Smile – Picture: Paramount Pictures
A new month is just around the corner, and it’s going to be a surprisingly busy month for new and returning movies on the platform, with well over 60 movies and docs on the way, in addition to all the new TV series. What new movies should be on your radar and added to your Netflix queue? We’ve gone through the list and picked out the nine we’re looking forward to catching.
As always, we’ll split this article up into two sections: we’ll cover the Netflix Original movies heading to the streamer globally first and foremost, and then cover some of the many licensed movies that are on the way to Netflix specifically in the US (other regions’ availability will vary) throughout the month. You can find a complete list of everything coming to Netflix US in May 2025 here. What’s on Netflix contributor Ashley has already run through his picks for the best new series on the way.
Most Anticipated New Netflix Original Movies Coming in May 2025
Nonnas (2025)
Releasing on Netflix: May 9th
Nonnas. (L-R) Lorraine Bracco as Roberta, Talia Shire as Teresa, Brenda Vaccaro as Antonella and Vince Vaughn as Joe Scaravella in Nonnas. Cr. Jeong Park/Netflix © 2025.
Netflix quietly picked up this new Vince Vaughn comedy late last year, and it’ll be dropping on our screens on May 9th as one of two major English-language movies of the month. Vaughn plays Joe, a man who risks everything both personally and professionally by opening a restaurant with a twist: all the food is cooked by actual grandmothers. Among that lineup of grandmas: Susan Sarandon, Lorraine Bracco, and Talia Shire. Inspired by the life of Jody Scaravella, this comedy appears to have the potential to tug at a few heartstrings upon its global release on Netflix.
Interestingly, this movie has been blowing up on Facebook, so we suspect many fans of the prestigious cast will be turning out here. Watch this space.
Fear Street: Prom Queen (2025)
Releasing on Netflix: May 23rd
We’re coming up on four years since Netflix’s Fear Street summer, when it ambitiously released three movies over several months to reasonably good success. As you may know, the source material for the trilogy comes from R. L. Stine, who, let’s say, has a few more books in his arsenal to direct, and that’s exactly what Netflix has capitalized on. Featuring a brand new cast full of both up-and-comers and actors very much on the rise, the latest horror thriller sees us returning to Shadyside High, where it’s prom season, and the girls competing for the honor of prom queen (and one outsider) are in for a very rough evening.
From what we’ve seen so far, the movie very much captures the spirit of the first three films and has something new to say, too. Matt Palmer, who worked on the incredibly overlooked Netflix Original film Calibre, is taking over directing duties with some of the cast we referred to earlier, including Ella Rubin, Katherine Waterston, Ariana Greenblatt, Lili Taylor, Chris Klein, and India Fowler.
Lost in Starlight (2025)
Releasing on Netflix: May 30th
Picture: Netflix
South Korea is perhaps best known for its TV lineup of dramas, romantic comedies, and, increasingly, on Netflix, its lineup of reality shows. What they’re probably not known for is animated movies, and indeed, this is the first time Netflix itself has ever released an animated title from the region exclusively. Hoping to kick off a new boom is Lost in Starlight, a movie we’ve been tracking intently since its initial reveal in June 2023, and it looks incredibly ambitious.
Director Han Ji-won is behind the project, with Kim Tae-ri and Hong Kyung lending their voices. The sci-fi title is set 25 years in the future and tells the story of two lost souls who miraculously find each other across the stars.
If we haven’t convinced you, perhaps one of the most prominent South Korean directors in history will. Bong Joon-ho, best known for films like Okja, Mickey 17, and Parasite, has described the film as “This visual masterpiece takes you around the universe.”
A Widow’s Game (2025)
Releasing on Netflix: May 30th
LA VIUDA NEGRA. Tristán Ulloa as Salva, Ivana Baquero as Maje in LA VIUDA NEGRA. Cr. Manuel Fernández Valdes/Netflix © 2024
Finally, on the Netflix Original front, we move to Spain with this new thriller titled La Viuda Negra (or A Widow’s Game in English) dropping right at the end of the month. Headlined by Ivana Baquero, Carmen Machi, and Tristán Ulloa, the crime drama is based on a stunning true story, with the team behind the hit series The Asunta Case adapting. The synopsis reads, “When a man is found dead, the investigation shatters his widow’s perfect facade and exposes a hidden double life in this thriller based on real events.”
From what we’ve seen so far, the movie is a mix between Good Nurse, the Eddie Redmayne movie, and several Spanish-language crime drama series that have dominated the charts over the past few years.
Best New Licensed Movies Coming to Netflix in May 2025
The Wild Robot (2024)
Releasing on Netflix: May 24th
Picture: DreamWorks Animation
Some, including me, think The Wild Robot was robbed at the Oscars this year, given that it’s easily the best and most original movie that DreamWorks Animation has produced in its recent history. Thankfully, it did mop up a bunch of other awards elsewhere, so it did get some of the recognition it truly deserved.
Showcasing stunning visuals and voice performances, the movie follows Roz, a robot who finds himself stranded on an uninhabited island. To survive the harsh environment, he teams up with some of the island’s wildlife. Scooping up rave reviews across the board and doing relatively well at the box office, the movie now heads to Netflix.
The streamer will carry “The Wild Robot” now for a 10-month stint, through to early 2026, before the movie returns to Peacock. Coming up next from the Illumination/Dreamworks deal will be Dog Man, scheduled to arrive this Summer.
The Match (2025)
Releasing on Netflix: May 9th
I don’t handle our (very good, if you don’t mind me saying) coverage of Korean movies and series coming to Netflix, but I know one title that’s seemingly been on indefinite delay is The Match. Due to some controversies, covered in-depth here, the movie was never released on Netflix as originally scheduled back in 2023. However, it eventually came out and became a box office juggernaut in South Korea earlier this year, and it will be making its way to Netflix in the US and other territories midway through May.
Featuring Lee Byung-hun, who is best known for his iconic role as the Frontman on Netflix’s soon-to-be returning beloved show Squid Game, the movie follows two legendary GO players who have been friends for years but now find themselves competing against each other.
Smile (2022)
Coming to Netflix: May 14th
Another horror on our list is Smile, one of the many breakthroughs in the genre over the past few years with this one in particular being a standout for me primarily because of that creepy ass baseball marketing campaign they did. “After witnessing a bizarre, traumatic incident involving a patient,” the synopsis reads, “Dr. Rose Cotter starts experiencing frightening occurrences that she can’t explain. As an overwhelming terror begins taking over her life, Rose must confront her troubling past in order to survive and escape her horrifying new reality.”
While some found it a little trivial, I was immediately hooked from the outset with Sosie Bacon in particular putting in one outstanding performance.
Pig (2021)
Coming to Netflix: May 26th
We haven’t seen a movie from the indie distributor Neon arrive on Netflix in quite some time, so it was a surprise to see that Pig, the 2021 indie darling, was added to the May 2025 lineup quite late on. In one of his many roles over the last five years, which sees Nicolas Cage becoming more and more self-aware, Pig is probably one that many cite as being the movie that kicked off this new Cage renaissance. He plays a humble truffle hunter in this bizarre yet thoughtful film, where his ordinary life takes a twist when his pig is kidnapped and he must go on the hunt to bring her home.
Certified fresh on RottenTomatoes, the movie picked up glowing reviews from around the world including the UK’s Mail on Sunday who said, “It’s easy to underestimate Michael Sarnoski’s low-key picture but Cage’s performance is a dishevelled joy and it does eventually have some quietly powerful things to say about loss, grief and livestock.”
Past Lives (2023)
Coming to Netflix: May 1st
Picture: A24
One of two A24 releases at the beginning of the month includes the Oscar-nominated romantic drama Past Lives from director/writer Celine Song, with Greta Lee, Teo Yoo, and John Magaro starring. It’s a sombre film with a bit of a slow burn, but it pays off spectacularly with convincing performances all round, proving why A24 can bring to life films that the traditional studio system would have otherwise passed on. Beloved by critics and audiences alike, the movie received particular praise for the chemistry between its two leads and the complex bond explored in a mature way.
Those are our picks of the best new movies coming up in May 2025 – what are yours? Sound off in the comments.