The first weekend in May marks the start of the summer movie season in Hollywood. Over the next few months, studios will be releasing a slew of movies that could be financial juggernauts. In other words, the blockbusters are hitting theaters—The Odyssey, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Toy Story 5, and more.

As for at-home viewing, the major streaming services are rolling out original movies and theatrical hits from earlier this year. The movie at the top of our list this week is a survival thriller from horror maestro Sam Raimi. Right behind that movie is a new Netflix mystery drama inspired by a book. All five of these movies can be streamed in the U.S.

5

My Dearest Assassin

Give foreign films a chance

Netflix Thailand is combining action with romance in My Dearest Assassin. Lhan (Baifern-Pimchanok Luevisadpaibul) is a young woman with a rare blood type that makes her extremely valuable to the wrong people. After her parents are murdered for their blood, Lhan seeks solace in House 89, an underground assassin group that takes her in.

I don’t think My Dearest Assassin is like John Wick. It’s more Ballerina because Lhan starts to train as a killer to take the fight to those who murdered her parents. There is a romantic element in the movie—Lhan falls in love with Pran (Tor-Thanapob Leeratanakachorn), another assassin who fights by her side. I like the trailer’s action-packed footage, so Netflix could have a hit on its hands.

My Dearest Assassin arrives on Netflix on May 7.

Integrations

Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant

Ports

HDMI, Optical, Ethernet

4

Greenland 2: Migration

Gerard Butler takes on the end of the world

Five years after the events of Greenland, John Garrity is living with his family at a secret underground base in Greenland. Unfortunately, an earthquake ruins their peace and forces the Garritys to leave the bunker. Rumor has it that a crater in France could be a safe haven for humans. Getting there will be tricky, especially when the military fighting for the crater gets involved.

I have a special place in my heart for Gerard Butler. He’s the pseudo-patron saint of action movies. Butler makes these old-school action spectacles that I love. It’s usually about somebody on a mission to defeat the bad guys. These movies are pure escapism. So thank you, Mr. Butler, for continuing to headline these films.

Greenland 2: Migration premieres on HBO Max on May 8.

3

We Bury the Dead

Zombie overload

I remember when The Walking Dead had a stranglehold on pop culture in the early 2010s. The creatures in We Bury the Dead move much faster than the zombies in The Walking Dead. After the U.S. fires a weapon on a city, many of the residents become undead in the aftermath. Ava Newman (Daisy Ridley) lost her husband in the explosions and signs up to be part of a team that goes into the area and retrieves the dead bodies.

When watching We Bury the Dead, you feel a constant sense of dread—it’s a matter of when, not if, the creatures will attack. It’s a zombie movie on the surface, but it’s more concerned with presenting a meditation on death and grief.

We Bury the Dead heads to Hulu on May 8.

Sally Field and Lewis Pullman form an unlikely duo

Remarkably Bright Creatures looks heartwarming in all the best ways. Sally Field stars as Tova, a widow who works at an aquarium in a small town. Tova’s best friend is arguably an octopus named Marcellus (Alfred Molina). Cameron (Pullman) is new to town and picks up a job working alongside Tova at the aquarium.

Based on the bestselling novel, Remarkably Bright Creatures has a twist that I won’t reveal for fear of spoilers. It’s a discovery that changes the way the duo look at things going forward. I’m being intentionally vague, but what I can say is that this endearing drama about grief and friendship.

Remarkably Bright Creatures premieres on Netflix on May 8.

Remarkably Bright Creatures

Release Date

May 8, 2026

Runtime

111 Minutes

Director

Olivia Newman

1

Send Help

Stranded on an island in hell

Send Help is easily one of my favorite movies of 2026. The survival horror marked the return of Sam Raimi, his first non-Marvel movie in over a decade. Rachel McAdams plays Linda Liddle, an overworked employee at a financial management company. Despite being promised a promotion, Bradley Preston (Dylan O’Brien), the former boss’ son who becomes CEO, passes over Linda in favor of another less deserving employee.

The tables turn when Linda and Bradley are the only survivors of a plane crash. The power dynamics change—Linda’s survival skills put her in charge. Raimi is right at home with a gory thriller infused with dark comedy. McAdams is game for the role, but O’Brien is the revelation, playing perfect frat boy heel in this delightful horror.

Send Help can be streamed on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+ on May 7.

More movies to stream

If you’re interested in more movies, check out new releases coming to Netflix in May, including Ladies First and The Crash. If you’re in the market for Oscar-winning movies, then stream Ray and Ex Machina.