Best TV Shows and Movies on Netflix May 2024

Bridgerton | Drama

Like a mashup of Downton Abbey and Gossip Girl, super-producer Shonda Rhimes’s adaptation of the Bridgerton novel series has been called the sexiest period drama ever. It’s certainly one of the most inclusive, as this 1800s costume romp represents Regency-era London as far more racially diverse than history would dictate—as the show producers have said, this isn’t a documentary. Back to the sex and scandal: Bridgerton is binge-worthy TV at its frothiest.

Bojack Horseman | Animation, comedy

Down-and-out ’90s TV star BoJack Horseman (voiced by Will Arnett) spirals into alcoholism and self-loathing in Hollywood—sound like an odd setup for a hilarious cartoon about a talking horse? It is, and it works. BoJack Horseman is both a scathing satire of the entertainment business and a sobering look at depression, with a colorful cast of animals and humans dealing with both. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll believe a cartoon horse can make you feel all the feels.

Cobra Kai | Comedy, drama

When it premiered on YouTube Red (remember that?) in 2018, Karate Kid sequel series Cobra Kai generated much retro-’80s buzz if not views. That changed in 2020 when Netflix picked up the series, leading to Cobra Kai becoming second only to Bridgerton in worldwide streams. The story of childhood frenemies Danny (Ralph Macchio) and Johnny (William Zabka) is nostalgic, modern, funny, and emotional all at once, with martial-arts action and teen drama to boot.

GLOW | Comedy, drama

GLOW looked like a cheeky take on the real-life story of ’80s pro wrestling franchise Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling, but it proved itself to be a sincere celebration of female bonding and friendship from the first bell. Over three seasons, GLOW chronicled the hot-and-cold relationship between newbie wrestlers Ruth (Alison Brie) and Debbie (Betty Gilpin), as well as the high-flying ring antics of an exceptional ensemble cast of women. Check out these thirty all-killer, no-filler episodes.

Ozark | Drama, thriller

Early conclusions that Ozark was just Breaking Bad relocated to Missouri fell away quickly once this tense crime drama started racking up a body count in the first episode. To save his own skin from a Mexican drug cartel, Chicago financial advisor Marty (Jason Bateman) agrees to launder money in a waterfront resort town in the Ozarks. This doesn’t go over well with the local criminals, including ruthless Ruth (breakout star Julia Garner). Ozark always keeps you guessing.

Killing Eve | Drama, thriller

A cat-and-mouse crime thriller that’s far more than that, Killing Eve pits American MI5 agent Eve (Sandra Oh) against Russian serial assassin Villanelle (Jodie Comer), who always slips away—until she doesn’t. A mutual obsession develops between the put-upon agency paper-pusher and the sleek (if a little off) fashionista killer, spinning the story off into wildly unexpected directions.

• Archive 81
• Black Mirror
• Lucifer
• Mindhunter
• Never Have I Ever

• Schitt’s Creek
• Squid Game
• Stranger Things
• Virgin River
• The Witcher

Dumb Money | Comedy, drama

Craig Gillespie’s Dumb Money explains the 2021 GameStop stock market squeeze and the world of finance in general in a tight 100 minutes—and it’s funny, too. The true tale of small-time Redditor Keith Gill, a.k.a. Roaring Kitty (Paul Dano) on his inadvertent path to bringing Wall Street momentarily to its knees doesn’t overtly demonize or speechify about the fat cats; it just lays out the stylized facts. Dumb Money also benefits from low-key—yes, low-key—cameos from typically hammy actors like Pete Davidson, Seth Rogan, and Nick Offerman.

Army of the Dead | Action, drama

Director Zack Snyder jumps from the DC Universe of superheroes to the Netflix world of zombies with Army of the Dead, a surprisingly humorous horror epic. During a zombie outbreak, Dave Bautista (Guardians of the Galaxy) leads a military team on a side mission to liberate $200 million from a Las Vegas casino vault before the undead-ridden city is nuked. Snyder directed an equally entertaining Netflix prequel movie, Army of Thieves, also recommended.

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery | Comedy, mystery

Daniel Craig returns as detective Benoit Blanc in the sequel to 2019’s Knives Out, joined by an all-new lineup of murder suspects that includes Edward Norton, Kathryn Hahn, Janelle Monáe, Kate Hudson, Dave Bautista, and Leslie Odom Jr., as well as several celebrity guest appearances to keep an eye out for). Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is a worthy follow-up to the original, a twisty puzzle with as many laughs as surprises.

The Old Guard | Action, sci-fi

In The Old Guard, action queen Charlize Theron leads a squad of immortal warriors who take on mercenary missions for good, because living forever gets dull without hobbies. Based on the graphic novel of the same name, The Old Guard is a superhero movie that doesn’t look or feel like a superhero movie, balancing kick-ass action and LGBTQ+ undertones with ease. A sequel is in the works at Netflix, with Theron and the rest of the cast returning—franchise time!

The Power of the Dog | Drama, western

In her first film in 12 years, writer/director Jane Campion (The Piano) adapts a ’60s novel about estranged 1925 Montana rancher brothers. Short-tempered Phil (Benedict Cumberbatch) is displeased when his brother George (Jesse Plemons) brings a new bride (Kirsten Dunst) into the ranch house, and Phil proceeds to make her life hell. The Power of the Dog eventually reveals Phil’s own demons, making for a very different kind of western.

Red Notice | Action, comedy

Heist flick Red Notice—among the most expensive Netflix productions ever—has serious star power: Dwayne Johnson, Gal Gadot, and Ryan Reynolds. An FBI profiler (Johnson) reluctantly teams up with an international art thief (Reynolds) to catch another international art thief (Gadot). As you’d expect from this threesome, the action is snappy, the quips are constant, and the plot doesn’t necessarily matter. But hey, Wonder Woman, Deadpool, and Black Adam are together!

• Army of Thieves
• Bullet Train
• The Dirt
• El Camino
• Interceptor

• Gunpowder Milkshake
• The Harder They Fall
• I Care a Lot
• Spiderhead
• Woman King

• Cunk on Earth
• Dead to Me
• The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
• Godless
• Inventing Anna
• Love, Death & Robots

• Orange is the New Black
• Outer Banks
• The Queen’s Gambit
• Russian Doll
• Sweet Tooth
• Wednesday

• Arrested Development
• God’s Favorite Idiot
• The Good Place
• Kim’s Convenience
• Love

• New Girl
• Seinfeld
• Shameless
• Workin’ Moms
• The Wrong Missy

• Better Call Saul
• Breaking Bad
• The Crown
• Grey’s Anatomy
• The Irishman

• The Lincoln Lawyer
• The Magicians
• Peaky Blinders
• Supernatural
• You

• Abducted in Plain Sight
• Bad Vegan
• Dirty Money
• Don’t F**k with Cats
• Manhunt: Unabomber

• Murder Among the Mormons
• Narcos
• The Tinder Swindler
• When They See Us
• Wild Wild Country

• 60 Days In
• Alone
• Bling Empire
• The Circle
• Forged in Fire

• Married at First Sight
• Queer Eye
• The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch
• Selling Sunset
• Too Hot to Handle

• Chef’s Table
• Dark Tourist
• Expedition Happiness
• Great British Baking Show
• Nailed It!

• Our Planet
• Salt Fat Acid Heat
• Somebody Feed Phil
• Stay Here
• World’s Most Amazing Vacation Rentals

• Cheer
• The Devil Next Door
• Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey
• The Last Dance
• Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath

• Making a Murderer
• My Octopus Teacher
• Our Great National Parks
• Tiger King
• Voir

• All of Us Are Dead
• Altered Carbon
• Bladerunner 2024
• Guardians of Justice
• Lost in Space

• The OA
• Resident Evil
• Sense8
• The Umbrella Academy
• Wynonna Earp

• 21 Jump Street
• 6 Underground
• Ava
• Blasted
• Extinction

• Extraction
• Homefront
• The Ice Road
• Kate
• Sky Rojo

• Ash vs. Evil Dead
• Black Summer
• Blood Red Sky
• Brand New Cherry Flavor
• Crazyhead

• The Fear Street Trilogy
• First Kill
• Gerald’s Game
• Midnight Mass
• The Walking Dead

• AJ & the Queen
• Bonding
• East Siders
• Elisa & Marcella
• Feel Good

• Heartstopper
• Kissing Game
• Q Force
• Special
• Queer Eye

• Brainchild
• Chip & Potato
• Fangbone!
• Go Dog Go
• Goosebumps

• Mighty Express
• The Mitchells vs. the Machines
• A Series of Unfortunate Events
• The Thundermans
• Vivo

• Castlevania
• Cowboy Bebop
• Devilman
• Dragon’s Dogma
• Naruto

• One-Punch Man
• Pacific Rim: The Black
• Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness
• The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf
• Yasuke