The Best Movies on HBO Max

HBO Max may be one of the newest platforms to enter the streaming world, but already it’s one of the best. Not only does the service offer a ton of exclusive content related to its hit properties — like Game of Thrones, The Wire, and The Sopranos — it also has a ton of fantastic films strengthening its online catalog.

Thanks to HBO’s partnerships with standout companies and networks like TCM, Studio Ghibli, and DC, the service has an absolutely stacked selection of films you’re able to choose from.

Whether you’re in the mood for a classic black and white monster movie from the ‘30s, a beloved anime film from Hayao Miyazaki, or a recent blockbuster from this past summer, there’s no end to the number of great films you’re able to choose from.

From universally praised films like The Shawshank Redemption and The Shining to celebrated modern films like Dune and Joker, here are some of the best films you can find currently streaming on HBO Max.

Updated: October 13.

Drama: The Shawshank Redemption

One of the great modern masterpieces in today’s world, The Shawshank Redemption tends to be the go-to movies of 1990s film. And like other ‘90s classics like Forrest Gump or Titanic, you realize that it’s every bit as deserving of the continued praise it receives while watching it.

Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) is a mild-mannered accountant facing a life sentence for murder at Maine’s Shawkshank State Prison. As the years of his sentence pass by, Andy learns to adjust to life behind bars, bonding with his fellow inmates and coming into conflict with the corrupt warden (Bob Gunton).

It’s almost too overwhelming to count all the awards and accolades The Shawshank Redemption won upon its release in 1994. It’s a profoundly affecting film that’s gone on to be considered one of the greatest American movies of all time — rounded with excellent music, writing, direction, and performances (including Robbins and Morgan Freeman’s).

Horror: The Shining

Finding a job as a hotel caretaker, Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) and his family move into Colorado’s lush, remote Overlook Hotel during the winter off-season. As their stay at the hotel extends, the Torrance family begin interacting with apparitions from the Overlook’s grisly past.

Before The Shining, haunted house films were considered a fairly kitschy, melodramatic subgenre in the world of horror — one that relied on too many cheap jump scares, generic plot lines, and cheesy effects to creep out its audience members.

All that changed when Stanley Kubrick decided to adapt Stephen King’s best-selling novel in 1980. In the process, he crafted a horror film that was tense, atmospheric, and deliberately ambiguous. It’s a slow burn, but in it, you truly do feel like you stepped into another realm — a bizarre world where you’re never entirely sure of what you’re seeing is real.

Thriller: Joker

One of the most talked-about movies of 2019, Joker was a movie that meant something different for each audience member. It’s at once an analytical study of mental illness, a Scorsese-esque crime thriller, a sociological study of martyrdom and corruption, and a compelling superhero origin story all in one.

Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) is an aspiring comedian in the crime-ridden city of Gotham. With his mental health gradually worsening, Arthur’s grip on his sanity begins to loosen as he witnesses the amoral nature of Gotham’s citizens around him.

Dark, disturbing, and incredibly upsetting, Joker is one of the more bizarre and nihilistic “superhero” films you’ll find out there. While it’s content may be too extreme or its messages too downbeat for some, at the very least it’s worth watching for Phoenix’s indelible portrayal of the Clown Prince of Crime.

Comedy: Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping

Since he left SNL in 2012, Andy Samberg has been thriving in terms of his acting performances, appearing in some truly remarkable, deeply underrated comedy films. For evidence of this fact, just look at his hilarious performance in 2016’s Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping, a movie that’s practically destined to become a cult classic in the years to come.

After his new album fails commercially, egotistical rapper Conner4Real (Samberg) does whatever it takes to maintain his celebrity status — except for, of course, reuniting with the members of his former boy band.

A spoof of the massive stardom and fanbases amassed by musicians today, Popstar is a humorous mockumentary successor to This Is Spinal Tap. Fresh, fun, and consistently funny, it’s just further proof of how great Samberg is on his own, elevating whatever material he’s given.

Sci-Fi: Dune

Ambitious in scope, impressive in length, and meticulous in its production design, Dune was one of the most exciting movies of the past year. Carefully adapting Frank Herbert’s legendary sci-fi novel onto film, Denis Villeneuve made a movie that was more a visual and audio feat of filmmaking ingenuity than a simple movie alone.

In the far future, mankind has harnessed the power of space travel using a powerful drug called “spice” — which can only be found on the desert planet Arrakis. When the Emperor orders the noble family of House Atreides to oversee the planet’s spice production, the family must adapt to the harsh elements of the landscape, as well as battling Arrakis’s former rulers, House Harkonnen.

Like many modern sci-fi movies, the world of Dune really does look like a portrait of the distant future. A more grounded interpretation of the sci-fi genre than most others, it feels like an adult version of Star Wars crossed with Game of Thrones, filled with conspiracies, political maneuvering, and muted fantastical elements.

Action: Police Story

Who doesn’t love kung fu? And more to the point, who doesn’t love Jackie Chan? While all of the martial arts superstar’s American movies are largely okay, we’d recommend checking out some of Chan’s older Hong Kong action movies — like this 1985 film that virtually made him the globally recognized talent that he is.

Chan Ka-Kui (Chan) is a skilled Hong Kong police inspector who makes his first big bust arresting a notorious drug lord (Chor Yuen). Embittered by his capture, the drug lord frames Chan for the murder of another police officer, leading the inspector on a fight-filled odyssey to clear his name.

Named by Chan as the best action film he’s ever done, Police Story is the kind of martial arts movie that simply doesn’t get made anymore. Full of convincing-looking stunts and action sequences (including that famous final battle at the mall), it’s a movie that shows Chan at the height of his powers — both technically as a director and physically as an actor.

Family: Beetlejuice

Tim Burton’s movies aren’t necessarily everyone’s cup of tea. Beetlejuice is no exception to this, but for our money, it’s arguably the closest thing Burton’s done to an approachable, entertaining movie fun for the whole family.

The Maitlands (Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis) are a happy couple whose peaceful lives in rural Connecticut are tragically cut short by a freak car accident. Now ghosts, the two deal with an annoying yuppie family who moves into their home, pushing them into hiring a “bio-exorcist” (Michael Keaton) to drive the new homeowners away.

Like all of the best Burton movies, Beetlejuice strikes a great blend between generally lighter humor and good-natured scares. Some of its content may be a little offputting for younger viewers, but those who are able to handle the grotesque or macabre (like The Nightmare Before Christmas) will almost definitely be able to handle this one.

Biopic: The Aviator

Martin Scorsese has produced a number of movies of diverse topics and subject matters in the past. With The Aviator, the great director turns his attention to the biopic genre, building a truly epic (and extremely long) film about eccentric business mogul Howard Hughes.

Born into mass wealth, Howard Hughes (Leonardo DiCaprio) excels at virtually every professional venture he sets his mind to — whether it’s film or aeronautics. As Hughes climbs to the heights of commercial success in his respective industries, he also deals with issues in his personal life — namely his increasingly problematic OCD and his rocky relationships with famed Hollywood starlets.

From a viewer’s perspective, biopics can be a rough genre, many of them tending to be either boring, dry, and more than a little pretentious. Yet, by focusing on the more idiosyncratic qualities of Hughes, Scorsese crafts an engrossing character study of Hughes as a man and a larger-than-life figure.

Superhero: The Dark Knight

Viewers can debate which is the best actor to step into the cape and cowl of Batman till the cows come home — but almost every comic book fan is able to agree that The Dark Knight is the best Batman outing we’ve seen on film to date.

Less than a year after his introduction to Gotham City, Batman (Christian Bale) meets his most dangerous adversary in the form of the Joker (Heath Ledger) — an anarchistic, homicidal maniac who’s out to break Gotham’s spirit.

It may seem like overkill to include Joker and The Dark Knight as our weekly recommendations, but both are equally deserving of praise. While not nearly as dark as Joker, Christopher Nolan’s film is everything a superhero movie should be: smart, well-written, well-paced, well-scored, and unbelievably well-acted to boot.

Underrated: Life of Crime

Adapted from an Elmore Leonard novel, Life of Crime is a fast-paced, eloquently-written, comedy crime thriller with an A+ level cast. How it managed to go so overlooked upon its release in 2013, we’ll never know — but you’re now able to correct that mistake and watch this underappreciated gem while it’s streaming on HBO.

Frank Dawson (Tim Robbins) is a white-collar criminal who’s secretly been embezzling millions from his company for years. Sensing a big payday, two low-level convicts (Yasiin Bey and John Hawkes) kidnap Frank’s wife (Jennifer Aniston), holding her for ransom. Their plans soon change, however, when they discover Frank may not actually want his wife back after all.

Life of Crime feels like a comedic mashup between the Coen brothers and Quentin Tarantino. With its sharp script and talented cast, it’s a movie that unfolds like an energetic screwball comedy from the ‘40s.

This article was produced and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.

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