HBO Max is once again proving to have an edge over the streaming competition in May 2022. The final blockbuster to receive the platform’s famed day-and-date release strategy last year, The Matrix Resurrections is finally back online. Subscribers can also now watch Dear Evan Hansen and M Night. Shymalan’s Old this month, two unique films that buzzed plenty of debates upon release, to say the least. One is arguably somewhat misunderstood, while the other claims to be severely misunderstood. Decide which one is which for yourself!
Original programming will be in no short supply this May as well. The Staircase, not to be confused with the docuseries of the same name and topic currently available on Netflix, has already got true crime fans hooked. Starring Colin Firth and Toni Collette, The Staircase follows the peculiar life of novelist Michael Peterson leading into the 2003 death of his wife Kathleen at the bottom of a flight of stairs, as the title obviously hints at. The Peterson trial has long been notorious in the true crime community for all of its twists and turns, so it was only a matter of time until Hollywood took a jab at it. Additionally, we can’t go on without mentioning the return of Hacks, which heads into its second season with 3 Emmys and 2 Golden Globes already under its belt. Suffice to say, both of these shows are not to be missed.
Read more on our monthly recs below along with the full list of everything still coming to and leaving HBO Max in May 2022. You can also find what’s about to hit and depart from Netflix and Disney+ right here on DiscussingFilm.
Our Recs:
The Matrix Resurrections
The Matrix Resurrections was met with a wide variety of reactions last year, but that was always expected given Lana Wachowski’s specific vision. “The film makes plenty of distinct choices that aren’t very concerned with wide audience appeal, either with its meta framing or how it chooses to progress certain old characters. But this is the kind of idiosyncrasy such blockbusters should aspire to, given that it’s what made the classic Matrix films stand out in the first place.” If this legacy sequel didn’t play out to your liking the first time around, go back in expecting a story much more personal from the filmmaker at hand rather than an epic crowdpleaser, you’ll walk away from the film with a stronger appreciation for it, take our word!
The Matrix Resurrections returns to HBO Max May 10, 2022!
Hacks: Season 2
HBO Max’s Emmy-winning series is back and ready to give subscribers another go for their money. Thanks to a clever premise and the ace comedy chops of legend Jean Smart and newcomer Hannah Einbinder, Hacks found no trouble in quickly becoming one of the most talked-about comedy series last awards season. Could we see a repeat? This all depends on whether season 2 can deliver just as many goods in two fewer episodes; the first season was 8 episodes compared to these next 6. Deborah Vance (Smart) is now forced to leave her comfort zone in Las Vegas if she truly wants to make a long-lasting comeback, so she and her unlikely comedy writer Ava Daniels (Einbinder) go on a chaotic tour across America. Fans will be able to see these tour hijinks as new episodes are released twice a week.
Season 2 of Hacks premieres on HBO Max May 12, 2022!
Old
Another controversial rec for the month, M. Night Shyamalan’s Old is definitely worth a rewatch. “Shyamalan takes a relatively simple premise and continues to build on it, making for one of his most engaging works yet. It’s a film with momentum, where both the intensity and the quieter emotional beats ramp up and take the audience to melancholic, terrifying, and enlightening places.” Again, don’t go in expecting some kind of horror thrill ride, though if it was kind of marketed that way in other’s defense. Nonetheless, when you really let the creeping, sinister nature of Old really sink in, you’ll be much more in tune with what Shyamalan was aiming for in the first place. Already a fan of this one? Stream it and get hyped for Shyamalan’s next film, Knock at the Cabin, which is just around the corner!
Old arrives on HBO Max May 12, 2022!
HBO Max Arrivals for May 2022
Coming May 1
Yellowface: Asian Whitewashing and Racism in Hollywood, 2019
47 Ronin, 2013
Assassins, 2020 (HBO)
At Close Range, 1986 (HBO)
An Autumn Afternoon, 1962
The Big Sleep, 1946
Back To School, 1986
Bottle Rocket, 1996
Calladita, 2020 (HBO)
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, 1968 (HBO)
Child 44, 2015 (HBO)
Chungking Express, 1994
The Color Purple, 1985
Conan The Barbarian, 2011 (HBO)
Devil in A Blue Dress, 1995
Dodes ‘Ka-Den, 1970
Domino, 2019 (HBO)
Downhill, 1927
Dragnet Girl, 1933
Early Spring, 1956
Early Summer, 1951
The End of Summer, 1961
Equinox Flower, 1958
Eraser, 1996
Fallen Angels, 1995
Floating Weeds, 1959
FRIDA, 2002 (HBO)
The Fugitive, 1993
Furry Vengeance, 2010 (HBO)
Gang Related, 1997 (HBO)
Good Morning, 1959
Hard Rain, 1998 (HBO)
Hart’s War, 2002 (HBO)
High and Low, 1963
Jimmy Neutron Boy Genius, 2001 (HBO)
Julie, 1956
Killers, 2010 (HBO)
Language Lessons, 2021
Love and Baseball, 2021
The Machine That Kills Bad People, 1952
Masters Of The Universe, 1987 (HBO)
The Missing, 2003 (HBO)
The New Guy, 2002 (HBO)
North Dallas Forty, 1979 (HBO)
Not Easily Broken, 2009
The Perks of Being a Wallflower, 2012
Poseidon, 2006
Red Beard, 1965
Ringo and His Golden Pistol, 1966
Rugrats Go Wild, 2003 (HBO)
Rugrats In Paris: The Movie, 2000 (HBO)
The Rugrats Movie, 1998 (HBO)
The Sapphires, 2012 (HBO)
Sense and Sensibility, 1995
Sliding Doors, 1998
St. Elmo’s Fire, 1985
The Stepford Wives, 2004 (HBO)
Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li, 2009 (Extended Version)
Terminator 2: Judgment Day, 1991 (Director’s Cut) (HBO)
Tokyo Twilight, 1957
Top Secret!, 1984 (HBO)
Transporter 3, 2008 (HBO)
Unbroken, 2014
Underworld, 2003
Underworld: Awakening, 2012
Underworld: Rise of the Lycans, 2009
Welcome to the Dollhouse, 1995
W.E., 2011 (HBO)
What To Expect When You’re Expecting, 2012 (HBO)
The Wild Thornberrys Movie, 2002 (HBO)
You, Me and Dupree, 2006
Young Adult, 2011 (HBO)
Zathura: A Space Adventure, 2005
Coming May 3
Spring Awakening: Those You’ve Known, Documentary Premiere (HBO)
Coming May 5
Las Bravas F.C., Max Original Season 1 Premiere
Queen Stars Brazil, Max Original Season 1 Premiere
The Staircase, Max Original Limited Series Premiere
Coming May 6
Dear Evan Hansen, 2021 (HBO)
Entre Nos: Carmen and Alfred (HBO)
La Afinadora De Árboles, 2019 (HBO)
Coming May 7
We Baby Bears, Season 1 Part C
Coming May 9
Get Hard, 2015
Coming May 10
Catwoman: Hunted, 2022
The Matrix Resurrections, 2021 (HBO)
Sesame Street Mecha Builders Season 1 Part A
Robot Chicken Season 11 Part B
Coming May 12
Hacks, Max Original Season 2 Premiere
Who’s By Your Side, Max Original Season 1 Premiere
Coming May 13
Hank Zipzer, 2014
Old, 2021 (HBO)
Smalls, Season 4
Coming May 15
The Time Traveler’s Wife, Drama Series Premiere (HBO)
Coming May 17
Sesame Street Mecha Builders, Season 1 Part B
The Mule, 2018 (HBO)
Coming May 20
Identidad Tomada, 2020 (HBO)
Coming May 22
Fast Foodies, Season 2
Coming May 23
Teen Titans Go! Season 7 Part B
Coming May 26
Navalny
That Damn Michael Che, Max Original Season 2 Premiere
Tig n’ Seek, Max Original Season 4 Premiere
Coming May 27
Blippi Special
Blippi Visits
Blippi Wonders
Blippi: Learn With Blippi
Ghost, Season 1
Ghost, Season 2
Stath Lets Flats
Coming May 29
The Misery Index Season 3 Part B, 2021
Leaving HBO Max in May 2022
HBO Max is once again losing some notable fan favorites in May 2022. If you’re currently on a Sam Raimi binge thanks to Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, you can enjoy his timeless classic Army of Darkness until it expires on May 31. Beloved rom-coms such as 27 Dresses, Clueless, Love & Basketball, He’s Just Not That Into You, and Crazy, Stupid, Love are saying goodbye to HBO Max for now too. Pride & Prejudice is another classic that romance lovers will definitely want to catch one more time before it expires on May 27. Check out the full list of everything leaving HBO Max in May 2022 below, and as always, we’ll do our best to keep it as updated as possible based on the app’s “Last Chance” section.
Leaving May 14
Cry Wolf, 2005 (Extended Version) (HBO)
My Brother’s Wedding, 1983
Leaving May 16
The House, 2017
Leaving May 24
Cinderella Man, 2005 (Extended Version)
The 40-Year-Old Virgin, 2005 (Director’s Cut) (HBO)
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, 2013
Leaving May 25
Curious George, 2006 (HBO)
Two For The Money, 2005 (HBO)
Leaving May 27
Doom, 2005 (HBO)
Pride & Prejudice, 2005 (HBO)
Leaving May 31
27 Dresses, 2008 (HBO)
3 Godfathers, 1949
Adam’s Rib, 1949
An American in Paris, 1951
Around the World in 80 Days, 1956
Arthur, 1981
The Animal, 2001 (HBO)
A Perfect Murder, 1998 (HBO)
A Very Brady Sequel, 1996 (HBO)
Adult Beginners, 2014 (HBO)
Alpha and Omega 7: The Big Fureeze, 2016
Army Of Darkness, 1992 (HBO)
Beau Brummell, 1954
Ben-Hur, 1959
Billy Elliot, 2000 (HBO)
Blinded by the Light, 2019
Brigadoon, 1954
Bully, 2001 (HBO)
City Slickers, 1991
City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly’s Gold, 1994
Changing Lanes, 2002 (HBO)
Cleopatra Jones, 1973
Clueless, 1995 (HBO)
Control Room, 2004 (HBO)
Cradle 2 the Grave, 2003
Crazy, Stupid, Love 2011
Cymbeline, 2014 (HBO)
Dead Heat, 1988 (HBO)
Dirty Dancing, 1987
Dirty Pretty Things, 2002 (HBO)
Dr. Dolittle, 1998 (HBO)
Doubt, 2008 (HBO)
Dr. Dolittle 2, 2001 (HBO)
Enough Said, 2013 (HBO)
Eraser, 1996
Extract, 2009 (HBO)
Fatal Attraction, 1987
Fool’s Gold, 2008
Frontera, 2014 (HBO)
Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, 2009
Gloria, 1999 (HBO)
Godsend, 2004 (HBO)
Going the Distance, 2010
Happy Feet, 2006
Happy Feet Two, 2011
He’s Just Not That Into You, 2009
How To Be Single, 2016
Insomnia, 2002 (HBO)
Iris, 2001 (HBO)
It Takes Two, 1995 (HBO)
Killerman, 2019 (HBO)
Leonard Cohen: I’m Your Man, 2005 (HBO)
Like Water For Chocolate, 1993
Long Shot, 2019
Love & Basketball, 2000
Love And A .45, 1994 (HBO)
Lucy, 2020 (HBO)
Malcolm X, 1992
Mama, 2013 (HBO)
Mindhunters, 2004 (HBO)
Miss Congeniality, 2000
Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous, 2005
Muppets From Space, 1999
Outbreak, 1995
Murder by Numbers, 2002
Nancy Drew, 2007
Norman: The Moderate Rise and Tragic Fall of a New York Fixer, 2017
Peggy Sue Got Married, 1986
Phone Booth, 2002 (HBO)
Princess Kaiulani, 2009 (HBO)
Pulse, 2001 (HBO)
Pump Up the Volume, 1990
Rubber, 2010 (HBO)
Sherlock Holmes, 2009
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, 2011
Space Cowboys, 2000
Speed, 1994 (HBO)
Stoker, 2013
Super Capers, 2009 (HBO)
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003)
Terminator Salvation (2009)
The Answer Man, 2009 (HBO)
The Arrangement, 1969
The Benchwarmers, 2006 (HBO)
The Conspirator, 2010 (HBO)
The Forgotten, 2004 (HBO)
The Golden Compass, 2007
The Good Doctor, 2011 (HBO)
The Grifters, 1990 (HBO)
The Italian Job, 2003 (HBO)
The Lawnmower Man, 1992 (HBO)
The Lucky One, 2012
The Notebook, 2004
The Perfect Storm, 2000
The Pirates! Band of Misfits, 2012
The Rules Of Attraction, 2002 (HBO)
The Witches Of Eastwick, 1987
The Wolfpack, 2015 (HBO)
The Wrecking Crew!, 2008 (HBO)
This Is 40, 2012
Troll Hunter, 2010 (HBO)
Two Lovers, 2008 (HBO)
“The Two Jakes”, 1990
Viva, 2007 (HBO)
War Horse, 2011
War On Everyone, 2016 (HBO)
Wonder, 2020 (HBO)
World’s Greatest Dad, 2009 (HBO)
Wristcutters: A Love Story, 2006 (HBO)
