Get ready to sip on your soda and dive into a bucket of popcorn because May in L.A. is all about amazing movie screenings. Whether you’re into action-packed blockbusters with jaw-dropping special effects or heartfelt indie gems, theaters like Regal Cinema, AMC Theaters, and the iconic TCL Chinese Theatre have you covered. Check out the top movies playing now in Los Angeles and snag your tickets!
1. Warfare
Warfare, directed by Iraq War veteran Ray Mendoza and Alex Garland (Civil War, Ex Machina), follows a Navy SEAL surveillance mission deep in insurgent-controlled Ramadi. Based on Mendoza’s real 2006 experience, the film delivers an intense, real-time look at urban combat. Starring D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Will Poulter, Cosmo Jarvis, and Joseph Quinn, Warfare offers a raw and immersive portrayal of modern warfare through the eyes of the soldiers.
🎭 Genre: Drama, action
⏳ Duration: 1h 35m
🔞 Rated: R
2. Sinners
Twin brothers Smoke and Stack (Michael B. Jordan), WWI vets and former Chicago gangsters, return to 1930s Mississippi to open a juke joint, but their fresh start unravels when a charming Irish vampire unleashes supernatural terror. In this Southern Gothic thriller from Ryan Coogler, music, myth, and horror collide as the brothers battle for their souls.
🎭 Genre: Horror, thriller, drama
⏳ Duration: 2h 17m
🔞 Rated: R
3. Until Dawn
Based on the video game, this horror thriller follows Clover, who returns to a remote valley a year after her sister Melanie vanished. With friends in tow, she explores an abandoned visitor center, only to be hunted by a masked killer. As they’re murdered one by one, they wake up at the start of the same terrifying night, trapped in a deadly time loop.
🎭 Genre: Horror, drama
⏳ Duration: 1h 34m
🔞 Rated: R
4. Thunderbolts
Marvel Studios’ Thunderbolts unites a team of unlikely antiheroes: Yelena Belova, Bucky Barnes, Red Guardian, Ghost, Taskmaster, and U.S. Agent. All thrown together by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine for a dangerous mission. Trapped and forced to face their pasts, these reluctant allies must learn to trust each other. Packed with action and dark twists, it’s a gripping dive into the MCU’s shadowy side.
🎭 Genre: Drama, sci-fi, fantasy, adventure, crime, action
⏳ Duration: 2h 6m
🔞 Rated: PG-13
5. The Accountant 2
After a mysterious assassination hits close to home, Treasury Agent Marybeth Medina pulls Christian Wolff out of hiding. To uncover the truth, Wolff turns to his estranged, and deadly, brother, Brax, for help.
🎭 Genre: Thriller, drama, mystery, crime, action
⏳ Duration: 2h 4m
🔞 Rated: R
6. The Surfer
The Surfer follows a father who brings his son back to their childhood beach, only to be confronted by hostile locals who warn them to stay away from the area and its surf. As the heat intensifies, so does his emotional unraveling, pushing him toward a psychological crisis. Directed by Lorcan Finnegan and starring Nicolas Cage, this psychological thriller explores identity, belonging, and the fight against oppressive power.
🎭 Genre: Thriller
⏳ Duration: 1h 43m
7. Fight or Flight
Josh Hartnett stars as a mercenary hired to track down a target mid-flight, but when the mission takes a deadly turn, he’s forced to protect her as they’re hunted by killers on all sides.
🎭 Genre: Comedy, action
⏳ Duration: 1h 41m
8. On Swift Horses
Muriel and her husband Lee are set to start a promising new chapter—until Lee’s brother arrives and disrupts everything. Drawn into a secret world of horse racing and unexpected romance, Muriel takes a chance on a life she never imagined. Starring Daisy Edgar-Jones, Jacob Elordi, and Will Poulter.
🎭 Genre: Drama
⏳ Duration: 1h 59m
9. The Legend of Ochi
In The Legend of Ochi, young Yuri (Helena Zengel) lives in a village where she’s taught to fear the mysterious forest creatures known as ochi. When she helps a wounded baby ochi, Yuri challenges her upbringing and faces her deepest fears, uncovering hidden secrets about her world. Directed by Isaiah Saxon, this visually stunning fantasy adventure stars Willem Dafoe, Finn Wolfhard, and Emily Watson.
🎭 Genre: Fantasy, adventure, family
⏳ Duration: 1h 36m
10. Clown in a Cornfield
In a declining midwestern town, Frendo the clown, once a symbol of past prosperity, returns as a terrifying menace.
🎭 Genre: Comedy, horror
⏳ Duration: 1h 36h
11. Watch the Skies
Originally released in Swedish before being adapted to English, Watch the Skies is both action-packed and uplifting. The sci-fi adventure follows the story of a rebellious teen who believes aliens have abducted her missing father and embarks on a high-stakes adventure with the help of a quirky UFO club. Find a showtime near you here!
🎭 Genre: Sci-fi, adventure
⏳ Duration: 116 minutes
🔞 Rated: PG-13