The 25 Best Movies on Max
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When HBO Max rebranded as Max, we were a little confused—we just moved on from the days of HBO GO. In the end, though, this particular change was for the better—it signaled a crossover between Discovery and Warner Bros., meaning subscribers were about to get access to more shows and films.
Wondering what Max has to offer nowadays? The streamer offers heart-thumping thrillers like Parasite and Pulp Fiction, which both end with an unfathomable twist. You’ll also find all-time performances, like Clint Eastwood's turn in The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. Don't forget to rewatch Ryan Gosling’s wonderfully chaotic turn Ken in Barbie. Did we mention that Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy is streaming on Max, too?
We hope that's enough for you. If not, don't worry—we compiled quite a few more selections from Max's vast library. Enjoy, fellow cinephiles.
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly is one of the few classics that gets better with time. The spaghetti western—which is set during the Civil War—stars Clint Eastwood as Joe, a gun-toting man on a mission. One day, he runs into an outlaw and embarks on a journey of betrayal and forgiveness. First, the men try to kill each other—but they eventually team up to find a sack of gold buried in the desert.
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Barbie
If you haven’t visited Barbieland yet, now is your chance. The Greta-Gerwig-directed feature follows Barbie (Margot Robbie) and Ken (Ryan Gosling) as they travel to the human world to restore their perfectly pink universe. Then, Ken learns about the patriarchy—and Barbie learns that women aren’t exactly her biggest fans. Come for the pink-hued adventure, and stay to hear Gosling belt the now-famous ballad, “I’m Just Ken.”
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Shiva Baby
Rachel Sennott’s breakout film, Shiva Baby, will go down as one of the most anxiety-inducing performances of all time (in a good way, we promise). In the film, Sennott stars as Danielle, a college student who bumps into her sugar daddy and ex-girlfriend at a shiva. What happens next is a dizzying collision between Danielle’s personal and professional lives under one tiny roof. Are you feeling claustrophobic yet?
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Fargo
In Fargo, an abduction plot goes hilariously wrong. William H. Macy stars as Jerry Lundegaard, a down-on-his-luck car salesman who hires two goons to kidnap his wife. Jerry’s plan is to collect a large ransom from her father, give the kidnappers a cut, and keep the rest to settle his debts. Sounds simple, right? Sure! As long as the kidnappers don’t kill a state trooper—which, of course, they do. Check out FX's stellar Fargo television series when you're done watching the film.
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Pulp Fiction
Pulp Fiction will never fade from cinema canon—and now, you can watch it whenever you please. This star-studded feature follows Vincent (John Travolta) and Jules (Samuel L. Jackson), two hitmen whose lives intertwine with their mob boss (Ving Rhames) and his wife Mia (Uma Thurman). It’s a classic neo-noir film that firmly established Quentin Tarantino as one of our greatest directors.
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Parasite
Parasite tackles classism in a brilliant and surprising way. Set in Seoul, South Korea, the film follows two families—one rich and one poor—whose lives intertwine thanks to an ingenious scheme. I don’t want to spoil too much, but Parasite won Best Picture for a reason, people. If you haven’t seen it yet, let go of any preconceived notions and strap in for a nail-biting thriller.
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Dream Scenario
If you’ve ever doubted the great Nic Cage’s range, watch Dream Scenario. In this comedic fantasy, Cage stars as Paul Mathews, an ordinary man who suddenly begins to appear in everyone’s dreams. The strange occurrence makes Paul famous—but when his dream cameos turn into nightmares, he has to confront the dark side of fame. The film boasts a wild premise, but at its core, it questions the point of virality when, these days, superstardom seems to be everyone’s goal.
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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.
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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. Now, we just want to see Dune: Part Two premiere on Max ASAP, please and thank you.
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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.
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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.
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LFG
LFG, LFG. If you can't for the 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.)
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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.
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Night of the Living Dead
Night of the Living Dead is an essential watch for any horror buff—and the remastered version is a reminder of George Romero's mastery of all things undead.
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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 2021. 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.
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The Secret World of Arrietty
Again, another PSA: Studio Ghibli's library is on 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.
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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.
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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 now. Watch the one where he fights an alien version of himself!
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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: The Rings of Power TV series), but 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.
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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 long after the credits roll.
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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.
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Breathless
Breathless, Jean-Luc Godard's cinema-shattering story of a French criminal, is a small drop in Max's film-student 101 bucket. Start here before you knock out the obligatory Citizen Kane watch.
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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.
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Wonder Woman
It's a shame that Wonder Woman 1984 didn't quite live up to the greatness of its predecessor. Even worse? That we'll likely never see Gal Gadot's heroine on the big screen again, with James Gunn's takeover of DC. No matter what, people, Wonder Woman is endlessly rewatchable.
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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.
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