Streaming sneaks: Murderbot, messy married couples among top picks in May
Alexander Skarsgard plays Murderbot, a cyborg who secretly hacks itself to gain free will. PHOTO: APPLE TV+
Streaming sneaks: Murderbot, messy married couples among top picks in May
Murderbot
Debuts on May 16 on Apple TV+
In this sci-fi comedy thriller based on an award-winning book series, Alexander Skarsgard stars as an android, a security robot designed to protect and obey humans.
But having secretly hacked itself to gain free will, the cyborg – who decides to call itself Murderbot – must now conceal its autonomy and navigate its complex feelings about humanity.
Both repelled and intrigued by its human clients, it undertakes a dangerous assignment – all while yearning to be left alone to ponder its place in the universe and binge on trashy soap operas.
Why watch it: Created by Oscar-nominated writer-directors Chris and Paul Weitz (About A Boy, 2002), the 10-episode series blends action, dark humour and existential angst.
Adapted from American author Martha Wells' Hugo- and Nebula Award-winning The Murderbot Diaries, the story offers a timely take on the sentient-robot trope amid today's artificial intelligence boom.
The Four Seasons
Debuts on Netflix on May 1
Will Forte and Tina Fey in The Four Seasons.
PHOTO: NETFLIX
Comedy stars Tina Fey and Steve Carell, who played a married couple in the 2010 action comedy movie Date Night, reunite in The Four Seasons, an eight-episode series inspired by the 1981 romantic comedy film of the same name.
The story centres on three couple friends – played by Fey and Will Forte; Carell and Kerri Kenney-Silver; and Colman Domingo and Marco Calvani – whose annual getaway is upended when one pair announces their impending divorce.
Over the course of the following year, the split tests the group's dynamic – reigniting old tensions, sparking new ones and prompting everyone to reassess their relationships.
Why watch it: Fey, Carell and Forte will be a draw for comedy lovers.
And for fans of the original movie, which starred Alan Alda and Carol Burnett, this adaptation – created by Fey and her collaborators from Emmy-winning sitcom 30 Rock (2006 to 2013) – aims to recapture its heartfelt humour.
Sirens
Debuts on Netflix on May 22
Julianne Moore in Sirens.
PHOTO: NETFLIX
This five-episode limited series stars Oscar winner Julianne Moore (Still Alice, 2014), Milly Alcock (House Of The Dragon, 2022 to present) and Meghann Fahy (The White Lotus 2, 2022) in a darkly comic tale of class, power and sisterhood.
Set at the lavish seaside estate of Michaela Kell (Moore), a socialite married to billionaire Peter Kell (Kevin Bacon), the story looks at her magnetic influence over those in her orbit, especially her young assistant Simone (Alcock).
When Simone's sister Devon (Fahy) arrives unannounced one weekend, she grows suspicious of Michaela's cult-like hold over her younger sibling. He r investigation uncovers a web of secrets and shifting loyalties.
Why watch it: Created by Molly Smith Metzler (Maid, 2021) and based on her 2011 play Elemeno Pea, Sirens is co-produced by Australian actress and Barbie (2023) star Margot Robbie. The trailer looks a little campy, but Metzler's track record with female-centric stories – she also worked on acclaimed prison drama Orange Is The New Black (2013 to 2019) – suggests a sharp psychological drama lurks beneath.
Nine Puzzles
Debuts on Disney+ on May 21
Kim Da-mi in Nine Puzzles.
PHOTO: DISNEY+
This South Korean mystery thriller follows Yoon E-na (Kim Da-mi), a criminal profiler haunted by a traumatic past.
As a high schooler, she discovered her uncle's dead body lying next to a single puzzle piece, presumably left by the killer. But with no memory of what happened, she became the prime suspect in his murder.
Ten years later, E-na finds herself investigating a string of homicides linked by similar puzzle pieces, suggesting the killer has resurfaced. And she must work with Kim Han-saem (Son Suk-ku), a detective convinced that she played a part in her uncle's death.
Why watch it: This cerebral 11-episode crime thriller promises intricate plotting and relentless suspense, keeping viewers guessing till the very end.
K im, star of the award-winning K-drama Itaewon Class (2020), shares some deliciously tense scenes with Son, who appeared in the hit military series D.P. (2021 to 2023).
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