The Best Movies to Stream This Month (May 2026) | WIREDSkip to main contentMenuSECURITYPOLITICSTHE BIG STORYBUSINESSSCIENCECULTUREREVIEWSMenuAccountAccountNewslettersSecurityPoliticsThe Big StoryBusinessScienceCultureReviewsChevronMoreExpandThe Big InterviewMagazineEventsWIRED InsiderWIRED ConsultingNewslettersPodcastsVideoLivestreamsMerchSearchSearchMatt KamenCultureMay 26, 2026 4:29 PMThe 9 Best Movies to Stream This MonthBugonia, Good Boy, and Send Help are among the films deserving of your eyeballs this month.Still from BUGONIA.Courtesy of Focus Features/Everett CollectionCommentLoaderSave StorySave this storyCommentLoaderSave StorySave this storySummer has arrived, which means its vacation season—and there are plenty of travel tips to be found amongst the best movies on streaming this May. A bloody ballet battle royale in Budapest in Prime Video’s Pretty Lethal, a visit to the picturesque (and definitely not haunted) Dutch forests in Shudder’s Heresy, or an action-packed trip to Japan courtesy of Netflix’s My Hero Academia: You’re Next, are just some of the locations sure to give you wanderlust this month.If you fancy something a bit more tropical, then look no further than Send Help on Hulu—although director Sam Raimi’s twisty survival horror might have you thinking twice before turning on your out of office emails. And, if the rising temperatures are already too much, the Antarctic chill of John Carpenter’s classic The Thing, and its 1950s inspiration, The Thing from Another World, are both landing on Criterion.Here are WIRED’s picks of the best movies to watch right now.BugoniaA remake of Jang Joon-hwan’s 2003 South Korean film Save the Green Planet!, Bugonia sees paranoid conspiracy theorist Teddy Gatz (Jesse Plemons) and his autistic cousin Don (Aidan Delbis) kidnap prominent CEO Michelle Fuller (Emma Stone), subjecting her to inventive, brutal forms of torture as he tries to force a confession that she’s in contact with invading aliens. Fuller’s company also happens to be responsible for a botched medical trial that left Gatz’s mother comatose. So is Gatz just a troubled man struggling with grief, out for vengeance against a corrupt businesswoman, or has he stumbled on the greatest threat to humanity? Director Yorgos Lanthimos (Poor Things, The Favourite) has tremendous fun teasing out the answer, while Stone has rarely been as captivating on screen than she is as Fuller, somehow seeming like an animal playing with their food, even at her shaven-headed, desperate lowest points.Watch on NetflixMy Hero Academia: You’re NextAs the fourth movie spin-off from the long-running anime series My Hero Academia, You’re Next might not seem like an obvious jumping on point for original manga creator Kōhei Horikoshi’s tale of trainee superheroes in a world where everyone has powers. Thankfully, this is largely standalone, allowing anyone who fancies a couple of hours of dynamic anime action to jump right in. All you need to know is that in the wake of a disaster, Izuku “Deku” Midoriya (Daiki Yamashita in Japanese, Justin Briner in English) and his classmates must face off against new villain Dark Might, a dark reflection of Japan’s once-greatest champion All Might—the hero who gave Izuku his powers in the first place. Throw in a mafia crime family, a cyborg butler, and a young girl with unpredictable new powers for Deku and his allies to test their mettle against, and only the stoniest of hearts won’t be entertained.Watch on NetflixPretty LethalAsk any trained dancer, and they’ll tell you ballet is one of the most grueling things you can put your body through, requiring incredible poise and strength to perform, and a killer competitive streak to make it in the field. All three of those qualities, and a host of teenage snark, take to the stage in this brilliantly schlocky action outing from director Vicky Jewson, which sees five American Ballerinas trapped in Budapest and having to adapt their skills to escape a violent war between two crime families—one led by deranged former ballerina Devora Kasimer (Uma Thurman, absolutely vamping every scene). Expect blood-soaked tutus, electrifying fight choreography, and one of the most creative uses of The Nutcracker suite on film.Watch on Amazon Prime VideoGood BoyWhen Todd (Shane Jensen) moves to his late grandfather’s run-down rural home, his dog Indy immediately senses the vibes are off. Outside, the surrounding woods are full of interesting smells and critters to chase. Inside, something emerges at night, preying on Todd, worsening his health and his sanity—all while Indy is guided by visions of Bandit, Todd’s grandfather’s dog, to uncover the dark forces at work.A horror movie from the dog’s perspective could have gone horribly wrong—the Hollywood idiom “never work with animals or children” exists for a reason. Anyone saying that never worked with Indy though, as this award-winning superstar’s incredible canine performance elevates director (and Indy’s human) Ben Leonberg’s tightly told slice of terror into something truly special.Watch on HuluSend HelpWhen Linda Liddle (Rachel McAdams) and her boss Bradley Preston (Dylan O'Brien) are stranded on a desert island after the private jet they’re on crashes, it’s a good thing that Linda has a host of survivalist skills to fall back on. It’s a bad thing that Bradley has spent months treating her like dirt, so while he’s injured and immobile, Linda’s just starting to live her best life—and she might not be in a rush to get back to the office. A psychotic revenge thriller where you can’t help but root for the psycho (O’Brien does such a good job as the asshole boss, you’ll want to punch your TV), Send Help smartly blurs in elements of horror and comedy alongside the deliberately unsubtle social commentary. And, while director Sam Raimi trades in his customary armies of darkness for sun-kissed tropical locales, he still serves up at least one particularly pants-wetting jump scare that proves he’s never too far removed from his Evil Dead roots.Watch on Disney+HeresyA bit of a festival darling, racking up plaudits around the world including Austin’s cult-focused Fantastic Fest, Heresy (Witte Wieven) is folk horror with a feminist edge. In a medieval Dutch village, Frieda (Anneke Sluiters) is demonized by her deeply religious community for her inability to conceive, declared a witch, and persecuted even by her husband. It’s a set-up that allows director Didier Konings to reframe all the trappings of the genre—the superstitious villagers, the blurred lines between faith and folklore, the fear of dark things lurking in the woods—as an exploration of the horror of control and oppression, especially around women’s bodies. At only 61 minutes, Heresy is a short, shocking slice of terror that delivers some much needed chills in the summer months.Watch on ShudderThe Thing/The Thing from Another WorldKnow how the 1980’s was a great decade for film? The fact that Criterion, arbiters of cinematic tastes, has curated an entire collection of ‘80s remakes paired with their original inspiration. There are a host of classic diptychs included as a result—don’t sleep on the 1942 innovative horror Cat People and its 1982 remake of the same name, nor 1960’s French New Wave classic Breathless (aka À bout de souffle) and its 1983 American take—but it has to be 1951’s The Thing from Another World and 1982’s The Thing that are most deserving of your attention. Both are groundbreaking in their own ways, especially John Carpenter’s more modern take for its phenomenal tension and intense body horror, and set the stage for decades of copycats in the surprisingly well-populated “shape-shifting alien invader” subgenre.Watch on CriterionTank GirlBased on the underground British comic by writer Alan Martin and Gorillaz cocreator Jamie Hewlett, Tank Girl is an almost delirious slice of post-apocalyptic sci-fi. Set in an arid future, the eponymous hero (Lori Petty) fights back against the despotic rule of CEO Kesslee (Malcolm McDowell), who controls what little water remains on Earth. Aided by repressed mechanic Jet Girl (an early career Naomi Watts) a bunch of evolved kangaroo bikers led by Ice-T (yes, really), and whatever high ordnance weaponry she can find, Tank Girl unleashes absolute chaos. People mocked director Rachel Talalay’s campy, comedically violent, and almost painfully low-budget film back in 1995, but it’s earned cult status in the years since. One for the “glorious trash” pile.Watch on Amazon Prime VideoCommentsBack to topTriangleYou Might Also LikeHow to find us: Add WIRED.com to your preferred sources in GoogleHow the Canvas hack threatened thousands of schoolsBig Story: I've covered robots for years—this one is eerily lifelikeOrbs, saucers, and flashes on the moon—here’s what’s in the UFO filesTake our survey: What does “home” mean to you?Matt Kamen is a freelance journalist specializing in media, video games, and technology coverage. Beyond WIRED, his work can be found in The Guardian, Empire, and elsewhere. ... Read MoreXTopicsstreamingCulture GuidesMoviesHBOHuluNetflixRead MoreMargo’s Got Money Troubles Won TV’s OnlyFans WarsUnlike Euphoria, the Apple TV show wants to humanize the experience of sex workers rather than catastrophize the extremes of the profession.Jason ParhamThe Creators of Hacks Really, Really, Really Hate AIAhead of the hit show’s finale, cocreators Paul W. Downs and Lucia Aniello talk about media consolidation, the perils of censorship, and why they find AI “deeply disturbing.”Katie DrummondThe 10 Best TV Shows to Stream This MonthRick and Morty, The Boroughs, and Battlestar Galactica are just a few of the TV shows you should be watching right now.Jennifer M. WoodTrump Pivots on AI Regulation, Worker Ousted by DOGE Runs for Office, and Hantavirus ExplainedToday on Uncanny Valley, we’re diving into recent reports that the Trump administration is considering an executive order that would establish some sort of federal oversight over new AI models.Brian BarrettThe Secret to Amelia Dimoldenberg’s Online Superstardom? ControlThe host of Chicken Shop Date joined WIRED’s Big Interview podcast to talk about turning down bad deals, beating the algorithm, and the importance of being over-prepared.Katie DrummondYou Can Get Some of Your Nudes Removed From the Internet Under a New LawStarting May 19, tech platforms in the US will have to comply with the Take It Down Act. Here’s how more than a dozen major platforms are handling takedown demands for your nonconsensual nudes.Maddy VarnerBillie Eilish Doesn't Know if There Will Ever Be Another Billie EilishIn an interview with WIRED ahead of her new concert film Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour (Live in 3D), Billie Eilish talked about whether or not future artists will be able to leverage SoundCloud the way she did.Angela WatercutterAn ICE Firearms Trainer Was Involved in At Least 4 Deadly ShootingsDavid Norman, a former Phoenix police officer who’s described himself as “a fucking savage,” now runs a company that provided training to Homeland Security’s Special Response Teams.Ali WinstonThis Reggae Band Is in a Nightmare Battle Against AI Slop RemixesWhen Stick Figure’s seven-year-old song shot up the charts, the band was thrilled. But its viral moment was spurred by unauthorized AI remixes.Kate KnibbsA Federal Worker Was Fired for Filming DOGE. Now She’s Running for CongressAlexis Goldstein, a former Consumer Financial Protection Bureau employee, was fired this year for recording DOGE’s incursion into the agency.Makena KellyA New York Cop Got Injured at a Boxing Match. Now Madison Square Garden Is Banning His LawyerAttorney John Scola is representing a police officer who is suing over injuries allegedly sustained while working security at an MSG property in 2025.Noah ShachtmanA Female Looksmaxxer Is Suing Clavicular for Alleged BatteryAleksandra Mendoza, aka Alorah Ziva, alleges that the 20-year-old influencer injected her with drugs on a livestream and had nonconsensual sex with her while she was underage.Ej Dickson WIRED is obsessed with what comes next. Through rigorous investigations and game-changing reporting, we tell stories that don’t just reflect the moment—they help create it. When you look back in 10, 20, even 50 years, WIRED will be the publication that led the story of the present, mapped the people, products, and ideas defining it, and explained how those forces forged the future. WIRED: For Future Reference.More From WIREDSubscribeNewslettersLivestreamsTravelFAQWIRED StaffWIRED EducationEditorial StandardsArchiveRSSSite MapAccessibility HelpReviews and GuidesReviewsBuying GuidesStreaming GuidesWearablesCouponsGift GuidesAdvertiseContact UsManage AccountJobsPress CenterCondé Nast StoreUser AgreementPrivacy PolicyYour California Privacy Rights© 2026 Condé Nast. All rights reserved. WIRED may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Condé Nast. Ad ChoicesSelect international siteUnited StatesLargeChevronItaliaJapónCzech Republic & SlovakiaFacebookXPinterestYouTubeInstagramTiktok

The selection of films recommended for streaming in May 2026 suggests a thematic exploration spanning survival horror, action, science fiction, and feminist critique. Among the featured titles, Bugonia involves a narrative concerning a paranoid conspiracy theorist and his cousin who kidnap a prominent CEO, subjecting her to brutal torture while attempting to force a confession about alien contact, raising questions about the nature of human threat and vengeance. My Hero Academia: You’re Next follows Izuku Midoriya and his classmates as they face a new villain, Dark Might, while navigating elements of a mafia crime family and exploring themes of inherited power. Pretty Lethal is an action-heavy film set in Budapest where five American ballerinas must adapt their skills to survive a violent conflict between two crime families, incorporating intense choreography and references to the Nutcracker suite.

Horror and speculative fiction are also represented by titles such as Good Boy, which features a suspenseful narrative centered on a dog's perspective as it investigates dark forces emerging in a rural setting, exploring themes of sanity and fear. Send Help blends elements of horror and comedy within a psychotic revenge thriller, focusing on a group stranded on a desert island, which incorporates social commentary alongside jump scares. The film Heresy delved into folk horror with a feminist edge, portraying a medieval Dutch village where a woman is persecuted by her religious community, serving as an examination of the horror of control and oppression surrounding women's bodies. Furthermore, the retrospective on the 1980s horror genre is highlighted by the inclusion of The Thing from Another World and The Thing, which are noted for their groundbreaking contributions to the shape-shifting alien invader subgenre and intense body horror, alongside the classic Cat People and its remake.

The collection also includes Tank Girl, a post-apocalyptic science fiction film where a hero engages in chaotic action against a despotic CEO controlling Earth’s remaining water resources, demonstrating a blend of action, chaos, and cult appeal. The overall curation points toward a selection that balances visceral thrills, complex character studies, and genre-specific explorations, reflecting contemporary cinematic interests.

Beyond the film recommendations, the accompanying text touches upon broader cultural and technological subjects. There is recognition of the importance of investigative journalism, as evidenced by the role of writers like Matt Kamen who specialize in media and technology coverage. Related topics discussed include the evolving landscape of artificial intelligence, with reference to concerns over media consolidation, censorship, and the disturbing nature of AI, as articulated by creators discussing the future of media. Furthermore, the text includes commentary on contemporary legal and social issues, mentioning new legislation regarding privacy, such as the proposed Take It Down Act, and high-profile legal disputes involving public figures and digital privacy. These contextual elements underscore a larger theme of examining the forces shaping the present through media, technology, and societal control.