Top 5 streaming platforms that are actually worth your time this May

Let’s be honest: most of us are juggling at least three streaming subscriptions and still complaining there’s “nothing to watch.” This May, the platforms have decided to prove us wrong, big time. From originals to long-awaited sequels and hidden gems, the streaming giants are pulling out all the stops.

So instead of sifting through everything, here’s a curated cheat sheet: five platforms that have stepped up their game this month, and exactly what they’re serving.

1. Netflix — for originals and crowd-pleasers

Netflix is swinging for the fences this May with a line-up that mixes genres and feel-good.

• Sirens (May 22): Julianne Moore, Meghann Fahy, and Milly Alcock go head-to-head in this darkly funny limited series set in a beachside mansion where family tensions, class divides, and old grudges boil over.

• Paddington in Peru (May 30): Everyone’s favourite marmalade-loving bear returns for a heartwarming adventure in his homeland.

• Fear Street: Prom Queen (May 23): The fourth entry in the hit horror anthology takes prom night and turns it into a deadly competition.

• Forever (May 8): A touching YA romance based on Judy Blume’s novel, updated with fresh voices and a modern setting.

Netflix balances nostalgia, horror, and heart with an eclectic May line-upiStgetty imagesock

Be it emotional punches, nostalgic sweetness, or genre mashups, Netflix has something to make your subscription feel justified again.

2. Max — for prestige storytelling and cult favourites

Max continues to lean into its “serious TV for serious people” brand, and this month, it absolutely works.

• The Brutalist (May 16): Adrien Brody stuns in this gorgeously filmed historical drama about a Holocaust survivor turned architect. It's moody, meticulous, and hauntingly good.

• Conan O’Brien Must Go: Season 2 (May 8): The red-haired late-night legend is back, globe-trotting with awkward charm and total cultural confusion.

• Pee-wee’s Big Adventure: Tim Burton’s 1985 classic lands just in time for the upcoming HBO doc Pee-wee as Himself.

Max leans into prestige and personality with standout originals and cult favouritesiStock

Max proves it’s not just where prestige goes to live but where it still thrives.

3. Apple TV+ — for weird, wonderful originals you didn’t know you needed

Apple TV+ might not flood your homepage, but it quietly drops some of the most interesting shows around.

• Murderbot (May 16): Alexander Skarsgård plays a rogue security cyborg with a love for soap operas and a distaste for humans. It’s action-packed, hilarious, and oddly relatable.

• Carême: A lush French period piece about a pastry chef-turned-spy in Napoleon’s court. Yes, it’s deliciously strange and that’s the point.

Apple TV+ surprises with bold, offbeat stories that punch above their weightTechRadar

If you like your shows a little left of centre and a lot of quality, Apple TV+ is clearly May’s under-the-radar champion.

4. Hulu — for career-best performances and offbeat stories

Hulu’s May catalogue is bursting with originality and a dash of emotional wreckage.

• The Last Showgirl (May 23): Pamela Anderson delivers her most vulnerable performance yet as a fading Vegas dancer in Gia Coppola’s bittersweet drama.

• Summer of ’69 (May 9): A teen comedy with an unexpected emotional core, about a girl who hires a dancer to seduce her crush. Weird? Yes. Charming? Also yes.

Hulu mixes emotional depth with quirky charm in its refreshingly original slateTechRadar

Hulu is leaning into character-driven stories that aren’t afraid to be a little messy, and that’s where it really shines.

5. Prime Video — for adrenaline, true crime, and guilty pleasures

Amazon’s streamer is having a wild month balancing speed, spectacle, and serious substance.

• Motorheads (May 20): Think Fast & Furious meets Euphoria. This high-action series mixes teen angst with turbo-charged drag racing.

• The Hunt for Shannon Matthews: A chilling documentary revisiting one of the UK’s most shocking child disappearance cases but packed with new insights.

• Another Simple Favour (May 23): Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick reunite for a dark comedy sequel dripping with twists and dry wit.

Prime Video delivers high-octane drama and gripping true crime in equal measure iStock

Prime Video is basically saying: “Why choose between chaos and quality when you can have both?”

Final scroll: how to get more, for less

Not all platforms are created equal, but this month, these five are clearly bringing their A-game. So, open your app drawer, silence your group chats, and press play. May won’t wait.

This May, the question isn’t what to watch. It’s where to start!