This article is updated frequently as titles leave and enter Max. *New additions are indicated with an asterisk.
HBO Max is now Max. Once upon a time, the streaming service was where you could stream blockbusters like Dune (Part One) and The Matrix Resurrections on the same day they landed in theaters, but that era long gone. These days, Warner Bros. Discovery’s Max is best understood as the streaming service with a dense catalog of classic films, pulling from generations of the Warner Bros. catalog, as well as hosting Criterion, TCM, and Studio Ghibli (at least for as long as the merged Warner Bros. Discovery holds onto its licensing deals).
But you’re not here to celebrate the size of Max’s library. You want help navigating it. The streaming giant’s deep, wide bench makes it perhaps the hardest service to pare down to 30 great films, but somehow we found a way. Our aim is to pull from a cross-section of what the service offers, including recent additions (this month look for Dune: Part Two and The Florida Project), enduring classics (Night of the Living Dead and Singin’ in the Rain), award winners (Spirited Away), under-the-radar gems (Funny Games), general Vulture favorites (Dune: Part Two), and even films that offer an offbeat story but can’t-miss performances from its stars (The Lighthouse).
You’ll find our selections organized into five genre categories — drama, action, horror, comedy, and family-friendly — and each week we cycle our recommendations, whether in response to changes in the Max library or just to keep things fresh. Just because a movie no longer appears on this list doesn’t mean it’s been removed from Max. We just want to give some other films a moment in the spotlight, starting with this week’s critic’s pick below. If there’s an under-appreciated movie on the service that you think we should consider for inclusion, please let us know at [email protected].
This Week’s Critic’s Pick
RoboCop
Year: 1987
Runtime: 1h 43m
Director: Paul Verhoeven
People like to point at ‘80s movies and say they were ahead of their time, but this may be most true about Paul Verhoeven’s 1987 masterpiece, a film that foretold how technology would impact law enforcement in ways that took decades to come true. A brilliant action satire, this is the story of a Detroit cop who is murdered and revived as the title character, a superhuman cyborg enforcer. It’s even more riveting and relevant almost four decades later. Note: Both original era sequels and the 2010s reboot are also on Max.
Drama
Brokeback Mountain
Year: 2005
Runtime: 2h 15m
Director: Ang Lee
Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal star in this romantic drama, one of the best films of the ‘00s. Adapted from the short story by Annie Proulx, Ang Lee’s film is tender and heartbreaking, the story of unaccepted love between two men in the American West. It features some of the career-best work from Ledger, Gyllenhaal, Anne Hathaway, and Michelle Williams.
Casablanca
Year: 1942
Runtime: 1h 42m
Director: Michael Curtiz
One of the most popular films of all time, Casablanca is now over eight decades old, but it’s still being watched somewhere every single day. Why has the story of Rick and Ilsa sustained as generations of other movies have come and gone? There’s something timeless in this tale of an ex-pat (Humphrey Bogart) who is asked to help the love of his life (Ingrid Bergman) escape the city of Casablanca during World War II. This is the first movie that so many people think of when they hear the phrase “classic cinema” for a reason.
Clèo From 5 to 7
Year: 1962
Runtime: 1h 29m
Director: Agnès Varda
The Queen of the French New Wave has a strong presence on Max because of her deep catalog in the streamer’s Criterion section, and you owe it to yourself to learn more about one of the most vital and important filmmakers of all time. This is probably her most popular film, the tale of a French singer who is awaiting test results that could confirm she has cancer. It’s a deeply powerful and philosophical character study, and the perfect gateway to discovering an essential filmmaker.
Dune: Parts One & Two
Year: 2021, 2024
Runtime: 2h 36m, 2h 46m
Director: Denis Villeneuve
You can now watch the entire Dune saga to date on Max, the exclusive home to the highest grossing film of 2024 so far. The second half of Villeneuve’s saga fulfills the promise of the first, turning the set-up of the 2021 film into a full-blooded action tale of a new messiah. Timothee Chalamet and Zendaya lead an all-star cast in a film that understands both scope and character. It may not play quite as well at home as it did in theaters, but it still rocks.
In the Mood for Love
Year: 2000
Runtime: 1h 39m
Director: Wong Kar-wai
One of the best films ever made, Wong Kar-wai’s 2000 drama is the story of a man (Tony Leung) and a woman (Maggie Cheung) who form a delicate relationship of glances and brief touches but can never fulfill their obvious passion for one another. Set in 1962 Hong Kong, it is a gorgeous film, filled with color and music that tell the story as much as dialogue or action. Filled with longing, cultural imposition, and regret, In the Mood for Love captivates every time you see it. It’s like entering a dream.
The Lighthouse
Year: 2019
Runtime: 1h 50m
Director: Robert Eggers
Is this the best COVID lockdown movie? Sure, it came out the year before, but a lot of people watched it on streaming while they were going crazy with people with whom they were stuck. Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe are fearless in Robert Eggers’ black-and-white nightmare about two New England lighthouse keepers who learn that nothing is scarier than being trapped with someone unbearable. It’s a twisted gem.
Minari
Year: 2021
Runtime: 1h 56m
Director: Lee Isaac Chung
What a delicate and beautiful movie this is. Steven Yeun and Han Ye-ri star as a pair of South Korean immigrants who move to the heartland of America with their son (Alan Kim) and her mother (Youn Yuh-jung, who won the Oscar) in the 1980s. Semi-autobiographical, this is the kind of character-driven storytelling that we seem to be getting increasingly less from the movie machine.
Parasite
Year: 2019
Runtime: 2h 12m
Director: Bong Joon-ho
Remember not that long ago before the world changed, and we could all rally around a South Korean film becoming the first foreign flick ever to win the Oscar for Best Picture? It really was a crazy time. Thanks to Hulu’s relationship with distributor Neon, the streamer was the only place you’ll find Bong Joon-ho’s hysterical and thrilling study of class conflict for a long time, but the beloved thriller has now dropped on Max too.
Raging Bull
Year: 1980
Runtime: 2h 9m
Director: Martin Scorsese
As the decade turned, one of the best American filmmakers reunited with his muse to deliver what is widely considered one of the best films of the 1980s, possibly the best. Much has been written about the physical transformation that would win Robert De Niro an Oscar for this film, but there’s more to this story of Jake LaMotta than just that. It’s an unforgettable character study of violence, rage, and self-destruction.
Uncut Gems
Year: 2019
Runtime: 2h 16m
Directors: The Safdies
Adam Sandler earned the best reviews of his career for this tense drama/thriller about a New York jeweler who has a little bit of a gambling problem. As he spirals the drain of life, he tries to sell a rare gem and make money on a Celtics playoff game. Vibrant and anxiety-inducing, it’s one of the best movies of the 2010s, a movie that now seems ahead of its time given the increasing gambling addiction in this country.
The Zone of Interest
Year: 2023
Runtime: 1h 45m
Director: Jonathan Glazer
The Oscar winner for Best Foreign Language Film is exclusively available on Max. Based on the novel of the same name by Martin Amis, it’s the story of Auschwitz commandant Rudolf Hoss and his family, who live just outside the concentration camp. As they live and profit off horror, the sights and sounds of the Holocaust give the film a terrifying, unsettling foundation, reminding us how often true evil can be right next door.
Comedy
Amelie
Year: 2001
Runtime: 2h 2m
Director: Jean-Pierre Jeunet
It’s hard to overstate how much this Jean-Pierre Jeunet romantic comedy took over pop culture in 2001, becoming such an international hit that it grossed over $170 million worldwide and was nominated for Best Picture. The delightful Audrey Tautou stars as the title character, a waitress who works to better the lives of those around her but struggles to find her own happiness.
Barbie
Year: 2023
Runtime: 1h 55m
Director: Greta Gerwig
One of the biggest films of 2023 has already landed on Max in the form or Greta Gerwig’s daring blockbuster, a comedy that works both as a reminder of the power imagination and the fight for equality. Anyone who thinks this movie is anti-male isn’t paying any attention. The theme of the movie is that no one — not even Barbie or Ken — should be defined by traditional roles. We should all be free to play however we want. It’s a wonderful film that will truly stand the test of time.
Lady Bird
Year: 2017
Runtime: 1h 34m
Director: Greta Gerwig
The Barbie director’s Best Picture nominee is one of the most personal and striking coming-of-age films in years. Saoirse Ronan stars as the titular character, a young Californian who longs for someplace cooler than her own hometown. It’s a heartfelt and very smart film, buoyed by great performances throughout, including Ronan, Tracy Letts, Timothee Chalamet, Lucas Hedges, Beanie Feldstein, and Laurie Metcalf, who was robbed of that Oscar.
Singin’ in the Rain
Year: 1952
Runtime: 1h 43m
Director: Stanley Done
Movies don’t get more delightful than this beloved classic about backstage drama on the advent of the talkie. Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds, and Donald O’Connor are as charming as charming can be, and Singin’ in the Rain contains some of the best choreography of its era, and not just in the titular number. It’s joyous from front to back. Honestly, you have to be kind of a jerk not to like this movie.
Action
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Year: 2000
Runtime: 2h 1m
Director: Ang Lee
One of the most successful foreign language films of all time, Ang Lee’s 2000 wuxia epic was so popular that it landed an Oscar nomination for Best Picture, along with nine other nominations (winning four). It’s a gorgeous epic based on the Chinese novel by Wang Dulu that stars the legendary Chow Yun-fat, Michelle Yeoh, Zhang Ziyi, and Chang Chen. It hasn’t aged a day in the over-two decades since its release.
*Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Year: 2024
Runtime: 2h 29m
Director: George Miller
One of the best films of 2024 is exclusively on Max right now. Ignore the haters, this is robust action filmmaking at its greatest, serving as a prequel to Fury Road but also a fantastic film in its own right. Anya Taylor-Joy captures Furiosa as a survivor in a desperate world, but it’s Chris Hemsworth who steals the movie, sketching a tyrant too power-mad to comprehend his own stupidity.
Love Lies Bleeding
Year: 2024
Runtime: 1h 44m
Director: Rose Glass
One of the best films of 2024 is already on Max. Get to it. Kristen Stewart continues her incredible career in this follow-up from Saint Maud director Rose Glass, a pulpy, sweaty, neo-noir about a gym manager whose life is changed when she meets a bodybuilder, played by Katy O’Brian. The pair unite to take on Stewart’s crime lord father, played unforgettably by Ed Harris. It’s an unpredictable genre hybrid that won’t be forgotten.
Mad Max: Fury Road
Year: 2015
Runtime: 2h 1m
Director: George Miller
Have you seen the Furiosa trailer?! It’s insane and easily one of the most anticipated films of 2024. Go back to its predecessor, one of the best action movies ever made. This sequel rocked the world when it was released in 2015 on its way to winning multiple Oscars and really setting a new bar for practical action effects. George Miller went into the desert and returned with one of the most ambitious, insane, downright impossible action epics ever made.
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Year: 2001
Runtime: 2h 58m
Director: Peter Jackson
The Oscar-winning franchise by Peter Jackson bounces around the streaming services with alarming regularity, now finding its way to Max for an indeterminate amount of time. Watch the entire saga of Frodo Baggins, Samwise Gange, and the rest of the Fellowship while you can.
Unbreakable
Year: 2000
Runtime: 1h 47m
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
M. Night Shyamalan’s best film remains this story of an unexpected hero, a man who gets into a car crash and discovers that he may not be like most ordinary men. Bruce Willis is great in the lead role, his stoicism balanced by a fun performance from Samuel L. Jackson as his worldly opposite. Follow it up with the sequel Glass, which isn’t currently streaming for subscribers anywhere but is widely available for rent or purchase.
Horror
*A Nightmare on Elm Street
Year: 1984
Runtime: 1h 32m
Director: Wes Craven
The world of horror changed forever with the introduction of Freddy Krueger, a terrifying variation on the boogeyman in the form of a creature who could kill you in your dreams. The first movie is an unqualified genre masterpiece, a movie that forever altered the landscape. (Note: The first four sequels, through The Dream Child, are also on Max.)
The Exorcist
Year: 1973
Runtime: 2h 2m
Director: William Friedkin
It’s hard to overstate the impact that William Friedkin’s adaptation of the novel by William Peter Blatty had on the movie world. Not only was this the rare horror film to get a Best Picture nomination, but it shattered expectations about a genre too often dismissed as secondary to “Serious Drama.” Using fears embedded in cultures since the beginning of time, Friedkin made a movie that people would never forget.
*I Saw the TV Glow
Year: 2024
Runtime: 1h 40m
Director: Jane Schoenbrun
One of the best films of 2024 is already available exclusively on Max. Jane Schoenbrun’s sophomore effort is the tale of a young man, played perfectly by Justice Smith, who becomes obsessed with a fictional show called The Pink Opaque, which opens him up to a new understanding of the world and his place in it. Schoenbrun’s visual language is arguably the most striking of the year, announcing them as a major cinematic talent.
Night of the Living Dead
Year: 1968
Runtime: 1h 36m
Director: George A. Romero
The movie that changed it all. It’s really hard to overstate the impact that George A. Romero’s classic black-and-white masterpiece had on not only the zombie genre, but DIY microbudget horror filmmaking. So many people have been chasing that game-changing impact of Night of the Living Dead in the half-century since it came out, but it’s the original that’s passed the test of time.
Scream
Year: 1996
Runtime: 1h 51m
Director: Wes Craven
The Ghostface killer came back in January 2022 with the release of Scream, the fifth film in this franchise and the first since the death of Wes Craven, and the fun continued with another sequel in 2023 (before the wheels came off in the pre-production of a seventh film). Even the makers of the new movies would suggest that fans go back and watch the original films to see how Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) got here. All four of the Craven films are available now on Max. The first movie is still a flat-out genre masterpiece.
The Shining
Year: 1980
Runtime: 2h 24m
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Forget what Stephen King himself has said about this Stanley Kubrick classic, it will likely always be the best adaptation of the literary legend’s work. Kubrick made the story his own and then allowed Jack Nicholson to give one of the most unforgettable performances in horror history. The Shining isn’t just an essential film for horror fans, it’s essential for everybody, the kind of movie that transcended genre to become a cultural phenomenon.
For Kids and Family
Spirited Away
Year: 2001
Runtime: 2h 4m
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Almost all of the Studio Ghibli films are on Max, the now exclusive home to them when it comes to streaming. The truth is that we could devote about 10 percent of this list to Hayao Miyazaki and his colleagues, but we’ll give up some that space and just point you here to the ranking of the entire output of the most important modern animation studio in the world. Start with Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, and Castle in the Sky. You won’t stop.
Where the Wild Things Are
Year: 2009
Runtime: 1h 41m
Director: Spike Jonze
In 2009, Spike Jonze adapted the Maurice Sendak classic children’s story in a way that only he could. Max Records plays a boy who flees his trouble home to find an island of creatures known as the Wild Things, who make Max their king. A fascinating, beautiful film that works on multiple levels, this is one of the best movies of 2009, a flick that works differently but equally for parents and children.
The Wizard of Oz
Year: 1939
Runtime: 1h 41m
Director: Victor Fleming
Maybe you’ve heard of it? Seriously, what could possibly be written if you’re on the fence about The Wizard of Oz? Maybe you haven’t seen it since you were a little kid? Revisit the journey of Dorothy over the rainbow if that’s the case and appreciate this wonderful fantasy on a new level.
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