May

Name: May
Genre: Drama, Thriller, Horror, Romance
Released: February 7, 2003
Duration: 93 min
Rating: 58
Cast: Angela Bettis, Anna Faris, James Duval, Jeremy Sisto

2003

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 18 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Overwhelming dislike based on 233 Ratings

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1.2	User Score Overwhelming dislike based on 233 Ratings

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May

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Movie Details & Credits

Lions Gate Films | Release Date: February 7, 2003 | R

Starring: Angela Bettis, Anna Faris, James Duval, Jeremy Sisto

Summary: A hybrid of camp horror and psychological thriller.

Director: Lucky McKee

Genre(s): Drama, Thriller, Horror, Romance

Rating: R

Runtime: 93 min

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

100

Roger Ebert

The movie subtly darkens its tone until, when the horrifying ending arrives, we can see how we got there. There is a final shot that would get laughs in another kind of film, but May earns the right to it, and it works, and we understand it. Read full review

Tim Merrill

Call it a horror movie, a psychological thriller or a feminist splatterfest, but this sort of story is tough to get right. May gets it more than right. Read full review

Dallas Observer Luke Y. Thompson

With a level of dark humor akin to the screenplays of Todd Solondz, and a visual style reminiscent of Dario Argento, May is one of the funniest, most disturbing, yet strangely touching movies of the year Read full review

Ty Burr

Satisfyingly, May also turns out to be lowdown genre fun, a film that nearly makes up in slacker wit and high-spirited gore what it lacks in budget and elegance. Read full review

Kim Morgan

On paper, it sounds like the start of a good film. Too bad McKee made such a lackluster thing of it. Though the horror comes from an interesting place, it's frequently forced, negating much of the humor and pathos the film attempts to instill. Read full review

Sean Axmaker

It wants to be a "Carrie" with a modern-day "Frankenstein" twist, but it lacks the smarts behind the weirdness. Read full review

Dennis Lim

The flavor is textbook '90s indie -- self-regarding quirk with an occasional spasm of Solondzian incorrectness. Read full review

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User Reviews

explorer801

Oct 20, 2021

This is a brilliant movie! Don't listen to the negative reviews! It is the most original, darkly DARKLY funny movie I've ever seen.
It's one of those movies that will stick with you forever. There are moments of pure genius that should have made it a much bigger success than it was.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Jacobparker

May 15, 2013

You want to see not the typical slasher!?
You want to see a film that makes you think!?
here you got one!
One of the best slasher movies ever made!
Believe me!

3 of 19 users found this helpful316

Mglovesfun

Feb 25, 2020

I can see why people don't like this movie. It's really a movie pitched at outsiders, people who grew up spending a lot of time alone. And it hits the mark in so many ways.

Of course it's campy and silly, but it knows what is. It blends elements of horror and clever dialogue, but there areI can see why people don't like this movie. It's really a movie pitched at outsiders, people who grew up spending a lot of time alone. And it hits the mark in so many ways.

Of course it's campy and silly, but it knows what is. It blends elements of horror and clever dialogue, but there are moments that seem slow and unnecessary.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

Panchogul

May 9, 2020

Una mezcla de thriller y horror bastante anticlimática, razón por la cual a muchos no les puede gustar, es bizarra, enferma e incluso absurda, pero de alguna forma tiene encanto propio.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

HellHoleHorror

Feb 15, 2022

I'd like to start with my biggest gripe - the ending of this film sucked beyond belief. You were told the ending right at the start with a flash cut in the opening credits. Then the little bit of an ending after the flash cut is just plain silly and badly placed. It would have been coolI'd like to start with my biggest gripe - the ending of this film sucked beyond belief. You were told the ending right at the start with a flash cut in the opening credits. Then the little bit of an ending after the flash cut is just plain silly and badly placed. It would have been cool earlier and with more movement. I'm trying not to spoil the ending but the film would have been a million times better if the ending went further. The rest of the film was good and shocking. The story was copied but the script and direction as well as the stunning acting made up for the unoriginal plot. It is worth a watch so long as you know that the ending is going to be very disappointing. Some scenes are shocking and disturbing and the social aspect is very well told. Overall disappointing though.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

LegitSalt

Jun 1, 2018

There is some god awful line delivery, dialogue and acting in this movie, but the soundtrack is really quite good at parts. This doesn't persist, however, as the soundtrack gets cheesy and droning at parts too. The dogleg looked very much like plastic. I understand that May is supposed to beThere is some god awful line delivery, dialogue and acting in this movie, but the soundtrack is really quite good at parts. This doesn't persist, however, as the soundtrack gets cheesy and droning at parts too. The dogleg looked very much like plastic. I understand that May is supposed to be an awkward character, but some of her line delivery feels like she has never read the script before. And when she is on screen, her awkward nature just emanates. Honestly just watch dancer in the dark. The gag with the one doctor not being able to pronounce anything was really dumb, and the cheesy cut that came after the second instance was even worse. May was not a likeable character at all, nor was most of the rest of the cast for a majority of the films run time. The first half was slow, obnoxious, and cheesy at parts. I did appreciate that her partners claimed to 'like' and then 'love' weird after May says she is weird. Since in both cases, that weirdness ends up being the factor that leads to their divide. The romance in the film felt like it was trying much too hard, and almost unnecessary. After May is with Anna Faris, who is a bad actor in this flick, the film really feels like it is trying to be something that it can't feasibly be. Feasibly be, that is, under the current director. The film within the film started out looking and feeling like a generic, trashy romance, but it improved tenfold with the cheesy, fun cannibalism. I enjoyed the way that the scene of Adam trying to avoid May at the laundromat was put together. With a constant focused close up on Adam, and then where he was after he leaves. This same angle remains as May hesitantly walks over and then realizes that he lied to her about the machine's functionality. This conveys information to the viewer in a way that would be lost if the film's signature cheeseball dialogue had been present. Shortly after this scene, May throws her ashtray at her cat. After the ashtray is thrown, it breaks into millions of pieces upon coming into contact with the apparently very sturdy cat. After being hit, the cat then teleports backwards a few feet and opens the door wider. Also, can we talk about this man's wack hair-doo? I mean, it looks like what would happen if you gave the blind kids a fistful of pipe cleaners. The is so clearly not that type of person, that it makes it even more cringy when he delivers lines such as, "It's getting hella hot in here...". Skip to when May is taking neck measurements, and continue through the self-realignment montage, and you get an example of what this movie could be. This section is tense and thrilling, showing and implying what is going to happen without indirectly stating it. It all concludes as May steps out of the elevator, made out to look just like her doll. Since I like juxtaposition, the part where Anna Faris is leading May on asking her to, "please not hurt her", really drew me in. This is because it just made clear that Anna Faris was oblivious, then immediately kills her with the inverse of her words. It does similar things later, but this was the first big example. The rest of the last act is really quite intense and well done, side the slasher-style gore. Overall, this movie is inconsistent, having cheesy, nonsense dialogue mixed in with well directed and engaging sequences that show a lot of potentials. If you really want something like this, watch either "Raw", or "The Dancer in the Dark". If you do watch this, watch it as a comedy that takes a turn for the worse. I won't be returning to this one anytime soon.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

Paramilitary400

May 17, 2015

I'm baffled that this movie received any positive reviews because it is terrible on every imaginable level.
The main actress is one of the worst actresses I've ever seen. There is no supporting cast and the movie is incredibly lame. The movie was intended to be creepy but it is anything butI'm baffled that this movie received any positive reviews because it is terrible on every imaginable level.
The main actress is one of the worst actresses I've ever seen. There is no supporting cast and the movie is incredibly lame. The movie was intended to be creepy but it is anything but unsettling or scary. Don't waste a second on this movie, it is easily one movie you will regret seeing. Definitely one of the dumbest thrillers ever.… Expand

18 of 19 users found this helpful181

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