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 Dirty Harry and The Wild Bunch to celebrated modern films like Ready Player One and In the Heights, here are some of the best films you can find currently streaming on HBO Max.
Updated: April 11.
Action: Ready Player One
Steven Spielberg has worked in virtually every cinematic genre there is, from evocative period films to well-orchestrated musicals. But with movies like Jurassic Park, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and Ready Player One under his belt, it’s hard not to see sci-fi as the director’s preferred genre.
In a dystopian near-future, people escape the hardship of reality by retreating into an immersive VR game known as the OASIS. After the game’s creator (Mark Rylance) passes away, several players hunt for a mysterious easter egg the founder hid somewhere in the OASIS.
Taken from Ernest Cline’s best-selling book of the same name, Ready Player One is simultaneously an excellent science fiction film and a loving homage to pop culture of the past few decades. After all, where else can see King Kong chase after the Back to the Future DeLorean, or the Iron Giant go head to head with Mechagodzilla?
Musical: In the Heights
Nowadays, Lin-Manuel Miranda is perhaps best known as the creative juggernaut behind the sensational Broadway musical, Hamilton. But before he was writing rapping musicals about the Founding Fathers, Miranda was penning audacious musicals about life in New York City, as seen with In the Heights.
In New York’s Washington Heights, a group of residents embrace the everyday ups and downs of their daily lives, coming together to celebrate their shared cultural heritage while making ambitious plans for their futures.
The genius behind each of Miranda’s projects is how personal many of them are, giving life and dimension to each of his characters, be it Alexander Hamilton or bodega shop owner Usnavi (Anthony Ramos). Acting as an excellent counterpart of its earlier Broadway production, this 2021 adaptation is loaded with amazing dance numbers, excellent vocals, and heartwarming characters.
Horror: It
When it was released in 2017, It became an overnight smash hit, setting all kinds of box office records for R-rated horror films. A brilliant take on Stephen King’s gargantuan novel, it’s a spine-chilling creature feature that is certainly among the better horror movies in recent years.
In the 1980s, a sadistic shapeshifting monster that feeds off of fear (Bill Skarsgård) targets the children of a small town in Maine. The only people standing in its way are a group of young pre-teen outcasts who resolve to rid their town of the creature for good.
There is plenty to praise about It, a technical and creative feat in adapting King’s tome of a novel for the big screen. Building off its gifted cast and eerie atmosphere, it's among the most notable movies based off of King’s work to date, almost definitely on par with other classics like Misery, Carrie, and The Shining.
Comedy: Office Space
Working in an office setting is … not for everyone. Some people love it, while others tend to view it as a soul-crushing, monotonous, unbearable place filled with insufferably boring conversations, domineering bosses, and tedious responsibilities. All that being said, you can probably guess that 1999’s Office Space falls into the latter category.
Tired of their boring lives in an office workplace, three best friends plan to steal miniscule amounts of money as revenge against their tyrannical employers.
A clever black comedy satirizing the corporate office and interpersonal workplace politics, Office Space only seems to grow more relatable with time. Well-reviewed upon its initial release, it has since reached coveted cult status, and is considered an excellent representation of average workers’ woes.
Family: Coraline
In 2002, Neil Gaiman took time off the writing of his momentous fantasy novel, American Gods, to conjure up a short YA novella titled Coraline. Seven years and several literary awards later, The Nightmare Before Christmas director Henry Selick set out to adapt Gaiman’s incredible story onto film.
Unhappy with her unexciting life at home, the lonely Coraline (Dakota Fanning) uses a hidden door in her new home to escape into a picturesque fantasy realm. Initially amazed by this new world, Coraline soon discovers some dark and disturbing secrets hidden beneath the surface.
Gorgeously animated using stop-motion technology, Coraline isn’t exactly suitable for younger children. In fact, we’d probably recommend it for older children – say, those in their preteen years – than extremely young kids. Possessing an increasingly frightening atmosphere and filled with unforgettably creepy visuals and characters, it’s an imaginative cautionary tale that isn’t afraid of venturing into gothic or upsetting subject matter.
Crime: Dirty Harry
Clint Eastwood has been around for well over six decades, starring in at least 58 films over the course of his career. Yet for all his varying screen credits, his starring role in Dirty Harry tends to rank as one of the most popular characters of his filmography.
As a vicious serial killer wreaks havoc in San Francisco, a police inspector with questionable morals (Clint Eastwood) is assigned to the case, taking the law into his own hands to catch the killer.
One of the most cynical protagonists in the entirety of American film, Eastwood’s Harry Callahan is quick to tell you that he hates everybody. Yet for all his misanthropic views, his noble dedication to justice (even if it’s by his own decree) is admirable to an extent, with the movie unintentionally bringing up a thought-provoking analysis of law and order.
Western: The Wild Bunch
Speaking of controversial films, it doesn’t get any more controversial than 1969’s The Wild Bunch, the revolutionary film from Sam Peckinpah that forever changed the way movies were made.
In the early 1910s, a gang of aged outlaws evade a group of bounty hunters led by a former gang member (Robert Ryan), fleeing south of the border into wartorn Mexico.
Introducing a new level of violence and character ambiguity to film, The Wild Bunch almost single-handedly set the standard for the New Hollywood movement, ushering in a new level of audience acceptability in regards to uncomfortable subject matter. One of the best Western movies of all time, it's considered a classic in the genre, influencing everything from Quentin Tarantino to Red Dead Redemption.
Romance: The American President
A film written by Aaron Sorkin, set in the White House, and featuring Martin Sheen that isn’t The West Wing? Contrary to its setting, cast list, and writing credits, The American President is an entirely separate project from the aforementioned NBC series (although it’s every bit as good).
Nearing the end of his first term as President of the United States, the widowed Andrew (Michael Douglas) begins dating an environmental lobbyist (Annette Bening), their romance shaping public perception of the presidency.
The plot of The American President seems like something straight out of a classic Frank Capra movie, showing the lightness and idealism found in such romantic comedies as Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. Far from being a simple romcom alone, Sorkin makes special efforts to raise valid questions about public figures, including their right to privacy and the separation of work from their personal lives.
Classic: The Philadelphia Story
The 1930s were an early golden era for romantic comedies, many of them falling under the umbrella category of slapstick or screwball films. By the 1940s, a relatively different kind of movie had begun to take precedence in Hollywood, with films like The Philadelphia Story forming the narrative blueprint for the romcoms we know today.
As she prepares to marry her new beau, a wealthy woman (Katharine Hepburn) is torn between her love for her ex-husband (Cary Grant) and a down-to-earth newspaper reporter covering the wedding ceremony (Jimmy Stewart).
The Great Gatsby of romantic comedies, The Philadelphia Story most obviously benefits from its superb cast. At its heart, though, it revolves around a fascinating love triangle with startling intimacy and genuine beauty, making you wonder who exactly Hepburn’s character will choose to be with by its conclusion.
Underrated: La Ciénaga
A slice of life film following the residents of a small Argentinian family whose influence slowly vanishes over time, La Ciénaga is commonly hailed as one of the best films to originate from the South American country.
Gathering together at their less-than-glamorous mansion, an upper class extended family spend the summer trying to escape the oppressive seasonal heat.
Positively compared to the minimalist works of Chekhov, La Ciénaga has a notably slower pace, taking the time to build up many of its characters and establish their individual relationships with one another. What evolves is a startling character study, as well as an abject study of power, class, and family.
This article was produced and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.
source https://wealthofgeeks.com/the-best-movies-on-hbo-max-now/
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