Tom Hiddleston and Claire Danes in ‘The Essex Snake’

What to watch during the May holidays and what not to miss afterward? The new selection has collected the most anticipated and discussed series of the month: from romantic stories to mysticism to true crime.

“Stairs” (Stairs)
Where: HBO Max
When: May 5

The series will appeal to fans of detective stories and true crime. The plot is based on the true story of American writer Michael Peterson, who was suspected of murdering his wife in the early 2000s. The woman was found dead at the foot of the stairs of her home, but the strange circumstances of her death prompted an investigation. Meanwhile, new scandalous details emerged, and even a suspicion emerged that the author may have committed another murder in the past.

The series, starring Colin Firth and Toni Collette, also starred Game of Thrones stars Sophie Turner, Dane DeHaan and Patrick Schwarzenegger.

Sophie Turner, Colin Firth, Olivia DeJong, Patrick Schwarzenegger and Dane DeHaan on The Ladder

If you want to understand Peterson’s story in more detail before watching, you can watch French director Jean-Xavier de Lestrade’s documentary Suspicions, which was released in 2004.

“Clark” (clark)
Where: Netflix
When: May 5

Fans of the detective genre in the Scandinavian style this spring are also not lacking. Directed by Jonas Åkerlund, the series is also based on a true crime story – a bank robbery in Stockholm in 1973. By the way, criminologist Niels Beyerot coined the term “Stockholm Syndrome” while investigating this crime.

He starred Bill Skarsgård and has already instilled a lot of fear with his role as the clown in IT.

Fun fact: Okerlund started out as a drummer in a black metal band before moving on to making music videos and concert films for popular artists. The Cardigans’ My Favorite Game, The Prodigy’s Smack My Bitch Up, Christina Aguilera’s Beautiful, Madonna’s American Life, Maroon 5’s Wake Up Call and Lady Gaga’s Paparazzi MTV classics like (to name a few) are his creations. Okerlund has also worked extensively with Rammstein, Roxette, Ozzy Osbourne, Robbie Williams and Metallica.

Bill Skarsgard at Clark

“Snake in Essex” (Snake of Essex)
Where: AppleTV+
When: May 13

A mystical mini-series (action set in the 19th century) for fans of costume films, based on the novel of the same name by Sarah Perry. It tells the story of emancipated widow Cora Seaborne (Claire Danes), who moves from London to a quiet village in Essex after her husband’s death. Rumors of a mythical snake feeding on human flesh in the surrounding swamps terrify the locals. Kora does not share the superstitions of its inhabitants and tries to understand the nature of events. Local pastor Will Ransome (Tom Hiddleston) is also interested in searching for the truth.

Initially, the role of Cora was supposed to be played by Keira Knightley, but six weeks before the start of filming, the actress left the project, explaining the decision “for family reasons.” Knightley talked about the coronavirus pandemic (she was afraid for the children’s health) and the quarantine restrictions that had to be observed during filming.

There are other actors in the series that moviegoers are familiar with. For example, fans of the Harry Potter saga will have a moment of nostalgia – Clemence Poesy (Fleur de Lacourt) and Frank Dillane (Tom Riddle, also known as the young Voldemort from the Half-Blood Prince), who starred in The Snake in Essex.

Tom Hiddleston in Essex Serpent

“Arrow”
Where: Beginning
When: May 13

The series is worth watching just to not miss the birth of a new potential star and a new schoolgirl crash – lead actor Mark Eidelstein is compared to Timothée Chalamet for might and main.

The pedestrian character in the movie is called – St. from his native Pyatigorsk. Intelligent violinist Senya, who went to St. Petersburg to enter the conservatory. But in the northern capital, the Seine must quickly face a harsh reality that is far from lofty dreams. By the will of fate, he has to become a hoarder – a person who distributes prohibited substances through bookmarks.

Mark Eidelstein in “The Bow”

The Time Traveler’s Wife
Where: HBO
When: May 15

Audrey Niffenegger’s 2003 best-selling debut novel has been filmed multiple times, with Sherlock’s showrunner Steven Moffat taking over. It is directed by David Nutter, who directed episodes of Game of Thrones, The Mentalist, Supernatural and Homeland. The main roles were played by Rose Leslie and Theo James.

According to the story, the main character, due to a rare genetic disease, can move unexpectedly in time and appear next to his wife at different points in his life.

Theo James and Rose Leslie in The Time Traveler’s Wife

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoYXtKF_g1Y

“Zero patients”
Where: “Kinopoisk”
When: From May 19

Resonant events in the USSR in recent years have often become a source of inspiration for domestic screenwriters and directors – take, for example, the TV series “Dyatlov Pass” and “Chernobyl”. They have now taken on a less publicized event – the first HIV epidemic in the Soviet Union in 1988. The main characters of the story are a young doctor in a children’s hospital from the Kalmyk ASSR and a metropolitan scientist – now the fate of thousands of people depends on their actions.

The directors were cameraman Sergei Trofimov and actor Evgeny Stychkin, but they did not deviate from their main task – Trofimov shared a place behind the camera with cameraman Sergei Kolobov, and Stychkin played one of the roles. The series also starred Nikita Efremov, Pavel Maykov and Ivan Dobronravov. One of the relatively new names that is clearly worth remembering is Askar Ilyasov.

The composer of the series was Igor Vdovin, who worked with Zemfira and wrote the music for Renata Litvinova’s film “Goddess: How I Loved”, the TV series “Vertinsky” and the documentary “Bondaarchuk.Battle”.

Poster for the movie “Patient Zero”

“Obi-Wan Kenobi” (Obi-Wan Kenobi)
Where: Disney+
When: May 25

This month also sees the release of the highly anticipated Star Wars spin-off about Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi played by Ewan McGregor. The action takes place ten years after the movie “Revenge of the Sith” and Anakin Skywalker’s transition to the dark side of the Force. In the story, Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi tracks down young Luke Skywalker and hides from the Empire’s hunters during his exile on Tatooine. Hayden Christensen and Joel Edgerton are also returning to their roles.

Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi

“Weapon” (Gun)
Where: Hulu
When: May 31

The biographies of rock and pop musicians have also been trending in recent years. Next came the film adaptation of the turbulent life of the Sex Pistols, the main punk rebels of the British pop scene. Based on the memoirs of the band’s guitarist Steve Jones, the series was directed by Danny Boyle, who is well acquainted with both the texture of the British underground dope (“Trainspotting”) and the biographical format (“Steve Jobs”).

Besides musicians, among the characters of the series you can see other prominent representatives of the punk community of those years, for example, designer Vivienne Westwood (played by Elon Musk’s ex-wife Talulah Riley) and model Pamela Rook (played by Maisie Williams, who collaborated with him).

Withdrawn from the series “Pistol”