What do you do when you're given a month with not one, but two bank holidays? Use the extra days to roll yourself into a duvet cocoon and play ‘how much Netflix can I watch before I need to pee’. Obvs.
If that sounds about right, then you’re in for a treat. Here’s the best of the new films and tv shows heading to the streaming service in May. Send your housemate out for popcorn now.
1. Mad Men
If you miss Donny Drapes as much as we do your world is about to change, my friends. Every, I repeat, every episode of Mad Men is on Netflix and you should probably just accept that all future social engagements are cancelled right now. You have a TV series to attend to.
Available now
2. House of Cards
Anyone else get butterflies at the mention of Frank Underwood? If you don’t, you should. We’ve waited a whole year for this series and if the super tense, maybe a little bit too dramatic teaser trailer is anything to go by (an upside down flag usually means distress, protest, danger and other scary things), things are probably going to get pretty messy in the Oval this season.
Available 30 May 2017
3. Chicken Run
I have something I’d like to share with you. I have a crippling fear of birds. Generally being outside in the city (pigeons) at the seaside (seagulls) or near any form of forestry (lots of things with beaks) is very distressing. That said, Chicken Run was one of my favourite childhood films (because lol, chickens can’t fly) and if you watch it after a night out you're (almost) guaranteed to be too overcome with joy to realise how horribly hungover you are.
Available 1 May 2017
4. The Black Panthers: Vanguard Of The Revolution
If you’ve caught wind of Idris Elba’s new series Guerrilla, you’ve probably picked up on circulating conversations on the history of the Black Panthers. And while the Vanguard Of The Revolution documentary is predominantly from an American perspective, it gives an interesting insight into the reality of being part of one of a party that was one of the most significant organisations in the world.
Available 1 May 2017
5. The Iron Lady
If your in the mood for some political drama (as if there isn’t enough IRL at the moment) then you could always revisit The Iron Lady. For all it isn’t the most celebrated film in the world, we all know how divisive Thatcher is, Meryl Streep is bloody brilliant and if anything you can jus take an hour and 45 minutes to remind yourself of how great she is. Have a Meryl day.
Available 1 May 2017
6. Slumdog Millionaire
Ah, Dev Patel. How can you not love Dev Patel? He’s come a hell of a long way from Skins (which is also on Netflix at the moment, btw) and is now all grown up and winning important acting awards and stuff. But let's take it back to where his feature film career really took off. I dare you not to get up and dance to 'Jai Ho'.
Available 1 May 2017
7. Shrek
Shrek is anything but a guilty pleasure. It’s the most innocent of pleasures, in fact. Which is obviously why Netflix have added the first (and best) instalment to their lineup this month. Also is a safe option for that one weekend you go home to visit the fam and get stuck with entertaining the minors.
Available 18 May 2017
8. Selma
Potentially award winning film coming at ya. You might remember people being pissed off that it didn’t win Best Picture at the Oscars a couple of years back, but the song ‘Glory’ by Common and John Legend did win the film an Oscar though. But anyway, the film great and difficult and moving.
Available 15 May 2017
9. Closer
You know those rom coms all about a group of people who are all connected/sleeping with each other but they don’t know how that became super popular in the mid-late noughties? I’m going to say that this was the catalyst. It had a surprisingly impressive cast (hello Jude Law, Natalie Portman, Julia Roberts and Clive Owen) and is less happy go lucky and more ‘stop fucking other people when you’re meant to be in love with me’.
*Available 10 May 2017 *
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Follow Jazmin on Instagram @JazKopotsha
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.