Yahoo LifestyleThe Best Movies on HBO Max Offer a Masterclass in Cinematic History
- 1/23
The Best Movies on HBO Max Offer a Masterclass in Cinematic History
If you've been holding off on buying an HBO Max subscription, now might finally be the time you cave. Last year, the service hosted the premiere of Dune and saw Godzilla and Kong pummel each other, the Mortal Kombat fighters rip each other's guts out, and The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It scare the shit out of us. Don't forget, also the wonderful reunion of the Toon Squad in Space Jam: A New Legacy. Now, in 2022, the service has given us the one (and certainly not only) The Batman, featuring your emo neighborhood Battinson.
Of course, HBO Max has a more-than-solid back-catalog, too, featuring loads of sci-fi, classic cinema, sports documentaries, and Studio Ghibli (!). It's all here. If you need more convincing, know that Mechagodzilla, Arrietty, Frodo, David Byrne, and Wonder Woman all make cameos on this list. It's beautiful. It's weird. It's great. Now read on—and watch all of the best movies on HBO Max.
HBO Max - 2/23
The Batman
Matt Reeves's The Batman isn't perfect, but it's still an absolute thrill—giving us the emo, complicated, Nirvana-soundtracked Bruce Wayne we didn't know we needed. Kudos to you, Mr. Pattinson.
Warner Bros. Pictures@Youtube - 3/23
Dune
Director Denis Villeneuve and Timothée Chalamet brilliantly pulled off Frank Herbert's seminal vision, which you probably already know by now, six Academy Awards later. We just want to know more about the sequel, at this point.
Warner Bros. Pictures@Youtube - 4/23
A Star Is Born
Is it ever a bad time to rewatch A Star Is Born? Well, maybe. But it couldn't hurt to watch the pre-Cooper-and-Gaga take on the story. If you're not up for the depressing parts, try listening to the soundtrack—with all the greatness Kris Kristofferson and Barbara Streisand have to offer—all the way through.
Movieclips Classic Trailers@Youtube - 5/23
Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts
Want to relive your childhood and/or SparkNotes the entire Harry Potter saga in a swift two hours? Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts is a sweet spell of nostalgia, surely one that precedes an announcement that there will be another Wizarding World film featuring the OG cast.
HBO Max@Youtube - 6/23
In the Heights
If you're looking for a music-filled movie that ends on a high note, look no further than In the Heights. The film adaptation of Lin Manuel-Miranda's Broadway hit will have you singing and dancing long after the credits roll.
Warner Bros. Pictures@Youtube - 7/23
LFG
LFG, LFG. If you can't for the next summer Olympics to spend time with the stars of the U.S. Women's National Soccer team, check out LFG, a documentary that chronicles its fight for equal pay. (Yes, Megan Rapinoe is in it, and, yes, we want a full-length solo profile of the legend someday.)
HBO Max@Youtube - 8/23
42
There's never a wrong time to celebrate the late Chadwick Boseman's indomitable legacy. Start with 42, where Boseman gave us the defining biopic of baseball and civil rights hero Jackie Robinson.
Movieclips Trailers@Youtube - 9/23
Night of the Living Dead
The defining movie in Zack Snyder's zombieaissance. Night of the Living Dead is an essential watch for any horror buff, and the remastered version currently on HBO Max is a reminder of George Romero's mastery of all things undead.
FerranteProduction@Youtube - 10/23
Training Day
Training Day, of course, won't be the last Denzel Washington movie you'll find on HBO Max. (Or this list, for that matter.) And for good reason. The film, which features Washington as a corrupt narcotics cop, is an all-timer in his Hall-of-Fame career.
Movieclips Classic Trailers@Youtube - 11/23
Zack Snyder's Justice League
Say what you want about the Snyder Cut, but you can't call it a lazy effort. Zack Snyder's version of the 2017 film he departed (due to family reasons) finally saw its glorious debut in March. And it really, really (really!) went for it. It's four hours long. And it features a woman huffing Aquaman's sweater. And slo-mo. Lots of slo-mo.
HBO Max@Youtube - 12/23
The Secret World of Arrietty
Again, another PSA: Studio Ghibli's library is on HBO Max, if you've already exhausted Disney+'s Pixar offerings and need a reliable third-act cry. You might've already seen Spirited Away, so check out The Secret World of Arrietty—which will leave you with the same sense of wonder.
Walt Disney Studios@Youtube - 13/23
The Dark Knight
Whether you're looking to relive Heath Ledger's Oscar-winning performance as the Joker, want to see where many of today's superhero flicks find their inspiration, or just want to lose yourself for two hours—you won't be disappointed by a rewatch of The Dark Knight.
Movieclips Classic Trailers@Youtube - 14/23
Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla
You may have noticed that two rather large monsters have been fighting on YouTube. One of them is Godzilla, who, if you didn't know, has been fighting rather large monsters for quite a long time know. Watch the one where he fights an alien version of himself.
Madman Films@Youtube - 15/23
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Amazon may have the proverbial ring in this scenario (i.e. keys to build the kingdom of the big-money Lord of the Rings TV series), but HBO Max has the entire Peter Jackson film trilogy. Start at the beginning with The Fellowship of the Ring. And keep going through Return of the King. You'll feel better when you're done.
Movieclips@Youtube - 16/23
Citizen Kane
If you still haven't seen Citizen Kane, you've probably heard that it's in the GOAT conversation. Time to find out why for yourself. The prescient story of Charles Foster Kane will haunt you for long after the credits roll.
Movieclips Classic Trailers@Youtube - 17/23
David Byrne's American Utopia
David Byrne's American Utopia—where Spike Lee puts Byrne's legendary Broadway show to film—is so good that we put both men on the cover of Esquire to talk about it.
HBO@Youtube - 18/23
Breathless
Breathless, Jean-Luc Godard's cinema-shattering story of a French criminal, is a small drop in HBO Max's film-student 101 bucket. Start here before you knock out the obligatory Citizen Kane watch.
StudiocanalUK@Youtube - 19/23
Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck
The late Nirvana frontman has been endlessly profiled, covered, investigated, and talked about both during his career, and ever since his death in 1994. That said, few deep-dives on Cobain have offered a more defining portrait than Montage of Heck.
New Trailer Buzz@Youtube - 20/23
No Country For Old Men
Even if, in the Coen Brothers matrix, you're more of an Inside Llewyn Davis kind of fan, you still have to respect No Country For Old Men—where Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, and Tommy Lee Jones all give career performances. Not bad!
Movieclips Classic Trailers@Youtube - 21/23
Little Shop of Horrors
Before you watch Captain America develop his green thumb in a remake of Little Shop of Horrors, revisit the OG with national treasure Rick Moranis. (Here's hoping the reboot keeps the animatronics around.)
Movieclips Classic Trailers@Youtube - 22/23
Wonder Woman
It's a shame that Wonder Woman 1984 didn't quite live up to the greatness of its predecessor. Thankfully, Wonder Woman is endlessly rewatchable. And hopefully, will more closely resemble the inevitable third film in the series.
Warner Bros. Pictures@Youtube - 23/23
Hoop Dreams
If you want to know where nearly every sports documentary that doesn't feature a big-named superstar takes its inspiration from, look no further than Hoop Dreams. Arthur Agee's story shows the beauty, joy, and pain that comes with a love of sports.
ro*co films@Youtube
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- George ClooneyAmerican actor
- Chadwick BosemanActor
- George A. RomeroAmerican-Canadian filmmaker (1940-2017)
These are the best movies on HBO Max right now, which offers a wide-ranging selection, where there's everything from the Zack Snyder filmography to Batman, Dune, and Purple Rain.
