The 29 Best Movies on Max (aka HBO Max) Right Now (July 2024)

As the birthplace of prestige TV shows like The Sopranos and The Wire, HBO—and, by extension, Max (aka the streamer formerly known arsenic HBO Max)—is champion known for its awesome lineup of archetypal series. The web has besides been upping the ante with feature-length contented that is the worldly of Oscar dreams. However, due to the fact that Max is not (yet) a accumulation powerhouse like, say, Netflix, hundreds of large movies travel and spell each month. So if you spot thing you privation to watch, don’t fto it linger successful your queue for too long.

Below is simply a database of immoderate of our favourite films streaming connected Max—from iconic Westerns to caller Oscar nominees you’ll spot adjacent the apical of immoderate Best Movies of the Year list. If you determine you’re successful much of a TV mood, caput implicit to our picks for the best shows connected Max. If you’re looking for adjacent much recommendations, cheque retired our lists of the best movies connected Netflix, the best movies connected Amazon Prime, and the best movies connected Disney+.

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Quad Gods

Jess Jacklin’s diagnostic documentary follows the fascinating travel of Blake, Prentice, and Richard—three individuals with quadriplegia who conscionable successful a neuro-rehabilitation laboratory astatine Mount Sinai Hospital and motorboat a program to make the world’s archetypal all-quadriplegic esports team. It’s a noble pursuit, but 1 fraught with challenges arsenic they interruption down the doors of ableism. At its heart, Quad Gods is simply a communicative of friendship, perseverance, and survival.

Chinatown

Though it was released 50 years ago, Chinatown has mislaid nary of its edge—or quality to astonishment (especially if you’ve ne'er seen it before). Jack Nicholson is J. J. Gittes, a PI successful 1930s Los Angeles who is hired by 1 Evelyn Mulwray to analyse her husband’s seemingly suspicious activities. But the lawsuit takes a crook for the bizarre erstwhile Mr. Mulwray ends up dead, and Gittes meets the real Mrs. Mulwray (Faye Dunaway), who is decidedly not the pistillate who hired him. Gittes past sets astir getting to the bottommost of precisely what is happening, but becomes embroiled successful a twisted communicative of governmental corruption and household secrets that volition unit Jake to question everything helium thought helium knew to beryllium true.

Babe

Talking animals. Does 1 request immoderate much convincing? Babe is the heartwarming communicative of an adorable piglet who aspires to beryllium a sheepdog—much to the delight of Arthur Hoggett (James Cromwell, who received an Oscar motion for the role), a husbandman and Babe’s caretaker. But Babe is much than conscionable a cute household movie; it’s cowritten and produced by George Miller (yes, the aforesaid George Miller of Mad Max fame), who brings an big sensibility to the story. The movie won an Oscar for Best Visual Effects and got six different nominations—including a motion for Best Picture.

The Witch

Anya Taylor-Joy delivers a breakthrough show arsenic Thomasin, the teenage girl of a household that is banished from its Puritan assemblage successful 1630s New England and forced to unrecorded successful solitude successful the wilderness. It’s determination that they statesman experiencing a bid of eerie encounters that they judge to beryllium supernatural. Think of it arsenic a reasoning person’s fearfulness movie—one that burns dilatory but brilliantly toward a decision that rewards viewers’ patience.

Am I OK?

Lucy (Dakota Johnson) is simply a thirtysomething surviving successful Los Angeles, perpetually failing astatine relationships and wondering wherefore she doesn’t person everything figured retired yet. After drunkenly sharing the communicative of the clip she kissed a pistillate person arsenic a teen, she begins to recognize that the occupation successful her emotion beingness mightiness not beryllium the men she’s choosing, but that she’s choosing men astatine all. Former Saturday Night Live writer Lauren Pomerantz penned the publication for the movie based connected her ain acquisition of coming retired successful her thirties. Tig Notaro and her woman Stephanie Allynne bash an admirable occupation arsenic codirectors, treating Lucy’s travel of self-discovery with the respect it deserves—and plentifulness of humor.

MoviePass, MovieCrash

For amended oregon worse, millions of movie fans volition retrieve 2012 arsenic the twelvemonth of MoviePass. For $25 per month, you could fundamentally unrecorded successful a movie theater—which was large for audiences, not truthful large for movie theaters (which were already struggling), and yet disastrous for the institution itself. For anyone who inactive has their MoviePass, this revealing documentary tells the existent communicative of each that went incorrect down the scenes, and shares the communicative of the unsung heroes who truly did conscionable privation to make a merchandise that movie lovers could embrace.

Dune & Dune: Part Two

Since breaking done with the Oscar-nominated Incendies (2010), Denis Villeneuve has continued to beryllium that he’s 1 of the astir talented filmmakers moving today. As if making a Blade Runner sequel that didn’t suck wasn’t enough, Villeneuve past went connected to ace the cinematic codification connected Frank Herbert’s Dune series—something that existent visionaries similar David Lynch and Alejandro Jodorowsky had attempted earlier him, albeit mostly unsuccessfully. Both the 2021 archetypal movie and its sequel, which arrived successful theaters successful March, are streaming connected Max. The movie follows the destiny of the satellite Arrakis—and its proviso of melange, a unsocial spice and the astir invaluable substance successful the universe—which rests successful the hands of Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet), the untested lad of a almighty duke.

Stop Making Sense

Forty years ago, Oscar-winning filmmaker Jonathan Demme and Talking Heads revolutionized the rockumentary format with Stop Making Sense. The 1984 performance movie was changeable implicit the people of 4 performances astatine Los Angeles’ iconic Pantages Theatre, and made independently connected a fund of conscionable implicit $1 million, which David Byrne and institution raised connected their own. What makes it truthful memorable (in summation to Byrne’s iconic oversize suit) is the simplicity with which it is shot, allowing the band’s creativity to instrumentality halfway signifier and pb audiences connected an unforgettable travel that feels arsenic overmuch similar a portion of show creation arsenic it does a straightforward concert.

Mad Max

Before you ticker Anya Taylor-Joy instrumentality implicit the relation of Imperator Furiosa, a badass emancipator who dares to situation sex conventions successful a postapocalyptic world, instrumentality a look backmost astatine the movie that started it all. It’s precise apt that adjacent writer-director George Miller didn’t cognize what helium was igniting with Mad Max. Mel Gibson stars arsenic Max Rockatansky, a benignant of constabulary serviceman (in dystopian dramas, authorities aren’t truthful intelligibly defined) who is seeking revenge from a biker pack aft the brutal execution of his woman and child. In the 45 years since, the movie has morphed into a full-on franchise with its 5th film, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, acceptable to premiere aboriginal this month, and different 1 successful development. You tin ticker each of the released films—1981’s The Road Warrior, 1985’s Beyond Thunderdome, and 2015’s Fury Road—on Max now, too.

The Killing of a Sacred Deer

If you’re a instrumentality of the absurdly acheronian enactment of Yorgos Lanthimos (Poor Things) and/or are conscionable discovering the uncomfortable brilliance of Barry Keoghan, The Killing of a Sacred Deer has got your sanction written each implicit it. Steven Murphy (Colin Farrell) is simply a highly esteemed surgeon with a loving woman (Nicole Kidman) and children whose beingness is turned upside down aft helium befriends Martin (Keoghan), an awkward teen who Steven learns mislaid his begetter a fewer years earlier. What begins arsenic a seeming enactment of kindness connected Steven’s portion soon turns into a genuinely demented mentation of Sophie’s Choice. As always, Lanthimos’ quality to premix wit with pathos remains unmatched—perhaps ne'er much truthful than here.

The Zone of Interest

In 1943, Rudolf Höss (Christian Friedel) was the commandant of Auschwitz who spent his days playing deity with the lives of the attraction camp’s guiltless prisoners. But what happened erstwhile Höss went home? That’s the world Jonathan Glazer’s Oscar-winning movie examines, and the reply is: Not much. Höss lives close adjacent doorway to the camp, successful the alleged Zone of Interest, with his woman Hedwig (Sandra Hüller) and their 5 children. Within those 4 walls, they strive to physique a imagination beingness for their family—while the dependable of gunshots, incoming trains, and furnaces being lit are conscionable a portion of regular life. Yes, it’s each spot arsenic brutal—and necessary—as it sounds.

Black Swan

Natalie Portman gave what mightiness precise good extremity up being the defining show of her vocation successful this acheronian creation play from Darren Aronofsky. Nina Sayers (Portman) is simply a dancer with the New York City Ballet whose full beingness has been dedicated to her art, successful ample portion owed to her overprotective parent (Barbara Hershey), who was besides a ballerina and pushes her girl to person the vocation she wanted for herself. Nina’s beingness is turned upside down erstwhile she lands the pb successful a caller accumulation of Swan Lake, lone to recognize that she’ll beryllium splitting the portion with the free-spirited Lily (Mila Kunis) who rapidly becomes some the lone person Nina has ever truly had and her astir bitter rival. Soon, she descends into a dizzying madness that is reflected successful Aronofsky’s directorial choices, which marque the assemblage consciousness each spot of her emotions.

Good Time

Back successful 2020, we named Good Time arsenic 1 of the most underrated movies of the past 20 years, and perfectly inactive basal by that claim. Fortunately, arsenic Robert Pattinson and the Safdie Brothers person continued to found themselves arsenic immoderate of the astir absorbing actors (Pattinson and Benny Safdie) and directors (Benny again and his member Josh) moving today, much radical person discovered the film, and adjacent much will, present that it’s connected Max. Connie Nikas (Pattinson) is simply a small-time transgression who is ever looking for his adjacent large score, and typically employs his developmentally disabled member Nick (Safdie) arsenic his partner. When a slope robbery goes incorrect and Nick is nabbed by the police, Connie indispensable combat for their survival. Much similar Uncut Gems, which would aboriginal travel to specify the Safdies’ benignant (and is besides present streaming connected Max), Good Time is simply a fast-moving, visceral transgression thriller that volition person you connected the borderline of your spot arsenic Connie works to reunite with his brother, immoderate the cost.

Wonka

Timothée Chalamet stars arsenic Willy Wonka successful this perfectly entertaining root communicative of Roald Dahl’s quirky chocolatier, directed by Paddington’s Paul King. While it doesn’t deed the aforesaid arsenic Mel Stuart’s Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory—really, who could lucifer Gene Wilder’s somersaulting candy maker?—it besides acold surpasses Tim Burton’s reasonably needless 2005 remake.

Dream Scenario

Like Forrest Gump’s famed container of chocolates, you ne'er cognize what you’re going to get from a Nicolas Cage performance. But he’s a one-of-a-kind histrion whose roles thin to autumn into 1 of 2 categories: wholly transcendent, oregon scenery-chewing astatine its astir voracious. Dream Scenario is precise overmuch the former, and has been heralded arsenic 1 of the Oscar-winning actor’s champion performances by immoderate critics. Rightfully so. Cage stars arsenic Paul Matthews, an unassuming biology prof who abruptly begins appearing successful strangers’ dreams and achieves viral fame arsenic a effect of it. Like immoderate bully Cage performance, this 1 is multifaceted and examines the downside of abrupt fame and what it truly costs.

The Green Knight

Writer-director David Lowery (Pete’s Dragon, Peter Pan & Wendy) is simply a maestro of reimagining well-trodden worldly successful ways that consciousness inventive and wholly new. That’s precisely what helium did with this award-winning fantasy-adventure that sees Dev Patel successful the relation of Arthurian hero. Sir Gawain (Patel) is the nephew of King Arthur who has spent his beingness sheltered by his ain privilege and decides it’s clip to alteration that. So erstwhile the accidental comes for Gawain to beryllium himself arsenic a warrior befitting of his spot astatine the Round Table, helium takes it—despite being woefully unprepared for the challenges that volition travel his way.

Dicks: The Musical

A24—the workplace known for its edgy, award-winning indies similar Moonlight and Ex Machina (which are some streaming connected Max)—takes a dive into the philharmonic genre with this adaptation of the off-Broadway deed Fucking Identical Twins (and you thought Dicks: The Musical was a raunchy title). Aaron Jackson and Josh Sharp cowrote and costar successful this over-the-top philharmonic arsenic 2 coworkers who observe that they’re long-lost duplicate brothers, and they effort to Parent Trap their parents (played by Nathan Lane and Megan Mullally). Megan Thee Stallion plays their boss. Anyone offended by an f-bomb—or dozens of them—might privation to springiness this 1 a skip.

Barbie

Greta Gerwig is simply a maestro of breathing caller beingness into aged properties (see: Little Women). With Barbie, she has ignited a revolution. Barbie (Margot Robbie) is surviving her champion beingness successful Barbieland—until 1 day, erstwhile her perfectly integrative world, and heels, abruptly statesman to collapse. To get her fabulous beingness back, Barbie indispensable question to the existent world—well, Los Angeles—to find who oregon what is causing her existential crisis. The movie has grossed astir $1.5 cardinal worldwide, meaning you apt whitethorn person already seen it. But adjacent if you did, it’s perfectly worthy a 2nd watch—if lone to lament its galore Oscar snubs.

Fargo

Frances McDormand won her archetypal of 4 (and counting) Oscars for her relation arsenic Marge Gunderson, the highly large and no-nonsense main of constabulary successful Brainerd, Minnesota. When a mysterious transgression country puts Marge connected the way of a car salesman (William H. Macy) with a unspeakable program for getting his hands connected a boatload of cash, it besides puts Marge successful the crosshairs of a mates of vocation thieves (Steve Buscemi and Peter Stormare) with small respect for quality life. As is often the lawsuit successful immoderate Coen brothers movie, there’s a perfectly balanced premix of precise atrocious things and precise comic moments, which someway makes seeing a murderer effort to dispose of a assemblage successful a wood chipper a laugh-out-loud moment.

RoboCop

From Total Recall to Showgirls and backmost to Basic Instinct, manager Paul Verhoeven has a way grounds astir unmatched successful modern cinema. RoboCop, his dystopian instrumentality connected instrumentality enforcement, is proof. Set successful a bleak imaginativeness of Detroit overrun with crime, it follows a bull (Peter Weller) who gets fatally wounded and turned into, yes, a robot cop, who you mightiness deliberation is bully astatine warring crime, but of people is not. Some of the ocular effects whitethorn look a small bushed up now, but successful 1987, they looked similar the future. Also, if RoboCop leaves you wanting more, the film’s 2 sequels and 2014 reboot—none of which, sadly, were directed by Verhoeven—are besides disposable connected Max.

Albert Brooks: Defending My Life

Albert Brooks is simply a comedian’s comedian. Though helium mightiness beryllium champion known arsenic the filmmaker down specified celebrated comedies arsenic Defending Your Life, Lost successful America, Real Life, and Mother, he’s besides a superb histrion (with an Oscar information to beryllium it). Brooks’ longtime pal Rob Reiner directs this charming documentary, which documents Brooks’ one-of-a-kind talent, with a stunning lineup of A-listers—including David Letterman, Steven Spielberg, Sarah Silverman, Judd Apatow, Chris Rock, Larry David, and Ben Stiller—all acceptable to sing his praises.

Furious 7

You’d beryllium forgiven for reasoning a batch of the Fast & Furious movies commencement to tally together. Car chase, fistfight, thoroughfare race, large booms, Corona, “family”—the end. But this 1 is special. For starters, it’s the 1 wherever the pack parachutes a clump of souped-up cars retired of the backmost of a cargo plane. For another, it marks Paul Walker’s last quality successful a Fast movie. (He died successful a car mishap successful 2013.) It’s a bittersweet film, and besides 1 of the franchise’s best.

Carrie

Four directors person attempted to excavation Stephen King’s debut caller for cinematic inspiration, which yet seems pointless aft Brian De Palma’s 1976 original. Nearly 50 years aft its debut, the movie inactive manages to scare the pants disconnected audiences. Carrie White (Sissy Spacek) is simply a shy, sheltered, and, yeah, kinda weird teen who is simply a favourite people of her precocious school’s clique of mean girls. When 1 of said mean girls (Nancy Allen) is barred from attending her ain elder prom due to the fact that of her behavior, she and her fellow marque a program to get revenge connected mediocre ol’ Carrie. But Carrie has the past laughter when, aft being doused by a bucket afloat of pig’s blood, she shows a gymnasium afloat of prom-goers wherefore her “Creepy Carrie” nickname is good earned. The movie besides features an ending that tin inactive marque audiences rather virtually leap retired of their seats.

Avatar: The Way of Water

James Cameron’s Avatar sequel felt similar a movie centuries successful the making. In reality, conscionable implicit a twelve years passed betwixt the archetypal 2009 movie and past year’s The Way of Water. That timeline adds up: The 2nd successful a scheduled bid of 5 films takes spot 16 years aft the events of the archetypal and catches up with Jake (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldana)—now joined with children, and inactive blue. Though the movie didn’t look to marque arsenic large a splash arsenic its predecessor, it managed to hitch Cameron’s own Titanic out of the water—plus each the Star Wars movies—to go the third-highest-grossing movie of each clip (with Avatar successful the apical spot, followed by Avengers: Endgame).

Reality

In 2017, an quality study astir Russian interference successful the 2016 US statesmanlike predetermination was leaked anonymously. One twelvemonth later, erstwhile NSA translator Reality Winner (yes, that’s her existent name) was sentenced to much than 5 years successful situation for the crime—the longest condemnation ever received by a authorities whistleblower. HBO’s reigning muse, Sydney Sweeney (Euphoria, The White Lotus), shines successful this gripping existent story, which plays retired mostly successful existent clip arsenic the FBI knocks connected the 25-year-old’s doorway and spends much than an hr questioning her.

Parasite

Even if you don’t attraction astir awards, the information that Parasite is the first—and inactive only—non-English-language movie to triumph a Best Picture Oscar should archer you thing astir the universality of its themes. The Kims, a household struggling to marque ends meet, acceptable their scheming sights connected the Parks, a well-to-do household with plentifulness of problems of their own, but besides plentifulness of wealth to muffle their dysfunction. At slightest for a time. Just erstwhile you deliberation you cognize however people warfare is playing retired successful this achromatic comedy, it changes people to scope an unexpected conclusion. As always, Bong Joon-ho knows conscionable however to pb his assemblage down 1 path, lone to unfastened a trapdoor into another.

All the Beauty and the Bloodshed

Finding occurrence successful one’s beingness mightiness look similar the imagination of each artist, but Nan Goldin has bigger ambitions. Though she’s a lensman by trade, she’s an activistic by calling and has agelong utilized her camera to seizure painfully intimate moments of America successful crisis, including extended enactment focused connected the HIV/AIDS and opioid epidemics. But All the Beauty and the Bloodshed reveals the creator successful conflict: Should she let her enactment to beryllium showcased successful 1 of the salient museums oregon galleries that person received endowments from the Sackler family—the Big Pharma household that galore blasted for America’s opioid crisis? It’s a moving representation of an creator consenting to hazard it each for her beliefs.

The Dark Knight

First things first: All 3 of Christopher Nolan’s Batman movies are presently connected Max, and binge-watching each of them successful a enactment is surely 1 mode to walk an evening. But if you’re opting to ticker conscionable one, the 2nd movie successful the bid is the 1 to beat. Though Christian Bale’s Caped Crusader gets apical billing, it’s Heath Ledger’s now-iconic show arsenic the Joker that makes The Dark Knight the astir compulsively watchable Batman movie (even beyond Nolan’s entries). Though Ledger tragically passed distant six months earlier the film’s release, helium posthumously won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his villainous turn, successful which helium managed to find the cleanable equilibrium betwixt acheronian wit and outright insanity.