10 Standout Sci-Fi, Horror, and Fantasy Series on Max
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You’ve already set a reminder for Dune: Part Two’s arrival on Max next week, and we’ve previously assembled lists of other genre movies the streamer has on offer. But don’t forget about all the excellent genre series, too; House of the Dragon returns next month and Dune: Prophecy arrives in the fall, and in the meantime there’s plenty to catch up on or experience for the first time.
Here are 10 standout sci-fi, fantasy, and horror series streaming on Max, all of which are either HBO or Max Originals.
Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon
Two separate George R.R. Martin-inspired series set hundreds of years apart in the same world, Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon share quite a few themes and aesthetics—including intricate political maneuverings between power-mad royals and nobles, and gleefully gruesome violence. However, despite the fact that they have the same theme song, they have their own distinct characters and conflicts. Game of Thrones ran for eight seasons and if you somehow missed it along the way—or if you feel like revisiting favorite twists and battles—you can watch its drama and darkness on Max. And now’s your moment to catch up on House of the Dragon season one on Max before it returns for season two June 16.
The Last of Us
This critical and commercial smash—easily one of the greatest video game adaptations to date—won’t be dropping its much-anticipated second season until next year. So there’s plenty of time to watch or re-watch Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) make their perilous, thrilling, and heartbreaking journey across the pandemic-ravaged post-apocalypse. Watch on Max.
Station Eleven
Speaking of the pandemic-ravaged post-apocalypse, Station Eleven—based on Emily St. John Mandel’s best-selling novel—might not have raked in as much hype as The Last of Us, but it earned its share of acclaim. It’s a 10-episode miniseries, so the one season is a complete story. Watch on Max.
The Leftovers
Carrie Coon, Christopher Eccleston, and Justin Theroux lead an ensemble cast in this remarkable series, which started with the question “What would happen to the people left behind if the Rapture (or something like it) happened, and a portion of the world just disappeared?” From there, and then over the course of three seasons, it became a wild, wonderful, surreal, heart-wrenching, and thoughtful journey. There’s really no other show like it. Watch on Max.
The Outsider
This Stephen King adaptation starring Ben Mendelsohn and Cynthia Erivo starts off like a crime story, and The Outsider does have elements in common with the more grounded True Detective. Its antagonist, however, is eerily supernatural, in uniquely specific ways that make chasing them down absolutely terrifying. Just one season was made, but we sure would have loved to see more. Watch on Max.
Lovecraft Country
Lead actor Jonathan Majors may have fallen from grace, but the rest of the cast (Jurnee Smollett, Aunjanue Ellis, Courtney B. Vance, Wunmi Mosaku, Michael Kenneth Williams) can help you forget that, as will the gripping story (adapted from Matt Ruff’s novel) that emerges in this tale of racism in 1950s America, wrapped in occult themes drawn from the desk of H.P. Lovecraft. Watch on Max.
Los Espookys
This Spanish-language horror comedy series ran for just two seasons, but swiftly gained a cult following for its unique set-up and offbeat characters: horror-obsessed friends who decide to turn that obsession—which dovetails with their talent for creating supernatural illusions—into a career of sorts. Watch on Max.
True Blood
Vampires owned part of the conversation about Peak TV thanks to this hugely popular, Anna Paquin-starring series set in a corner of Louisiana that’s home to a surprisingly high number of sexy supernatural creatures. It ran for seven seasons, is based on the Charlaine Harris novels, and introduced most of the world to a certain Alexander Skarsgård. Watch on Max.
30 Coins
Cult filmmaker Álex de la Iglesia (The Day of the Beast)masterminded this Spanish horror series, which has two seasons (so far, a third installment is not yet confirmed). It follows a priest in exile who must draw on his experience as an exorcist when strange happenings—possibly tied to the Biblical coins used to pay Judas for his betrayal of Jesus—start happening in his village. Eduard Fernández plays the exorcist, and season two saw Paul Giamatti join the cast as an American billionaire driven by sinister motivations. Watch on Max.
Watchmen
After the groundbreaking comic by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, and the reasonably entertaining Zack Snyder movie, even big Watchmen fans wondered: what more could an HBO series bring to the table? Turns out, a whole hell of a lot, in a highly acclaimed single season that brought surprising new depth and textures to the subversive superhero story. Watch on Max.
