What To Watch
14 Movies and Shows That Showcase Asian American and Pacific Islander Voices
Stream them all to celebrate AAPI Heritage Month.
By Ashley Lee
May 7, 2026
14 Best Movies and Shows That Showcase Asian American and Pacific Islander Voices - Netflix Tudum
May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, celebrating these communities’ achievements and their influence on American history. The valuable contributions of AAPI talent are ubiquitous throughout Hollywood — writing, directing, and starring in movies and shows that represent their rich cultures, question stereotypes, and challenge long-held boundaries in storytelling.
We’ve put together a list of family-friendly movies, action flicks, romantic comedies, young adult shows, and nuanced dramas — all of which showcase AAPI voices and stories and are ready to watch anytime throughout the year, not just in May. Looking for even more? Netflix’s Celebrate AAPI Culture collection has plenty of new and noteworthy picks. With this list, your streaming session is gonna be, gonna be golden!
Always Be My Maybe
Ali Wong and Randall Park star in this romantic comedy as childhood best friends who reunite after drifting apart for 15 years. She’s now a celebrity chef with an unsuccessful romantic life; he’s a hometown musician who still lives with his dad. Naturally, the former besties revisit their relationship as adults — and we know where that eventually leads. Directed by Nahnatchka Khan and featuring Daniel Dae Kim and Keanu Reeves, the movie subverts rom-com stereotypes and serves up strong Asian American representation alongside savory cuisine.
BEEF
In the first season of Lee Sung Jin’s Emmy Award-winning anthology series, contractor Danny (Steven Yeun) and artistic entrepreneur Amy (Ali Wong) almost have a fender bender in a hardware store parking lot. This nonevent is the catalyst for a feud that turns both of them into their worst selves, consuming them as their lives and relationships become intertwined in more ways than one. The second season stars Charles Melton, Cailee Spaeny, Oscar Isaac, and Carey Mulligan, and unfolds at a luxurious Ojai country club.
The Brothers Sun
You don’t say no to Mama, especially when she’s Michelle Yeoh. Created by Byron Wu and Brad Falchuk, this action-packed series kicks off when the head of a powerful Taiwanese triad is shot by a mysterious assassin. As Taipei’s deadliest societies and a new rising faction go head-to-head for dominance, the surviving family (played by Yeoh, Justin Chien, and Sam Song Li) must heal the wounds caused by their separation — and figure out what brotherhood and family truly mean before one of their countless enemies kills them all.
The Chair
Sandra Oh (Grey’s Anatomy, Killing Eve) stars in this six-episode dramedy as Dr. Ji-Yoon Kim, the first woman of color to become chair of the English department at a fictional New England university. In her new position, she tries to meet the dizzying demands and high expectations of her failing English department. Jay Duplass, Holland Taylor, and Bob Balaban are among the cast of the series, created by Amanda Peet.
The Half Of It
Alice Wu’s loose take on Cyrano de Bergerac follows a high-achieving Chinese American student named Ellie (Leah Lewis). She writes love letters and texts for her classmate Paul (Daniel Diemer) so he can impress a girl they both admire, Aster (Alexxis Lemire). Amid the complicated love affair, the three leads navigate their feelings and figure out what they want out of life. Like Wu’s earlier film Saving Face, this movie deftly explores Asian American and queer identities.
In Your Dreams
Don’t sleep on this sibling story. Directed by Alex Woo, this animated movie follows Stevie and her brother, Elliot, who journey into the wild and unpredictable landscape of their own dreams to ask the wish-granting Sandman to make their dreams come true. Simu Liu, Cristin Milioti, and Craig Robinson star in this intriguing tale, which thoughtfully explores the harder moments families sometimes face — and how they can be faced together.
KPop Demon Hunters
This animated musical adventure from co-directors Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans tells the story of a K-pop girl group who uses their fans’ devotion in their fight against demons. The band, HUNTR/X, is composed of choreographer Mira (May Hong), rapper Zoey (Ji-Young Yoo), and lead singer Rumi (Arden Cho). Enter Saja Boys, a rival boy band of demons trying to beat HUNTR/X at their own game. The hit movie is filled with chart-smashing K-pop music written by some of the genre’s biggest names.
Love Hard
If two of the greatest Christmas movies had a baby, this would be it (we’ll let you guess which ones we’re referring to). Natalie (Nina Dobrev) is a dating columnist, but romance isn’t on her side. She matches with Josh (Jimmy O. Yang) on a dating app and flies 3,000 miles to surprise him for the holidays. Unfortunately, yep, she’s been catfished: Josh looks nothing like the guy in the profile, but he can introduce Natalie to Tag (Darren Barnet), the person whose photos he’s been using.
The Lovebirds
Kumail Nanjiani (Funny AF With Kevin Hart) and Issa Rae star in this action-comedy as a couple who, though together for years, cannot stop arguing. While en route to a dinner party, they mutually agree to end their relationship. That is, until they run a red light, get into an accident, and witness a murder. The two then unite just one more time — to find the killer and clear their names.
Master of None
This Emmy-winning series, co-created by Aziz Ansari (Right Now) and Alan Yang, is inspired by Ansari’s book Modern Romance and explores the highs and lows of dating in the digital age. The first two seasons focus on Ansari as Dev, a struggling actor; the third and final season centers on Lena Waithe as Denise, a queer novelist. Claire Danes, Danielle Brooks, Bobby Cannavale, John Legend, and Angela Bassett are among the supporting cast.
Never Have I Ever
Devi Vishwakumar (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) is just your regular Indian American Valley girl with a dream: to sleep with Sherman Oaks High’s hottest swimmer, Paxton Hall-Yoshida (Darren Barnet). But the four-season series isn’t just about lusting after your crush. The comedy also tackles owning up to your mistakes, working through grief and loss, and learning to love yourself — the kinds of things you can’t learn from a textbook. Poorna Jagannathan, Richa Moorjani, and Utkarsh Ambudkar are also in the series, co-created by Mindy Kaling (Running Point).
Over the Moon
This is an out-of-this-world adventure about a young girl, Fei Fei (Cathy Ang), who builds a rocket ship to meet Chang'e, the goddess who lives forever on the moon, accompanied by her companion, a jade rabbit. Based on a famous Chinese myth, the animated musical is fun while tackling tough topics like grief and acceptance, and features a voice cast including Phillipa Soo, Ken Jeong, Ruthie Ann Miles, Margaret Cho, and Sandra Oh.
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before
In this adaptation of Jenny Han’s young adult book, Lara Jean (Lana Condor) channels her feelings into writing letters about her crushes that she never mails — until, one day, her youngest sister (Anna Cathcart) sends them out, and one recipient (Noah Centineo) offers to play her fake boyfriend to divert attention during this mortifying embarrassment. Make it a marathon with the sequels To All The Boys: P.S. I Still Love You and To All the Boys: Always and Forever, and the Korean-set spin-off series about Lara Jean’s sister XO, Kitty.
Wish Dragon
This animated film explores what having a “rich” family really means. When a working-class college student in Shanghai, Din Song (Jimmy Wong), gets his hands on a magical teapot with a wish dragon, he must use his three wishes as wisely as he can. Might it be possible to rekindle a bond with a now-wealthy childhood friend, even though they live very different lives? John Cho voices the comical request-granting creature, Long, joined by a cast including Constance Wu, Jimmy O. Yang, and Ronny Chieng.
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