If you are basing the start of summer off the solstice, the season doesn’t officially arrive until June 20; but if you are going off of Ryan Gosling, then summer movie season is officially here. Summertime at the cinema kicks off with the ideal mix of blockbusters and rom-coms — and at least one blockbuster rom-com — plus horror flicks, biopics, and plenty of movies that the whole family can enjoy together. (Including one of this year’s Best Animated Feature Film nominees, which you beat the heat by enjoying in the cool AC of your local movie theater.) The month’s offerings come courtesy of Oscar-winning auteurs (like Ron Howard and George Miller) and first-time filmmakers alike (actor-turned-director Chris Pine), starring the likes of Anne Hathaway, Ryan Reynolds, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Garfield.
Below, A.frame has your guide to all of the movies hitting the big screen and streaming platforms this May.
If you’ve ever fantasized about being swept off your feet by a British boy bander, then have we got the movie for you. Live vicariously through Oscar winner Anne Hathaway, who stars as Solène, a single mom who meets cute with the swoon-worthy frontman of August Moon, Hayes Campbell (Nicholas Galitzine). Come for the fanfic-ready premise, stay for the palpable chemistry between Hathaway and Galitzine. The Idea of You hails from The Big Sick director Michael Showalter from a script he wrote with Kissing Jessica Stein‘s Jennifer Westfeldt, with Hathaway and Gabrielle Union serving as producers.
Watch it: On Prime Video May 2
David Leitch has become one of summer’s most reliable popcorn auteurs — he’s the stuntman-turned-director behind Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2 and Bullet Train — and his newest blockbuster is both a love letter to stunt performers and a swoon-worthy rom-com starring Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt. Following up his Oscar-nominated turn as Ken, Gosling stars as a down-and-out stuntman attempting to win back the love of his life by tracking down a missing movie star and, thus, save her movie from going off the rails. The Fall Guy‘s cast also includes Winston Duke, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Hannah Waddingham, and Oscar nominee Stephanie Hsu.
Watch it: In theaters May 3
The latest film from We’re All Going to the World’s Fair writer-director Jane Schoenbrun is her most daring, introspective and singular work yet. Hailing from A24 and producer Emma Stone, I Saw the TV Glow centers on suburban teenagers Owen (Justice Smith) and Maddy (Brigette Lundy-Paine), whose obsession with a Buffy the Vampire Slayer-esque TV series forever bonds them. But when the show is suddenly canceled, the boundaries between television and the real world begin to blur and Owen and Maddy are forced to question everything they know to be real. The unconventional horror film features an original soundtrack of bangers by Caroline Polachek, Sloppy Jane, and Phoebe Bridgers.
Watch it: In theaters May 3
The big twist of the original Planet of the Apes revealed that the titular planet, where apes ruled and humans were enslaved, was Earth all along. In 2011, the franchise was rebooted with Rise of the Planet of the Apes and, continuing in 2014’s Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and 2017’s War for the Planet of the Apes, revealed how apes came to conquer mankind. Director Wes Ball is at the helm for another entry set years after that trilogy, when apes reign as the dominant species and humans are their slaves.
Watch it: In theaters May 10
Chris Pine makes his directorial debut with the most sunshiny film noir in cinema history, which he also co-wrote and stars in. Pine plays Darren Barrenman, a native Angeleno who takes a break from cleaning pools to try and solve a mystery involving corrupt politicians, greedy land developers, and (of course) a femme fatale. The first-time filmmaker surrounds himself with a cast of heavy hitters, including DeWanda Wise, Danny DeVito, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and and five-time Oscar nominee Annette Bening.
Watch it: In theaters May 10
Who could have predicted that John Krasinski‘s directorial breakthrough would be — of all things — a monster movie? A Quiet Place spawned its own horror franchise, with a third entry arriving this summer; meanwhile, Krasinski is trying his hand at a totally new genre with this family-friendly fantasy comedy about a young girl and her kindly neighbor (played by Ryan Reynolds) who set out to reconnect forgotten imaginary friends (the titular IFs) with their children. The colorful cast of IFs are voiced by the likes of Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Steve Carell, Awkwafina, Matt Damon, Blake Lively, George Clooney, and the late Louis Gossett Jr.
Watch it: In theaters May 17
Arriving 45 years after his original Mad Max movie, visionary director George Miller returns with the latest installment in his post-apocalyptic epic — and the first to not revolve around Max himself. Furiosa reveals the origin story of Imperator Furiosa, the breakout character played by Charlize Theron in 2015’s Oscar-winning Mad Max: Fury Road. Anya Taylor-Joy steps into the role of Furiosa here, opposite Chris Hemsworth as the villainous Warlord Dementus.
Watch it: In theaters May 24
Everybody’s favorite cartoon cat is back on the big screen in The Garfield Movie — which is not to be confused with 2004’s live-action Garfield: The Movie, in which Bill Murray lent his voice to the lasagna-loving, Monday-hating feline. Here, Chris Pratt voices Garfield, as he is reunited with a shady street cat named Vic (Samuel L. Jackson), who happens to be his long-lost father. Garfield and his loyal canine friend, Odie (voiced by Harvey Guillén), soon find themselves pulled into a high-stakes heist. The voice cast also boasts Nicholas Hoult, Bowen Yang, Cecily Strong, Hannah Waddingham, Brett Goldstein and Ving Rhames. (The latter of which makes The Garfield Movie a very unexpected Pulp Fiction reunion!)
Watch it: In theaters May 24
It can take one beloved filmmaker to truly capture the essence of another. In his latest documentary, two-time Oscar winner Ron Howard looks back on the life and career of Jim Henson, the visionary puppeteer behind generation-defining properties like The Muppets, Sesame Street, and The Dark Crystal. (Henson is himself an Oscar nominee for his 1996 short film, Time Piece.) The film features a rare look inside Henson’s personal archives, as well as intimate interviews with his family members and collaborators like Frank Oz and Rita Moreno.
Watch it: On Disney+ May 31
Spanish filmmaker Pablo Berger adapts Sara Varon’s beloved graphic novel into the summer’s most wistful animated offering. Set in 1980s New York City, the film revolves around the friendship between Dog (all of the characters are anthropomorphized animals) and his robot companion. Bring tissues. At the 96th Oscars, Robot Dreams was nominated for Best Animated Feature Film.
Watch it: In theaters May 31
Also out in May:
Turtles All the Way Down (on Max May 2), Evil Does Not Exist (in select theaters May 3), Lost Soulz (in theaters May 3), Tarot (in theaters May 3), Unfrosted (on Netflix May 3), Wildcat (in select theaters May 3), Mother of the Bride (on Netflix May 9), Gasoline Rainbow (in select theaters May 10), The Image of You (in theaters May 10), The Last Stop in Yuma County (in theaters May 10), Power (in theaters May 10, on Netflix May 17), We Grown Now (in theaters May 10), Babes (in theaters May 17), Back to Black (in theaters May 17), The Blue Angels (in theaters May 17, on Prime Video May 23), The Strangers: Chapter 1 (in theaters May 17), Thelma the Unicorn (on Netflix May 17), Atlas (on Netflix May 24), The Beach Boys (on Disney+ May 24), Queen of the Deuce (in theaters May 24), Solo (in select theaters May 24), Backspot (in theaters May 31), The Dead Don’t Hurt (in theaters May 31), Ezra (in theaters May 31), In A Violent Nature (in theaters May 31), Summer Camp (in theaters May 31), What You Wish For (in theaters May 31), Young Woman and the Sea (in theaters May 31)