May streaming highlights

Patrick Vogt

1-5-2026

Translation: Natalie McKay

New month, new streaming recommendations. From Netflix to Prime Video, Disney+, Sky Show, Apple TV and HBO Max, these are our series and film picks on streaming services this May.

Do you ever find yourself overwhelmed by the endless options available on streaming services, unable to choose what to watch? Well, don’t worry – I’m here to help with this list of the month’s top film and series picks. Let’s get to it!

Netflix

Legends (TV series)

It’s the early 1990s, and drug trafficking in Great Britain’s spiralling out of control. To get a handle on the situation, HM Revenue & Customs is resorting to unusual measures, launching an undercover operation involving ordinary customs officers. Their task’s to create criminal identities – known as legends – and infiltrate the country’s drug gangs. After only three weeks of training.

The Legends plot sounds wild, not to mention incredibly risky – but it’s based on true events. Creator Neil Forsyth really knows his stuff: his critically acclaimed 2023 series The Gold is all about one of the biggest heists in British history.

The trailer for Legends promises lots of thrills. And with Alan Partridge – sorry, I mean Steve Coogan – on board, I’ll definitely be tuning in.

Starts: 7 May

The Boroughs (TV series)

The Boroughs is an idyllic retirement community in the New Mexico desert. But newcomer Sam soon realises that appearances can be deceiving, and that the place harbours a dark secret. Someone or something is threatening everyone there, stealing the one thing they don’t have much left of: time. Sam teams up with the other residents to face this threat.

«It looks like Stranger Things with retirees,» I thought to myself when I saw The Boroughs trailer for the first time. I still feel the same way, and it’s not surprising since the Duffer Brothers are behind both series. This means mystery, science fiction and drama are guaranteed. What’s more, the high-calibre cast’s full of youthful stars, including Alfred Molina, Geena Davis and Bill Pullman.

With these components in the mix, there’s a decent chance that the eight episodes of The Boroughs will do more than just steal viewers’ time.

Starts: 21 May

Amazon Prime Video

Good Omens – Season 3 (TV series)

The unusual friendship between demon Crowley (David Tennant) and angel Aziraphale (Michael Sheen) is entering its final chapter. Once again, saving humanity’s on their agenda. But after everything that happened in season two, the two of them need to patch things up first.

It can’t really be called a true third season of Good Omens, as it’s a single 90-minute episode. Why’s this? Originally, several episodes were planned for the final season, as in the previous ones. But then allegations of abuse were levelled against series creator, showrunner and producer Neil Gaiman. Amazon and the BBC therefore decided to end the series without his involvement and in a truncated form.

You’ll have to decide for yourself whether and in what way this does justice to the series so far. In any case, I’m looking forward to following the trials and tribulations of Crowley and Aziraphale once again. The chemistry between the two is truly heavenly – or should that be devilish?

Starts: 13 May

Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan: Ghost War (film)

After four seasons, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan is now also getting a film. CIA analyst and protagonist Jack Ryan (John Krasinski) is retired. Or at least he’s supposed to be. But a deadly conspiracy and a renegade Black Ops team are dragging him back into the world of espionage. As he battles his enemies, he encounters old acquaintances (played by Wendell Pierce and Michael Kelly, among others) as well as new allies (Sienna Miller).

Whether it’s Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford, Ben Affleck, Chris Pine or John Krasinski, who currently holds this role – the name «Jack Ryan» has always been synonymous with thrilling spy action. And the latest feature-length film’s no different. The trailer for Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan: Ghost War promises high-stakes action once again. The film’s directed by Andrew Bernstein, who was also responsible for a few episodes of the Jack Ryan TV series.

Starts: 20 May

Spider-Noir (TV series)

Film noir meets superhero meets Nicolas Cage? Shut up and take my money! I wholeheartedly share the excitement that my colleague Luca sparked back when the first Spider-Noir trailer was released. He said all there is to say:

The new trailer now reveals a bit more about the world of Spider-Noir, such as which enemies our protagonist will face. Trailers can be misleading – but this looks awesome, and I’m definitely going to watch it! It’s got to be in black and white, and not in colour. Right?!

Starts: 27 May

Apple TV

Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed (TV series)

Apple TV sums up Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed best:

To elaborate a bit: Paula – a recently divorced mother – is fighting for custody and trying to find her place in life. During a steamy online date, she witnesses a crime. She launches her own investigation and finds herself caught up in a whirlwind of blackmail, murder… and youth football.

Even though – or perhaps precisely because – it doesn’t all come together into a coherent whole for me, I’m intrigued. Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed looks like it’s going to be a wild ride and great entertainment. Starring Emmy Award winner Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black) in the lead role alongside Jake Johnson (New Girl), this dark comedy-thriller series created by David Rosen (John Sugar) also boasts a star-studded cast.

Starts: 20 May

Star City (TV series)

What if the Soviet Union had landed on the moon before the USA? For All Mankind has been answering this question very effectively since 2019 in its five seasons to date. The series tells the story from the USA’s perspective, depicting an alternate space race together with its consequences.

Star City turns the tables, taking us behind the Iron Curtain and back to the 1960s: what was the race to be the first to land on the moon like for the people involved in the Soviet space programme?

Many fans consider For All Mankind to be one of the best sci-fi series of recent years – or even decades – and it’s seen as a prime example of how Apple TV prioritises [quality over quantity], unlike other streaming services(/page/apple-tv-was-wurde-aus-dem-teuersten-streaming-experiment-der-welt-37289). So expectations for Star City are high, as you’d expect. But since the same creators – Ronald D. Moore, Ben Nedivi and Matt Wolpert – as For All Mankind are on board, it’s hard to imagine anything going wrong.

Starts: 29 May

HBO Max

Wuthering Heights (film)

In 1847, British poet and author Emily Brontë published Wuthering Heights under the pen name Ellis Bell. It ended up being her only novel, as she died just one year later – presumably of tuberculosis – at only 30 years old. Today, Wuthering Heights is considered a classic of English literature. The story has been adapted for film countless times, whether for television or the big screen. It’s all about love, passion and plenty of drama.

The latest film adaptation by director Emerald Fennell (Promising Young Woman), starring Margot Robbie (Barbie) and Jacob Elordi (Euphoria), hit cinemas in February. It’s now available to stream. If we’re to believe German online magazine Watson, it’s set to be the year’s most controversial film (linked page in German).

I’m only interested in the new adaptation of Wuthering Heights because Charli XCX created its soundtrack. That aside, there’s only one real Wuthering Heights for me: the song of the same name by Kate Bush, which is, of course, also inspired by Emily Brontë’s world-renowned classic.

Starts: 1 May

Rick and Morty – Season 9 (TV series)

«I’m Pickle Riiiick!» This kind of sick nonsense is exactly why I’ve been such a huge fan of Rick and Morty for years. Whenever Rick Sanchez – that crazy, debauched old man – travels through space, time and the universe with his 14-year-old grandson Morty to embark on wild adventures, I’ll be following along.

Science fiction, dark humour, profound topics, coming-of-age stories, or family dramas – Adult Swim’s animated series brings together elements that, at first glance, don’t seem to go together at all. Yet each time, it manages to create something coherent out of them. Episode by episode.

With that in mind: let’s get the new season started. Or, as Rick would put it:

Starts: 25 May

Disney+

The Punisher: One Last Kill (film)

2026 looks set to be the year of Frank Castle, aka the Punisher. First, he appeared in the trailer for Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which – after my initial excitement wore off – left me feeling just as torn as my colleague Luca. You can find out why here.

This makes the trailer for The Punisher: One Last Kill all the more exciting. Frank Castle seems to be asking himself what to do when there’s nothing left to avenge. Ghosts from the past catch up with him, and a real threat forces him back into battle.

It’s going to be bloody. It’s going to be messy. It’s going to hurt on every level. Count me in! I love Jon Bernthal, especially as the Punisher – and he takes this role very seriously. To begin with, he didn’t want to be involved in Daredevil: Born Again because he thought the fans wouldn’t like it. It wasn’t until The Punisher author Dario Scardegna took over and reworked Frank Castle’s role that he came on board.

Jon Bernthal wrote the screenplay for The Punisher: One Last Kill himself, together with director Reinaldo Marcus Green (We Own This City). For me, that’s a guarantee that this 60-minute Marvel Television Special Presentation will be worthy of the Punisher.

Starts: 13 May

Paramount+

Dutton Ranch (TV series)

Now that Yellowstone’s come to an end, the spotlight at Dutton Ranch has shifted to married couple Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) and Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser). Together with their adopted son Carter (Finn Little), the two are building a new life for themselves in Texas. If only it weren’t for the unscrupulous owners of a rival ranch who are making life difficult for them.

Does anyone still keep track of how many spin-offs, prequels, and sequels Yellowstone has by now? As much as I liked the original series – enough is enough. In fact, no one has embodied Yellowstone quite like Kevin Costner as John Dutton – the gruff cowboy patriarch with a heart of gold. When Costner dropped out due to scheduling conflicts – or was it actually creative differences with series creator Taylor Sheridan? – and had to be hastily written out of the second half of the fifth season, Yellowstone lost its soul. What had been a magnificent and gripping series came to an unworthy conclusion in the final few episodes.

It could play out the same way here. When I get the chance, I’ll still take a peek to see how things are going for Beth and Rip at Dutton Ranch. In any case, the cast features two big names: Annette Bening (American Beauty) and Ed Harris (The Truman Show). Whether the signs bode well for a series whose showrunner jumped ship shortly before its streaming debut is an entirely different matter. Disagreements with the stars were given as the possible reason. Hmm, that sounds familiar…

Starts: 15 May

Patrick Vogt

Editor

Patrick.Vogt@digitecgalaxus.ch

I'm a full-blooded dad and husband, part-time nerd and chicken farmer, cat tamer and animal lover. I would like to know everything and yet I know nothing. I know even less, but I learn something new every day. What I am good at is dealing with words, spoken and written. And I get to prove that here. more

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