May
| release date | January 13 2002 |
| studio | Lions Gate Films |
| director | Lucky McKee |
| writer | Lucky McKee |
| starring | Angela Bettis |
| rating | R |
| tagline | If you can't find a friend... make one. |
| site | maythemovie.com |
| trailer 1 | Trailer #1 |
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May is the new female icon of murder of 2000. This movie is so great that my mind blew.
Love LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE this movie. this is such a cute movie. has a great message, great story, great actors, and just very well put together. this is deff. a must see fim.
will you be my friend?
this movie is amazing. I love the main actress, having seen her in carrie and the toolbox murders.
you have to see this film, its so good and the end is amazing.
Wow! This moive is great. I love this movie. May is so great and sad and you just feel for her. The movie keeps to the idea so well and does not try to make anyone happy. It is awesome and hope everyone loves this movie as well.
I love this movie may reminds me of a friend of mine. Hopefully she doesnt slice my lips off cus she says she loves them. lol
Pretty good movie overall. Very creepy. The ending was really creepy.
Loved, loved, loved this movie. May is a very interesting character, and I dug the way they really explored her personality before she really went insane. Very unique and horrifying film, and one of my new favorites.
Everyone Loves May!
Mmm i really liked this one, very interesting to see the frustration. The end was one to remember.
Well at least this is better than that stupid movie Roman. This was more wierd than good. Not one of my favorites. Worth watching
This has to be if not my favorite then in my top 3 movies. It is brilliant and a perfect date film….I know I am wierd.lol absolutly loved this film
May is a good example of a movie where the performances of it’s actors outweighs the actual story itself. This is an OK movie, with some really stand out acting. There is no questioning that the performance of Angela Bettis is a real tour de force. Bettis has some real moments in the film, and her portrayal of the young weird May will surely be remembered for some time to come. I also thought that the performances of Jeremy Sisto and Anna Faris were quite exceptional, considering that there doesn’t really seem to be much material they are working with. I can’t say enough good things about what the actors bring to this film, the problem with “May” really comes down to storyline and direction.
The film drags through several parts, and leaves the viewer questioning so much about what is NOT explained. Yes, May is a loner, and yes she is quite weird, but not enough detail or history is given as to WHY? Plenty of detail is given to her decent into “madness”, but one is left to wonder why she is so messed up in the first place? This is no doubt a very interesting film, but I was left to consider how much better it could have been with a little more written character development and some better direction. As a viewer, it can be a little frustrating watching such talented actors having to work with obvious flaws in the direction & writing of a film, especially when in no real way does it affect their own performance.
I would suggest seeing this film before buying it, as it might make a better rental than an addition to your DVD horror library. Not a film that I would entertain repeat viewings of. It just didn’t hold my interest for more than one showing- unless you are completely mesmorized by the performance of Angela Bettis (which is quite possible considering she is SO good) to watch it more than once.
I’ve seen “May” sitting at about every movie rental place I’ve been in within the last two or three years. The cover art is misleading, or at least it was to me. Judging from the cover, I expected a movie somewhere along the lines of “The Craft.” Okay, you may love “The Craft,” but the idea of a handful of girls getting god-like power by simply joining hands and lighting a few candles just doesn’t do it for me. My suspension of belief only goes so far. So, I guess you could say that I expected “May” to be your run of the mill femme fatale going on a killing spree kind of movie. It very well could have been had Angela Bettis not done such an amazing job portraying the flawed and timid “May,” and her supporting cast not have done such a great job mining all the gold that could be mined from their characters, figuratively speaking.
The story is about a girl called May who works at a local animal hospital and has a talent for sewing. When she’s not at work at the animal hospital, her mother’s hand-me-down doll, which she keeps in a glass case, is the only one to keep her company. Well, that is until she meets a boy who eventually grows to like her as much as May’s lesbian co-worker. Everything goes great for a while until May’s aloof behavior begins to drive away her new found friends leaving her more alone than ever. May doesn’t let it get her down too much though, because soon she “makes” a new friend.
So yeah, the storyline is pretty straight forward. Reading it, you’re probably not too impressed. When I rented it, I figured it’d be just another gore fest, but, hey, that’s not always a bad thing right? That’s not really the case with “May.” It’s more of a character study than a slasher. The major problem with “May” is the lack of backstory on the main character. We never really know why May is so meek and shy and, well, strange. The best we get are brief flashes at the beginning of the movie, none of which justify the overt oddity that is her personality. Still, Bettis portrays May in a way that is not only disturbing but also kind of saddening. It’s hard not to feel sorry for her at the end of the movie. In the end, she’s just a lonely girl with no friends.
In a world where most movies have A to B, paint-by-the-numbers stories with typical action sequences and lame plot twists, it’s hard for my brain to remember that movies like May have ever been made. The film is far from perfect, as my somewhat low score indicates, but that doesn’t mean I don’t suggest it. Put simply, May, while not really original, defies the standard stereotypes that movies of its kind have been reduced to and puts the vast majority of movies I’ve seen to thumb-sucking shame. Still, that doesn’t say a whole lot because almost every movie I’ve seen in a long time has been pathetic in its own right.
May opens up with a very interesting flash-cut first scene of May with her eye oozing blood. The movie never references that scene again until the last half hour. Without spoiling anything, that is my main complaint about May. While it has an insanely wicked (good) last thirty minutes and a very enticing first scene, the hour between the two is just . . . uninteresting.
First-time director Lucky McGee–who seems very eager to get his name out–obviously tries his hardest to create an original experience. Maybe he’s one of the few directors out there who actually realizes that 95% of everything released in theaters has been has been done so many times that the audience has no more emotional connection to it than they do with the story of Little Red Riding Hood. But like other first-time directors with a knack for originality–Richard Kelly, for example–Lucky McGee creates an original premise then falls into every cliché known to man without even noticing it. For example, May is a girl obsessed with death and gore–really, who would have guessed? The whole death-obsessed girl cliché has been around since the beginning of the horror genre, and that heavily harms the level of originality McGee tries to achieve. Especially when May’s character is the focal point of the plot for the first hour. Likewise, the idea of a lonely girl growing up with only a doll for a friend has been used in movies for years, not to mention cartoons.
But maybe I’m just being overly critical. Especially when, in the last half hour, May really differentiates itself from the other countless movies that are just like it in the first hour. By the ending, it really almost feels like a fairytale gone horribly wrong–but not one that you’ve heard thousands of times. This is why I think May is so far superior to most of Tim Burton’s movies. Because, while Tim Burton repeats the same tired ideas over and over again, May uses new ideas with the same dark style, but without becoming a cliché like Sweeny Todd.
Another thing that makes May superior to most horror out there is that it actually has horror. I personally have not seen a single film that genuinely scared me in a long, long time, but I’d be lying to say that some scenes in May weren’t downright creepy. The reason May is so creepy–all soon-to-be horror directors please take note–is because May never once uses a scare scene that you’ve seen before. Again, originality takes dominance over all. Anyone who disagrees can go sit through Mirrors or The Happening and dumbfoundedly wonder why they’re not peeing their pants.
Also, Angela Bettis’s performance is flat-out perfect. There is not a single scene where her acting is even remotely out of place. At times she even obviously fixes the cliché flaws the writers wrote into her character. Put simply, she deserved an Oscar for this, not whoever the retard who played in There Will Be Blood. The other acting is all solid and believable.
So why such a low score? Because of entertainment value. I’m not someone who thinks a movie must be fun and easy to watch in order to be good. Not at all. But simply put, the entire first hour of May lacks anything entertaining whatsoever. I turned the movie off after the first hour and almost didn’t finish it because I was so bored. Thankfully I did put it back in and finish the much improved second act a day later. But any movie that is just downright as bland as this for an hour of a hour and a half runtime needs to be scored lower.
So, overall, any and every horror fans needs to see may. But, oddly enough, I’d also highly recommend May to the Juno crowd as well. No, I take both those statements back. I’d recommend May to anyone and everyone. It’s not perfect, but in the pit of crap that come out every single year, this is the best you’re going to see.
It was just ok! overrated
This movie was slow start and half way thur it I was thinking not to watch it but then she came out of shyness then I started to enjoy it its very slow to me but the plot got better and I like the twist on the ending.
I wish I would have watched this film along time ago it’s really a terrific film, written superbly and has a great style about it, good characters that you get to know well and it really is a good film it’s not something id watch over and over again, but this movie you gotta see at least once.
I was thinking to myself the other day while i was looking at my action figure collection of cinema of fear & cult classics that there is a real lack of female killer villians, although she’s not vicious and evil like michael myers, you feel more for May and empthize with her and simultaneously understand why she kills these people and I really felt bad for her and the film makes you think about the things while you watch it, something most movies are scared to achieve.
Along with TEETH, this has to be the best female villian movies in the genre.
Yeah Kathy Bates was good in Misery but I could have cared less about her and I felt no sorrow for her either. the main characters in this film and teeth, you feel for.
another great charecter driven film from lucky mckee. This move actualy makes you feel for the person whom is doing all the wrong great movie!
great movie, everyone was very well cast. angela bettis was TERRIFIC as may, i really think she deserved an oscar nomination for this one. anna farris was funny as hell as polly. the one thing i think this movie lacked was gore! i heard this was a bloodbath, but honestly it’s not. don’t get me wrong there are some nasty scenes here and there, but not what i was expecting. other than that, the movie was excellent!
Excellent movie. Perfect amount of rising tension with an awesome climax!
This movie screams to horror fans, “Watch me” I loved every minute of this film, The movie had great pace to the final conclusion.
All she wanted was a perfect man. She just went alittle overboard. Awesome movie.
I just watched this film again for the first time in about 4 years and it is still great. A rare horror film that has both sensitivity and sheer horror. Really a film about alienation very much like the theme explored in Taxi Driver, but in a “weirder” way, but then again I like weird.
This film is disturbing, so much that my girlfriend stopped watching. Anna Faris is reliable as ever and Angela Bettis was amazing as May, her breakdown was paced out really well and you could really feel her losing it as the glass slowly cracked. The scene with the glass in the care home is absolutely wild.
I have to say this film played on my mind afterwards more than Martyrs ever could and i thought that was prettty hard to top – how this movie avoided my attention for so long is worrying so mega thanks to Bloody Disgusting (and my love jones for Anna Faris : ) ) for bringing this to my attention.
loved the ending
great movie! at first i thought to my self this fucking movie is weird, but for some reason i couldn’t stop watching it. Angela Bettis was amazing and Anna Faris played her role great to. i strongly suggest checking this out
Modern horror classic.
did anyone else notice that the eye patch in the beginning is on the good eye? lol idk if they meant that or not. but it was a pretty good movie
id watch it if i were you
A very great character driven movie. Bettis was made for this role. I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her which is a weird thing to say, which just goes to show McKee did what he needed to do and that was for us to feel may’s pain
A weird flick that had to grow on me but I seem to like this one more and more as time goes on
very creepy 5***** watch it
I found May too be the weirdest, yet one of the most greatest characters in horror cinema. This movie was brilliant. it was a bit slow in the beginning but that just adds up to the character development of May. It also adds up to the bloody and one of the weirdest conclusions ever. All in All, May was a twisted film that should not go missed by any horror fan.
i thought this movie was really good and the end was a lil bit creepy
i gave this movie a real low review just so i could grab everyones attension,would someone please tel me why i cant get this in the u.k.,does it go by another name……..help i really wanna see this
I bet Angela Bettis creeps herself out if at any time she sees her performance in this. Definitely a slow-burner most of the time but not boring, and that is mostly due to Bettis’s fine job portraying the lonely but whacked-out May—a performance so well done that an eerie sense of compassion can be felt for the character at times, which is a bit whacked in itself. Good movie if you are involved enough to make it to the end.
May is one of those unique movies, which kind of straddles the genres. Sure it features the requisite amounts of blood and gore necessary to be called a horror film, but it is far more than that. May also taps into that standard coming of age genre and it at least briefly mingles with the romantic comedy genre.
May is an awkward young woman whose mother made her wear and eye patch to school due to her having a lazy eye. This led to May simply not having any friends. When her mother gives her a doll in a wooden and glass case, May has her first and only friend. As they jump forward a few years we find may a young woman. She is painfully shy and awkward and lacks only the most rudimentary social skills.
When may tells her co-worker, played by the always entertaining Anna Faris, who really turns in an entertaining performance, that she has a date on Friday, what she means is that she is going to follow a guy to where he eats. This guy, played by Jeremy Sisto is May’s perfect idea of a man. She is completely obsessed with him, particularly his hands. After a few painfully awkward attempts, May manages to start seeing him.
The early part of May seeing him is somewhat cute an endearing and you almost begin to feel good for May. This begins to sour rather quickly as she starts to creep him out by not knowing how to kiss properly and then later mistaking a movie she is shown by him to mean that he somehow wants some pain and blood in their relationship.
When May realizes that if you cannot find the friend you want, then you just have to make them, we start to see her mind unravel. May’s descent into madness is effectively characterized by a cracking sound throughout the movie. This cracking is the glass on the case of her doll and each time May gets upset it cracks a little more.
While this can be a somewhat slow burning film, it is an engaging one and filled with performances that keep you wanting to see what happens next. When the violence truly starts rolling, it doesn’t stop until the rather painful last act. May is one of those rare films that could be snuck into a date night and forgiven. The solid performances really carry the bizarre script and combine to create one classic film.
Absolutely love this movie! Very creative!
One of my favorite movies. A weird movie about an outcast looking to make friends and to be accepted. It is slow at times, but it has a great ending.
Finally saw this film and man was I pleasantly surprised. The performance by Angela Bettis was incredible. She pulls you in and you can’t help but watch and just wish for the best for her character. The director(Lucky McKee) does a great job with the camera work and character building. You really start to care about the characters which is always good. If you haven’t seen it go get it now! A great,fun, and awkward film that really stands out!
It takes its time developing May’s character and relationships, but the payoff is great. A pleasant surprise. Highly recommended!
I see my girlfriend enjoying this as much as I did.
WoW! What a pile of Crap! Wasn’t Angela Bettis in that other shit movie, ToolBox Murders. A lot of people like this movie, Why? I couldn’t even finish watching it. People mention a great ending as a pay off, man, I don’t give a shit about the ending if the rest of the film is a complete and utter bore.
i really liked this movie. we all know, or have known somebody like May. this movie takes a little while to get going, but it’s not boring as you work your way through it. on the contrary, i think that it was well thought out and pretty funny in a dry way. couldn’t help but to feel a little sad for May, even though i knew what was coming. just a cool little indie flick thats worth watching. check it out.
This is one of my most favorite movies just because to me it is a completely “different” and very well written/thought out psycho movie ever made. It definitely stands up to this website’s name “Bloody-Disgusting”
Starts out kinda slow, but if youre willing to commit to watching it and paying attention, it’s worth it. I recommend this movie. The ending is laughable if you havent really been paying attention and understanding May. You really feel bad for her, and just want to help her. Anyway I liked it and the ending throughly creeped me out.
I am absolutely floored by this film, the acting is unbelievable, the direction is beautiful, but nothing can compare to the amazingly shot murder scenes. If there is such a thing as tasteful murder, then this film demonstrates it. The perfect amount of suspense blended with quiet yet very red and slightly gory deaths. One of the best horror films I have ever scene.
I went into this movie with no preconceptions that it was a horror movie and knew absolutely nothing about it. I still feel that’s the best way to see this movie: with as little knowledge about it as possible.
I absolutely LOVE Bettis’ portrayal as the title character and how everyone around her admires how ‘quirky’ she is without realizing what a completely fucked up (yet loveable) nut job she is.
This movie is hilarious, suspenseful, and surprisingly moving if you open yourself up to it. Again, don’t go in expecting a real ‘horror’ movie and you will be pleasantly surprised.
A modern cult-classic. Love it.
I really liked this movie, but it left me feeling so sad! Although she was a fucking crazy ass, I still felt so terrible for May, and the ending, although totally twisted and horrible, still made me feel for her. Angela Bettis, as an actress, is absolutely terrific and heart breaking. The last 20 or so minutes of the film and creepy as fuck. I would recommend this movie to anyone who like cult-horror flicks.
There will never really be a slasher to save such a sub-genre. I don’t like to think that any film deserves that much recognition, and plus, I don’t even like the horror sub-genre of “the slasher film” that much, and for good reason. There are slasher films that I love (“The Texas Chainsaw Massacre”, “Halloween”) and then there are those that I find tasteless and boring (“Friday the 13th”). I’m a fan and an admirer of horror cinema for many reasons, and whenever something good comes along for this genre which I love, I simply dismiss it as a good – or even great- film all-together.
“May” is not the “savior of the slasher cinema”, but it is one of the greats. It understands why cinematic psychos are so disturbingly endearing, and it understands that sometimes, it takes a strong and bold filmmaker to make the slasher character sympathetic. “May” is not merely a horror film, but a great drama, a black comedy, and a genuinely successful tale of misfits and those who we like to call “freaks”. Some will no doubt find it uneven and filled with flaws, but I find it quite beautiful and moving.
If you have ever felt isolated, alone, or unable to talk to someone; then perhaps “May” will work its charm for you. It’s the story of a lonely girl named May (Angela Bettis) who faces childhood with a lazy eye, thus forcing her to wear a patch throughout that time and into her young adulthood. May, as a young woman, isn’t much different than she was as a much younger child. She remains socially inept, and unable to talk to those who she feels she is attracted to. There’s a young man named Adam (Jeremy Sisto) who she particularly takes an interest in.
But to get the man of her dreams, May has to do something about that eye patch. May is able to get contact lenses – and then glasses- so that she can get rid of the patch, and now she feels more confident. She eventually talks to Adam, and the two strike up a good relationship.
But there is something that I probably should have mentioned earlier in my plot synopsis. When May was just a little girl, her parents gave her a doll encased in glass. May either has serious psychological problems, or this doll is evil, because May seems to think that the damn object is talking to her; and even contributing to her moral choices and what she says. The doll might indeed be showing signs of life; because there has to be a reason why by the end of the film, May has killed her work-friend’s (Anna Faris) cat, and has stitched together her own friend made of the limbs and body parts of people she has murdered in a psychopathic killing spree.
I couldn’t have written this review without spoilers, so please don’t complain. I’m writing this review because “May” is a good enough film to earn it, and I’m putting effort into my writing for the same reason. “May” does admittedly use most of its time building up its titular character. In other, less interesting horror movies, this would have been a problem. However, we care about the May character, and if you’re hooked on the film, then you are hooked to the character as well. I don’t have any of the complaints that others have. I think that “May” is a spectacular example of its genre, for many reasons, and in many ways.
It’s a gruesome flick, but that doesn’t mean it fixates on being twisted (even if it really, really is). I can’t describe the most gruesome and outlandishly violent scenes to you because that right there would be a spoiler worth bitching about. You really do need to see the film to believe it. It looks beautiful, with its wonderful and masterful cinematography, and I really felt for the main character. This was probably due to the performance of Angela Bettis, who reminds me a whole lot of Sissy Spacek’s Carrie.
So there you have it; a sympathetic, sad, and touching slasher film. They have done it. “May” is not merely violent, gory, and satisfying; but it does much more than I wanted or expected it to do. Therefore, it deserves to be remembered, and I imagine that lovers of the horror genre will see why it’s a work of art and not a work of high pretension. Of course, people attack films like these for being as different as they are. Or maybe people just can’t relate to the May character, I’m not sure. If you fit that slight description, then perhaps it is best for you to stay away from “May”, but none-the-less, it would do you more good to watch this than to watch, say, “Hostel”. Consider that, and in all honesty, I’d say you’re all good.
My friend made me watch this at her house last night. It’s disturbing, awkward, depressing, creepy, weird…and AWESOME! It was a lot better than I was expecting. Angela Bettis was perfect and amazing as the odd psychotic May. She deserved an award for her performance! May is a lonely woman with a troubled childhood because she had a lazy eye. She has no friends and always talks to a creepy doll named Suzie. She tries to make friends and begins a relationship with a man named Adam. She becomes too weird for him, and dumps her. She becomes even more crazy and decides to build a Frankenstin-style friend out of human parts from those who wronged her. This film is a crazy decent into madness, and I loved every bit of it. I highly recommend MAY!!!
“May” is a modern masterpiece of horrror. It’s engaging and eventually, horrifically disturbing leaving you wishing that it could’ve just been a little bit longer but nevertheless it’s extremely creepy and unforgettable material that should not be missed by and slow burner horror fan because the payoff is definitely worth it. I almost wish that I didn’t know anything about the ending, because the payoff would’ve been quite a shocking revelation, so I’d recommend that if you know nothing about “May” don’t read any reviews or synopsis and definitely do not watch the trailer because it gives just about the whole film away!
“May” is a slow burner which may put some people off a bit, but the build up is very absorbing, as it’s not the plot itself that is complex but the character, “May” who is an extremely messed up person and also a very intersting one who is able to carry the film brilliantly. May can often be confusing, sometimes she seems likable and just an incredibly shy person, but at times she can seem like a full blown psychopath who has no grasp of reality. It’s very clever and interesting to see how May’s character gradually changes into someone who is actually really confident (sometimes dangerously).
The first film I saw by Lucky Mckee was “The Woods” which left much to be desired. “May” is a giant leap forward and that fact that he wrote it as well makes Lucky a name to definitely look out for, because his talent in writing and directing is clearly apparent here. The directing is very focussed and also quite stylish at times, especially when May turns crazy. There is also some really good use of sound with the retractable knife and the cracking of the glass which are all symbolic to May’s mind-state which is what makes the writing so clever. The film can be so well analysed and disected like “Citizen Kane” only so much more interesting.
“May” also gets quite gory towards the end and even had me flinching in my seat. It’s just such an engaging and well told story about a lonely girl who just wants a friend. There are so many themes that can be explored as well as a fantastic moral which the viewer can take away with them. Like a said at the start “May” is a modern masterpiece of horror, it’s directing, screenplay and sound are all near-perfect and in the end creates a memorable horror film, with a clever and haunting ending. It’s really weird but I like weird.
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A native of Austin, Texas Angela Bettis has carved out her niche as an actress in small independent horror movies. She started out with bit parts in bigger Hollywood movies in the late 90s but really turned heads as the creepy and unhinged loner in Lucky McKee’s 2002 film “May”. Over the next four review we’ll take a closer look at some of her best roles.
Made for only a half million bucks, “May” tells the story of a twenty something girl who is searching for friend and can’t seem to find that perfect person. She was shunned as a little girl because of her lazy eye that required her to wear an eye patch. Her mother made her a very special doll but she couldn’t play with it because its a collectible. It is kept locked in a case never able to be free, just like May. May is very creative and makes all of her own clothes on her trusty sewing machine, which adds to her quirkiness. She works in a veterinarian’s office with Polly, played by a then unknown (sadly, maybe still) Anna Faris as the receptionist. Faris steals every scene she is in with a wild and sexy energy. May develops a crush on Adam, played by Jeremy Sisto, who works at the Auto repair shop across the street. She loves his beautiful hands most of all. Adam likes May but its like he really just feels sorry for her. May is extremely nervous around him and tries a little too hard for his attention.
“May” is very reminiscent of Roman Polanski’s “Repulsion” about a young girls loneliness and eventual decent into madness. “May” does have a bunch of comedic moments though that even out the horrific ones. Adam admits he likes “weird”, but when May crosses the line and takes it a bit to far, Adam starts to push away from May and want her out of his life. Its not that easy for May as she finally snaps and goes on mission to create the perfect person (see “Frankenstein”).
“May” is a movie for weird people and about weird people. If you ever felt like you just don’t fit in anywhere you’ll love this movie. Every actor is perfectly cast and Director Lucky Mckee (who is a bit weird himself) gets great performances from all. The DVD also has a few commentary tracks which are always fun. So take a look at “May” today!