What to Watch In May 2017

You can’t get through May without enduring at least one popcorn extravaganza mega-sequel. Fortunately, this year features a blockbuster that looks to be a cut-above the usual cynical money-grabs. With its talking alien tree, gun toting raccoon, and vintage ’80s soundtrack, the original Guardians of the Galaxy was a surprise breath of fresh air from the Marvel machine. It would be tempting to assume Vol. 2 can’t capture the original’s anarchic spirit, but early reviews claim this sequel pulls of an incredible feat as a genuinely moving crowd-pleaser. The best sign may be that Marvel has already locked in director James Gunn—who was responsible for so much of the original’s mad fun—for the inevitable Vol. 3. In theaters May 5; marvel.com.

It’s always nice to throw in a documentary as a mental breath mint during high popcorn season. Just in time, Timothy Marrinan and Richard Dewey’s documentary about the late Chris Burden revisits the career of an artist who gained infamy in the ’70s for shooting himself in the arm as a performance piece. But that one act didn’t define Burden’s career and before his death from cancer, Burden had become an L.A. art world fixture—his street lamp sculpture at LACMA just might be the city’s most Instagrammable artwork. The documentary traces Burden’s evolution from provocateur to enchanter by employing his favorite technique: asking questions and leaving the answers up to the audience. In theaters May 5; magnoliapictures.com.

There must be something in the wine at the Coppola vineyards—or at least, something running through the blood of that famous, ever-growing filmmaking clan. It’s been a quarter century since Eleanor’s harrowingly brilliant behind-the-scenes documentary about husband Francis Ford’s Apocalypse Now put her on the map. Finally, at age 80, she’s making her narrative debut with this well-reviewed film starring Diane Lane as a woman whose marriage is tested by a postcard perfect road trip in, surprise surprise, France. For those who proudly resist the Marvel empire, this could be perfect counter-programming: wine, wit, and a playful dash of infidelity. In theaters May 12; sonyclassics.com.

Before there was binge-watching, there was Twin Peaks. In many ways the era of cinematically minded appointment television we live in is a direct descendant of David Lynch and Mark Frost’s seminal series. So, it’s no surprise that peak TV would see the realization of much dreamed-about third season courtesy of Showtime. Along with much of the original cast, Kyle Maclachlan’s FBI agent Dale Cooper returns to the mystery town twenty-five years after trying to solve Laura Palmer’s murder. With 18 fresh hours of bizarre genre-bending storytelling—all directed by Lynch, the master of surrealism himself—the new season will give fans plenty to obsess about. Premieres May 21 on Showtime; sho.com.

Jill Soloway’s Transparent helped put Amazon on the map as an original content provider, so it’s no surprise that the streaming giant would be the place for Soloway’s latest series. Based on Chris Kraus’s memoir of the same name, Kathryn Hahn stars as an ardent feminist/indie filmmaker whose marriage is turned upside down when she begins to obsess over a critical theorist played by Kevin Bacon. Her fantasy letters to this mysterious Dick actually reignite the passions of her husband (played by Griffin Dunne), setting them both on a lust-filled romp through the wilds of Marfa, Texas. Who says cultural criticism isn’t sexy? Available on Amazon May 11; amazon.com.

Anglophiles, rejoice! Few British authors make for better television than Evelyn Waugh. Even more biting and humorous than Brideshead Revisited, this coming-of-age college story made Waugh’s reputation for dry, upper-class wit, with its sharp skewering of Edwardian England’s shifting mores, when it was first published in 1945. Seventy years later, Waugh’s classic send-up of stuffy Oxford hasn’t lost any of its relevance, as already winning reviews of the BBC series seem to suggest. Premieres May 15 on Acorn TV; bbc.co.uk.

The downside of Netflix’s binge model is that you have to wait so long in-between seasons for your favorite fixes, but for hard core Kimmy Schmidt addicts, relief is close at hand. Easily one of the most re-bingeable Netflix comedies, Ellie Kemper’s open-hearted naif returns for a third season of sly ’90s references, hilariously wide-eyed glee, and of course, Titus, who promises to go full Lemonade in the trailer for the new season. This season sees Kimmie heading off to college and Lillian’s (Carol Kane) ongoing relationship with Bobby Durst (Fred Armisen) drawing to a hopefully less-murderous close. Available on Netflix May 19; netflix.com.

If you keep meaning to get to Bloodline on your Netflix queue, now’s the time. The critically acclaimed series has a reputation for being an intentionally slow burn show, and hasn’t quite struck the Zeitgeist the same way House of Cards or Orange Is the New Black has. However, while it can take time to draw you in, once the noir-ish family drama and gorgeous Florida Keys setting gets its hooks in you, Bloodline doesn’t let go. Unfortunately, filming in paradise gets expensive, so this will be the last season to chronicle the dark, twisted family secrets of the Rayburn clan. Don’t miss Ben Mendelsohn’s masterful performance as the black sheep of a family who turns out to be no less black. Available on Netflix May 26; netflix.com.

Nothing says height of May blockbuster season like Brad Pitt on the marquee, right? But to catch Hollywood’s leading leading-man this Memorial Day, you’ll have to turn to Netflix. It’s a sign of the streaming giant’s preeminence that Pitt chose it as the venue for this darkly satirical look at the long-running war in Afghanistan. But cinema’s loss is a couch potato’s gain: based on Michael Hasting’s book The Operator, Australian auteur David Michod’s film follows a character loosely based on General Stanley McChrystal as he tries to guide the U.S. operation in Afghanistan towards whatever semblance of victory he can. Available on Netflix May 26; netflix.com.

Hollywood loves to wring its hands about the lack of diversity on television, but Aziz Ansari’s Emmy-winning show actually does something about it—and in the funniest possible way. With episodes about immigrant parents and how many Indians can star in a TV series, Ansari and showrunner Alan Yang mined the multicultural anxieties of 21st America for satirical gold last season. If anything, the age of Trump should give this new season even richer material to work with. But the best part is that the series humor is relatable no matter your cultural identity, proving sometimes the best way to bridge cross-cultural frictions is with a good laugh. Available on Netflix May 12; netflix.com.