The SLMan Culture List – May
THE SPOOKY WATCH: Hokum
When novelist Ohm Bauman (Adam Scott) retreats to a remote inn to scatter his parents’ ashes, he is consumed by tales of a witch haunting the honeymoon suite. Suddenly disturbing visions and a shocking disappearance force him to confront dark corners of his past. That’s all we know about this new Neon film – and for the sake of a spoiler-free viewing, it’s probably for the best.
Out now
Visit Picturehouses.com
THE DARK COMEDY: The Christophers
Julian Sklar (Ian McKellen) was once a star of London’s 60s and 70s Pop Art explosion, but he hasn’t painted in decades and has been broke for years. Desperate for an inheritance, his two estranged children (James Corden and Jessica Gunning) hire art restorer and former forger Lori (Michaela Coel) to pose as a prospective assistant in order to access eight unfinished canvases Julian has buried deep in storage. The plan is for Lori to complete them, then return them to storage, where they are to be ‘discovered’ upon Julian’s death…
Out now
Visit Picturehouses.com
THE SUBTITLED MASTERPIECE: Kukuho
Japan’s highest-grossing live-action film of all time arrives in cinemas across the UK and Ireland on 8th May. Set across five decades, this epic tale of friendship, rivalry, scandal and success plays out against the rich tradition of kabuki theatre. Directed by Lee Sang-il and written by Satoko Okudera, the story begins in Nagasaki in 1964. Following the death of his yakuza father, 15-year-old Kikuo is taken under the wing of a famous kabuki actor. Alongside Shunsuke, the actor’s only son, he decides to dedicate himself to this traditional form of theatre. For decades, the two young men grow and evolve together – but only one will become the greatest Japanese master of kabuki.
8th May
Visit Picturehouses.com
THE FILM TO STREAM: La Grazia
Written and directed by award-winning filmmaker Paolo Sorrentino (The Great Beauty, Il Divo, The Hand of God), La Grazia was the opening film of the 2025 Venice Film Festival, where Toni Servillo was awarded the Coppa Volpi for Best Actor. A sweeping exploration of love, duty and personal freedom, it stars Servillo as Italy’s outgoing president, Mariano De Santis, who is navigating moral and personal crossroads with the help of his confidante and daughter, Dorotea (Anna Ferzetti). With Sorrentino’s signature poetic vision and an evocative soundtrack, the film is an intimate meditation on fatherhood, conscience and an enduring question: who owns our days?
8th May
Visit Mubi.com
THE THRILLER: Unconditional, Apple TV
New Apple TV series Unconditional follows a mother-daughter vacation-turned-nightmare as 25-year-old Gali (Talia Lynne Ronn) is arrested for drug smuggling in Moscow. Her mother Orna (Liraz Chamami) refuses to accept the charges, but her fight for Gali’s freedom pulls her into a deadly web of crime and corruption.
8th May
Visit TV.Apple.com
THE ACTION FLICK: Normal
The latest collaboration between actor Bob Odenkirk, John Wick creator Derek Kolstad and Nobody producer Marc Provissiero, this kinetic neo-Western stars Odenkirk as an unassuming substitute sheriff with a troubled past who moves to a sleepy town, then responds to a bank robbery and unknowingly uncovers something far more explosive. His provisional posting to the quaint Midwestern town of Normal was meant to be a welcome respite from both his marital woes and recent moral injuries in the line of duty. But when a botched bank robbery interrupts the municipality’s tranquil pace, a dark secret is inadvertently exposed, and Ulysses soon discovers that the town does not live up to its name.
15th May
Visit Picturehouses.com
THE FOODIE DOC: Nobu
New series Nobu examines culinary legend Nobuyuki Matsuhisa's empire, offering an intimate portrait of a man who has redefined global gastronomy alongside his business partners Robert De Niro and Meir Teper. The film grants unprecedented access into Nobu's world, revealing the alchemy and precision behind his signature dishes, and the inspirations behind his innovations that revolutionised tradition-bound Japanese cuisine.
18th May
Visit TV.Apple.com
THE CRIME CAPER: Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed
Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed follows newly divorced mum Paula (Tatiana Maslany) as she falls down a dangerous rabbit hole of blackmail, murder and youth soccer. Convinced she witnessed a crime – while simultaneously struggling through a custody battle and an identity crisis – Paula begins her own investigation, one that could unravel a greater conspiracy while also holding the keys to rebuilding her family and sense of self.
20th May
Visit TV.Apple.com
THE EXHIBITION: In Other Worlds, Barbican Centre
In Other Worlds is the first major UK solo exhibition by filmmaker, artist and speculative futurist Liam Young. Spanning multiple spaces across the Barbican Centre, it brings together large-scale cinematic installations, audio narratives, speculative design and original music to explore how we imagine – and actively shape – the future. Created with leading voices across film, TV, literature and science, it features new audio stories from collaborators including Lisa Joy (Westworld, Fallout), Jane Wu (Blue Eye Samurai), Claire Coleman (Terra Nullius), alongside texts by Kim Stanley Robinson (The Ministry for the Future) and Chen Qiufan (AI 2041). These are voiced by an ensemble cast including Dame Dr Maggie Aderin, Richard Ayoade, Alma Pöysti, Adam Young, Denise Gough and Natasha Wanganeen.
21st May
Visit Barbican.org.uk
THE SPIN-OFF: Spider-Noir
Spider-Noir stars Nicolas Cage in his first leading television role. A live-action series based on the Marvel comic Spider-Man Noir, it tells the story of Ben Reilly (Cage), a seasoned, down-on-his-luck private investigator in 1930s New York, who is forced to grapple with his past life as the city’s one and only superhero, known as The Spider. Now, an extraordinary case calls for Ben to drop the ordinary man act and put his mask back on.
27th May
Visit PrimeVideo.com
THE SCI-FI SERIES: Star City
This propulsive, paranoid thriller is inspired by the critically acclaimed space-race drama For All Mankind. Star City goes back to the key moment in that series’ alt-history retelling of the space race – when the Soviet Union became the first nation to put a man on the moon. It explores the story from behind the Iron Curtain, showing the lives of the cosmonauts, the engineers and the intelligence officers embedded among them in the Soviet space programme, and the risks they all took to propel humankind forward.
29th May
Visit TV.Apple.com
THE HEARTWARMER: Propeller One-Way Night Coach
John Travolta’s directorial debut lands this month. Set in the golden age of aviation, young airplane enthusiast Jeff (played by newcomer Clark Shotwell), and his mother (Kelly Eviston-Quinnett) set off on a one-way cross-country odyssey to Hollywood. Between airline meals, charming flight attendants (Ella Bleu Travolta and Olga Hoffmann), unexpected stopovers, larger-than-life passengers and a thrilling glimpse at first class, the journey unfolds in moments both magical and unexpected, charting the course for the boy’s future.
29th May
Visit TV.Apple.com
THE UNUSUAL BUDDY FILM: Tuner
Canadian filmmaker Daniel Roher won an Oscar in 2023 for his Navalny documentary about the poisoning of the Russian opposition leader. This is his first narrative feature. Leo Woodall stars as a gifted young piano tuner whose heightened sense of hearing draws the attention of criminals, who see his talents as useful for opening safes. With his once-promising musical career over, he works across New York with his mentor Harry Horowitz (Dustin Hoffman), encountering a range of characters, including composition student Ruthie (Havana Rose Liu), with whom he forges an unexpected connection. Niki’s safecracking work threatens his budding romance with Ruthie and pulls him into increasingly dangerous territory. Blending romance, drama, and the taut suspense of a heist thriller, Tuner also features Tovah Feldshuh, Jean Reno and Lior Raz.
29th May
Visit Picturehouses.com
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