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 Harry Potter and The Truman Show to celebrated modern films like See How They Run and Don’t Worry Darling, here are some of the best films you can find currently streaming on HBO Max.

Updated: November 10.

Mystery: See How They Run

One of the big new arrivals to HBO Max recently has been the 2022 mystery film, See How They Run — a whodunit told in the manner of an Agatha Christie parlor mystery.

In the early 1950s, a sleazy American film director (Adrien Brody) is murdered in London, shortly after he attempts to produce the popular mystery play, The Mousetrap, onto film. Investigating the case is the world-weary Stoppard (Sam Rockwell) and the younger constable Stalker (Saoirse Ronan).

See How They Run has all the makings of a great whodunit, with shades of everything from The Mousetrap to Clue to even Knives Out crammed inside it. It has a great cast, an atmospheric soundtrack, and some clever innovations when it comes to the mystery genre.

Thriller: Don’t Worry Darling

Alice (Florence Pugh) is a housewife completely devoted to her perpetually-busy husband Jack (Harry Styles). Moving into a new utopian town established by Jack’s company, Alice slowly starts to wonder if the company’s founder (Chris Pine) is hiding something from the town’s populace — and whether Jack himself is in on it or not.

One of the more talked about movies of the year, most people are at least partially aware of the drama wrapped around Don’t Worry Darling, even if they don't exactly know the specifics of what happened.

Regardless, the bad press around the film’s production seems to have mired the reception of the finished product, with Don’t Worry Darling managing to deliver a largely decent psychological thriller.

Horror: Doctor Sleep

Is Doctor Sleep as good as 1980’s The Shining? No, of course not. Few movies are. But still, it does a phenomenal job as both a faithful adaptation of Stephen King’s 2013 book and as a continuation to Kubrick’s radically different take on the 1977 novel.

Thirty years after the events of The Shining, a now adult Danny Torrance (Ewan McGregor) has inherited his father’s alcoholism, dulling his psychic connection to the Shining. On the road to recovery, he begins telepathically communicating with a young girl (Kyliegh Curran), who is soon targeted by a roaming cult who prey on kids with strong psychic powers.

One of several King adaptations to come out after the success of It, Doctor Sleep is worth watching just to see how it manages to tie into King’s original novel and the 1980 adaptation he famously loathes.

Action: Predator

With Prey having dropped on Hulu back in August, it seems there’s really no better time to revisit the initial movie that started it all: the 1987 Arnold Schwarzenegger film, Predator.

In the jungles of South America, an elite military squad on a rescue mission becomes the prey of a towering, technologically advanced alien creature hunting the team for sport.

The best thing about Predator is how cleverly it subverts genre tropes. The first act of the film comes across as very much your stereotypical action vehicle, full of flexing muscles, big explosions, and body counts beyond comprehension.

But as the second act gets underway, we see these larger-than-life macho heroes transform into hapless cannon fodder for the creature stalking them, shifting from an over-the-top Arnie film into a chilling, sci-fi horror movie before our very eyes.

Comedy: A Hard Day’s Night

Movies based around the lives of musicians are nothing new. A movie starring those musicians as thinly-veiled caricatures of themselves, on the other hand? Now that’s decidedly more rare. But in 1964, that all changed with A Hard Day’s Night, the first of five films featuring those famous rockers, the Beatles.

At the height of Beatlemania, the members of the Fab Four prepare for a televised concert. As they run from avid fans and their manager, the young men get into all kinds of comedic hijinks over the course of two days.

A Hard Day’s Night strikes a great balance between hilarity and seriousness, portraying the outlandish lifestyle of the Beatles in all its cartoonish glory (the screaming legions of fans, the annoying interview questions, the complete lack of privacy, etc.). On the flip side of that, there’s some emotional undertones to the film as well, brilliantly exemplified by Ringo Starr’s forlorn adventures on his own.

Superhero: Superman

Nowadays, Superman seems like a dated artifact from a simpler time compared to the CGI-packed superhero films of the modern era. However, it’s worth remembering that, in many ways, Superman was the original superhero movie, setting the standard for every superhero-centered film that followed, up to and including the MCU.

Moments before his home planet of Krypton is destroyed, a young alien boy is sent to Earth by his father (Marlon Brando). Landing in the Kansas town of Smallville, the boy grows up to become one of the world’s greatest superheroes in the form of Superman (Christopher Reeve).

A massive critical and box office success back in 1978, Superman’s esteem in the eyes of the film community has only improved over the years, many calling it a milestone in the superhero genre. Some elements of the movie might seem a bit dated, but its influence on practically every superhero movie that followed is undeniable.

Drama: Raging Bull

Released four years after Rocky, Raging Bull can be seen as pretty much the complete antithesis of everything Sylvester Stallone’s monumental boxing film stands for. Whereas we see Stallone’s aspirational boxer achieve his dreams, Robert De Niro’s Jake LaMotta embraces his darkest fears, becoming an empty husk of a man whose success in the ring ultimately ruins his life.

In the early 1940s, boxer Jake LaMotta (De Niro) is a sensation in the ring, able to withstand intense physical punishment and dish out some brutal blows on any of his opponents. Unfortunately, LaMotta has trouble keeping that same violent in-ring temper in check, lashing out at his family whenever he gets home.

Often considered one of the greatest movies ever made, Raging Bull is a startling biographical look at the life and times of LaMotta, one of the most infamous, controversial boxers to lace up his boots.

Family: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

As of this article’s writing, all eight entries in the Harry Potter series are currently streaming on HBO Max. While everyone has their undeniable favorites — from Prisoner of Azkaban to Deathly Hallows Part 2 — we suggest starting at the very beginning with the supremely magical (pun intended) Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.

Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) is an orphaned boy living with his abusive, neglectful aunt and uncle in England. Days before his eleventh birthday, Harry is shocked to discover that he’s actually a powerful wizard, leading him to attend the mythic Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Many young adult series have come after it, but there remains only one Harry Potter — a genre that continues to define an entire generation of literary buffs and movie fans. It’s a franchise you’re never too old to get into, and is especially worth watching in the wake of Robbie Coltrane’s unfortunate passing just last month.

Sci-Fi: The Truman Show

The Truman Show isn’t a science fiction film in the conventional sense. There’s no laser guns, no spaceships, not even any super advanced technology around the household. Rather, it’s a nightmarish look at media in general, and our craving for reality TV as an entertainment source.

Truman (Jim Carrey) is a meek insurance salesman who’s lived his entire life on the isolated Seahaven Island. Over time, he finds evidence that he’s actually the star of a reality show — and that his whole life has been fabricated.

Headlined by what is probably the best, most dramatic performance of Jim Carrey’s career, The Truman Show is a stellar sci-fi film that touches upon a variety of themes and genres. Skewering the dystopian, psychological, and metafictional genres, it also focuses on weighty issues like existentialism and the entertainment industry.

Underrated: Blow Out

When Alfred Hitchcock passed away in 1980, an immediate void was left open as to who could potentially succeed the director as the next ‘Master of Suspense.' Many directors have laid claim to that prestigious title, but few measure up to Brian De Palma. And looking at his 1981 masterpiece, Blow Out, it’s easy to see why.

Jack Terry (John Travolta) is a sound technician who witnesses a car accident that kills a US politician. As Jack revisits his audio recordings of the incident, he wonders whether the accident might’ve been the result of foul play.

De Palma has had a long and impressive track record filled with career successes like Carrie, Scarface, and The Untouchables. For our money, though, it’s his more overlooked films that make him such a worthy successor to Hitchcock, including this absolute marvel of cinematic storytelling.

This article was produced and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.

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