Streaming Guide Recommends 7 TV Shows for Week of May 26, Led by Spider-Noir

Q: Will Nicolas Cage's Spider-Noir be a classic detective story or a tale of a hero haunted by past failures?

It looks set to be both, but the stronger engine is a hero haunted by past failure, wrapped in the form of a classic noir detective story. The detective framework is unmistakable. *Spider-Noir* places Nicolas Cage’s Ben Reilly in Depression-era New York as a hard-boiled private investigator, pulled into a case involving illicit photographs of the mayor and a widening clash with crime boss Silvermane. The black-and-white option, the private-eye setup, and the emphasis on pulp-crime atmosphere all point to a deliberate homage to classic film noir. But the searched material makes clear that Reilly’s emotional history is central, not incidental. He is described as a “down on his luck” investigator who had put away his Spider persona after failing to save Ruby, a former love. That personal tragedy appears to be the reason for his retreat from heroism and the source of the series’ deeper conflict. His return to action is therefore not just about solving a case; it is about confronting guilt, loss and the life he abandoned. So while viewers should expect the pleasures of a stylish detective mystery, the series seems designed to work most powerfully as a character study of a broken former hero. In that sense, the noir plot is the vehicle, but Ben Reilly’s unresolved past is the real story.

3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · May 22

Seven recommended streaming shows for the week of May 26 were highlighted, with Prime Video’s Spider-Noir topping the list ahead of its May 27 debut.
Nicolas Cage stars as Ben Reilly in the Depression-era Marvel noir, while the week’s lineup also spans documentaries, comedy dramas and alt-history sci-fi.
Netflix features Untold UK: Vinnie Jones on May 26, The Four Seasons on May 28 and Rafa on May 29, a late-career look at Rafael Nadal.
Disney+ adds Abbott Elementary’s season 5 continuation on May 27 and comedy Deli Boys on May 28, while Apple TV launches Soviet space-race drama Star City on May 29.