The 33 Best Movies on Max (aka HBO Max) Right Now (March 2025)

As the birthplace of prestige TV shows like The Sopranos and The Wire, HBO—and, by extension, Max (aka the streamer formerly known arsenic HBO Max)—is champion known for its awesome lineup of archetypal series. The web has besides been upping the ante with feature-length contented that is the worldly of Oscar dreams.

Below is simply a database of immoderate of our favourite films streaming connected Max—from Oscar-winning overseas films to dystopian sci-fi classics. If you determine you’re successful much of a TV mood, caput implicit to our picks for the best shows connected Max. If you’re looking for adjacent much recommendations, cheque retired our lists of the best movies connected Netflix, the best movies connected Amazon Prime, and the best movies connected Disney+.

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We Live successful Time

Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh ignite the surface with their chemistry successful this romanticist tearjerker that follows the mates implicit the people of a decade, from their meet-not-so-cute (she hits him with her car) to their travel into parenthood and, eventually, facing the eventual curveball that threatens their happily-ever-after. Garfield and Pugh are 2 of the astir acclaimed actors of their generation, and We Live successful Time proves why. 

Blue Velvet

Mulholland Drive whitethorn beryllium wide considered David Lynch’s masterpiece, but Blue Velvet isn’t excessively acold behind. Like astir of Lynch’s projects, a wide summary doesn’t truly assistance merchantability the film: Clean-cut assemblage pupil Jeffrey Beaumont (Kyle MacLachlan) returns location to assistance retired astatine the household hardware store aft his begetter has a changeable … and randomly finds a severed receptor connected the ground. While the detective assigned to analyse the incidental tells Jeffrey not to sermon the crime, the detective’s teenage girl (Laura Dern) seems to cognize arsenic overmuch astir the transgression arsenic her dada does and teams up with Jeffrey to larn more. Their suspicions yet pb them to Dorothy Vallens (Isabella Rossellini), a sultry nightclub singer, who seems to person immoderate weird kinks (as Jeffrey sees for himself portion hiding successful her apartment). As always, Lynch’s movies are amended experienced than explained. And Blue Velvet, which earned Lynch a Best Director Oscar nomination, is 1 of the precocious auteur’s precise best.

Sons of Ecstasy

Phoenix, Arizona, whitethorn look similar an unusual mounting for a bitter feud betwixt wannabe kingpins, but that’s precisely wherever this documentary takes place. It was there, successful the 1990s, that 2 young men—Liverpool-born stockbroker Shaun Attwood and New York mafia royalty Gerard Gravano—found themselves astatine convulsive likelihood arsenic some attempted to go the preferred supplier of ecstasy to section nightclubs and godforsaken raves. For Gravano, lad of Sammy “The Bull” Gravano, there’s a bequest to uphold. For Attwood, getting burned retired by his time occupation led to the tendency to go thing more. Both men sat down with directors Elli Hakami and Julian P. Hobbs to archer their ain stories.

Juror #2

Up until now, astir of what you’ve heard astir Juror #2 is however it’s 1 of Clint Eastwood’s astir accomplished directorial efforts—and yet someway it got shafted erstwhile it came to its theatrical release. Now’s your accidental to spot what each the fuss is about. Justin Kemp (Nicholas Hoult) is simply a writer and recovering alcoholic who is making each effort to support his sobriety. That becomes a spot of a situation erstwhile he’s enactment connected the assemblage of a high-profile execution proceedings … lone to recognize that helium whitethorn person inadvertently played a portion successful what happened. Hoult is fantastic successful this edge-of-your-seat ineligible (and ethical) drama.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

It has been 37 years since Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice stormed the precocious ’80s container office. In the decades since, we’ve often heard rumblings that a sequel was successful the works. Or mightiness beryllium successful the works. Or astir decidedly was successful the works. Or mightiness not beryllium successful the cards astatine all. Well, successful 2024 it yet happened, and it was arsenic if Michael Keaton had ne'er stepped distant from the relation astatine each (eternal beingness has a mode of doing that to you). This time, however, Lydia (Winona Ryder) is inactive doing her champion to hide her rendezvous with the bio-exorcism pro. But erstwhile she returns to her puerility home, it’s her ain badass girl (Jenna Ortega) who finds a mode to bring him backmost into each their lives.

Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story

James Gunn’s caller mentation of Superman won’t get successful theaters until July. In the meantime, audiences person Gunn and his DC Studios co-CEO Peter Safran (partly) to convey for bringing this long-overdue documentary astir the eventual superhero histrion to worldwide audiences. Directors Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui present a heartfelt, moving tribute to Reeve—as an actor, yes, but adjacent much truthful arsenic a idiosyncratic who ne'er gave up. Alexandra Reeve Givens, Matthew Reeve, and Will Reeve—Reeve’s children—share their ain stories astir their dad, giving the task yet different furniture of intimacy. No, you’re crying.

Joker: Folie À Deux

Five years ago, Joker was a large awards play contender: The film, directed by Todd Phillips and starring Joaquin Phoenix, earned a full of 11 Oscar nominations—and went location with 2 of them (including 1 for Phoenix). Joker: Folie À Deux did not travel the aforesaid path. The sequel, successful which Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck finds emotion with the arsenic disturbed Lee Quinzel (Lady Gaga), fizzled astatine the container bureau and was met with beauteous scathing reviews. Still: Judge the movie for yourself, we say. Even if you hold with the bulk of critics, spending 138 minutes with Phoenix and Gaga playing disconnected of each different astatine their astir unhinged is worthy the terms of admittance (which, successful this case, is the Max subscription you already have).

Watchmen: Chapter I

Brandon Vietti (Batman: Under the Red Hood) directs this innovative animated adaption of Alan Moore’s Hugo Award-winning graphic caller astir an probe into the execution of Edward Blake—better known arsenic a superhero named the Comedian. When the constabulary travel up bare successful presumption of suspects, the costumed vigilante Rorschach (Titus Welliver) decides to instrumentality the lawsuit into his ain hands, and yet comes to judge that idiosyncratic is attempting to sound disconnected superheroes. So helium enlists the assistance of a radical of them successful bid to enactment a halt to the sidesplitting spree.

MaXXXine

MaXXXine is the 3rd movie successful writer-director Ti West’s X trilogy, which began with X and Pearl. It’s acceptable instantly aft the events of Pearl: Mia Goth’s Maxine Minx is hopeless to flight her upbringing arsenic a preacher’s girl and marque the determination from porn to much mainstream movies. She gets her accidental erstwhile she lands the pb successful a fearfulness movie, The Puritan II. Then her friends commencement getting murdered. Ultimately, Maxine is forced to face the sins of her past and find a mode to execute the fame she truthful desperately dreams of.

Civil War

In the not-too-distant future, the United States has transformed into an all-out battlefield betwixt an authoritarian government, headed by a third-term president (Nick Offerman), and a watercourse of secessionist movements that endanger to destruct the state arsenic we cognize it. But a radical of journalists (led by Kirsten Dunst) is determined to papers the downfall of America astatine immoderate cost, truthful they acceptable astir heading to the White House successful bid to interrogation the embattled president. Which is overmuch easier said than done. Oscar nominee Alex Garland (Ex-Machina) writes and directs this dystopian play that often hits uncomfortably adjacent to home.

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

Furiosa whitethorn been dubbed past summer’s archetypal container bureau “bomb,” but don’t fto those dollar-focused headlines deter you from this one. Anya Taylor-Joy, who is undoubtedly 1 of the astir versatile actors moving today, shines successful the relation of Imperator Furiosa, a badass emancipator who dares to situation sex conventions successful a dangerous, postapocalyptic satellite wherever (no astonishment astatine all) men marque the rules. Taylor-Joy does an admirable occupation embracing the relation that Charlize Theron memorably originated successful Mad Max: Fury Road.

Drive My Car

Despite earning 4 Oscar nominations successful 2022—and winning 1 for Best International Feature Film—it inactive feels wholly close to authorities that Ryûsuke Hamaguchi’s Drive My Car remains woefully underseen. Here’s your accidental to bash your portion to hole that. Yusuke Kafuku (Hidetoshi Nishijima) ia a renowned theatre manager inactive reeling from the decease of his wife. Eventually, helium makes the determination to statesman moving again and agrees to a two-month residency to nonstop a play successful Hiroshima, an hr from his home. So each day, a young pistillate (Toko Miura) drives him to and from the theater. All that clip spent successful a confined abstraction unneurotic yet leads to a friendship—one wherever Kafuku feels comfy sharing the challenges helium is facing with his caller task and, eventually, the information astir the mode successful which his woman betrayed him. Road movies person ne'er felt truthful intimate—or leisurely.

Beetlejuice

Whether you’ve already seen Beetlejuice Beetlejuice oregon are inactive waiting to watercourse it (see above), wherefore not instrumentality a travel backmost to 1988, wherever the communicative of the havoc-wreaking “bio-exorcist” (aka Betelgeuse) began. Michael Keaton is astatine his zany champion arsenic the troublesome tone hired to assistance a precocious deceased mates (Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis) usage their ghostly powers to scare distant the obnoxious household that has moved into their imagination house.

Love Lies Bleeding

English writer-director Rose Glass follows up her BAFTA-nominated Saint Maud with this twisty, hyper-violent emotion story. It’s 1989 successful a agrarian New Mexico municipality wherever gym manager Lou (Kristen Stewart) is doing her champion to enactment nether the radar and support an oculus connected her sister Beth (Jena Malone), who is successful an abusive narration with her hubby JJ (Dave Franco). But Lou’s beingness is turned upside down erstwhile Jackie (Katy O'Brian), a gorgeous young bodybuilder, begins coming to Lou’s gym to bid for an upcoming contention successful Las Vegas. The 2 autumn successful love—and past Lou’s hidden household secrets travel tumbling retired of the closet and endanger her life, and the lives of those she cares about.

Faye

“I’m Faye Dunaway. That’s who I am.” That’s the mode the Oscar victor introduces herself successful the trailer for Laurent Bouzereau’s feature-length documentary. But what the movie reveals is that there’s a batch much to Faye Dunaway than the glamorous representation associated with the legendary prima of Network. Dunaway opens up successful a mode that has seldom been seen before, discussing her puerility and family, her struggles with bipolar disorder, and however the characters she has played proceed to interaction her. It’s a fascinating representation of a existent Hollywood icon.

Quad Gods

Jess Jacklin’s diagnostic documentary follows the fascinating travel of Blake, Prentice, and Richard—three individuals with quadriplegia who conscionable successful a neuro-rehabilitation laboratory astatine Mount Sinai Hospital and motorboat a program to make the world’s archetypal all-quadriplegic esports team. It’s a noble pursuit, but 1 fraught with challenges arsenic they interruption down the doors of ableism. At its heart, Quad Gods is simply a communicative of friendship, perseverance, and survival.

Am I OK?

Lucy (Dakota Johnson) is simply a thirtysomething surviving successful Los Angeles, perpetually failing astatine relationships and wondering wherefore she doesn’t person everything figured retired yet. After drunkenly sharing the communicative of the clip she kissed a pistillate person arsenic a teen, she begins to recognize that the occupation successful her emotion beingness mightiness not beryllium the men she’s choosing, but that she’s choosing men astatine all. Former Saturday Night Live writer Lauren Pomerantz penned the publication for the movie based connected her ain acquisition of coming retired successful her thirties. Tig Notaro and her woman Stephanie Allynne bash an admirable occupation arsenic codirectors, treating Lucy’s travel of self-discovery with the respect it deserves—and plentifulness of humor.

MoviePass, MovieCrash

For amended oregon worse, millions of movie fans volition retrieve 2012 arsenic the twelvemonth of MoviePass. For $25 per month, you could fundamentally unrecorded successful a movie theater—which was large for audiences, not truthful large for movie theaters (which were already struggling), and yet disastrous for the institution itself. For anyone who inactive has their MoviePass, this revealing documentary tells the existent communicative of each that went incorrect down the scenes, and shares the communicative of the unsung heroes who truly did conscionable privation to make a merchandise that movie lovers could embrace. By the way: If you bash so inactive person your archetypal MoviePass, this doc has made it a worthwhile portion of memorabilia—with immoderate selling for northbound of $1,000.

Dune & Dune: Part Two

Since breaking done with the Oscar-nominated Incendies (2010), Denis Villeneuve has continued to beryllium that he’s 1 of the astir talented filmmakers moving today. As if making a Blade Runner sequel that didn’t suck wasn’t enough, Villeneuve past went connected to ace the cinematic codification connected Frank Herbert’s Dune series—something that existent visionaries similar David Lynch and Alejandro Jodorowsky had attempted earlier him, albeit mostly unsuccessfully. Both the 2021 archetypal movie and its sequel are streaming connected Max—as is Lynch’s 1984 adaptation (which has go a spot of a cult classical implicit the years). The movie follows the destiny of the satellite Arrakis—and its proviso of melange, a unsocial spice and the astir invaluable substance successful the universe—which rests successful the hands of Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet), the untested lad of a almighty duke. Looking for much Dune action? The prequel bid Dune: Prophecy, starring Emily Watson, Olivia Williams, and Mark Strong is streaming successful full.

The Killing of a Sacred Deer

If you’re a instrumentality of the absurdly acheronian enactment of Yorgos Lanthimos (The Lobster, Poor Things, Kinds of Kindness) oregon are conscionable discovering the uncomfortable brilliance of Barry Keoghan, The Killing of a Sacred Deer has got your sanction written each implicit it. Steven Murphy (Colin Farrell) is simply a highly esteemed surgeon with a loving woman (Nicole Kidman) and children whose beingness is turned upside down aft helium befriends Martin (Keoghan), an awkward teen who Steven learns mislaid his begetter a fewer years earlier. What begins arsenic a seeming enactment of kindness connected Steven’s portion soon turns into a genuinely demented mentation of Sophie’s Choice. As always, Lanthimos’ quality to premix wit with pathos remains unmatched—perhaps ne'er much truthful than here.

The Zone of Interest

In 1943, Rudolf Höss (Christian Friedel) was the commandant of Auschwitz who spent his days playing deity with the lives of the attraction camp’s guiltless prisoners. But what happened erstwhile Höss went home? That’s the world Jonathan Glazer’s Oscar-winning movie examines, and the reply is: Not much. Höss lives close adjacent doorway to the camp, successful the alleged Zone of Interest, with his woman Hedwig (Sandra Hüller) and their 5 children. Within those 4 walls, they strive to physique a imagination beingness for their family—while the dependable of gunshots, incoming trains, and furnaces being lit are conscionable a portion of regular life. Yes, it’s each spot arsenic brutal—and necessary—as it sounds.

Black Swan

Natalie Portman gives what mightiness precise good extremity up being the defining show of her vocation successful this acheronian creation play from Darren Aronofsky. Nina Sayers (Portman) is simply a dancer with the New York City Ballet whose full beingness has been dedicated to her art, successful ample portion owed to her overprotective parent (Barbara Hershey), who was besides a ballerina and pushes her girl to person the vocation she wanted for herself. Nina’s beingness is turned upside down erstwhile she lands the pb successful a caller accumulation of Swan Lake, lone to recognize that she’ll beryllium splitting the portion with the free-spirited Lily (Mila Kunis) who rapidly becomes some the lone person Nina has ever truly had and her astir bitter rival. Soon, she descends into a dizzying madness that is reflected successful Aronofsky’s directorial choices, which marque the assemblage consciousness each spot of her emotions.

Good Time

Back successful 2020, we named Good Time arsenic 1 of the astir underrated movies of the past 20 years, and perfectly inactive basal by that claim. Fortunately, arsenic Robert Pattinson and the Safdie Brothers person continued to found themselves arsenic immoderate of the astir absorbing actors (Pattinson and Benny Safdie) and directors (Benny again and his member Josh) moving today, much radical person discovered the film, and adjacent much will, present that it’s connected Max. Connie Nikas (Pattinson) is simply a small-time transgression who is ever looking for his adjacent large score, and typically employs his developmentally disabled member Nick (Safdie) arsenic his partner. When a slope robbery goes incorrect and Nick is nabbed by the police, Connie indispensable combat for their survival. Much similar Uncut Gems, which would aboriginal travel to specify the Safdies’ style, Good Time is simply a fast-moving, visceral transgression thriller that volition person you connected the borderline of your spot arsenic Connie works to reunite with his brother, immoderate the cost.

Wonka

Timothée Chalamet stars arsenic Willy Wonka successful this perfectly entertaining root communicative of Roald Dahl’s quirky chocolatier, directed by Paddington’s Paul King. While it doesn’t deed the aforesaid arsenic Mel Stuart’s Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory—really, who could lucifer Gene Wilder’s somersaulting candy maker?—it besides acold surpasses Tim Burton’s reasonably needless 2005 remake.

Dream Scenario

Like Forrest Gump’s famed container of chocolates, you ne'er cognize what you’re going to get from a Nicolas Cage performance. But he’s a one-of-a-kind histrion whose roles thin to autumn into 1 of 2 categories: wholly transcendent, oregon scenery-chewing astatine its astir voracious. Dream Scenario is precise overmuch the former, and has been heralded arsenic 1 of the Oscar-winning actor’s champion performances by immoderate critics. Rightfully so. Cage stars arsenic Paul Matthews, an unassuming biology prof who abruptly begins appearing successful strangers’ dreams and achieves viral fame arsenic a effect of it. Like immoderate bully Cage performance, this 1 is multifaceted and examines the downside of abrupt fame and what it truly costs.

Dicks: The Musical

A24—the workplace known for its edgy, award-winning indies similar Moonlight and Ex Machina—takes a dive into the philharmonic genre with this adaptation of the off-Broadway deed Fucking Identical Twins (and you thought Dicks: The Musical was a raunchy title). Aaron Jackson and Josh Sharp cowrote and costar successful this over-the-top philharmonic arsenic 2 coworkers who observe that they’re long-lost duplicate brothers, and they effort to Parent Trap their parents (played by Nathan Lane and Megan Mullally). Megan Thee Stallion plays their boss. Anyone offended by an f-bomb—or dozens of them—might privation to springiness this 1 a skip.

Barbie

Greta Gerwig is simply a maestro of breathing caller beingness into aged properties (see: Little Women). With Barbie, she has ignited a revolution. Barbie (Margot Robbie) is surviving her champion beingness successful Barbieland—until 1 day, erstwhile her perfectly integrative world, and heels, abruptly statesman to collapse. To get her fabulous beingness back, Barbie indispensable question to the existent world—well, Los Angeles—to find who oregon what is causing her existential crisis. The movie grossed astir $1.5 cardinal worldwide, meaning you've already seen it. But adjacent if you did, it’s perfectly worthy a 2nd watch—if lone to lament its galore Oscar snubs.

RoboCop

From Total Recall to Showgirls and backmost to Basic Instinct, manager Paul Verhoeven has a way grounds astir unmatched successful modern cinema. RoboCop, his dystopian instrumentality connected instrumentality enforcement, is proof. Set successful a bleak imaginativeness of Detroit overrun with crime, it follows a bull (Peter Weller) who gets fatally wounded and turned into, yes, a robot cop, who you mightiness deliberation is bully astatine warring crime, but of people is not. Some of the ocular effects whitethorn look a small bushed up now, but successful 1987, they looked similar the future. Also, if RoboCop leaves you wanting more, the film’s 2 sequels and 2014 reboot—none of which, sadly, were directed by Verhoeven—are besides disposable connected Max.

Albert Brooks: Defending My Life

Albert Brooks is simply a comedian’s comedian. Though helium mightiness beryllium champion known arsenic the filmmaker down specified celebrated comedies arsenic Defending Your Life, Lost successful America, Real Life, and Mother, he’s besides a superb histrion (with an Oscar information to beryllium it). Brooks’ longtime pal Rob Reiner directs this charming documentary, which documents Brooks’ one-of-a-kind talent, with a stunning lineup of A-listers—including David Letterman, Steven Spielberg, Sarah Silverman, Judd Apatow, Chris Rock, Larry David, and Ben Stiller—all acceptable to sing his praises.

Reality

In 2017, an quality study astir Russian interference successful the 2016 US statesmanlike predetermination was leaked anonymously. One twelvemonth later, erstwhile NSA translator Reality Winner (yes, that’s her existent name) was sentenced to much than 5 years successful situation for the crime—the longest condemnation ever received by a authorities whistleblower. HBO’s reigning muse, Sydney Sweeney (Euphoria, The White Lotus), shines successful this gripping existent story, which plays retired mostly successful existent clip arsenic the FBI knocks connected the 25-year-old’s doorway and spends much than an hr questioning her.

All the Beauty and the Bloodshed

Finding occurrence successful one’s beingness mightiness look similar the imagination of each artist, but Nan Goldin has bigger ambitions. Though she’s a lensman by trade, she’s an activistic by calling and has agelong utilized her camera to seizure painfully intimate moments of America successful crisis, including extended enactment focused connected the HIV/AIDS and opioid epidemics. But All the Beauty and the Bloodshed reveals the creator successful conflict: Should she let her enactment to beryllium showcased successful 1 of the salient museums oregon galleries that person received endowments from the Sackler family—the Big Pharma household that galore blasted for America’s opioid crisis? It’s a moving representation of an creator consenting to hazard it each for her beliefs.