Six of the best new films and shows to watch on Netflix in May

May is here! Before you start to feel guilty for whiling away the brighter evenings watching Netflix, the good news is that everyone is doing it and you can always stop and start your binge-watching if we’re blessed with a bout of glorious weather in the meantime. Below are some of the new films and series we can’t wait to stream this coming month.

Knock Down The House

 In the run-up to the 2018 midterms, documentarian Rachel Lears followed four progressive women who challenged incumbent Democrats for their Congressional seats. They weren’t all successful — but the film is rare in that it is truly uplifting; it represents the hope that the political tide can turn from Trump to women whose hard work, courage and progressive politics can be seen and heard.

Expected May 1

Tiny House Nation

Interiors fans should love this. There’s a trend in the U.S. housing market, albeit a very small one. Drawn to the prospect of financial freedom, a simpler lifestyle, and limiting one’s environmental footprint, more buyers are opting to downsize — in some cases, to spaces no larger than 300 square feet — and this series celebrates the “tiny house” movement. Hosts and renovation professionals John Weisbarth and Zack Giffin travel across America to show ingenious small dwellings and their creative inhabitants. They also help families design and construct their own dream mini homes.

Expected May 9 

The Society

In this supernatural thriller, The Society follows a group of teenagers who are mysteriously transported to an alternate version of their wealthy New England town, left without any trace of their parents. Free from responsibilities, the teens initially revel in a life free of control, but then find that they must restore some kind of structure to survive. As they form alliances to avoid more chaos they try to figure out what has happened to their missing parents and attempt to make their way back to reality.

Expected May 10

Wine Country

During a vacation to Napa Valley, a group of longtime friends reunite and revisit past choices in what is a hilarious, heartfelt directorial effort from director Amy Poehler. A 50th birthday looms as the women question the friendship and life choices that have kept them together. A starry cast including Maya Rudolph, Rachel Dratch, Ana Gasteyer, Paula Pell, Emily Spivey, Jason Schwartzman, and Tina Fey is the icing on the cake of this must-watch. 

Expected May 10

A Tale of Two Kitchens 

Two countries, two restaurants, one vision. At Gabriela Cámara’s acclaimed Contramar in Mexico City, the welcoming, uniformed waiters are as beloved by diners as the menu featuring fresh, local seafood caught within 24 hours. The entire staff sees themselves as part of an extended family. Meanwhile, at Cala in San Francisco, Cámara hires staff from different backgrounds and cultures, including ex-felons and ex-addicts, who view the work as an important opportunity to grow as individuals. A Tale of Two Kitchens explores the ways in which a restaurant can serve as a place of both dignity and community.

Expected May 22

What/If

Reneé Zellweger finally makes her way on to the small screen, starring in Mike Kelley’s stylish, neo-noir morality anthology series, which focuses on the consequences of those unexpected choices which end up altering lives – for better or worse. In this first season, a financially constrained newly-wed couple find themselves in a morally questionable situation with Zellweger’s mysterious businesswoman Anne, who offers them an escape from their monetary woes – at a personal price of course. Slick, stylish and one Black Mirror fans should love it.

Expected May 24 

Main photograph: Netflix