backup from executive producer Regina King, who directs the first three episodes, and The West Wing’s Thomas Schlamme, who helms the back half. Diane Lane, Lucy Liu, Tom Pelphery, and William Jackson Harper round out the starry cast for the series, which is released on May 2.
Unfrosted
Jerry Seinfeld declared the movie business “is over” in a recent GQ profile, but he went and made one anyway—directing and co-writing a film about the rise of the Pop-Tart. Most of the narrative centers on the competition between cereal behemoths Kellog’s and Post (whose leaders are played by Jim Gaffigan and Amy Schumer) to invent the toaster-friendly breakfast item. As he told GQ, “I love office comedies. I love stupid people in suits. And it was Covid. I had nothing to do. So I got talked into it. It wasn’t my idea. Seinfeld wasn’t my idea either. I keep getting dragged into things and surrounded by the most amazing people.” Unfrosted debuts on May 3.
Bridgerton Season 3: Part 1
The third season of Bridgerton drops in two parts—the first four episodes arrive on May 16, with the final four dropping June 13. “We didn’t initially plan for there to be a break in the middle,” new showrunner Jess Brownell tells VF. “Netflix approached us about splitting the season in two. It’s something I think they’re trying out across their platform, and it worked out perfectly, actually. We had a natural break at the end of episode four. I’m sure it’s going to be frustrating for some fans, but it’s nice to have that break to take it all in and speculate about what’s to come.” Fans can also expect a central storyline for middle Bridgerton sister Francesca (Hannah Dodd), a new suitor for family matriarch Violet (Ruth Gemmell), and some competition for Penelope’s heart in the introduction of the dashing Lord Debling (Sam Phillips). Teases Brownell, “I think that some people are going to be shipping Debling and Penelope.”
Atlas
Hot off the one-two punch of her visual album This Is Me…Now and accompanying documentary The Greatest Love Story Never Told, Jennifer Lopez is back onscreen for an action-adventure epic. Starring alongside Sterling K. Brown and Simu Liu, she plays the titular Atlas, a data analyst with skepticism about AI, who is enlisted to capture a renegade robot. The film drops on May 24, as Lopez embarks on her worldwide tour.
The full list of what’s coming to Netflix in May:
Coming Soon
Buying London (NETFLIX SERIES)
The Life You Wanted (NETFLIX SERIES)
Monster (NETFLIX FILM)
May 1
Deaw Special: Super Soft Power (NETFLIX COMEDY)
Down the Rabbit Hole (NETFLIX FILM)
Frankly Speaking (NETFLIX SERIES)
Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar (NETFLIX SERIES)
Airport
Airport ‘77
Airport 1975
The Best Man Holiday
Blended
Blue Mountain State Seasons 1-3
Blue Mountain State: The Rise of Thadland
Eat Pray Love
The Edge of Seventeen
The Equalizer
The Gentlemen
Hellboy (2019)
Hulk
Jumanji (1995)
Liar Liar
Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa
The Matrix Resurrections
Mortal Kombat (2021)
Mr. & Mrs. Smith
The Nutty Professor
The Nutty Professor II: The Klumps
Outlander: Season 6
Patriots Day
Public Enemies
Ride Along
Shrek
Shrek Forever After
Starship Troopers
Traffic
The Wedding Planner
White House Down
Woody Woodpecker
The Young Victoria
May 2
A Man in Full (NETFLIX SERIES)
Beautiful Rebel (NETFLIX FILM)
Lola
Secrets of the Neanderthals (NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY)
T . P BON (NETFLIX ANIME)
May 3
2 Hearts
John Mulaney Presents: Everybody’s in L.A. (NETFLIX COMEDY SPECIAL LIVE EVENT)
Postcards (NETFLIX SERIES)
Selling the OC: Season 3 (NETFLIX SERIES)
The Unbroken Voice: Season 2 (NETFLIX SERIES)
Unfrosted (NETFLIX FILM)
May 4
The Atypical Family (NETFLIX SERIES)
Kat Williams: Woke Foke (NETFLIX COMEDY SPECIAL LIVE EVENT)
May 5
The Peanut Butter Falcon
Roast of Tom Brady (NETFLIX COMEDY SPECIAL LIVE EVENT)
May 6
30 for 30: Broke
30 for 30: Deion’s Double Play
30 for 30: The Two Escobars
Reba: Seasons 1-6
May 7
Super Rich in Korea (NETFLIX SERIES)
May 8
The Final: Attack on Wembley (NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY)
War Dogs
May 9
Bodkin (NETFLIX SERIES)
The Guardian of the Monarchs (NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY)
Mother of The Bride (NETFLIX FILM)
Sing Street
Thank You, Next (NETFLIX SERIES)
May 10
Blood of Zeus: Season 2 (NETFLIX ANIME)
Cooking Up Murder: Uncovering the Story of César Román (NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY)
Living with Leopards (NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY)
Pokémon Horizons: The Series Part 2 (NETFLIX FAMILY)
The Ultimatum: South Africa (NETFLIX SERIES)
May 11
Mark Twain Prize Award: Kevin Hart (NETFLIX COMEDY SPECIAL)
May 13
Archer: Seasons 1-13
Princess Power: Season 3 (NETFLIX FAMILY)
May 14
Married at First Sight: Season 15
May 15
Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies & Scandal (NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY)
The Clovehitch Killer
May 16
Bridgerton: Season 3 Part 1 (NETFLIX SERIES)
Dumb and Dumber To
Maestro in Blue: Season 2 (NETFLIX SERIES)
Upgrade
May 17
The 8 Show (NETFLIX SERIES)
Power (NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY)
Thelma the Unicorn (NETFLIX FAMILY)
May 19
A Simple Favor
Golden Kamuy (NETFLIX FILM)
May 20
The Parisian Agency: Exclusive Properties: Season 4 (NETFLIX SERIES)
May 21
Rachel Feinstein; Big Guy (NETFLIX COMEDY)
Wildfire: Seasons 1-4
May 22
Act Your Age: Season 1
Toughest Forces on Earth (NETFLIX SERIES)
May 23
El vendedor de ilusiones: El caso Generación Zoe (NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY)
Franco Escamilla: Ladies’ Man (NETFLIX COMEDY)
Garouden: The Way of the Lone Wolf (NETFLIX ANIME)
In Good Hands 2 (NETFLIX FILM)
Tires (NETFLIX SERIES)
May 24
Atlas (NETFLIX FILM)
Butterfly in the Sky: The Story of Reading Rainbow
Jurassic World: Chaos Theory (NETFLIX FAMILY)
Mulligan: Part 2 (NETFLIX SERIES)
My Oni Girl (NETFLIX FILM)
May 28
Burnt
May 29
Bionic (NETFLIX FILM)
Colors of Evil: Red (NETFLIX FILM)
Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult (NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY)
Patrick Melrose
May 30
Eric (NETFLIX SERIES)
Geek Girl (NETFLIX SERIES)
May 31
A Part of You (NETFLIX FILM)
Chola Chabuca
How to Ruin Love: The Proposal (NETFLIX SERIES)
Raising Voices (NETFLIX SERIES)
Tòkunbọ̀ (NETFLIX FILM)
What’s leaving Netflix in May 2024:
April’s showers have wiped out a slew of titles, including all five of the Hunger Games films, Adam Sandler’s one-time Oscar hopeful Uncut Gems, beloved romantic comedy You’ve Got Mail, and Where the Crawdads Sing—a picturesque film with a strangely dark backstory. Oh, and consider this Magic Mike’s Last Dance on the streamer—at least until his inevitable encore performance.
May 1
Bennett’s War
Magic Mike’s Last Dance
May 2
Survive the Night
May 3
Arctic Dogs
May 8
Uncut Gems
May 9
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
May 10
St. Vincent
May 11
Where the Crawdads Sing
Sam Smith: Love Goes—Live at Abbey Road Studios
May 14
Fifty Shades of Black
May 19
Rosario Tijeras (Mexico): Seasons 1-3
May 22
The Boxtrolls
May 26
Mako Mermaids: An H20 Adventure: Seasons 3-4
May 31
2012
Boyz n the Hood
Burlesque
The Choice
The Disaster Artist
Forever My Girl
The Great Gatsby
Happy Gilmore
The Hunger Games
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2
The Impossible
Insidious
L.A. Confidential
Lakeview Terrace
The Mick: Seasons 1-2
Noah
Oh, Ramona!
The Other Guys
Silent Hill
Skyscraper
Split
Think Like a Man
Think Like a Man Too
You’ve Got Mail
For more, check out VF’s list of the best shows on Netflix.
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