The first day of May marks the official start of the summer blockbuster movie, so get ready for hot, lazy days and plenty of blood-pumping action on the big screen. Streaming platforms are in for a serious race, and they're doing their best to catch up.
As it's become tradition, autoevolution is here with a carefully-curated guide for the content on the five biggest streaming platforms in a bid to help you better plan your "Netflix & chill" binges. As film theaters worldwide prepare for packed venues with the start of the summer blockbuster season (Fast X, anyone?), streaming services must be feeling the heat – because they're picking up the pace with releases vying for your attention.
Whether classics or new arrivals, we've got plenty to choose from in the month of May 2023. It's not summer yet, but there's the anticipation of it in the air – alongside the smell of burned rubber, gunpowder, and adrenaline.
Before we get to the new productions, how about a blast from the past? As of May 1, Netflix is streaming the first three movies in the Airport series, which counts with four installments in total. Based on the 1968 novel Airport by Arthur Hailey, all three films, Airport, Airport '75, and Airport '77, are widely regarded as the precursors of the disaster movie genre.
The first film's main star, Burt Lancaster, once called it "the biggest piece of junk ever made," but modern audiences will probably disagree. It might not have too much in terms of storytelling or character development, but it's a thrilling look at all the small (and huge) dramas playing out at the fictional Lincoln Airport, including a severe winter storm.
There's no debating the quality of this one: director Ridley Scott takes on the near-disastrous 1993 mission to Mogadishu, Somalia, detailed in the best-selling book of the same name. Over 100 US elite troops were dropped into the capital to capture two lieutenants of the Somali warlord, but the mission became a rescue one when one of the Black Hawk tactical helicopters was downed.
The resulting firefight ended with numerous casualties on either side, and the movie doesn't shy away from painting the grittiest details of the conflict. Boasting a stellar cast and a heartbreaking, memorable soundtrack, Black Hawk Down is the farthest from a "chill" movie you'll get – but it's a thrilling watch nonetheless.
Another "true story" brought to the big screen to great critical acclaim and half a dozen Oscar nominations. Director Paul Greengrass tells the gripping tale of the MV Maersk Alabama, a U.S-flagged cargo ship under Captain Richard Phillips, boarded by Somali pirates in 2009, in the first incident of the kind in 200 years. The film starts slow but picks up the pace in the third act, turning into a thriller at sea that won over critics and audiences alike.
If Tom Cruise is not around to run and save the world (literally so), Denzel Washington is up for the task, even with more aplomb. Flight is loosely inspired by the real-life 2000 crash of Alaska Airlines 261, but it stands out for solid acting, a brilliant script, and what viewers have described as the most harrowing airplane crash scene in the history of cinematography.
It's the story of Whip Whitaker, an addict airline pilot who is able to crash-land a plane after a mid-air malfunction and save almost everyone onboard, only to find himself going from hero to villain when it emerges that he was under the influence at the time. A must-see if you're a Denzel fan (who isn't, really?!), but not so much if you're afraid of flying.
HBO and HBO MAX
Fifty Shades of Grey (unrated version)
At the end of the month, HBO MAX will go in a separate direction from HBO, dropping the "HBO" from its name and dipping into the Discovery content catalog. We can't say for sure whether that explains their rather underwhelming offering this month, so it is what it is.
Our suggestion is a drinking game set to the soundtrack of the terrible (and terribly hilarious in a totally unintentional way) Fifty Shades of Grey, paying attention only to the few moments his black Audi R8 Spyder gets any screentime. When the going gets tough, a mindless "thriller" like this one will do – especially with that drinking game.
HULU
Premium Rush (2012)
This one goes out to all the cyclists, the two-wheel delivery guys, and people who think you can't have thrilling action or chase scenes with a bike. Premium Rush is one day in the life of a Manhattan delivery biker who happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, as the saying goes. It's not the best action movie out there, but with heart-pumping action and the duo of Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Michael Shannon, it's definitely a nice way to pass the time.
Speed (1994)
An action classic and its less noteworthy follow-up, Speed 2: Cruise Control (1997), are coming to Hulu, though purists will probably stop at the first one. Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock are an unwilling team onboard a bus that mustn't go under 50 mph (80.4 kph), or it will explode. Dubbed the "ultimate action movie," Speed is an excellent combo of good acting, a good script, and some good-ol' fashioned butt-kickery. Speed Control is not a single one of those things, but it's a decent watch if you don't consider it a sequel to the superior predecessor.
Apollo 18 (2011)
If you're a fan of the found footage slash faux true story horror genre, you're going to love this, especially as it fits right in with the current trend of space billionaires, cowboys or not, and the desire to launch space tourism and achieve the colonization of Mars. This 2011 small-budget movie launches the assumption of an 18th Apollo mission that's been kept a secret because it was a catastrophic failure. It's the reason why America has not returned to the Moon, a grim tale of alien possession and mental breakdown based on the old tagline of "in space, no one can hear you scream."
A very surprising and powerful feminist film, putting two women friends on the journey of a lifetime with the ultimate goal of achieving personal freedom.
We often associate cars with freedom, and we now see the association take on a literal sense as Thelma and Louise carry out their ultimate act of assertion and defiance in a '66 Ford Thunderbird they drive off a cliff in the climatic third act. A classic with a powerful message that perfectly encapsulates our love of the automobile.
PARAMOUNT
Gone in 60 Seconds (2000)
Speaking of the age-old love of the automobile, here's another classic on the same topic. It's the story of a retired master auto thief forced to execute the perfect heist and steal 50 exotic cars in just one night. Starring Nicolas Cage and a blonde Angelina Jolie in an iconic role, it also features one of the most beloved movie cars of all times, a rare Ford Shelby Mustang GT500, actually a Dupont Pepper Grey '67 Mustang fastback, called Eleanor.
The film is a remake of a '74 cult classic to which it's still often compared in terms of which one is the best car movie. Until the debate is settled, we'd venture to say the Eleanor character is as impressive in both instances and a must-see for any auto enthusiast and movie buff.
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
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