If you’re trying to figure out what to watch on HBO Max, you’ve come to the right place. Below, we’ve assembled a list of the best movies available to stream on HBO Max right now, from comedies to blockbusters to rom-coms to Oscar-winning dramas and beyond. HBO Max launched in 2020 and has been a low-key streaming service that’s quickly established itself as one of the most popular. It boasts a large library of great movies from both past and present. It’s a true bounty of choice with plenty of older films alongside bona fide new releases.
Below, you can see our carefully curated list with the top HBO Max movies. This list will be updated with new titles every week, so make sure you check back often.
In the Heights
If you missed Jon M. Chu’s adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Tony-winning musical “In the Heights” when it was released in 2021, now’s your chance to catch up with this joyous, colorful and hopeful film. Anthony Ramos stars as Usnavi, a young man living in Washington Heights who dreams of reopening his late father’s business in the Dominican Republic. Usnavi, along with others in the area, struggles with gentrification, fear, and the decision of whether or not to return home. This decision will set the course for his entire life. The songs are amazing, the musical numbers are breathtaking, and the whole thing culminates in an emotional celebration of community.
No Sudden Move
Steven Soderbergh’s HBO Max original film “No Sudden Move”This is one of the best crime thrillers ever. It is set in 1954 Detroit and stars Don Cheadle, a gangster who desperately needs cash. He reluctantly agrees, but it leads to a disastrous outcome. He’s then on the run with a fellow gangster played by Benicio Del Toro, trying to figure out who he can trust and discovering who’s behind it all. Ed Solomon’s script weaves a story full of twists and thematic resonance. The film also uses historical context to enhance the complexity of its characters and plot.
Harry Potter Franchise
All eight films from the “Harry Potter”HBO Max currently streams the franchise, which makes it possible to binge-watch if you wish. This eight-part series is still one of the most beloved and complete films of all time. It follows the adventures of a boy wizard, from his beginnings to his last confrontation with Lord Voldemort. What is the best? “Harry Potter” so brilliant is the films evolve and mature along with the characters, so while the first few films are bright and cheery – just like their young protagonists – the latter films are dark and complex, reflecting the characters being forced into adulthood. Get ready for the big reunion on HBO Max January.
Chicago
If it’s musicals you like, 2002’s “Chicago”One of the greatest movie musicals ever made. Adapted from the stage play of the same name, director Rob Marshall’s film won six Oscars including Best Picture and stars Renee Zellweger as Roxie Hart, a young woman who begins an affair and ends up in jail for murdering her husband – right alongside showgirl Velma Kelly (played by Catherine Zeta-Jones). It is a charming tale of media manipulation and jealousy that Zellweger and Zeta-Jones make the most of, as well as Richard Gere’s moxie and moxie.
The Shining
One of the scariest films ever made, Stanley Kubrick’s “The Shining”The story is about a father who becomes increasingly insane while taking care of an abandoned hotel high in the mountains. Based on Stephen King’s novel, Jack Nicholson plays Jack Torrance. Jack agrees to live in a hotel snowed-in with his wife, and their young son. Jack starts to become insane after arriving at the hotel. You no doubt know the iconography for this one, but if you’ve never seen it it’s certainly a thing to behold.
No country for old men
If you’re in the mood for a dark, complicated drama, the Coen Brothers’ Oscar-winning 2007 film “No Country for Old Men”This will work. Josh Brolin stars as a man who finds himself in the aftermath of a deadly shootout and leaves behind a bag filled with money. Javier Bardem, a cold-blooded murderer, takes the money. This film, which is a disturbing meditation on morality, chance and fate, won four Oscars, including Best Picture, Director, and Adapted Screenplay.
Promising Young Woman
“Promising Young Woman”Not only does it check the “fairly new release”box but also the “movie you won’t stop thinking about for days”You can also box. Carey Mulligan plays a young woman with an egregious secret. She spends her nights punishing men for preying upon what she thought was a drunken, unconscious woman. As the story unfolds, twists and turns abound, but Mulligan centers the entire story with a conviction that’ll rattle you to your core, up through the jaw-dropping ending. The Oscar was won for Best Original Screenplay.
Jackie Brown
Pam Grier takes center stage in Quentin Tarantino’s wonderfully romantic 1997 film “Jackie Brown.” The story revolves around a flight attendant, played by Brown, who’s smuggling money from Mexico for a dangerous criminal played by Samuel L. Jackson. When she’s approached by the authorities about setting Jackson’s character up, she’s faced with a tough decision, all while striking up a romantic relationship with a bail bondsman played by Robert Forster. “Jackie Brown” is more measured and, frankly, more tastefully sensual than any of Tarantino’s other films, and Grier shines as a woman who works her way out of a tight spot.
Citizen Kane
Widely hailed as the greatest film of all time, 1941’s “Citizen Kane”It is also very entertaining. The groundbreaking effort from co-writer/producer/director/star Orson Welles traces the life and career of a mysterious and wealthy newspaper publisher by beginning with his death. To weave the complex story and to immerse the viewers in it, the film uses techniques that were unheard of at the time. It was released eighty years later. “Citizen Kane”The film is still a great laugher. That’s cinema, folks.
Crazy Rich Asians
If you’re looking for lighter fare, the 2018 romantic comedy “Crazy Rich Asians”It is a joy to watch. Based on the Kevin Kwan novel of the same name, the story follows a Chinese American professor played by Constance Wu who goes to meet her boyfriend’s (Henry Golding) family in Singapore, only to discover he’s the heir to a massive fortune and the beloved son of a very controlling mother. Jon M. Chu creates a charismatic ensemble while the story weaves in many different characters, enriching the experience.
The Truman Show
“The Truman Show” came at a time, in 1998, when reality television was just starting to take hold, and in hindsight it’s a tremendously prescient film. Jim Carrey portrays Truman, a man who has been recorded since his birth. His parents, his friends, his co-workers and even strangers are all actors living inside the world’s biggest soundstage, as Truman is literally the star of a television show being broadcast across the globe. But when Truman starts to get curious about why he’s never left his small island town, the whole thing starts to unravel. This film is hilarious, sweet, and wildly imaginative.
Jurassic Park
Look no further for proof of Steven Spielberg’s brilliance as a director than his 1993 film “Jurassic Park.” This Michael Crichton adaptation follows a group of strangers who are whisked away to a wealthy billionaire’s tucked-away island, where he’s built a theme park full of resurrected dinosaurs in secret. When the power goes out, the dinosaurs get loose and things quickly spiral out of control. Spielberg delights in terrorizing and thrilling his audience.
Pride and Prejudice
Jane Austen’s beloved novel “Pride and Prejudice” got the prestige treatment with director Joe Wright’s 2005 film, which remains one of the best adaptations of the material of all time. Keira Knightely plays Elizabeth Bennet, a young lady who falls in love with Matthew Macfadyen’s mysterious Mr. Darcy. A stellar cast includes Rosamund Pike, Jena Malone, Donald Sutherland, and Judi dench in this romantic drama.
2001: A Space Odyssey
If you’re looking to watch a sci-fi classic that may or may not make your head hurt a little bit, try Stanley Kubrick’s masterful 1968 film “2001: A Space Odyssey.” The epic adventure takes place in the year 2001 (then the future) and follows a crew that’s sent to Jupiter after a mysterious monolith is discovered on Earth. HAL, a computer on board the ship, is responsible for causing havoc during the mission. This is one of the most visually stunning and perplexing films of all-time – a true work of art that’s open to various forms of interpretation by the time you reach the end of the journey.
The Matrix Trilogy
Re-visit the original trilogy before you go to the absolutely insane fourth “Matrix”Film “The Matrix Resurrections.” “The Matrix,”Keanu Reeves, who plays Neo in 1999’s The Matrix, is one of the most memorable actors of all time. The real Neo is a human being who awakens to the reality that the world he lives in is actually controlled by computers. The Matrix is also a program that controls the machines and makes the world desolate. The story becomes much more complicated as it goes on. “The Matrix Reloaded”And “The Matrix Revolutions,”The few human beings who are awake in the real-world stage a rebellion against their machine masters. The Wachowskis are both directors and writers who break new ground in action and allegorical storytelling. The films are filled with philosophical ideas and are a great example of how to write and direct.
Inside Man
Spike Lee’s 2006 thriller “Inside Man” is one of the director’s best and most entertaining films. The story begins in the aftermath of a bank theft, where hostages give their accounts to police. The film then zooms in to depict the events as they happened, with Denzel Washington portraying the detective who tries to get down the robber/kidnapper (played primarily by Clive Owen), which seems to be hiding some kind of secret. You will be kept guessing right up to the end with mind games.
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy
With the holiday season comes plenty of vacation time, and if you’re in for a really long binge-watch, “The Lord of the Rings”Trilogy will suffice. Peter Jackson’s epic trio of J.R.R. Peter Jackson’s epic trio of J.R.R. adaptations of Tolkein are among the greatest achievements in moviemaking history. Whether it’s your first or fifth time to Middle-earth, it’s a journey well worth taking. HBO Max also offers the theatrical and extended versions.
