Best Movies On HBO Max To Watch Right Now
This past May, the HBO Max streaming service rebranded as Max, creating a single platform offering content from the many entertainment companies under the This past May, HBO's Max streaming service rebranded as Max, offering content from the many entertainment companies under the Warner Bros. corporate umbrella. According to JustWatch, there are nearly 2,200 movies offered on Max, less than half of what Netflix offers. With 18 “hubs” of categorized content, there is now literally something for everyone on the expanded streaming platform. We have ranked the top movies available to stream on Max below, including Terrence Malick’s directional debut, Badlands, If Beale Street Could Talk, and Moonlight's coming-of-age drama. Despite its somber and morose plot, the film is regarded as one of the best films of the 21st century and is praised for its cinematography, narrative depth, and handling of themes of sexuality and drugs.
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This past May, the HBO Max streaming service rebranded as Max, creating a single platform offering content from the many entertainment companies under the Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) corporate umbrella. By dropping “HBO” from the name, WBD hoped to highlight that the new Max service was more than just films, with thousands of hours of programming from networks including HGTV, TLC, Food Network, and The Travel Channel. With 18 “hubs” of categorized content, there is now literally something for everyone on the expanded streaming platform. The main draw of Max, however, remains the movie libraries of HBO and Turner Classic Movies.
According to JustWatch, there are nearly 2,200 movies offered on Max, less than half of what Netflix offers. However, what Max lacks in volume, it makes up for in the sheer quality of classic films. We found Max carries a few of the American Film Institute’s Top 100 Films of All Time, far more than any other streaming service. We’ve ranked the top movies available to stream on Max below. Rather than picking films on the AFI list, we chose a variety of movies from several genres and film eras, including crowd-pleasing blockbusters.
Updated on October 17th, 2023, by Rudransh Bundela: This article has been updated with additional content to keep the discussion fresh and relevant with even more information and new entries.
Touted for trailblazing the murderous couple trope, Badlands paved the way for films like Natural Born Killers and True Romance. Terrence Malick’s directional debut embodied themes of violence, and lust along with also commenting on the inherent stupidity a couple in love are capable of.
Loosely based on the true story of murderous couple Charles Starkweather and Carli Ann Fugate, Malick’s masterpiece saw Martin Sheen and Sissy Spacek set the screen on fire with their palpable chemistry, while also acting maintaining a degree of brimming tension and unpredictability. Set against the backdrop of the Dakota badlands in the 50s, Terrence Malick’s film is a masterclass in juxtaposing a serene landscape against inscrutable, constantly churning characters.
Shoplifters is an emotional journey of a man that shoplifts to make ends meet for his family. One day, during one of their shoplifting sessions, the family bumps into a little girl freezing in the cold and decides to adopt her for the time being. Starved by hunger and satiated by love, despite being stretched thin, the group of drifters sticks together till secrets from the little girl’s past emerge.
Despite its somber and morose plot, Shoplifters is a film that champions emotional bonds and the power of relationships over situational difficulty, making it perfect for times when you want to be moved and entertained at the same time.
Barry Jenkins’ coming-of-age drama is regarded as one of the best films of the 21st century. Praised for its cinematography, narrative depth, and the handling of themes of sexuality and drugs, Moonlight won the Academy Award for Best Picture along with the award for Best Supporting Actor and Best Adapted Screenplay.
Charting a young boy’s journey to manhood, Moonlightis told across three defining chapters in Chiron’s life, starting from a young boy who’s bullied to a functional drug dealer who’s respected. While it touches upon drugs and the conventional culture that surrounds it, Moonlight’s approach is rooted in honesty and delicateness as it explores why some people are, the way they are.
If Beale Street Could Talk is another great drama from Barry Jenkins’ on the list. Touching upon themes of class disparity and racism, the film revolves around one pregnant African-American woman’s fight to prove the innocence of her fiancé who’s been falsely imprisoned.
The film is based on James Baldwin’s iconic novel of the same name and is a mesmerizing tale about the power and purity of love, standing firm against the face of surmounting obstacles. Led by an incredible KiKi Layne, If Beale Street Could Talk takes the viewer through a whirlpool of emotions ranging from loyalty, to heartbreaking, while maintaining a formal and pristine cinematic demeanor to it.
The mothership of all zombie films, many would argue that without Night of the Living Dead, the entire zombie-sub genre would be different. Directed by one of the genre’s pioneering godfather’s, George A. Romero, Night of the Living Dead paints a dark picture about zombies and a darker one about humans.
Considering the fact that the film is over five decades old, Romero’s masterpiece still holds its weight in gold as it keeps the audience glued to the screen right till the end. The zombies depicted in the film aren’t bullet-hungry scarecrows, living on the edge of a pull of a trigger, instead, Romero’s zombies operate with a shard of intelligence and menace giving Night of the Living Dead a surprising bite and zing to it.
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Many films attempt to combine horror and comedy but only a few excel at it, with Mark Mylod’s The Menu being a stellar example. Mylod delicately garnishes a satirical narrative with elements of horror and comedy, brilliantly dissecting the highfalutin world of fine dining and its internal machinations.
Led by a stellar cast of Ralph Fiennes, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Nicolas Hoult, the film revolves around a couple that travels to a remote island to eat at an exclusive restaurant where the chef has prepared a series of outrageous meals, with a few shocking surprises. Mylod’s film was met with a positive response from fans and critics alike, premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival and grossing over $79 million worldwide.
Serving as a spinoff/prequel to The Conjuring universe, The Nun documents the origins of the peripheral yet scary character depicted in James Wan’s The Conjuring. Directed by Corin Hardy (The Hallow), The Nun is scrupulously controlled and generates a real amount of dread.
It revolves around the suicide of a young nun, who leads a Stoic Vatican Father (Demián Bichir) and a clairvoyant novice, to investigate further. As the duo gets tangled in the supernatural nature of the nun’s suicide, unfathomable evil powers come into play threatening to disrupt the entire foundation of the Vatican by creating a cacophony of dread and horror.
Directed by Denis Villeneuve, Dune is based on Frank Herbert’s sci-fi novel of the same name and is set in the distant future, where water is scarce and spice is coveted. The film follows Duke Atreides (Oscar Isaac) and his family as they are forced to move into enemy territory at the behest of the emperor and the tragedy that befalls them there.
A tale rich with revenge, identity, and duty, Villeneuve brings his expansive visual sensibility to the fore by adapting a narrative that’s nutritiously dense and layered. Led by an ensemble that features the who’s who of Hollywood, Dune bands together the likes of Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Jason Momoa, and many more to create an iconic set of characters that will continue to live on in your memory after the credits have rolled.
Upon its release Parasite created history by becoming the first non-English-language film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture, announcing and cementing Korea’s arrival on the global film scene. What sets Parasite aside from other great films is how it integrates cinematic storytelling within the world of its narrative.
On a surface level, the film plays to Bong’s propensity to comment on the class divide by telling the tale of two families on the opposite end of the economic spectrum but does so with a plethora of cinematic layers and nuances. Rather than taking the easy route, Parasite hacks into the viewer’s mind, subconsciously conditioning them to the highs and lows of life, depending on which side of the fence you stand on.
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A hilarious yet complicated take on a regressive teenager’s identity crisis, Shiva Baby is an explosive film that’s not afraid to speak its mind. Quirky and relatable for most bits, the film follows Danielle (Rachel Sennott), who finds herself treading on treacherous territory as all of her life’s landmines go off at a Jewish funeral service with her parents.
From encounters with her sugar daddy to bumping into her ex-girlfriend, Danielle is put through the wringer while being judged by her morally upright family and extended community. Running at just under 80 minutes, Shiva Baby is a quick pick-me-up film that leaves you with a pleasant aftertaste knowing there’s someone else who’s got it worse.
The late Chadwick Boseman was something else. A man who served as an inspiration to children (of all ages) not just in his role as Black Panther, but in the way he carried himself and treated others. So, who better to play a similarly sweet source of inspiration, Jackie Robinson, in a biopic?
42 is a home run of a sports film and, like Moneyball or Remember the Titans, it’s not as if one must love sports (baseball or otherwise) to enjoy it. It’s a human interest story, about an interesting human and starring an interesting human. Toss in a sterling and game-supporting performance from Harrison Ford, and 42‘s a winner.
Stanley Kubrick’s sci-fi epic 2001: A Space Odyssey certainly takes its time to unfold its epic story of man’s first encounter with extraterrestrial life. Keir Dullea and Gary Lockwood play astronauts en route to Jupiter to explore the origins of an alien artifact.
Along for the ride is the spacecraft’s computer, HAL-9000, which Kubrick used to warn us over half a century ago of the dangers of relying on technology. If you want to jump down a philosophical rabbit hole, search online for discussions of the film’s symbolism and meaning, particularly the infamous ending.
A truly fascinating coming-of-age tale about American teens and teens across the world who only yearn for freedom and belonging, American Honey follows Star, a rebellious teenage girl who, on a whim, joins a traveling sales crew cruising across America’s heartland. Star has had a troubled home life and has lived in a province all her life, so, naturally, she finds this new escapism and instant connection with the crew’s main guy, Jake, to be healthy and comfortable.
As they crisscross the dusty backroads, visiting towns and encountering colorful characters, Star discovers adventure, liberation, and first love. The movie is visually very stunning and it also has an empowering feminist message. What’s more, Shia LaBeouf and Sasha Lane elevate this poetic tale with their restless and relatable performances.
The original Annabelle film feels like the rote spinoff of The Conjuring franchise that it is. It’s a cash grab, nothing more. Annabelle: Creation, a prequel, is something else entirely.
Every bit as well-put-together as James Wan’s original The Conjuring film, Creation is a consistently tense experience heavily bolstered by sublime work from young lead actor Lulu Wilson.
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Annie Hall is the film that won the 1977 Best Picture Oscar instead of Star Wars, which still rubs fans of the space opera the wrong way. It’s hard to deny the timeless appeal of Woody Allen’s comedy, however. It’s an insanely witty look at love and life and how people manage to ruin both.
The film features an effervescent Diane Keaton in her Oscar-winning role as Annie. She’s the soulmate of the painfully neurotic Alvy Singer (Allen), who sabotages their relationship with his many character flaws. Watching Allen constantly break the fourth wall to speak with the audience is comedic perfection, and he would go on to win Oscars for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay.
The Best Picture nominee and winner of many other awards, this poignant drama is set on a small island off the coast of Ireland in the 1920s. The Banshees of Inisherin tells the story of two lifelong best friends, Pádraic and Colm, who find themselves at an impasse when Colm abruptly decides to end their friendship. Pádraic is a kind and good-natured farmer and Colm is his neighbor. As Pádraic tries desperately to rekindle their relationship, Colm remains resolute and sends the close-knit community of the island into confusion and turmoil.
From the premise itself, one can hear the darkly comedic notes present in the film. And yet, Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson imbue the simple story with deeper themes and subtle emotion as they navigate the many struggles of human connection, and the ending of Banshees of Inisherin is a haunting and poetic study of 20th-century wars and divisions in Ireland.
The Coen brothers’ first film is a neo-noir masterpiece of tension with an incredible early performance from the great Frances McDormand (Joel Coen’s wife). Blood Simple is a modern tale of deception and betrayal.
The dark Texas thriller follows a businessman who hires a disturbing scumbag (played to perfection by M. Emmet Walsh) to kill his wife, and things go horribly (and sometimes humorously) wrong in the fantastic entry in the Coen’s filmography.
Set against the backdrop of French Morocco in World War II, Casablanca stars Humphrey Bogart as Rick, an American expatriate who owns a café in the city of Casablanca. Both the Nazis and the French authorities are present in the city, and Rick rides a fine line of neutrality while allowing French Resistance to use his café to organize their efforts. Rick soon realizes his former lover Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman) is in his café with her husband Victor (Paul Henreid), who is being hunted by the Nazis. As we see Rick and Ilsa’s past relationship play out in a series of flashbacks, the question becomes whether Rick will help Victor escape to America, or allow him to be captured, giving him a second chance to be with Ilsa.
Bogart was not the ideal romantic lead, but in Casablanca, he and Bergman are electric, and the supporting cast is equally good. The film’s ending is legendary, but the most powerful moment comes early in the third act when the diners at Rick’s drown out the singing of Nazi officers by singing “La Marseillaise.” For a film released at the height of the war, it is a moment of defiance that resonated with audiences then and carries equal weight even now. Casablanca is more than a romantic masterpiece — it’s one of the greatest films ever made.
Easily one of the 2010s’ best romantic comedies, Crazy, Stupid, Love is a star-studded dynamo of a motion picture. It was also the first film to announce “Yes, Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling are the next Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan.”
Even for the macho men in the audience, there should be more than enough to enjoy the film. Whether it’s the humorous final fight or the perpetual series of misunderstandings, Crazy, Stupid, Love is enough to make anyone smile.
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Batman fans define themselves by which actor is their favorite live-action Caped Crusader. Some swear by Adam West’s TV icon, while others make a worthy argument that Michael Keaton’s gothic turn in Tim Burton’s film was groundbreaking. In 2008, however, Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight features Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne. His portrayal works because everything around him is perfect, and the film is an achievement that stood apart from every cinematic incarnation of Batman before or since.
Combining the crime genre with comic book elements, Nolan’s sequel to Batman Begins also gave us Heath Ledger’s Joker, a charismatic, twisted genius who only wanted to see the world burn. Ledger earned an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, although he died unexpectedly before he was even nominated.
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