Spring into summer with your May streaming guide


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Courtesy of IMDb.

Summer is finally here! After months of horrific schoolwork culminating with grueling exams, it is time to relax and watch your ever-growing list of TV shows and movies you never got around to this semester. Sure, the list might be miles long from agreeing to add whichever show your Zoom crush recommended, but these six titles below are necessary line skippers and should be added to the top of your watch list. 

Disney +

High School Musical: The Musical: The Series Season 2

“High School Musical: The Musical: The Series” proves that there is shockingly still a Wildcat in everyone, no matter how long ago you last danced to “We’re All in This Together,” or tried to reenact “Bet On It.” 

Season 2 picks up with the drama club of East High riding high after the triumphant musical, which ends season 1. The first episode teases issues between the Troy and Gabriella of the show, Nini (Olivia Rodrigo) and Ricky (Joshua Bassett), and interesting character development from some of the best background characters from season 1. 

It feels slightly strange to be in college and watching a show where the purpose is to live through high school characters, but it is too fun to ignore. Season 2 of “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series” is joyful and lighthearted – the perfect way to completely forget about final exams and sink into the summer headspace. 

Disney + 

Star Wars: The Bad Batch 

“Star Wars: The Bad Batch” is the latest example of how Star Wars thrives on the small screen. The show features a group of misfit characters who managed to survive the Clone Wars and now take on daring missions across the galaxy. 

Taking place in the “dark times” under Imperial rule, “The Bad Batch” is a Star Wars fan’s first opportunity to learn more about the time following the “Revenge of the Sith” and before “A New Hope.” It provides the epic fight scenes necessary for any Star Wars franchise project. But, it is also heartwarming and compelling, two characteristics that are fundamental to any Star Wars show. 

Criminally underrated, “Star Wars: The Bad Batch” deserves so much hype and attention. And now that exams are over, there is plenty of time to delve into the Star Wars universe through this animated show. 

Peacock

Girls5Eva

Starring Sara Bareilles and Renee Elise Goldsberry, “Girls5Eva” is a spectacularly fun Broadway reunion. The show answers the question none of us had: what would happen if a one-hit-wonder from nearly 30 years ago experienced a revival? 

The new series features a girl group that has fallen out of public favor after their debut album on Sept. 10, 2001. However, when a hip-hop artist samples their work nearly 30 years later, they are once again hurdled into the spotlight with their dreams of stardom resurfacing. It’s Tina Fey’s triumphant return to television production and everything we all know and love about her shows. “Girls5Eva” is a fun and lighthearted way to decompress from the horror of final exams. 

HBO Max

Those Who Wish Me Dead

For fans of classic early 2000s blockbuster hits like “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider” and “The Mummy,” “Those Who Wish Me Dead” is the perfect summer movie. Audiences can watch Hannah (Angelina Jolie), a smokejumper in Montana, attempt to save the life of Connor (Finn Little), a young boy she encounters in the forest, from two men who are attempting to kill him. It is the perfect combination of an intriguing plot, epic action scenes and beautiful scenery that barely affects the plot but you still appreciate it anyway. 

Notably, after years of accepting smaller parts and focusing on voice acting, this is Angelina Jolie’s triumphant return to live-action films. Sure, it may not necessarily win her an Oscar nomination; but it is still a fun, action-packed movie that will make you feel like you are fighting in the woods in Montana, not nervously refreshing your OASIS portal praying that your grades are in. 

Netflix

Oxygen 

“Oxygen” is a French science-fiction film featuring a cryogenics scientist (Mèlanie Laurent), deep space and a race against time. It starts with a woman waking up in a cryogenic chamber, not knowing where she is or who she is but watching her remaining oxygen plummet. Now, it is a race against time for our unknown protagonist as she fights to save her life. “Oxygen” has all the makings of a great thriller film: an intriguing premise, good acting and surprising plot twists. 

Unfortunately, foreign films may seem off-putting to some American viewers, but you can get just as good a scare. Watching “Oxygen” might seem an intense way to end an intense final exam season, but do not let that dissuade you from it. This film is an underrated, must-see gem. 

Netflix

I Am All Girls

Based on a series of horrific events occurring in South Africa in the 1980s, “I Am All Girls” is a terrifying look into a child trafficking syndicate. The movie features an unlikely alliance between a detective and a killer who team up to take down an organization sex trafficking children. 

It is incredibly tough to take a story featuring such delicate subject matter and portray it with the necessary nuance and detail. However, “I Am All Girls” rises to this challenge and excels. Although worth watching for the incredible plot and execution, the true standout is Hlubi Mboya, whose performance as Ntombizonke Bapai is nothing short of extraordinary. It is unfortunate to see how little attention this film is getting; however, now that exams are over, there is plenty of time to watch this incredibly masterful piece of art.