For maximum HBO For viewers, May 2026 isn’t just about new content – it’s about experiencing stories that span not only continents and cultures, but also lived experiences, all in one programming. From a sweeping historical drama rooted in Japanese history to a contemporary sports journey with global stakes and intimate reflections on identity and community, HBO Max offers some standout titles this month, including films that combine literary romance, large-scale disasters, and smaller, enigmatic originals.
Our top picks are an HBO original movie about grief and a mockumentary with a pop star. This May, here are the 8 new shows and movies streaming on HBO Max in the US.
8
Samurai song
Magnificent fight choreography mixed with historical facts.
Based on the popular manga series. Chiruran: Requiem of the Shinsengumi, Samurai song is an ambitious live-action period drama that explores the intense and passionate lives of the Shinsengumi, a legendary samurai police force charged with defending the collapse of the shogunate, or feudal military dictatorship.
Set in Kyoto during the final years of Japan’s Edo period (1603-1868), the heart of the story lies in a street fighter who finds purpose and belonging among fellow warriors as they battle enemies and ideals while their bond of loyalty is tested by betrayal, disease, and war. The series features an epic combination of historical foundation and dramatic stylization with large-scale action that promises intimate character arcs.
Samurai song debuts on Saturday, May 9. New episodes will be released weekly.
7
United States Against the World: Four Years with the Men’s National Soccer Team
Exploring the pressures of representing a nation
Filmed over four years, United States Against the World: Four Years with the Men’s National Soccer Team offers a behind-the-scenes look at one of the most pivotal eras in American soccer.
The five episodes sports docuseries exclusively chronicles the US men’s national team as it prepares for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America this June. While following key players such as Tyler Adams, Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie and Tim Weah, the series captures their professional pressures and personal journeys rather than solely focusing on match highlights, emphasizing the emotional and psychological risks of representing a nation on the global stage.
United States Against the World: Four Years with the Men’s National Soccer Team debuts on Tuesday, May 12. New episodes will be released weekly.
6
The A-List: 15 Stories from the Asia-Pacific Diasporas
The silenced voices in the mainstream media
Shift the focus from competition to identity, The A-List: 15 Stories from the Asia-Pacific Diasporas offers a deeply personal and culturally significant tapestry of personal vignettes from the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities.
The documentary weaves together individual stories of famous figures like Sandra Oh and everyday people like Madelyn Yu, a retired nurse from New Jersey, to show the different experiences that reflect the diversity within these broad identity labels. Intimate first-person accounts center these communities while inviting audiences to question blanket terms like “Asian American” and “AAPI” (Asian American Pacific Islander).
The A-List: 15 Stories from the Asia-Pacific Diasporas debuts on Wednesday, May 13.
5
Wuthering Heights
Gothic romance reinvented
if you got lost Emerald Fennell’s bold new take on the love story that is Wuthering HeightsYou’ll finally get to see what all the hype is about when it premieres on HBO Max this month. Margot Robbie (Barbie) and Jacob Elordi (Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein) star in the exuberant period drama.
Rather than being a tight, faithful adaptation of the classic tale, Fennell’s film reimagines the story of Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff with a modern, stylized twist, emphasizing emotional intensity and youthful obsession. The visually daring literary adaptation recreates the visceral experience of first encountering the forbidden passion of the novel, which soon transforms from romantic and intoxicating into a grand tale of lust, love and total madness.
Wuthering Heights makes its streaming debut on Friday, May 1.
Wuthering Heights
- Release date
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February 13, 2026
- Execution time
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136 minutes
- Director
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Esmeralda Fennell
4
Greenland 2: Migration
A large scale catastrophe
Gerard Butler Returns for 2020 Disaster Movie Sequel Green Earthand this time follows his family as they navigate life in a post-apocalyptic world filled with intense radiation storms and collapsing infrastructure. Greenland 2: Migration gives us a more intimate focus on a high-stakes premise that’s packed with action-based storytelling around survival and resilience.
In the wake of a comet impact that devastated most of the Earth, the Garritys are forced to leave the safety of their bunker in Greenland to find a new home. Viewers follow as the family man guides his loved ones on a dangerous journey where the odds are against them and that will test the family’s sense of love, sacrifice and survival instinct.
Greenland 2: Migration makes its streaming debut on Friday, May 8.
3
Voyeur
The psychological shadows of celebrity worship
Love and obsession are nothing more than two sides of the same coin in Voyeur a daring thriller from writer-producer Alex Russell (the bear). Mubi’s 2025 film boasts a well-deserved 94% score from critics on Rotten Tomatoes and features performances from rising stars Archie Madekwe (See) and Théodore Pellerin (family first).
After meeting a rising pop star, a twenty-something store clerk takes the opportunity to infiltrate the crowd and blur the line between friend and fan. As that line fades beyond recognition, he learns the hard way that access and proximity can be a matter of life and death. Set in a dazzling Los Angeles where social currency reigns supreme, the film revels in the suspense and dark irony of celebrity worship.
Voyeur debuts on Friday, May 15.
2
The moment
The pressures of rapid fame
Alexander Skarsgård and Charli XCX lead the cast of The momenta sly, self-aware satire that captures the thrill of drive and the pressures of what it takes to stay on top. Kylie Jenner and Rachel Sennot (I love Los Angeles) also star.
As her arena tour debut approaches, a pop star finds herself caught in the afterglow of a summer spectacular. He faces increasing pressure to do whatever it takes to remain relevant while also navigating and battling the complexities of fame.
The moment debuts on Friday, May 29.
The moment
- Release date
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February 6, 2026
- Execution time
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103 minutes
- Director
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Aidan Zamiri
1
I miss you, I love you
A moving exploration of painful separation
Oscar and Emmy winner Allison Janney plays an outspoken and grieving widow in the HBO original film. I miss you, I love you, alongside Andrew Rannells (Girls).
Forced to plan her husband’s funeral with a complete stranger after her estranged son sends his assistant (Rannells) in his place, Diane Patterson (Janney) struggles through her grief as darkly funny circumstances, buried secrets and long-held resentments surface. This unexpected partnership becomes an unlikely conduit of connection, laughter, and healing for this grieving mother and surrogate son.
I miss you, I love you debuts on Friday, May 29.
For a complete list, see our list of everything is coming to HBO Max in May 2026.
- Subscription with ads
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Yes, $10.99/month
- Simultaneous currents
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2 or 4
