May (2002) User Reviews (344)

Beautiful

[hoppz · 8/10 · 1 March 2005]

I cant say much about this movie other than its wonderfully strange. It has an appeal that is not only beautiful but scary and intelligent and never asks the viewer to understand whats going on fully it just guides you through the story with a slightly sick feeling in your stomach because deep down in some small way you know that you relate to the central character even if its just for a passing moment.

This is not a run of the mill slasher type horror movie and explores the characters more than most in the genre especially the first relationship between may and the man with "perfect hands" i wouldn't rent the movie if your looking for a no brainer but if you want a horror with a little more substance and just the right amount of dark humour this is the one for you.

Wonderfully disturbing...

[paul_haakonsen · 7/10 · 19 December 2015]

I have seen "May" about five times or so by now, and it is still as good as the first time I saw it. I found it by sheer random luck in the local secondhand DVD store. I bought it without knowing anything about it or the people starring in it.

What makes "May" unique is the absurdly entertaining story, but also the entire cast. Especially Angela Bettis who performed the role of May to perfection. She was so well-cast for this role. Anna Farris also really performed quite well, and it was nice to see her out of the usual comedy genre that she is in.

The story, shortly summarized, is about a socially inadequate loner named May, who falls in love with a guy she sees on the street, and she tries desperately to get his attention and affection by all means necessary.

"May" is both a story and character driven movie, and it is the type of story that creeps in under your skin and will stick with you. It has a good combination of drama, character acting, thrills and blood. Yes, there is blood!

I can strongly recommend that you sit down to watch "May" if you haven't already seen it. It is one of those movies that is a surprise of a movie.

"If you can't find a friend, make one".

[lost-in-limbo · 8/10 · 29 December 2018]

You want infatuation, the twisted kind brought upon by someone longing for something true, but only to be strung along and heartbroken. Lucky McKee's "MAY" is an indie film that draws you in; slowly forming its basis around vivid characters, ongoing interactions, developing pathos, and relationships to only turn it upside down. From quirky one minute, to startling the next, but always underlining its twitchy psychological makeup is a certain calamity that no one can escape. What it really does thrive on though, is the edgy dynamics of Angela Bettis' affectingly misunderstood, yet adorably offbeat lead performance brought upon by her character's awkward naivety, stemming from her constant loneliness that can be traced back to when she was a child. Her best friend is a doll in a glass case that was given to her by her mother as a child, and it seems to somehow communicate, getting into her unstable head. Bettis' portrayal is great, not to take anything away from a mild-mannered Jeremy Sisto and seductive Anna Faris who were equally so, in their characters' careless selfishness of their treatment of May. However it's definitely all about Bettis and her character's slow, crippling descent in finding that someone, who's 100% perfect. How she gets there, can be darkly humorous, but also insanely morbid, as McKee gets it spot on blending these two elements together.

Do Yourself A Favor... Rent This Movie

[Pasafist · 3 August 2003]

Have you ever tried to figure out what something is when your eyes are closed? You grab something round its cool and smooth to the touch. It feels solid so it's not some kind of Nerf ball or anything. Here you are standing in the middle of a room clutching something and you can't quite tell what it is. The object was an apple, but that's not the point.

MAY the new film by first time director Lucky McKee is just that kind of movie. At first maybe it's a romance, then again maybe it's a thriller, hmm.. Maybe it's some kind of comedy, light hearted or dark. At first glance you might just think it's a horror film. But May doesn't aspire to labels, it lives in that world beyond them and that's what works and doesn't work for a film like this.

MAY is one of those movies like Mullholland Drive, From Dusk 'Til Dawn, or Femme Fatale. There is a moment in the film that will either grab you and pull you in, or turn you off and produces nothing but loathing. For me that moment came as the blind kids are well.. I don't think I want to share that sequence with you, but for me it worked.

MAY tells the story of a young women named May (Angela Bettis, Girl Interrupted) who seems really sweet on the outside, with just a touch of crazy attached. She had an overbearing mother (Merle Kennedy, Bubble Boy) who wanted her little girl to be perfect. It's just too bad she needed to wear an eye patch to correct a lazy eye. The kids in school all laughed and called her a pirate. To comfort the girl or make her crazy the film doesn't really say, May's mother gives her a prized possession, a freaky looking doll that has to stay in pristine condition in a glass box.

Somehow May survives this weird childhood and grows up to be stable but a little nuts. She falls for a guy with perfect hands (Jeremy Sisto, Wrong Turn) and a girl she works with (Anna Faris, Scary Movie) falls for her. Everything is perfect until these people turn their back on May, and well that's when the fun begins..

Angela Bettis is excellent; she is really beautiful, really vulnerable, and really expressive without doing much. She gives May this quality that is understated and yet still intense. I like how she says more with one look than lots of silly dialogue. She very much reminded me of a female Travis Bickle. She has a longing for what she can not have and is dealing with it the only way she know how.

Like in TAXI DRIVER, there is a moment when May is on the phone with Adam (the Sisto character) and he wants nothing to do with her anymore. Anyone else would have gotten the point. But not May and so when the realization comes, just as when Travis Bickle was dumped by Betsey something inside both of them snaps.

Another bright spot is Anna Faris. Why she pigeonholed herself in those stupid comedies is beyond me. She is excellent as May's lesbian workmate. She is bright and spunky and really funny. I'd love to see her do some more legitimate acting work. Hopefully this is the kind of film that she could use to get better roles. Who knows!!!

Director McKee makes it look easy. He has crafted a fascinating look into the eyes of a crazy person, by doing what few films can. He allows us to see that part of ourselves that is manifested in May. We've all at one time or another been treated like crap, made fun of, been ridiculed, and maybe some of us have tried to go over the deep end. I felt pity for May even if I shouldn't have. This is a powerful movie, and one of the best I've seen all year.

If Hollywood ever got off its rear end and decided that a film like MAY deserved to be shown at the same multiplex as FROM JUSTIN TO KELLY maybe their would be better quality films out there that the general market could consume. Until then it will probably only be discovered by lovers of film. I guess that's not so bad.

There are probably others out there that could find fault in a film like MAY. It's that kind of cinema, either you love it or your hate it. There is not much middle ground. But do yourself a favor, go and rent this movie.

Weird, unusual and oddly engaging

[guyfromjerzee · 7/10 · 28 December 2004]

"May" is not a movie I would nominate for an Oscar, or any sort of award, but it is original. Many scenes totally creeped me out, but what can I say? It's a horror flick! And I commend the director for being unapologetic about this sick, demented material. The film is well-made and well-acted. Just don't expect the feel-good movie of the year. I can watch Jason Voorhies slice a victim's head off with a machete while eating a 3-course meal, but watching a room full of blind children crawl all over a floor and cut themselves with broken glass is pretty damn disgusting to me. Fans of the horror genre definitely won't be disappointed. (7 out of 10)

disturbed character study

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 26 May 2015]

May Dove Canady (Angela Bettis) was friendless as a child. Her lazy eye forced her to wear an eye patch. Her mother gave her Suzie the doll telling her that she could make her own friends. As an adult, she gets her eye fixed and tries awkwardly to be more social with Adam Stubbs (Jeremy Sisto). She's fascinated with his hands. Her Lesbian coworker Polly (Anna Faris) is attracted to her. She feels let down by both of them. The kids at her school destroy her doll Suzie. She decides to make her own friend sewing together various parts.

It's a fascinating character in a horror indie. This is better than most of the low budget horror that gets made. It all boils down to the character and the performance from Bettis. The rest of the cast are also terrific. It's not a scary horror but it is a disturbed character study.

This is one demented, sad little girl; and one brilliant film.

[FiendishDramaturgy · 9/10 · 2 January 2004]

I bemoan horribly low-budget movies, but this production is proof positive that money does not make the movie. I am still so disturbed by this effort that I am finding it hard to find the words...

This movie was absolute brilliance. It was creatively written, realistically portrayed, inspirationally directed, and disturbingly sad and dark at the same time.

Angela Bettis is astounding as May. May was born with a lazy eye which caused her have to wear an eye patch. Her mother, a neurotically judgmental woman, raised May to believe that her only choice for friendship was to either hide her differences, or withdraw into her own fantasy.

But there are more differences within May than even her mother could see, and after May realizes that people are not perfect, she goes to any and all lengths to make herself seen.

This is one of the darkest, saddest, most disturbing movies I have EVER seen. Bittersweet and truly mad.

It rates a full 10/10 on the "B" scale.

That's an 8.9/10 from...

the Fiend :.

This girl BITES!!

[Coventry · 7/10 · 11 January 2004]

(small spoilers coming up)

Any fellas here who tend to get lonely? Can't get a date on Saturday nights? Well, there is one girl that'll gladly awaits you...Take a look at this film and see what May has got to offer you. It's a delightful little movie that got overlooked at the 2002 box office, like so many other movies who deserved a mention. May is the funny ( in a morbid kind of way ) and touching story of a young girl who's all alone in this world. She's full of complexes and totally lacks self-confidence but she keeps dreaming about true love and appreciation. She has a weird hand-fetish, talks to her dolls and she sews her own clothes. She falls in love with a handsome guy ( an interesting trivia-element for horrorfans is that this guy is a huge fan of Dario Argento ) and she becomes the girl-toy of a nymph-lesbian. Unfortunately, they all come to hurt May's feelings and that causes her to snap...and how!! She decides to compose her own 'ideal friend' but therefore she needs body parts...Any idea where to get those from??

May is more or less a one man's project of director Lucky McKee. I never heard of this guy before but I like his style. He's got a pretty weird and twisted world perspective but what the heck. I guess the same thing can be said about the people who enjoy watching this movie...yours truly included. The entire movie looks fresh and original and contains numberless references to classic horror titles. The use of music is very atmospheric and there are several bloody sequences to satisfy the more 'wild' horror freaks. There's quite a bit of sentiment and drama in this film but I didn't let it bother me at all. The morality isn't shoved down your throat and I think that's a good thing. Oversentimental crap dialogues really could have spoiled this movie, but McKee didn't let that happen. Good on him!! I hope to see more of his work in the future. And I'd also love to see a lot more films starring Angela Bettis - the girl who plays the title character May. She's really talented and pretty. She carries this film like it's nothing and has a lot of charisma. Ana Faris ( the Scary Movie girl ) does a pretty good job as well. Her character is a complete bimbo, but she manages to portray her as a charming and insecure girl.

In case it wasn't clear yet...May is certainly recommended. Especially to the people who claim that ALL the nowadays horrorfilms suck. May is another proof that excellent horror still gets made. You only have to look beyond the brainless and uninteresting blockbusters to find them.

I can't believe it took me so long to see this

[razorbladeetches · 9/10 · 10 February 2006]

I remember hearing the buzz on this movie awhile back but never rented it. We have a bad snow storm headed our way so I figured I'd rent a few movies and stay indoors. Rented this on a whim and I was really amazed! You pretty much have a good idea where the movie is going, but there are a lot of truly strange and touching moments along the way.

Angela Bettis is such a fantastic actress! Her jittery mannerisms are near perfect. And towards the end she becomes more self-assured and confident when she starts down her dark path. It almost makes me want to rent the TV version of Carrie that she started in .... well, almost.

The film has a lot of heart, it's surprisingly emotional.

A Brilliant Female Psychopath!

[cthetrancedone · 7/10 · 26 February 2022]

There's very few movies with decent female psychopaths. The best one I've seen is in Audition.

She has all the characteristics of a psychopath, an actress who gives an excellent performance.

The movie lets you get to know the main character very well hence its slow start.

As indeed all of the acting is good all round from the cast, that being the victims especially.

The movie is paced well which is needed to build up characters and the events to arise in their demise.

The kills are done very well, nothing over the top albeit they are carried out pretty quickly. So no gore just for the sake of gore. So all good.

I'd have rated higher except that the ending was a little dire for me. No spoilers but i wanted the opposite to happen for her.

Highly recommended for fans of female psychopaths!

Didn't do much for me.

[poolandrews · 5/10 · 17 February 2007]

May tells the tale of a young woman unsurprisingly named May (Angela Bettis) who has no friends & is very introverted, self conscious & has been pretty much her whole life. However she does have one friend, a freaky doll made by her mum (Merle Kennedy) when she was a child. One day things take a turn for the better when May meets a guy named Adam (Jeremy Sisto) & begins a relationship with him, unfortunately May has no experience with boyfriends & scares Adam off with her freaky ways. May then turns to a friend at work named Polly (Anna Faris) & starts a lesbian relationship with her but Polly cheats on her which sends May over the edge & she decides if you can't find a friend make one in a rather more literal sense than one would like...

Written & directed by Lucky McKee, who also has a small cameo in the film, May is a strange little indie film that almost defies description but the overall impression I got while watching it was that for the most part it's a dour somewhat dull drama. The script which takes itself deadly seriously plays like a drama, it tells the troubled story of May & it's watchable I suppose as there's always a sinister undercurrent bubbling under the surface & it's this that kept me watching & the possibility that it could burst into life but to be honest I never felt that it did. I found it rather predictable as well especially the apparent twist ending which is the only time it veers into complete fantasy. It's rather slow going at times & it never gripped or engaged me although it has a certain something that kept me watching, but only just. It's an OK watch, it passes the time & it has some merits but overall I thought it was average at best.

Director McKee does alright, there's nothing here that really stands out & considering that May is regarded as a horror film it isn't scary & isn't that gory either. There's a slit throat, a few body parts, a needle in someone's head, scissors in someone's eye & some blood splatter but it's not that graphic. The film has nice clean cinematography but it's forgettable & there's no style or flair here.

With a supposed budget of about $500,000 May is technically very good for a low budget film but thats the best thing you can say about it as it's a touch forgettable. The acting is very good by all involved.

May is a strange film for sure, I'm not sure quite what the filmmakers were aiming for but at the end of the day it comes across as some dull drama for over an hour of it's running time & once it starts to venture into proper horror territory it's nothing special. Lots of people seem to like it but I can't say I do & therefore I would find it very difficult to recommend.

A-MAY-ZING! Destined to be a cult classic!

[groovymike_16 · 10/10 · 16 July 2003]

Whoa! I'm speechless! May is one weird, fun, funny, sad, and disturbing film. It's just so many things. It's a strangely beautiful character study about a lonely girl who just wants a friend. I couldn't help but feel for her. She's weird and shy, but in a cute, sweet way. I was intrigued by her, and wanted her to find happiness. No matter how pathetic her character would become, I just couldn't stop caring. I wanted to reach out to her, and be her friend. Nobody deserves to be so lonely. All she needed was a friend. But things just don't exactly work out that way. Once she began to crack and take the plunge into madness, it was understandable how it could happen. That doesn't mean that the events that unfolded weren't shocking, because they definitely were. But we see why our heroine does what she does. We can't help but want things to be different though, and for her to go down a different path, but when she doesn't, we come along for the ride anyway, following her wherever she takes us.

Angela Bettis gives an amazing performance as May. So far this is the best female performance of the year, and when the end of the year comes, if it's still not THE best, it will be one of THE best. She makes us care about her character from the beginning, and we never really stop, even when she goes psychotic. Bettis shows so many emotions, and makes us feel all kinds of things. She was very natural, and sometimes her body language spoke to us more than her words. We just knew what she was feeling, and could feel her cracking more and more as the movie went on. She was sweet, sad, scary, pathetic, and yet strangely attractive. It's too bad the Academy are such prudes, because this girl is so deserving of an Oscar nomination that it's not even funny. Unfortunately, it's obvious her performance will be overlooked by them. May just isn't "Oscar material." Plus, the movie didn't make enough money and isn't well known enough for them to even consider honoring anything to do with "May." But even if they don't honor it, the fans will always remember it. I've seen Bettis in other movies, but after seeing this, I will always remember her as May... I've always been a fan of the underrated Anna Faris. She's a great comedic actress. I found her to be a lot of fun as Polly. She's funny and sexy. This is sure to be one of my favorite supporting performances of the year. Faris was a welcome addition to this twisted little film.

Writer/Director Lucky McKee proves to be a great new talent. It's hard to believe this is his first feature film. Very impressive if you ask me. I'm looking forward to whatever he does next. If it's anything as wonderful as "May," then it should be great... Also deserving of a mention is composer Jaye Barnes-Luckett. She does a terrific job here, always providing the right music at the right moment. If she keeps this up, she'll have a bright future ahead of her.

I'm still blown away by this film. There's so many praises I have for it, that I doubt I could remember to mention them all. It's original, well acted, well written, well directed, etc... It's just twistedly wonderful. It's too bad it wasn't given a better release in theaters, but it's not exactly a mainstream movie either. It still deserved better than what it got. At least I can find comfort in knowing that it's sure to become a cult classic. Word of mouth will help it a lot. It's definitely not for everyone though. It's weird, morbid, quirky, wicked, and gutsy. It doesn't shy away from much. In fact, it has one of the best and most realistic slit throats I've ever witnessed on screen. But don't let that scare you, it's definitely worth a look for any horror fan, or any film fan in general. I'm proud to have this haunting film as a part of my collection. It's simply A-MAY-ZING!

Grade: 9/10 (A-)

Repulsion Meets Frankenstein by way of Late 90s Values.

[nycritic · 7/10 · 27 March 2005]

This is a very unusual movie. It may appeal to some and be a complete waste of time to others because while it incorporates elements of horror, it also plays out in subtle tones of a gawky comedy of manners and even a smattering of French New Wave cinema complete with flash-cuts to the future and past, and anyone who has seen CLEO DE CINQ A SEPT knows where the reference lies (and for those who haven't, it's the black and white silent movie within this movie), even when this film is vastly different from the aforementioned one.

Movies about maladjusted individuals have been made with different results and well-known titles such as TAXI DRIVER, REPULSION, and CARRIE will undoubtedly find their way into comparison with this relatively obscure little cult film. MAY also tells the story of the main character devolving into madness and murder, but its approach is like nothing I've ever seen in a horror film. No murky colors are used -- much of the scenes take place in clear daylight --, there are no sudden jolts and crashing violins, and even when the inevitably horrifying resolution begins to reveal itself, there's an awkward sadness, and on occasion MAY feels like an animated art film about quirky Goth angst made by a college student. Anyone looking for a CARRIE-esquire denouement (as seen from the movie's sleeve and given the fact that Bettis was in a CARRIE remake that same year) should look elsewhere: this is also one of the quietest horror films I've seen in ages; scenes involving violence coming forth from May's hand happen as this were a natural progression of events and not a frightening involution of a human being incapable of functioning in society. And in a nice ode to Giallo (and silent) films, one of the most quietest murder sequences include one of the people who vie for her affections getting her neck slashed: until we see her look of horror or ecstasy and her open gape framed by her hands coming to her neck, we're only partially sure for about a second about what has happened, and then horrified.

This isn't a movie with great acting, and much less a great script. On occasions it's too eccentric, it looks like the original concept must have been a sketch that here is stretched to a 90 minute film, the dialog is at times painful to hear; but overall, what it is is an honest film that has Bettis become unglued without sacrificing credibility for shock value even when she commits horrific acts. MAY is horror that is extremely low-key down to its last, very disturbing scene.

Modern day rubbish

[skelk · 3/10 · 28 February 2005]

This film is absolute dross but has a good comedic element. Synopsis in short... May, the lead character decides that her friends aren't good enough so she goes on a killing spree to create a new friend out of the best pieces of them.

But May doesn't have to use effort to kill her friends. They just let her stab and mutilate them whilst they struggle to act shocked. Concentrating on this aspect of their acting mean't they couldn't do anything else at the same time (was this on purpose I wonder?).

This film shows that even known actors look rubbish through poor direction and scripting (is this on purpose? I hope not). It is so bad it is watchable for the humour of it all. By the end I wanted to gouge my own eyes out and was desperate for May to do the obvious so I could switch off and go to bed. The make up and special effects must have cost the team about 5 dollars with change. The stroke of Mays cheek at the end was laugh out loud comedy with the rubber glove skin. And the eyeball! The scene with the blind kids crawling on their hands and knees in glass 'without realising' was funny too. They give blind people no credit at all! I gave this 1 for comedy and 1 because they managed to persuade Anna Faris (aka Cindy from Scary Movie) to star in it. The comedy mole was classic. The cat gave a convincing performance until it was replaced by a piece of cardboard and fur so I will top the ranking upto 3.

This film mocks the cheap horrors of yesteryear but they could have tried a little harder.

Cindy...

Make Sure You Rent A Comedy...For Afterward!

[cchase · 9 August 2003]

Some movies use gore to distinguish themselves from other horror movies in a unique way, and boy, do they ever succeed. DEAD-ALIVE, EVIL DEAD, RE-ANIMATOR. Others, rather than settle for OTT gore, try to creep you out with old-school tactics that wriggle under your skin into places that are anything but comfortable...places that you only visit in your dreams. THE OTHERS, THE SIXTH SENSE and SIGNS are those kinds of films.

And then you get those rarities...those exceptional films that are not for everyone, that manage to be both creepy and gory at the same time, in a way that's not quite easily classifiable, and so they are never considered "mainstream" by mass audiences in the multiplexes, or critics into selling sound-bites rather than writing decent reviews.

Films like TOURIST TRAP, THE FUNHOUSE, George Romero's MARTIN, ALICE, SWEET ALICE, SISTERS and SILENT SCREAM are some prime examples. To this list, we can now add MAY.

The less you know about this film going in, the more shocking the denoument is. And even those who have heard quite a bit about it, shouldn't be too quick to make assumptions. MAY goes in a direction that most films of this genre hint at, but never commit to. The result is a tale alternating between twisted tenderness and tremendous terror, like nothing you've seen in a long while. And in the true tradition of creepy/gory/blackly comic films, there's no middle of the road with this one. You will love it or absolutely hate it, but either way, you will not walk away from it unaffected. First-time writer/director McKee has seen to that, and then some.

Angela Bettis may need some serious therapy, following up her role in the CARRIE TV remake with this one. I'd be tempted to call it a pattern, since May does share a lot of similarities with Carrie White; the overprotective, overbearing mothers, the role of societal outcast set at an early age. But that's where the similarities end. Where Carrie's weapon of choice was her soon-to-be-not-so-latent telekinetic powers, May's power lies in her very deceptive talent to appear shy, docile, reclusive and weird, but supposedly "harmless." Obviously lacking in the social interaction department, she still has a quality about her that elicits our empathy and sympathy. The characters she meets in the story feel the same way and...well, you have to see what happens to belive it.

Indie faves Jeremy Sisto (SIX FEET UNDER), Anna Faris (the SCARY MOVIE series) and James Duval (A RIVER MADE TO DROWN IN) round out the principal cast. Not to mention May's first 'friend' that serves as a catalyst for the story...a doll given her by her mother, which may have you swearing off dolls for the rest of your life!

I'm not going to give away the main plot, leaving that to other reviewers and their assessments. I will say this: if your horror movies usually have to be series sequels with a number plastered in front of them, MAY might be too much imaginative derangement for you to handle. But if you're in the mood for something completely different, then rent it NOW, by all means. Just make sure you have a good, stupid comedy to take your mind off of it afterward. Trust me on this; even if it's DUDE, WHERE'S MY CAR? for the fifteenth time, TAKE IT. You'll feel...well, maybe a little better after watching this.

Weird ?

[mozonleto · 7/10 · 14 September 2019]

The human mind is a very scary thing. How can one memory or wrong glance in your childhood can affect you a life time. This movie is complicated if you want to see it that way and very deeply sad how a human can drag him self to that level on insanity. Or simply watch it as a horror movie.

Making Friends

[view_and_review · 6/10 · 17 October 2021]

May (Angela Bettis) was a socially awkward woman to say the least. Was it because of her mom? She did put her in an eye-patch because of a lazy eye and she did give her a doll as a best friend that she could not touch. Or was it because of cruel kids? May couldn't find friends because her eye-patch made her different. Or was it because she was just born strange? Whatever the case, she took her awkwardness into adulthood. Adults tend to be a little more tolerant in some ways simply because they're more mature, but May's level of weird even chased away Adam (Jeremy Sisto), a guy who could've been her boyfriend.

One day May couldn't handle the rejections and took "making friends" to a new level.

This flick wasn't bad. Angele Bettis did a bang up job playing the off-kilter May Dove Canady and the plot held its own. It was a little quirky, a little kinky, a little funny, and a little disturbing.

Wonderfully twisted horror/black comedy.

[HumanoidOfFlesh · 9/10 · 19 December 2003]

"May" is actually one of my favourite American independent horror movies.It's wonderfully original and twisted film that will leave the viewer stunned.When May was a little girl,her mother made her wear an eye patch to cover her lazy eye.Unable to make friends,she had only a sad little doll.But with contact lenses to improve her appearance,May (wonderful Angela Bettis)earns the attention of her lesbian co-worker(Anna Faris)and the handsome man down the street(Jeremy Sisto from "Hideaway" and "Wrong Turn").May,however,proves to be too strange for even the oddest of her companions and once people get to know her they soon start to avoid her.Lonely and rejected May kills everyone who offended her.The character of May is truly bizarre.The acting is pretty good and there is plenty of gore,especially in the second half of the film.The climax is very haunting and memorable.Overall,I'd highly recommend this film for fans of horror.9 out of 10.

The Female Dahmer-Pygmalion-Frankenstein

[MrJustRight · 7/10 · 26 May 2020]

It seems at the beginning of the film, May's eyepatch covers her left eye, yet later on, with the eyepatch off, it's her right eye that's lazy... Although before the eyepatch it was shown that she stabbed her left eye...

This film has great attention to detail. May, unsatisfied with the entirety of people, seeks to take separate parts and amalgamate them into one perfect being. For example, a coworker of May's (May works at an animal hospital) has a beautiful neck, or so May believes. However, her hand has a displeasing mark, according to May. Regarding the mark, the coworker says that her grandmother believed it is the imperfections that equate to true beauty, or something like that. May doesn't agree. So here is May's creation:

1. The neck of her coworker 2. The ears & earrings of her ex-paramour's girlfriend 3. The hands of her ex-paramour 4. The tattoo of Juju Beans Guy (and presumably his arms) 5. The legs of her coworker's paramour

But May was unsatisfied with this creation. Why? Because although May could admire its beauty, it couldn't see May. So, logically, May gauges out her left eye (or was it the right eye?) and plops it onto the left side of her creation's head, but not before first trying glasses.

Here's where the film gains points for attention to detail. First, upon entering her paramour's abode, a poster of Dario Argento's film Opera (1987) is clearly visible. In that film, a serial killer places blades below an opera singer's eyes every time he commits a murder, so that she has to see everything in all its glory. Hence May's frustration when her creation can't see her.

Furthermore, Juju Beans Guy's tattoo was of Frankenstein's Monster. Interestingly, May (2002) ends with the right arm of May's creation reaching out toward her, akin, and perhaps alluding to Frankenstein's monster coming to life. The right arm that reaches out to caress May is the same arm on which the Frankenstein's Monster tattoo resided on Juju Beans Guy.

Like Pygmalion, May sought to create a lover perfect in her eyes. Hence her rearranging of the letters MAY to AMY at the end of the film, indicating the doll's newfound sentience in this new carnation.

Like Dahmer (interestingly, the film Dahmer came out the same year as this film), May has an intense desire for closeness, as is witnessed firsthand by Juju Beans Guy, upon seeing a cat in her freezer. When he sees this, May proposes they be best friends, a role previously upheld by her doll, Amy. This proposal hints at her gauging her eye out in that her best friend needs to see everything she sees. Hence her scolding Amy for not looking away when her paramour was over: She was perhaps hopeful that her paramour could fill this role.

It's details like these that make films great.

Twisted, Bizarre, and Almost Fairy-Tale Like.

[drownsoda90 · 9/10 · 29 July 2006]

"May" is an extremely fresh, unique horror movie. The film centers around May Kennedy, a complete loner/outcast who has been that way since childhood. She grew up with a lazy eye, which she still has as an adult, which was partly the reason for her not having many friends. Her only friend in the entire world is a doll named Suzy that her mother gave her as a small child. Encased in a glass case, the inanimate object is poor May's only friend. But things start to change when May meets Adam, whom she begins to form a relationship with. But when May begins to seem a little "too weird" for Adam, he calls off the relationship, leaving May heartbroken. Now, May has began to realize that there are only certain things that she likes about people, but has yet to find the perfect person who holds all of the same physical features. So, she begins to kill those who have the perfect characteristics, with the intention of building a "perfect" friend.

The entire plot of this movie is strangely morbid, killing people to make the perfect person. It's almost Frankenstein-like except May's creation doesn't come back to haunt her. It is almost like a twisted fairy-tale, the entire movie seems to be set in an unreal city (which is in reality Los Angeles) and each of the characters are pretty interesting. Angela Bettis (who also starred in Tobe Hooper's "Toolbox Murders" remake) is an extremely underrated actress, she was excellent in this movie and delivered a top-notch performance. Some may also recognize Anna Faris (from the "Scary Movie" series) as a co-worker/love interest of May. The film's ending made the movie all the more weird, but in a good way, and what May does in order to make her "perfect friend" is quite squeamish.

Bottom line - "May" is a unique blend of horror and sometimes even comedy, and had some very similar characteristics of a Tim Burton-style movie, which ultimately worked for it. If you want to see a unique horror movie, see "May". Very well done. 9/10.

If you can't find a friend... make one.

[Lady_Targaryen · 6/10 · 30 March 2007]

May Dove Canady was a lonely kid. She didn't have friends, since the corrective eye patch she used to wear, made her look strange and bizarre for the other kids. During the years, her social interactions with people was not so different from her childhood, making the doll her mother gave to her, Susy, be her only friend. Susy and May are so close, that May even talks to the doll and apparently listens the doll talk.

When May gets to know Adam, a guy she was attracted to (specially by his hands!) and tries to start a relationship, it doesn't work. He finds her strange, in the end of the romance. Even her lesbian co-worker Polly, who were always flirting with her, disappoints May after some time( not to mention other relationships and people she gets eventually to know). May learns that humans are not perfect, only some 'parts'(literally!) of them are. And as Frankenstein story, she is decided to 'make'her own perfect friend....

This movie is a very different kind of horror. I don't find it creepy, but for sure it is twisted and a little gory. If you want to watch something different, it is very recommended. But if you want a movie with really horror scenes and to feel scared, this is not the best movie for you. ''May'' has some scenes that are not totally explained and some things, like the end, are opened to debate. (By the way, the end of the movie made me stay with a big question mark in my head. I didn't get it until now and it was one of the reasons I didn't give a bigger rate)

Ps: I like Anna Faris' character very much! :)

Wierd movie...very wierd...

[bactuz · 1/10 · 24 May 2003]

I found this movie here om IMDB and read May - horror - 7.6....... "Ah! Good movie", I thought, and after watching the trailer I was convinced - this seems like a good movie to me....

But no. Have you seen the trailer, you have seen what's worth seeing. Nothing at all happened in this movie until there was 20 minutes left. Booooring! Maybe you like movies with good caracters and good acting, ok.... But I must say I was really dissappointed with this movie... Not worth watching if you ask me, unless you like wierd dull movies with no action. Watch the trailer instead - that ought to do it...

May - Drama/Thriller - 1.0 !

Cult Classic with the wonderful Angels Bettis

[RockPortReview · 9/10 · 16 June 2013]

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!

Strange behavior

[kyrlian · 6/10 · 9 February 2004]

Strange movie, strange plot, strange behavior; an introverted teenager with strong socializing problems is trying to find the 'perfect' friend in this revisited tale of Frankenstein.

The soundtrack is really good, the acting too, this movie is scary and sometimes funny, but the horror elements didn't work as well as comedy or dramatic elements, I think 'May' lacks of character development and the script also lacks of big holes (what happened to May's parents?? do you think you can kill people and walk around like if nothing happened just because it's Halloween?? why did Adam's new girlfriend let May enter the house?? come on... why she does the things she does is beyond my understanding, I mean... if you are socially inept it doesn't automatically turn you into Jack the Ripper, isn't she afraid of killing people??)

Anyway, not your average movie, I'll rate this 6 out of 10

And I even waited in line...

[podkayne_ofmars · 1/10 · 6 February 2003]

I saw this movie for free - and I want my 2 hours back. It started out all right, but then quickly descended into pretentious, self-important, silliness. Am I supposed to be impressed by the gore? Granted, this type of gore doesn't usually make it to the big screen, but it has been done before - and much better. There was nothing original about this movie at all. The story was lackluster, the dialogue cliché & annoying - and what oh what was up with that goofy doll??

The only decent thing about this movie was Angela Bettis's performance. She was pretty good. Pity, she will now be known from this stinker. Oh, and it did make me laugh a few times - though not necessarily when I was supposed to. Don't waste your time or money going to the theatre for this one.