7 best Netflix movies to watch (and 4 to skip) in May 2022

May is always an exciting month for Netflix as there tend to be several big releases to entice people to the service for the coming summer months. Obviously, one of the biggest draws this May is the release of Stranger Things season 4, but what do we have to look forward to when it comes to new Netflix movies?

This May, there are many good Netflix movies that fans have been waiting months to finally see, but there are a few titles you could probably skip, or at least put on the back-burner for a while. Most Netflix watchers will be anticipating the release of big titles like Along for the Ride and Senior Year this month, in addition to new episodes of Stranger Things of course. But there are several lesser-known movies arriving on the streamer in May that viewers will want to check out!

Best Netflix movies in May 2022

What new Netflix movies should you add to your watch list, and which ones should you save for later or skip altogether? We’ll walk you through the best Netflix movies coming in May 2022 in order of release date!

Hold Your Breath: The Ice Dive

Skip! Swedish free diver Johanna Nordblad will try to break the record for distance traveled beneath the ice with a single breath. It’s an undeniably impressive feat. That said, the subject of this documentary is pretty obscure.

The trailer teases a daunting, nerve-wracking experience ahead for Nordblad, and by extension, viewers. I put skip because I’m not sure this doc will have broad appeal for those uninterested in freediving and record-breaking, but if it sounds good to you then get to streaming!

Streaming on May 3.

Along for the Ride

Watch! Originally intended for an April release, Netflix pushed Along for the Ride back to May. It is a charming, feel-good teen drama based on Sarah Dessen’s novel of the same name. It’s also directed and written by Sofia Alvarez, who worked on the screenplay for To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before and its sequel. If you like romantic movies or are a fan of Dessen’s, then watch this film in May.

Streaming May 6.

Marmaduke

Skip! I’m not sure we really need another Marmaduke movie. The cast boasts Pete Davidson and J.K. Simmons, so if that’s enticing to you then you might want to watch. But otherwise, the animation is a little lackluster, especially for a 2022 film, so unless you’ve got kids eager to check this one out I would skip it.

Streaming May 6.

Thar

Watch! Mysteries and mirages, twists and turns. In the heart of an unforgiving desert, unfolds a gritty thriller, unlike any other. Thar looks like an engrossing and dark film. It is a Hindi-language movie starring Anil Kapoor and his son Harshvarrdhan Kapoor.

Streaming May 6.

The Takedown

Watch! Lupin star Omar Sy is back with a new action-adventure comedy film. Sy plays Ousmane Diakité, a cop with a distinct style that conflicts with his new partner François Monge (Laurent Lafitte). The two must team-up for a new investigation that takes them across France and what appeared like a simple drug deal transforms into something far more dangerous.

Streaming May 6.

Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 Sustainable War

Skip! Some Ghost in the Shell fans aren’t happy about the upcoming Netflix film which will transform the Netflix series Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 season 1 into a new feature-length movie with new scenes and full re-color grading.

The trailer has received mixed reception from those who don’t like the new animation, but Michihito Fujii is a well-respected director of live-action films such as the six Japan Academy Prize-nominated work The Journalist and A Family. We’ll say skip for now but if you like the trailer and/or are just a huge fan of the franchise, you might want to watch when it arrives.

Streaming May 9.

Operation Mincemeat

Watch! Operation Mincemeat is an excellent spy thriller starring two Mr. Darcys (Colin Firth and Matthew Macfadyen). The pair star as two intelligence officers plotting to break Hiter’s grip on Europe with a risky scheme that centers around a dead man. Based on an extraordinary true story.

Streaming on May 11.

Our Father

Watch! Our Father looks like a horrifying but gripping true crime documentary about former fertility doctor Donald Cline, who inseminated his patients with his own sperm.

Streaming May 11.

Senior Year

Watch! Rebel Wilson’s new comedy looks sweet and hilarious. People who like Wilson and movies like Never Been Kissed and 13 Going on 30 should love this film about a woman who wakes up from a 20-year coma in her late 30s and decides to return to high school.

Streaming May 13.

A Perfect Pairing

Watch! If you’re a fan of light, feel-good romantic comedies then A Perfect Pairing should be right up your alley. Plus, it stars Victoria Justice and Sex/Life‘s Adam Demos, so you know the cast will be pretty to look at! Justice fans are happy to see the actress/singer in more projects as of late and will be delighted to add this film to their watchlist.

Streaming May 19.

Jackass 4.5

Skip! Unless you are a diehard fan of the Jackass crew and movies, this one is a skip. It’s not even an entirely “new” movie since it’s actually just re-cut footage that they couldn’t fit into Jackass Forever (similar to what they did with Jackass 2.5 and Jackass 3.5). But if you can’t get enough of Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O and the rest of the gang’s outlandish antics, then by all means, watch away.

Streaming May 20.

Which of these Netflix movies are you most excited to watch?