Satanic Rites and Shattered Minds Lead Studiocanal’s May Line-Up

This May, horror and thriller fans looking for prestige chills should turn their gaze to STUDIOCANAL Presents, as the premium streaming service rolls out a curation packed with dread-laced treasures and dark genre delights. From satanic rituals in the English countryside to mind-bending psychological twists, the platform’s latest additions lean deeper into the shadows — and viewers are all the better for it.

Leading the charge is The Devil Rides Out (1968), one of the crown jewels of Hammer Horror’s golden era. Directed by Terence Fisher and adapted from Dennis Wheatley’s occult bestseller, the film stars a commanding Christopher Lee in a rare heroic role, battling a devil-worshipping cult hellbent on claiming new souls. With lavish gothic visuals and a sense of real menace, it remains one of Hammer’s most enduring and atmospheric works. Charles Gray, later of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, delivers a memorably sinister turn that lingers long after the credits roll.

For viewers drawn to psychological horror with a Kafkaesque twist, Richard Ayoade’s The Double (2013) is another standout arriving this month. A stylised and darkly comic take on Dostoevsky’s tale of identity collapse and societal paranoia, the film stars Jesse Eisenberg in dual roles — as a downtrodden office drone and the unnervingly confident doppelgänger who slowly unravels his existence. Blending absurdist humour with oppressive visuals and creeping dread, Ayoade crafts a dystopian nightmare as biting as it is bleakly funny.

Already available to stream is the bizarre and bleak dating thriller Cat Person (2023), which dissects the psychological unease of modern romance with Emilia Jones caught in a web of escalating tension. Also streaming now is Diva (1981), a cult French thriller awash in neon noir, where a bootleg opera recording triggers a violent chase through Parisian backstreets. For those who like their suspense with surreal flair, it’s an essential watch.

In the world of speculative horror, Orca, The Killer Whale (1977) delivers vintage animal terror with Richard Harris going fin-to-fin with a vengeful sea beast. Following in the wake of Jaws, this lesser-seen gem amps up the tragedy and brutality, with the titular orca seeking bloody retribution after witnessing the slaughter of its mate and calf.

Add to that the eerie disappearances examined in true-crime series Black Coast Vanishings, the prison-break claustrophobia of Le Trou (1960), and the early Fritz Lang noir You Only Live Once (1937), and it’s clear that this month’s Studiocanal drop brings no shortage of tension, paranoia and slow-burning dread.

While lighter fare such as What’s Love Got to Do With It? offers a romantic reprieve, and Plenty provides a postwar character study anchored by Meryl Streep, the real heartbeat of the May slate lies in its genre offerings. From occult horrors to existential doppelgängers, this month’s additions prove once again that STUDIOCANAL Presents is far more than just a home for prestige dramas — it’s also a playground for fans of the macabre.

Subscribers can access STUDIOCANAL Presents via Apple TV and Prime Video, with films added monthly and a growing archive of new exclusives and 4K restorations. For those seeking classic horror, psychological dread and cult thrills, the May line-up is a welcome invitation to press play and let the darkness in.