When you’re looking for something new to watch, the options can feel endless—so much so that narrowing things down to just a handful of titles becomes a challenge in itself. But that’s exactly what we’re here for. This May 2026, the screen is packed with stories worth your time, from heart-fluttering moments that bring the kilig to spine-tingling scares that linger long after the credits roll. It’s a month where romance and horror share the spotlight—and we’ve rounded up the best of both for your watchlist.

Perfect Crown (Series Finale)

Release date: May 16
Where to watch: Disney+

Why it’s on our watchlist:
After weeks of drama, romance, and swoon-worthy moments, Perfect Crown finally wraps up this May. What started as a calculated alliance has become this year’s most unexpected love story—but when power and ambition go to war with love, no legacy is safe, not even the crown. The series has captured the hearts of many, thanks in large part to its charming leads—the adorable IU and the crush ng bayan Byeon Woo Seok—and their undeniable chemistry.

Now, all eyes are on the finale as we finally get answers to the questions that have kept viewers hooked: What’s really behind the tension between the Queen Mother and I-An? How did the King truly die? And who leaked I-An and Hui Ju’s fake marriage contract? Expect an emotional, high-stakes send-off where everything is on the line.

— Kyzia Maramara

Off Campus

Release date: May 13, 2026
Episodes: 8
Where to watch: Prime Video

Why it’s on our watchlist:

After the massive success of book adaptations in the previous year (especially sports romcom!), I’m eager for more, and Off Campus could not come at a better time.

Based on Elle Kennedy’s massive book series, Off Campus centers on the unlikely connection between sharp-witted music major Hannah Wells and hockey star Garrett Graham. What starts as a mutually beneficial pretend date, designed to help Hannah catch her crush’s eye and Garrett maintain his academic eligibility, quickly evolves into something more after they end up in bed together.

Because sometimes, you just need good ol’ reliable tropes like fake dating in college to enjoy the kilig — and the steamy tension. 👀

PS. It’s already renewed for a second season, so another book in the series is sure to grace our screens for another season of kilig and tension.

— Meryl Medel

Jae-seok’s B&B Rules!

Release date: May 26, 2026
Episodes: 10
Where to watch: Netflix

Why it’s on our watchlist:

There are times when we just need a break from the drama shows, and when you’re looking for a good laugh, South Korean comedian Yoo Jaesuk is someone who’s always sure to give it to you.

In Jae-seok’s B&B Rules!, the comedian tries his hand at running a bed and breakfast, while also treating guests to his signature games. It is a spin-off of Kian’s Bizarre B&B, which saw webtoon artist Kian84, BTS member Jin, and actress Ji Ye-eun running an unconventionally designed bed and breakfast floating off the sea. Which I (and a million others globally) enjoyed immensely with so many funny moments and quirky ideas balanced with precious memories and actions that come from the heart.

This time, we pair Yoo Jaesuk with his longtime comedy partner Lee Kwangsoo and the Lovely Runner and Perfect Crown star Byeon Wooseok, and we get triple the laughter.

With both Kwangsoo and Wooseok towering over Jaesuk, the jokes are already writing themselves, but the highlight is really the chemistry between the three and their organic interactions with the guests. And I can’t wait for the laughter and the heartfelt interactions we’ll see.

— Meryl Medel

Soul Mate

Release date: May 14, 2026
Episodes: 8
Where to watch: Netflix

Why it’s on our watchlist:

Even before the first episode’s release, Soul Mate has already built impressive buzz, and for good reason. With Isomura Hayato (Alice in Borderland) and Ok Taec Yeon (in his first-ever BL role!) leading the series, it’s hard not to be curious.

The story follows Narutaki Ryu (Isomura Hayato), who leaves Japan after a life-changing mistake that destroys his best friend’s life. Carrying deep guilt, he drifts through life abroad until he nearly dies in a foreign country, only to be saved by Hwang Jo Han (Ok Taec Yeon), a Korean boxer who is dealing with his own emotional scars. Both are broken in their own ways, but something about their connection pulls them together. Slowly, what starts as two lost souls crossing paths turns into a bond that feels almost destined.

With its emotional premise, cross-cultural storytelling, and cinematic feel, Soul Mate is shaping up to be one of those BL dramas that lingers long after it ends.

— Aila Cruz

Hokum

Release date: May 6, 2026
Run time: 1 hr 47 min
Where to watch: Cinemas nationwide

Why it’s on our watchlist:

We all know Adam Scott from his iconic roles in Parks and Recreation and Severance, so a new horror film would get you interested and look forward to his performance.

In Hokum, Ohm Bauman (Adam Scott) is a sour novelist struggling to finish his trilogy. He travels to rural Ireland to fulfill his late parents’ wishes and heal from his troubled childhood. However, the trip takes a turn when he learns of a sinister folklore surrounding the hotel he’s staying at, which is the same lodging his parents visited when they were younger. The off-limits Honeymoon Suite hosts a 400-year-old witch, and Ohm is forced to explore it when one of the staff goes missing on Halloween. Will he meet more ghosts along the way?

Folklore, a rural setting, and a possible murder mystery with a promising protagonist – oh, sign me up for that.

— Ina Manto

Obsession

Release date: May 6, 2026
Run time: 1 hr 47 min
Where to watch: Cinemas nationwide

Why it’s on our watchlist:

If you’re in an age where peers are beginning to build families, tying the knot, and meeting the love of their lives — and you’re not quite there yet — you’d probably question why the dating scene has been cruel to you. Especially if you’re undeniably a hopeless romantic who’s gotten way too shy even to make a move towards the person you like.

And that’s quite the premise of the supernatural horror film Obsession. The film follows timid, awkward Bear (Michael Johnston), who has had an unrequited crush on his friend Nikki (Inde Navarette) for years. Out of desperation, he visits a shop and discovers a “One Wish Willow,” which finally grants his desire: for Nikki to like him back. But there’s an uncanny catch he might later regret – a supposed happy ending turns into a sick and twisted obsession, where Nikki seems to be possessed by an entity that goes against what love typically looks like. Will Bear survive it?

Be careful what you wish for. It is a simple premise, but you know this film will pack a punch in the most horrifying, bloody ways.

— Ina Manto

Salmokji: Whispering Water

Release date: May 13, 2026
Run time: 1 hr 35 min
Where to watch: Cinemas nationwide (@pioneermoviehub)

Why it’s on our watchlist:

Not all horror has to be loud to be effective. Some of it works best when it’s quiet, patient, and unsettling. That’s why Salmokji: Whispering Water is on our watchlist.

The film follows a remote village where Salmokji, a mysterious body of water, becomes the center of disturbing events. Locals begin reporting strange encounters and unexplained deaths, all seemingly tied to the lake’s still, whispering surface. As more people dig into its past, they uncover something far more disturbing than folklore.

As a horror fan, this kind of premise hits the sweet spot: slow-burn tension, psychological unease, and a creeping sense of dread that never fully lets you relax. And sometimes, it’s the stories that whisper instead of scream that stay with you the longest.

— Aila Cruz

Colony

Release date: May 27, 2026
Run time: 2 hr 2 min
Where to watch: Cinemas nationwide (@pioneermoviehub)

Why it’s on our watchlist:

What if the real danger isn’t outside the colony but inside it?

Colony starts with that unsettling question and builds a world where survival doesn’t feel like freedom but like carefully controlled confinement. In a near-future world shaken by an unexplained global crisis, the last remnants of society are gathered into an isolated, tightly regulated colony meant to restore order. At first, it feels like salvation—structured, secure, and necessary. But as time passes, the system begins to shift in subtle but disturbing ways: rules tighten, trust starts to fracture, and the boundary between protection and control slowly disappears.

As communication with the outside world breaks down and strange incidents begin to surface within the colony, suspicion spreads among its residents. The question becomes unavoidable — are they truly being protected from what’s outside, or is something far more unsettling happening inside?

With a powerhouse cast led by Gianna Jun (Jun Jihyun), Ji Changwook, Koo Kyohwan, and Shin Hyunbeen and directed by the award-winning mind behind Train to Busan, this one leans into slow-burning tension that builds quietly until survival itself starts to feel like a question mark.

— Aila Cruz

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