Best films out in May

By CW Contributor on 26/4/2017

From Anne Hathaway's drunken Godzilla to surreal Finnish comedy, the best films out in May are a varied bunch

Mindhorn

Julian Barratt (The Mighty Boosh) has gone the Steve Coogan route, creating a narcissistic and deluded alter-ego to epitomise everything tragic about English men in late middle age. His Richard Thorncroft is a potbellied has-been, an actor who used to play the titular TV detective Mindhorn in the '80s, suddenly relevant again when a real serial killer refuses to negotiate with anyone but his character.

WHEN

05 May 2017 – 05 Jul 2017, Times vary

WHERE

Various Locations

Alien: Covenant

Ridley Scott knows you were disappointed by Prometheus, his long and patchy Alien prequel, so he's doing his best to make you happy with Alien: Covenant. This is definitely an Alien film: there's a crew of hapless space-travellers, there's a seemingly abandoned planet, and there's even a cache of weird, gooey eggs just waiting to hatch. Sure, Covenant might be playing off nostalgia, but it might also be really good. Fingers crossed.

WHEN

12 May 2017 – 12 Jul 2017, Times vary

Frantz

Directed by the incredibly prolific François Ozon, Frantz is a drama half in morose black-and-white, half in dazzling colour. It centres on a German war widow who strikes up a quasi-romantic relationship with a stranger who knew her husband, and develops in surprising directions.

WHEN

12 May 2017 – 12 Jul 2017, Times vary

WHERE

Various Locations

Colossal

Gloria (Anne Hathaway) is a mess. She drinks so much and parties so hard that her boyfriend has thrown her out. And if that wasn't enough – classic problem! – she's also accidentally manifesting as a giant monster and regularly destroying a major Korean city. You've got to admit: as a metaphor for irresponsible drunkenness, it's pretty original.

WHEN

19 May 2017 – 19 Jul 2017, Times vary

WHERE

Various Locations

The Other Side of Hope

If you're not sure what to make of The Other Side of Hope, the new film by Finnish director Aki Kaurismäki, that's ok: we're not sure what to make of it either. It's a timely film about a Syrian refugee that's also a quirky comedy that looks like it was made decades ago. It's probably this month's most acquired taste.

WHEN

26 May 2017 – 26 Jul 2017, Times vary

WHERE

Various Locations

Best films out in May

From Anne Hathaway's drunken Godzilla to surreal Finnish comedy, the best films out in May are a varied bunch

Mindhorn

Alien: Covenant

Frantz

Colossal

The Other Side of Hope

Cinema

Fantasy

Action

Adventure

Sci-fi

Comedy

World cinema

Romance

May highlights

The Best of Cannes Film Festival 2017

In cinemas this weekend: Tom Cruise vs The Queen

Rian Johnson will be the best Star Wars director so far, possibly ever

True-story films that England needs

Pretty, weird – our guide to South Korean cinema

Frames of Representation documentary festival at the ICA