The 5 best thrillers to watch on Netflix in May 2023

Hello, Polygon’s readers! We’re in the dead middle of May, and you know what that means, right? The weather is heating up, which means that it’s time for ballgames and barbecues. What better way to get ready for summer than to watch some of Netflix’s most thrilling action thrillers this month?

We’ve got a wealth of great thrillers to choose from in May. From Michael Mann’s 1995 classic The Heat and Spike Lee’s RashomonHeist thrillers are a lot like this. Inside Man starring Denzel Washington and Clive Owen to contemporary breakouts like Ali Abbasi’s Holy Spider This month has a lot to offer. Let’s dive into the thick of it.

The Heat

Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro) fires an M4A4 rifle from behind a blue car in a Los Angeles intersection, a muzzle flash visibly erupting from the rifle’s barrel in Heat.

Year: 1995
Run time: 2h 50m
Director: Michael Mann
Cast: Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Val Kilmer

You’ve (hopefully) already watched Den of Thieves, described by many, including our curation editor Pete Volk, as “dirtbag The Heat.” But have you ever You can watch this on YouTube The Heat, Michael Mann’s classic 1995 crime thriller starring Al Pacino and Robert De Niro? If you somehow haven’t, o-ho-ho-boy, are you in for a treat.

Described by Mann himself as “a highly structured, realistic, symphonic drama,” The HeatThe story revolves around Neil McCauley, played by Robert De Niro. He is a bank robber and career criminal whose crew has become the focus of LAPD Detective Vincent Hanna. His obsession with catching criminals threatens to strain his personal relationships. It is an epic film, with a cast that includes Val Kilmer and other stars.Top GunTom SizemoreSaving Private RyanAmy BrennemanLeftoversElliot Goldenthal composed a score that is pulsating and awe-inspiring.Demolition ManDante Spinotti’s action filmography is a delight.Manhunter).

The sound of every gunshot pounds like a war drum, every frame is impeccably composed, and the iconic scene of Hanna and McCauley staring at each other across a diner table is only eclipsed by their inevitable and fatal confrontation in the film’s climax. The Heat was literally the first movie I saw in theaters after COVID-19 pandemic restrictions lifted, and honestly I couldn’t have asked for a better experience to remind myself why I fell in love with going to the theater in the first place. —Toussaint Egan

High Flying Bird

Year: 2019
Run time: 1h 30m
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Cast: André Holland, Zazie Beetz, Melvin Gregg

Over in the real world, we’re in the midst of a very exciting NBA playoffs. LeBron is doing what he does best 20 years after his NBA debut, and the NBA Finals seem to be destined for a clash between Nikola Jokic (who’s bursting into stardom) and Joel Embiid. We’re also in the midst of a strike by television and movie writers who seek to improve their security within a lucrative industry.

That means there’s no better time to watch High Flying Bird, Steven Soderbergh’s reinvention of the sports drama shot on an iPhone 8. The movie follows ambitious sports agent Ray Burke (the excellent André Holland), who attempts to put control back in the hands of the players during a lockout. The hotshot Erick Scott is the one who brings this to his attention.American Vandal’s Melvin Gregg), with whom Burke collaborates to develop new revenue streams and opportunities for basketball outside the organization of league.

A stylish, exciting movie featuring excellent performances with a solid script. Moonlight Tarell McCraney was the writer of Tarell’s book. High Flying Bird This is the modern masterpiece of sports movies. —Pete Volk

Holy Spider

Arezoo Rahimi (Zahra Amir Ebrahimi) stands in the middle of a dark corridor with light reflected on the side of her face, her dark hair partially obscured by a headscarf in Holy Spider.

Year: 2022
Run time: 1h 58m
Director:Ali Abbasi
Cast: Mehdi Bajestani, Zar Amir-Ebrahimi, Arash Ashtiani

Inspired by the true story of an Iranian serial killer who killed 16 women from 2000 to 2001, Ali Abbasi’s film follows the story of a journalist (Zar Amir-Ebrahimi) investigating the disappearance of several women in the city of Mashhad. Her search brings her directly into the crosshairs of the murderer (Mehdi Bajestani), a troubled veteran of the Iran-Iraq war whose self-appointed “crusade” sparks a heated split of opinions throughout his community about his actions.

The story is more than a crime thriller Holy Spider is a brutal and incisive portrait of a woman’s struggle for justice on behalf of victims whose lives have been disregarded by society, while battling misogynistic accusations and behavior aimed at her own character. This film delves into the mind of the antagonist and explores his religious fervor as well as post-traumatic anger. It also examines gendered hate that is born of the desire to achieve significance by infamy. The film was quietly released on streaming in late January after its VOD debut. Holy SpiderThis film, which is highly recommended to watch and seek out, contains some graphic scenes of violence towards women. —Toussaint Egan

Inside Man

Year: 2006
Run time: 2h 9m
Director: Spike Lee
Cast: Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, Jodie Foster

There’s nobody better than Denzel. There’s nobody better than Spike. And there’s nothing better than a great heist thriller. You can add all these factors together to get Inside ManOne of the most popular movies from the 2000s, and a rare thriller with twists that is worth many viewings.

Clive Owen leads a complex bank heist and Denzel is the hostage-negotiator who is tasked to resolve the situation. Jodie Foster is also in the cast, along with Christopher Plummer Willem Dafoe and Chiwetel.

Denzel compared this dialogue-heavy part to that played by Brutus, a character in the film Brutus. Julius CaesarThe actor credits the Broadway show he performed recently with helping to prepare him for his role. Whatever he did, it worked — the two leading men are both fantastic in one of the best heist movies ever made. —PV

The Raid 2

Year: 2014
Run Time: 2h 30m
Director: Gareth Evans
Cast: Iko Uwais, Arifin Putra, Oka Antara

Follow-up of the smash hit (and yes, we mean smash). 2011Hits Raid, Gareth Evans’ 2014 The sequel is also a powerful one (and includes some hammers). Set just after the events of the first movie, Rama (Iko Uwais, reprising his lead role) is sent undercover to expose corruption in Jakarta’s police. Rama must go to jail, survive a riot in prison and gain the trust of members of Jakarta’s underworld.

Filled with high-octane action sequences, plenty of gore (there’s a kickass character named Hammer Girl who makes the most of that nickname), and jaw-dropping displays of the Indonesian martial art pencak silat, fans of Raid You should watch the sequel as well. There’s plenty of debate about which of the two movies is better, but we can all agree on this: They both rule. —PV