It’s a lizard! It’s a Garner! It’s a drag queen! And they’re all coming to your various screens this May.
It’s a lizard! It’s a Garner! It’s a drag queen! And they’re all coming to your various screens this May.

Pop CultureMay 1, 2021

What’s new to Netflix NZ, Neon and other streaming services in May

It’s a lizard! It’s a Garner! It’s a drag queen! And they’re all coming to your various screens this May.
It’s a lizard! It’s a Garner! It’s a drag queen! And they’re all coming to your various screens this May.

What are you going to be watching in May? With thanks to our friends at Nando‘s, we round up everything coming to streaming services this month, including Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, Apple TV+, Neon and TVNZ OnDemand.

The biggies

Drag Race: Down Under (from May 1 on TVNZ OnDemand and TVNZ 2)

Vroom vroom, beep beep! Get out of the way, because RuPaul is making his way down under to pit the best of Australasia’s drag artists against each other. Just one week after the US season ended as well, because Drag Race is not a seasonal sport, people! I’m not going to play with you here, you know what the game is: Drag performers duke it out in a competition that’s one part Top Model, one part Project Runway, and five parts queer excellence, and they get judged by RuPaul, Michelle Visage (look out for our interview soon), Rhys Nicholson and a rotating panel of guest judges, including Kylie Minogue (!) and Taika Waititi. / Sam Brooks

Made for Love (from May 1 on Neon)

Imagine waking up one day and discovering your tech-billionaire husband has put a chip in your brain so that your hearts and minds could merge into one. LOL! This is exactly what happens to Hazel (Cristin Milioti) in Neon’s new dark satire Made for Love, and it’s the jolt she needs to leave her ten-year marriage. Brain implantation is definite grounds for divorce, but gaining your independence back is tricky when your ex-husband’s fancy tracking device means you can never escape him. It doesn’t sound funny, but it is, mostly thanks to Milioti’s incredibly charismatic performance. / TW

The Masked Singer NZ (from May 9 on ThreeNow and Three)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyC2Uwg0pSc

It never takes long for an internationally successful reality TV franchise to make its way to New Zealand, and so arrives The Masked Singer on our shores. Based on the South Korean show King of Mask Singer, and subsequently remade with huge success in the US and UK, the Masked Singer NZ will see a “guessing panel” of Rhys Darby, James Roque, Ladi6 and Sharyn Casey work to determine the celebrities performing onstage, obscured by intricate costumes. While it seems unlikely we’ll get appearances from Lorde or Benee, I’m keeping my fingers crossed for some epic B-list celeb cameos and hilarious viral moments. Still have no idea what I’m talking about? Watch this and you still won’t. / Stewart Sowman-Lund

Halston (from May 14 on Netflix)

Another month, another Ryan Murphy property plundering queer history for… god knows why at this point. Anyway, Ewan McGregor plays legendary, mononymous fashion designer Halston, who shot to fame after designing the hat Jackie Kennedy wore for her husband’s inauguration. The 60s! What a time, huh? Halston led a fabulously homosexual life and remains one of the 20th century’s most underrated (in my not humble opinion) and significant artists. I expect Ryan Murphy will bring the same sensitivity to this that he brought to Ratched, Glee and Nip/Tuck. / SB

The notables

Pose (season 3 weekly from May 10 on Neon)

OK, now I have to reverse the above Ryan Murphy hatred, because this example of his oeuvre is genuinely one of the best series of the past decade. Pose follows the drag ball scene in New York (think Paris is Burning, Vogue, et al) in the 80s and 90s, and the seismic cultural shifts that were happening throughout this period, like the rise of Trump and the rapidly growing AIDS crisis. The third and final season covers the scene as it’s dragged into the mainstream, and the pandemic that continues to rage throughout the community. Don’t be fooled by how heavy it sounds, Pose is a joyous, engaging watch with sensitive, vibrant performances and some of the best writing about, and for, queer people that I’ve seen in the past decade. Watch it. / SB

Waiata / Anthems (from May 1 on TVNZ OnDemand)

TVNZ’s new short documentary series follows New Zealand music icons (including Bic Runga, Hollie Smith & Don McGlashan and Drax Project) as they record a brand new track or re-record their biggest hit in te reo Māori. It’s a follow-up to the 2019 album of the same name, and each 15 minute episode follows the musicians as they share personal stories and discover the process of translation and meaning into te reo Māori. It’s a uniquely New Zealand series that celebrates the power of language and identity, and with each episode concluding with a live performance, leaves you with a deeper connection to your favourite song. / TW

Shrill (season 3 from May 7 on Neon)

I’ve only seen the first season of Shrill, but with the third set to debut on Neon this month it’s motivating me to catch up so I can watch it as soon as it drops. Shrill follows Annie, a journalist working to make it in a world that deems her unworthy of success due to her weight. It’s an empowering, heartwarming, hilarious sitcom packed with great performances. At just six or eight episodes a season, Shrill is well worth the small commitment and you’ll binge it in no time / SSL

Master of None (from May 23 on Netflix)

It’s been four years since the second season of Aziz Ansari’s comedy Master of None dropped on Netflix. That season featured one of the best half hours of TV ever made: a Thanksgiving episode focusing on a side character played by Lena Waithe. Season three is doubling down on that episode’s acclaim, exclusively following Waithe’s character Denise over just five episodes. Despite the slightly obnoxious subtitle for the season – ‘Moments in Love’ – I am beyond excited to return to the Master of None world after what feels like far too long. / SSL

The films

Nomadland (from April 30 on Disney+)

Fresh from winning best picture, director and actress at this week’s Academy Awards, Nomadland heads to Disney+ just a few days later. It feels like a slightly odd fit for the streamer, but here’s hoping it will result in a wider audience for a film that in years past could have been relegated to late night screenings at arthouse cinemas. Frances McDormand is probably the most reliably compelling actress of this generation and her performance in Nomadland is one of her most acclaimed. We’re lucky in New Zealand that we can still go out to the theatres, but if you missed Nomadland on the big screen it’s well worth your time checking it out at home. / SSL

13 Going on 30 (from May 7 on Neon)

If you were 13 when this film came out, you are now 30. Enjoy that information, and enjoy this delightful film that holds up way better than you think it does! / SB

Cruella (from May 28 on Disney+)

Disney loves an origin story, and they’re utterly obsessed with a prequel, which is why Cruella is dropping on our screens this month. Emma Stone plays the unfortunately named villain in the latest example of Disney wringing its existing IP for all it’s worth. What intrigues me a bit more about this one is that it’s directed by Craig Gillespie, who gave us the delightfully bent I, Tonya, and one of the writers is Tony McNamara, who co-wrote the even more delightfully bent The Favourite. It could be great! But also: Her name is Cruella DeVil. Of course she turned out evil. / SB


This post is made possible by our friends at Nando’s


The rest

Netflix

May 1

Snakes on a Plane

Lego Ninjago: Season 3

May 4

Selena: The Series: Part 2

Trash Truck: Season 2

May 5

The Sons of Sam: A Descent into Darkness

May 6

And Tomorrow the Entire World

May 7

Girl from Nowhere: Season 2

Jupiter’s Legacy

Monster

Milestone

May 8

Mine

May 9

Super Me

May 11

Money, Explained

May 12

The Upshaws

Oxygen

Dance of the Forty One

Puberty Blues

May 13

Castlevania: Season 4

May 14

Move to Heaven

Love, Death and Robots: Volume 2

Haunted: Season 3

The Strange House

The Woman in the Window

I Am All Girls

Ferry

Jungle Beat: The Movie

May 16

Pitch Perfect

May 18

Sardar Ka Grandson

May 19

Who Killed Sara?: Season 2

May 20

Special: Season 2

May 21

The Neighbour: Season 2

Army of the Dead

May 26

Baggio: The Divine Ponytail

Nail Bomber: Manhunt

High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America

May 27

Black Space

Ragnarok: Season 2

Blue Miracle

Soy Rada: Serendipity

Eden

May 28

The Kominsky Method: Season 3

Lucifer: Season 5 Part 2

Dog Gone Trouble

May 31

The Parisian Agency: Exclusive Properties

AlRawabi School for Girls

Halston

Master of None: Season 2

Racket Boys

Mad for Each Other

Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous: Season 3

Neon

May 1

Made for Love

Monster Math Squad

What Not to Give an Ogre for His Birthday

Yummy Toonies

DC’s Legends of Tomorrow

Blood Moon

The Current Occupant

May 2

Astro Kid

May 3

Culture Shock

May 4

DC’s Legend of Tomorrow: Season 6

May 5

Crawlers

May 6

Heston’s Dinner in Space

8 Mile

You Don’t Mess With The Zohan

May 7

Shrill: Season 3

Sniper: Assassin’s End

13 Going on 30

May 8

Parks and Recreation: Seasons 1-7

May 9

Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World

Year One

May 10

Pose: Season 3

May 11

According to Kids: Season 1-2

Untraceable

May 13

Sesame Book: Family Forever

Delivered

The Whole Nine Yards

May 14

QAnon: The Search for Q

The American President

Changeling

Good Boy

May 15

The Girlfriend Experience: Season 1-2

Follow Me

The Other Boleyn Girl

May 16

Nomadland

May 17

Friday Night Lights: Season 1-5

May 18

Fine Young Cannibals

Intergalactic

Bowfinger

Midnight Kiss

May 19

How to Rob A Rank

Made Of Honour

May 20

Alphablocks

Doom

My Valentine

May 21

City On A Hill: Season 2

May 22

Hop

Outback

Uncanny Annie

May 23

Force Of Nature

May 24

A Nasty Piece of Work

May 25

Black Monday: Season 3

Tentacles

May 26

Olive and the Rhyme Rescue Crew

Pooka Lives!

May 27

Draft Day

Pilgrim

May 28

Deep Ocean

Hard Kill

The Longest Yard

May 30

The Burnt Orange Heresy

TVNZ OnDemand

May 1

RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under

Waiata / Anthems

Robot Chicken: DC Comics Special

Edward VIII: The King Who Threw Away His Crown

Mermaids

The Viral Threat: Measles and Misinformation

3100: Run and Become

I Was Lorena Bobbitt

The Evil Twin

Baby Sellers

Ann Rule’s A House on Fire

Mud Slingers

Dropped: Season 2

The Tranz Form

Holly Stars: Inspiration

The Alaska Thunderfuck Extra Special Comedy Special

For My Father’s Kingdom

Real Fake: The Art, Life and Crimes of Elmyr de Hory

Viewer Discretion Advised

Zulu Summer

Perfect Places: Season 1-3

May 2

Dig

May 4

Coroner

May 8

Wynonna Earp

May 14

Taskmaster UK

Secret Bridesmaids’ Business

May 16

The Brave

May 17

The Vloggingtons

May 21

Packed to the Rafters: Season 1-6

May 26

The Jaquie Brown Diaries

In the Long Run

Disney+

May 4

The Bad Batch

May 7

Traficked With Mariana Van Zeller

High Fidelity

The Long Road Home: Season 1

Disney Ducktales: Season 3

Disney Junior Vampirina

May 14

Gigantosaurus: Season 1

An Affair To Remember

The Alligator People

The Blue Bird (1976)

High School Musical: The Musical: The Series

May 21

Bruce Almighty

Bin Laden’s Hard Drive

Fury Files

Alaska’s Deadliest: Season 1

Narco Wars: Season 1

Drugs, Inc.: Dealer Pov

To Catch a Smuggler: Season 1-2

When Sharks Attack: Season 1-6

The Amazing Race Australia: Season 1-4

Brubaker

Black Widow (1987)

An Innocent Man

Tin Men

Patrick

Deadly Instincts: Season 1

Deep State: Season 1-2

One Missisppi: Season 1-2

Pitch: Season 1

Rel: Season 1

A Wilderness Of Error: Season 1

Marvel’s M.O.D.O.K

May 28

Rebel

Mixed-Ish: Season 2

The Full Monty

Cruella

Amazon Prime

May 1

Star Trek Beyond

May 6

Bloodshot

Fantasy Island

May 7

The Boy From Medellin

May 14

The Underground Railroad

Horizon Line

Lol “Si Te Ries Pierdes” Spain

May 21

P!nk: All I Know So Far

5x Comedia

Solos

May 28

Panic

Lol, Qui Rit, Sort!

May 31

Zoolander 2

Apple TV+

May 7

Mythic Quest: Season 2

May 21

Trying: Season 2

Acorn TV

Ma 3

Midsomer Murders: Season 20

WPC 56: Season 2

May 10

Ms. Fisher’s Modern Murder Mysteries

Hunted

Amber

May 17

Candice Renoir: Season 1

The Hour: Season 2

Murphy’s Law: Season 4-5

May 24

Whistable Pearl: Season 1, Episodes 1-2

Clean Break

May 31

Whitstable Pearl: Season 1, Episode 3

Death Comes to Pemberley

Keep going!