May might not be the most scandalous month — but the streamers seem to think otherwise. Five new detective series are launching across digital platforms, and each one pulls a nerve like a well-timed trigger. Crime, disappearances, identity swaps, mafia, and doppelgängers — if you love your stories tangled and dark, this one’s for you.
Reservatet
Netflix, from May 15
A seemingly respectable Danish suburb. Then the nanny vanishes — and the quiet life starts to crack. While some pretend nothing happened, others begin digging into their neighbours’ dirty laundry. Fans of The Bridge and The Killing will get it: the Scandinavians have nailed it once again.
Dear Hongrang
Netflix, from May 16
A family mystery wrapped in a Joseon-era setting. The merchant’s son returns after 12 years claiming to remember nothing. His sister doesn’t believe him. What follows: skeletons in closets, buried secrets, and the stench of rotting power. A mystical investigation where clues matter, but so does lineage.
Dept. Q
Netflix, from May 29
A new protagonist for a classic British thriller. Carl Mørck opens a cold case unit, only to realise that not everything wants to be uncovered. From the writer of The Queen's Gambit, with Edinburgh’s misty chills and cases that crawl under your skin.
Shark: The Storm
Prime Video / Tving, from May 15
He was a student — now he’s a fighter. Once a victim — now a hunter. The main character survived prison, sharpened his skills, and came out with one goal: make it to the ring and get revenge. But the streets hold a different kind of arena — the mafia, where old enemies have joined the dark side. A gritty, predatory Korean neo-noir with a twisted past.
Poker Face, Season 2
Peacock, from May 8
She doesn’t have superpowers — but something arguably worse: an absolute inability to tolerate lies. Charlie Cale senses dishonesty like it’s stitched into her skin, but proving it is another story. Season two turns up the heat: Katie Holmes, Kumail Nanjiani, Giancarlo Esposito, and Cynthia Erivo (in five roles!) join the cast. And behind her? A mafia that never forgets a grudge.
