16 Movies to Watch in May

      If you've already gone through our extensive summer movie preview, then you're likely aware that this season kicks off with one of the most diverse months in recent memory, featuring daring blockbusters, the comeback of cherished directors, the best comedy of the year, and other treasures waiting to be unearthed.

      16. The Surfer (Lorcan Finnegan; May 2)

      After achieving significant success with last year's Longlegs, Nicolas Cage returns in 2023 with The Surfer, a psychological thriller set on the beach and directed by Lorcan Finnegan (Vivarium, Nocebo). Rory O’Connor noted in his review, “In The Surfer, an exploitation film primed for pressure, an unassuming man faces off against a group so extreme that even Andrew Tate might consider them excessive. Set in the fictional Luna Bay, South Australia, it’s a place where if the heat doesn’t get you, something else likely will. The water sparkles turquoise blue, yet the beaches resemble scorched earth. An unnamed man (Nicolas Cage) arrives with hopes of viewing a cliffside property and catching some waves, but the locals have different ideas: ‘Don’t live here, don’t surf here,’ warns one, offering hospitality akin to a switchblade.”

      15. A Desert (Joshua Erkman; May 2)

      A neo-noir mystery drenched in atmosphere, Joshua Erkman’s debut feature A Desert follows a photographer seeking creative inspiration amidst the desolate landscapes of the American southwest. When he encounters a couple that exudes trouble, he becomes entangled in a sinister plot. Despite some shortcomings in the script co-written by Erkman and Bossi Baker (where influences are palpable), the film's unsettling atmosphere of rising dread is striking, culminating in a descent into depravity.

      14. The Damned (Roberto Minervini; May 16)

      Renowned for crafting films that feel intensely intimate and alive, Roberto Minervini (Stop the Pounding Heart, What You Gonna Do When The World’s On Fire?) takes an unexpected direction with his latest work. The Damned, which earned him the Un Certain Regard Best Director award at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, transports us to the Civil War frontier, following a group of volunteer soldiers. Jake Kring-Schreifels commented in his review, “While The Damned sometimes feels like a reenactment, Minervini ambitiously attempts to shed light on the war’s aimless priorities affecting its marginalized and unrecognized participants. Throughout his career, the Italian director (who has lived in the U.S. for over two decades) has blurred the lines between documentary and narrative (Stop Pounding the Heart, The Other Side, What You Gonna Do When the World’s on Fire?), capturing mundane aspects of life with non-professional actors whose ambiguity and lack of star power lend authenticity. He explores how landscapes and conditions influence individuals, oscillating between fiction and reality to unearth deeper truths.”

      13. Black Tea (Abderrahmane Sissako; May 9)

      After a decade since his remarkable drama Timbuktu, the anticipation for Abderrahmane Sissako’s next feature has been considerable. Although it premiered to a rather subdued reaction at last year’s Berlinale, Black Tea may not reach the evocative brilliance of his best work, yet there remains a gentle, patient pleasure in how Sissako tells this story. It revolves around a bride at the altar who pulls away from her impending marriage, journeying from the Ivory Coast to Guangzhou, China to begin anew in a tea boutique. As she develops a relationship with the shop owner, a lovely connection forms, even as narrative elements appear to be somewhat lost in translation.

      12. Deaf President Now! (Nyle DiMarco and Davis Guggenheim; May 16 on Apple TV+)

      One of the most impactful documentaries premiered at Sundance this year is Nyle DiMarco and Davis Guggenheim’s Deaf President Now!, chronicling student protests against the 1988 decision to appoint a hearing individual as president of Gallaudet University, a prestigious institution for the deaf and hard of hearing. While the film follows the expected narrative structure of an inspiring documentary about a pivotal moment of progress, the directors' choice to enhance the audio in certain archival sections effectively immerses the audience into the experiences of the determined subjects. It's also heartwarming to see the movement’s key figures return to the screen decades later, reflecting on their significant place in history.

      11. Sister Midnight (Karan Kandhari; May 16)

      Although Wes Anderson didn’t have a film at last year’s Cannes, Matthew Rankin’s Universal Language and, more subtly, Karan Kandhari’s humorously deadpan Sister Midnight draw fitting comparisons, as they explore the monotonous early days of an arranged marriage. Radhika Apte delivers a flawless portrayal of Uma, a wife who discovers her own creative means of rebellion within an