By Stacy Lee Kong

There are plenty of TV shows and movies coming to all our favourite streaming services in the coming month, from the long awaited first part of Stranger Things’ final season, to the even longer awaited The Matrix Resurrections, to the longest awaited (🤷🏽‍♀️) return of iconic Canadian sketch comedy show Kids in the Hall. Here’s what we’re recommending on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, CBC Gem, Crave, Disney+ and Netflix Canada in May 2022.

Amazon Prime Video

The Wilds, Season 2 (Premieres May 6) 

Survival hangs in the balance for a group of teenage girls stranded on a deserted island, after the explosive discovery that what's happening to them is an elaborate social experiment. Season 2 ups the drama and keeps you guessing, with the introduction of more test subjects – a new island of teenage boys – who must also fight for survival under the watchful eye of the experiment’s puppet master.

The Unsolved Murder Of Beverly Lynn Smith (Premieres May 6) 

A cold case murder spanning over four decades. A friendship born of a love of fishing soon turns sinister. An infamous police tactic. Woven together from firsthand accounts and expert interviews, family archives, and rare access to key participants, this documentary series is a winding tale that explores the unrelenting enigma of a search for justice.

Kids in the Hall (Premieres May 13) 

The iconic Canadian comedy troupe—Dave Foley, Bruce McCulloch, Kevin McDonald, Mark McKinney, and Scott Thompson—is back with a new season of their groundbreaking sketch series, featuring a fresh batch of fun off beat characters and beloved favourites, with sketches that pack a satirical punch, laced with the hilarious, edgy and fearless comedy The Kids are famous for. (A documentary about the troupe, The Kids in the Hall: Comedy Punks, premieres on May 20.)

Conversations With Friends (Premieres May 16) 

From the award-winning team behind Normal People, Conversations with Friends follows Frances (Alison Oliver), a 21 year old college student, as she navigates a series of relationships that force her to confront her own vulnerabilities for the first time. Also starring Joe Alwyn, Sasha Lane and Jemima Kirke.

Night Sky (Premieres May 20) 

Spanning space and time, Night Sky follows Irene (Sissy Spacek) and Franklin York (J.K. Simmons), a couple who, years ago, discovered a chamber buried in their backyard which inexplicably leads to a strange, deserted planet. They’ve carefully guarded their secret ever since, but when an enigmatic young man (Chai Hansen) enters their lives, the Yorks’ quiet existence is quickly upended and the mystifying chamber they thought they knew so well turns out to be much more than they could ever have imagined.

Apple TV+

The Big Conn (Premieres May 6) 

Eric C. Conn was a lawyer living a little too large in eastern Kentucky… until two whistleblowers realized he was at the centre of government fraud worth over half a billion dollars, one of the largest in US history. And that was just the beginning.

The Essex Serpent (Premieres May 13) 

The Essex Serpent follows London widow Cora Seaborne (Claire Danes) who moves to Essex to investigate reports of a mythical serpent. She forms an unlikely bond with the village vicar (Tom Hiddleston), but when tragedy strikes, locals accuse her of attracting the creature. Based on the novel by Sarah Perry.

Now and Then (Premieres May 20) 

A multi-layered thriller that explores the differences between youthful aspirations and the reality of adulthood. The lives of a group of college best friends are forever changed after a celebratory weekend ends up with one of them dead. Now, 20 years later, the remaining five are reluctantly reunited by a threat that puts their seemingly perfect worlds at risk.

Prehistoric Planet (Premieres May 23)

Experience the wonders of our world like never before in this epic docuseries from Jon Favreau and the producers of Planet Earth. Prehistoric Planet combines award-winning wildlife filmmaking, the latest paleontology learnings and state-of-the-art technology to unveil the spectacular habitats and inhabitants of ancient Earth for a one-of-a-kind immersive experience. Produced by the world-renowned team at BBC Studios Natural History Unit with support from the photorealistic visual effects of MPC (The Lion King, The Jungle Book), Prehistoric Planet presents little-known and surprising facts of dinosaur life set against the backdrop of the environments of Cretaceous times, including coasts, deserts, freshwater, ice worlds and forests. Travel back 66 million years to when majestic dinosaurs and extraordinary creatures roamed the lands, seas and skies.

CBC Gem

The Princes and the Press (Premieres April 29)

This two-part series documents the years in which The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have charted very different courses in their relationship with the media. BBC’s Media Editor, Amol Rajan, covers the years following the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the positive media reaction to the emergence of a new generation of royals, and the tumultuous period from 2018 to 2021, including the birth of Archie Mountbatten-Windsor, the royal tours of the Sussexes and the Cambridges and the circumstances around Sussexes’ decision to step down from their senior royal roles. Providing context for the Princes’ relationship with the media, Rajan examines some of the illegal activities engaged in by some newspapers in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The series also explores the legal cases brought by the Sussexes against some newspaper groups from 2019 onwards, and considers how Princess Diana’s experiences with the press and broadcasters impacted on her sons.

My Tree (Premieres April 29)

Jason Sherman, a Canadian Jew, searches for the tree that was planted in his name in Israel many years earlier. His travels take him to parks and forests throughout the country, where he learns a number of surprising facts about his tree: that it was likely a pine; that it was chosen because it grows fast; that it was completely wrong for the Israeli climate — and that it is sitting atop the remains of a Palestinian village that was captured and destroyed in 1967. Deeply disturbed by his findings, Jason returns home, determined to learn how it is that he never knew these things — and what he should do now that he knows them.

Esi Edugyan: Out Of The Sun, The CBC Massey Lectures (Premieres April 29)

A visually stunning one-hour special from award-winning author Esi Edugyan that delivers a time-traversing cultural critique of the way Black people are represented in art and storytelling. This television adaptation of Edugyan's CBC Massey Lectures brings viewers on an artful and socially urgent journey from eighteenth century portraiture to contemporary pop culture, from medieval Japan to Hollywood movies, intertwined with personal reflections of a life growing up in Canada as a child of immigrants from Ghana. Recorded in the Royal Theatre in Victoria, B.C., visual projections and music bring this CBC original production to life.

Ask Dr. Ruth (Premieres May 1)

Ask Dr. Ruth chronicles the incredible life of Dr. Ruth Westheimer, a Holocaust survivor who became America's most famous sex therapist. With her diminutive frame, thick German accent, and uninhibited approach to sex therapy and education, Dr. Ruth transformed the conversation around sexuality. As she approaches her 90th birthday and shows no signs of slowing down, Dr. Ruth revisits her painful past and unlikely path to a career at the forefront of the sexual revolution.

Writing With Fire (Premieres May 4)

In a cluttered news landscape dominated by men emerges India's only newspaper run by Dalit (‘low caste’) women. Armed with smartphones, Chief Reporter Meera and her journalists break traditions, be it on the frontlines of India's biggest issues or within the confines of their homes, redefining what it means to be powerful. Writing With Fire was a 2022 Academy Award™ nominee for Best Documentary Feature.

CBX: Canadian Ballroom Extravaganza (Premieres May 6)

CBX: Canadian Ballroom Extravaganza serves up a new kind of ballroom competition. In this series, 10 stars of the ballroom scene from across Canada are paired with 10 queer and trans filmmakers to battle each other in five ballroom categories: Vogue, Bizarre, Sex Siren, Face and Runway. Instead of “walking the ball,” the teams compete by creating stunning short videos that honour the category conventions all while serving something fresh and fab. At this ball, justice will be served: the audience voted for the top teams who, in the finale, face a panel of judges to determine the winner.

Zarqa (Premieres May 13)

Zarqa follows its titular character, a complex, middle-aged Muslim woman (played by Zarqa Nawaz, Little Mosque on the Prairie) who learns on social media that her ex-husband is marrying a white yoga instructor half his age named Bethany. Zarqa impulsively comments that she will attend the wedding with her own cliché: a white brain surgeon named Brian. Now she just has to find him. The comical chaos continues with the arrival of Zarqa’s former love interest, Yusuf (Rizwan Manji, Schitt’s Creek).

House of Maxwell (Premieres May 20)

House of Maxwell charts the story of one of the most extraordinary family sagas the world has ever seen. When Ghislaine Maxwell was convicted last year of grooming and trafficking underage girls, she became the most notorious member of a family already mired in controversy. Told through intimate testimony and exclusive never-before-seen sources of archive, House of Maxwell is a story woven through British and American society and culture and will offer a unique window into a world of money, sex, privacy and power across half a century.

Twenties, Season 2 (Premieres May 20)

From creator Lena Waithe (The Chi, Queen & Slim), Twenties follows the adventures of a queer Black girl, Hattie, and her two straight best friends, Marie and Nia, as they chase their dreams and figure out life, love and the professional world. In Season 2, Hattie is ready to get her life together, find her dream woman and make a splash in Hollywood. Starring Jonica T. Gibbs (Good Trouble, The Left Right Game), Christina Elmore (Insecure, The Last Ship), and Gabrielle Graham (Possessor, On the Basis of Sex). Nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series at the 2021 GLAAD Media Awards.

Crave Canada

Spring Awakening: Those You’ve Known (Premieres May 3) 

An emotional, star-studded tribute to Spring Awakening, on the 15th anniversary of its Tony award-winning Broadway run. In a spectacular, one-night-only reunion concert to benefit The Actors Fund, the documentary pulls back the curtain to showcase the reunited original cast and creative team at rehearsals, in their homes, and backstage. The film also features electrifying performances from the reunion concert in November 2021 and performance footage from the original 2006 show, which forever changed the lives of the mostly unknown teenage cast, including Jonathan Groff and Lea Michele, who inspired a generation of fans by laying bare taboo issues of teen love, abortion, abuse, sexual identity and suicide in an unapologetic, edgy rock musical set in the 1890s.

The Staircase (Premieres May 5)

Starring Colin Firth and Toni Collette, The Staircase follows the compelling true story of Michael Peterson (Firth), a novelist accused of killing his wife, Kathleen Peterson (Collette). Starring alongside Firth and Collette are Michael Stuhlbarg, Juliette Binoche, Dane DeHaan, Olivia DeJonge, Rosemarie DeWitt, Tim Guinee, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Sophie Turner, Vincent Vermignon, Odessa Young and Parker Posey.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Season 1 (Premieres May 5)

Based on the years Captain Christopher Pike manned the helm of the U.S.S. Enterprise. the series features fan favorites from Season 2 of Star Trek: Discovery: Anson Mount as Captain Christopher Pike, Rebecca Romijn as Number One, and Ethan Peck as Science Officer Spock.

Hacks, Season 2 (Premieres May 12)

The dark mentorship between legendary Las Vegas comedian Deborah Vance (Emmy and Golden Globe® Award-winning actress Jean Smart) and her young, entitled writer Ava (Emmy® nominated actress Hannah Einbinder) continues to evolve as the two travel across the country workshopping Deborah's new stand-up act.

The Matrix Resurrections (Premieres May 13)

From visionary filmmaker Lana Wachowski comes the long-awaited fourth instalment in the groundbreaking Matrix film franchise that redefined a genre. The new film reunites original stars Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss in their iconic roles as Neo and Trinity. To find out if his reality is a construct, and truly know himself, Mr. Anderson (Reeves) must choose whether or not to follow the white rabbit once more.

The Time Traveler’s Wife, Season 1 (Premieres May 15)

An intricate and magical love story adapted by Steven Moffat from the much-loved novel by Audrey Niffenegger, the series tells the story of Clare (Rose Leslie, Game of Thrones) and Henry (Theo James, Divergent), and a marriage with a problem: time travel.

RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars (Premieres May 20)

For the first time ever in the herstory of RuPaul’s Drag Race, the series features an entire cast of former winners who return to compete for the title "Queen of All Queens," and a cash prize of $200,000. The star-studded cast features Jaida Essence Hall, Monét X Change, Jinkx Monsoon, Shea Coulee, and more. This season also highlights special moments from each queen’s original season, and their journey to All-Star, from legendary lip-syncs to unforgettable runway fashion.

Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain (Premieres May 20)

Directed and produced by Morgan Neville, Roadrunner follows the uncommon life and career of world-travelling celebrity chef, writer and icon Anthony Bourdain, and attempts to shed some light on the mystery surrounding his suicide in 2018 at age 61. The documentary, which premiered at the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival, features interviews with David Chang and Éric Ripert, members of the production crew from Parts Unknown, as well as deeply personal recollections from Bourdain's friends and family.

Disney+ Canada

The Valet (Premieres May 20) 

World famous movie star, Olivia (Samara Weaving) faces a PR disaster when a paparazzi snaps a photo of her with her married lover, Vincent (Max Greenfield). The hard-working valet Antonio (Eugenio Derbez) accidentally appears in the same photo and is enlisted to pose as Olivia’s new boyfriend as a cover up. This ruse with Olivia thrusts Antonio into the spotlight and unexpected chaos. In this fish-out-of-water romantic comedy, two worlds and cultures collide as both Olivia and Antonio start to see themselves more clearly than ever before.

We Feed People (Premieres May 27) 

Ron Howard’s We Feed People spotlights chef José Andrés and his non-profit World Central Kitchen’s evolution over a 12-year period, from being a scrappy group of volunteers to becoming one of the most highly-regarded humanitarian aid organizations in the disaster relief sector. Due to the unprecedented spike in natural disasters catalyzed by climate change, this story is more important than ever.

Netflix Canada

The Circle, Season 4 (Premieres May 4)

They're chatty. They're shady. They're secretly famous. They're this season's players — and all bets are off as they compete for the ultimate prize.

The Pentaverate (Premieres May 5)

What if a secret society of five men has been working to influence world events for the greater good since the Black Plague of 1347? As this new series begins, one unlikely Canadian journalist finds himself embroiled in a mission to uncover the truth and just possibly save the world himself. Remember, the Pentaverate must never be exposed! Starring Mike Myers, Keegan-Michael Key, Ken Jeong and Debi Mazar.

Our Father (Premieres May 10)

After a woman's at-home DNA test reveals multiple half-siblings, she discovers a shocking scheme involving donor sperm and a popular fertility doctor.

Savage Beauty (Premieres May 12)

Seeking revenge for her tragic past, a mysterious woman embeds herself in a powerful family who possess a global beauty empire — and dark secrets.

Bling Empire, Season 2 (Premieres May 13)

Los Angeles’s beloved uber-rich Asians are back with even more luxury, glamor and crazy. This season, a romance between Kevin and Kim percolates, Cherie and Jessey’s relationship is questioned, and as Kane and Kevin’s best bud friendship is tested, Beverly Hills’s rivaling queens, Christine and Anna, put a new twist on the art of social warfare. But through it all, the one thing these friends hold dearest to their hearts is their love for each other…and of course, impeccable style.

Love on the Spectrum U.S. (Available May 18)

Following the success of the multi-award winning Australian series, this insightful and warmhearted US based docu-series follows autistic people as they navigate the world of dating and relationships.

A Perfect Pairing (Premieres May 19)

To land a major client, a hard-driving LA wine-company exec (Victoria Justice) travels to an Australian sheep station, where she ends up working as a ranch hand and sparking with a rugged local (Adam Demos).

Stranger Things 4: Volume 1 (Premieres May 27)

Darkness returns to Hawkins just in time for spring break, triggering fresh terror, disturbing memories — and the threat of war.