Screen Time - May 2024

Action-packed epics, hilarious comedy romps, pure science-fiction, and even a bit of animation highlights this exciting month.

If you've been wanting a reason to head to the cinema to watch an exciting new film on the big screen, we have some good news for you. This month features a collection of really exciting movies making their debut in theatres, as well as a few series and smaller projects also coming to streamers around the world. Whether you're looking for action-packed epics, hilarious comedy romps, pure science-fiction, or even a bit of animation, this May has something for you.

But before we get into this latest episode of Screen Time, a quick reminder. We've based our picks on a UK release calendar, so be sure to check locally for accurate listings and information.

The Fall Guy - May 2

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Ryan Gosling doesn't make too many movies these days, but when he does star in a flick it's usually quite an exciting project. That certainly seems to be the case with The Fall Guy, a movie where Gosling stars as a stuntman tasked with finding the lead actor of a film that is being directed by his ex-girlfriend, played here by Emily Blunt. If there was ever a movie to serve as an example as to why stunt performers need to be recognised in film award ceremonies in the future, this is the one without a doubt.

Unfrosted [Netflix] - May 3

Seeing Jerry Seinfeld starring in a film or TV series these days is quite the rarity, but that's precisely what we're getting with Netflix's hilarious dramatised biography of how Kellogg's created the Pop-Tart. Known as Unfrosted, this film will also star Melissa McCarthy, Jim Gaffigan, Amy Schumer, and even Hugh Grant, making it one of the streamer's biggest offerings for the month ahead.

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Clarkson's Farm Season 3 [Prime Video] - May 3

Say what you will about Jeremy Clarkson as a person, but he is an excellent television host, and that's clear as day since we can't get enough of his daft antics on his rural Diddly Squat Farm. While we've followed Clarkson and Kaleb for two seasons already, this third season will see the duo looking to raise pigs and further survive and thrive in the demanding financial climate that faces farmers throughout the UK.

Star Wars: Tales of the Empire [Disney+] - May 4

To mark the annual Star Wars Day, Disney is returning to its short anthology series with a new batch of episodes dedicated to the period and the characters that helped define the Galactic Empire. The frankly named Tales of the Empire will offer up a bunch of stories that include looks at characters that we either know very well or barely at all, and all while being animated in the amazing style that we came to love thanks to The Clone Wars.

Dark Matter [Apple TV+] - May 8

May is set to be quite a steady one for Apple, as by far the biggest and most exciting new addition planned for the month is the sci-fi drama series Dark Matter. This show sees Joel Edgerton leading the case as a man who has been abducted by an alternate version of himself. He must then race across lives and realities in an attempt to save his family from himself. Needless to say, this is set to be quite the mind-boggling tale when it debuts on the streamer.

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes - May 9

The simian season is coming to a close this May. Following Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire and Monkey Man, this May brings us Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, the next chapter in the live-action series and an effective reboot at the same time as it takes place many years after Caesar's rebellion. While we can look forward to digital ape performances from Kevin Durand and Dichen Lachman, The Witcher's Freya Allen leads the human cast as a young woman attempting to survive on a very hostile primate-led Earth.

IF - May 17

Ryan Reynolds sure does get about. The iconic actor will be leading Deadpool & Wolverine this summer, but ahead of that he will also be appearing alongside the young Cailey Fleming in the next directorial and written effort from The Office and A Quiet Place's John Krasinski. IF is all about imaginary friends, and sees Reynolds and Fleming helping to find discarded imaginary companions new humans to bond and connect with.

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga - May 24

Yet another major action blockbuster coming this May. It's taken director George Miller almost a decade to return to the Mad Max world, but thankfully we're doing so in the form of a prequel story that dictates and documents how Furiosa survived through childhood in the dangerous wasteland of Australia and rose to become Immortan Joe's Imperator. While we won't be seeing Tom Hardy's Mad Max this time around, Chris Hemsworth will be appearing as Dr. Dementus, the antagonist to Anya Taylor-Joy's titular hero.

The Garfield Movie - May 24

Chris Pratt really does manage to hoover up animated roles. The actor is picking up on the success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie by lending his talents to The Garfield Movie, where he voices the titular, lasagna-loving, Monday-hating feline, as he gets caught up in a heisting adventure alongside his father Vic, voiced here by Samuel L. Jackson, and his good friend and companion Odie.

Atlas [Netflix] - May 24

And rounding out the month we have another big flick from Netflix. The streamer does love working with Jenny from the Block, and that's precisely what we're seeing once again with the sci-fi action movie that is Atlas. This film sees Jennifer Lopez attempting to find a renegade AI soldier, with whom she shares a mysterious past, and which has the potential to end all wars by simply ending humanity. Needless to say, Lopez's Atlas Shepherd can't let that happen.

That concludes yet another episode of Screen Time. Be sure to return in a few weeks when we turn our attention to see what June 2024 has in store for film and TV fans.