WIIRed Recommends May 2026 Streaming Films

WIRED has published its monthly film recommendations for May 2026, highlighting nine titles available across various streaming platforms. The list spans multiple genres, including action, horror, and anime, with a thematic focus on summer vacation season and travel-related entertainment. Notable inclusions are Bugonia, a Yorgos Lanthimos-directed remake starring Jesse Plemons and Emma Stone; Pretty Lethal, an action film featuring Uma Thurman; and Send Help, a survival horror-comedy directed by Sam Raimi. The recommendations also feature Dutch folk horror Heresy, the anime film My Hero Academia: You’re Next, and a double bill of John Carpenter’s The Thing and its 1951 predecessor on the Criterion Channel.

Bugonia, a remake of Jang Joon-hwan’s 2003 South Korean film Save the Green Planet!, follows a conspiracy theorist who kidnaps a CEO to force a confession about alien contact. The plot involves Teddy Gatz, played by Jesse Plemons, and his cousin Don, portrayed by Aidan Delbis, subjecting Michelle Fuller, played by Emma Stone, to torture. Fuller’s company is linked to a botched medical trial that left Gatz’s mother comatose. Lanthimos directs the film, which explores whether Gatz is driven by grief or has uncovered a genuine threat to humanity.

My Hero Academia: You’re Next serves as the fourth anime film spin-off from the long-running series based on Kōhei Horikoshi’s manga. The largely standalone feature features Justin Briner as Izuku “Deku” Midoriya, who must face off against the villain Dark Might. The film introduces additional elements such as a mafia crime family and a cyborg butler, allowing new viewers to engage with the dynamic action without prior knowledge of the source material.

Pretty Lethal, an action film on Prime Video set in Budapest, stars Uma Thurman as a former ballerina leading a crime family. Directed by Vicky Jewson, the film traps five American ballerinas in a violent war between two criminal organisations. The narrative combines ballet with combat, featuring electrifying fight choreography and a creative use of The Nutcracker suite.

Good Boy is a horror film from the perspective of a dog named Indy, directed by Ben Leonberg. The story follows Todd, who moves into his late grandfather’s rural home, only to find that something in the surrounding woods is preying on him. Indy, guided by visions of his grandfather’s previous dog, attempts to uncover the dark forces at work. The film has been noted for its tight storytelling and the performance of the canine lead.

Send Help, a Sam Raimi-directed survival horror-comedy on Hulu, stars Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien. The plot sees Linda Liddle and her boss Bradley Preston stranded on a desert island after their private jet crashes. With Bradley injured and previously abusive, Linda utilises her survivalist skills while Bradley struggles, creating a dynamic that blends horror and comedy with social commentary.

Heresy, a 61-minute Dutch folk horror film on Shudder, is directed by Didier Konings and stars Anneke Sluiters. The film follows Frieda, who is demonised by her religious community for her inability to conceive and declared a witch. Noted as a festival darling, having received plaudits at Austin’s Fantastic Fest, the film explores themes of control and oppression within a medieval Dutch village setting.

John Carpenter’s 1982 classic The Thing and its 1951 inspiration The Thing from Another World are both landing on the Criterion Channel. The pairing highlights the evolution of the shape-shifting alien invader subgenre, with Carpenter’s version noted for its tension and body horror. Additionally, the 1995 cult film Tank Girl, starring Lori Petty and Naomi Watts, is included in the list. Based on a British comic by Alan Martin and Jamie Hewlett, the post-apocalyptic sci-fi film has earned cult status for its campy and violent narrative.