Best new movies and series arriving on NOW in May 2023

Every month, a new slate of titles is added to NOW’s library of films and TV shows—and Lillian Crawford picks the very best among them to watch. For the full list of everything arriving on the platform, scroll down.

Top Picks: TV

Perry Mason season 2 (from May 2)

The hit HBO series returns for a second season, with a new set of showrunners taking the show in a new direction. Set in 1930s post-Depression Los Angeles, Perry Mason is a private investigator played by Matthew Rhys, who took on his first case in the first season, and now returns with secretary and legal scholar Della Street (Juliet Rylance) and new PI Paul Drake (Chris Chalk). It promises to develop the themes introduced in the first season with a darker, more psychological plot.

Bel-Air season 2 (from May 5)

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air was one of the most beloved shows of the 1990s, so a reboot was always going to be a tough order. This version developed out of a YouTube video and focuses on Will (Jabari Banks) from West Philadelphia, born and raised, heading to Bel-Air, now returning for a second season. This version takes a deeper look at the themes of racial tension, culture shock, and black excellence.

Last King of the Cross (from May 18)

This series is based on a best-selling autobiography by nightclub owner John Ibrahim about his experiences in Kings Cross, Sydney. It charts his life from being an impoverished immigrant to the foundation of his club on a strip described as “a mecca of sin.” The 10 part drama stars Lincoln Younes as Ibrahim, with Tim Roth starring alongside him as one of the crime bosses with whom he becomes entangled.

Movies

Ticket to Paradise (from May 5)

This romantic comedy from Mamma Mia! director Ol Parker is a perfect pre-summer treat. It stars George Clooney and Julia Roberts at their gorgeous peak as a divorced couple united by a desire to sabotage their daughter’s sudden wedding. With plenty of farce and one-liners, and Kaitlyn Dever proving a formidable successor to the leads as their daughter, it’s a hoot the whole way through.

Dead Shot (from May 12)

This new film from The Guard Brothers started out as a project entitled Borderland and has been in production for 11 years. Now it’s one of the original films making its way onto NOW in May, courtesy of Sky Cinema, starring Colin Morgan as an Irish ex-paramilitary who seeks revenge in 1970s London for the murder of his wife by an SAS officer played by Aml Ameen. With Felicity Jones and Mark Strong in the supporting cast, it’s set to be a thrilling watch.

Mrs Harris Goes To Paris (from May 13)

Few films are more delightful than Mrs Harris’s expedition to acquire a Christian Dior gown in Paris. Lesley Manville is sensational in the lead role: a widowed cleaning lady who finds a couture dream to latch onto, while working for a particularly unkind client. She clashes with Isabelle Huppert and falls in love with Jason Isaacs. With a plethora of Jenny Beavan-designed costumes on display, what more could one possibly desire?