The 28 Absolute Best Movies to Watch on HBO Max

CNET

3 days ago

Wondering what you should watch next on HBO Max?
The recently renamed streaming service offers a variety of titles, including Warner Bros. movies like Dune and HBO originals such as Tony Hawk: Until the Wheels Fall Off. Below, you'll find a batch of can't-miss films and a look at new releases for the month. If you're still trying to figure out if HBO Max is right for you, skim our review of the Warner Bros. Discovery streamer.
New releases for July
Note: These descriptions are taken from HBO Max statement and official websites for the films. They've been lightly edited for style.
July 4
Sinners (2025): Horror. Trying to leave their troubled lives behind, twin brothers return to their hometown to start again, only to discover that an even greater evil is waiting to welcome them back.
July 11
Opus (2025): Thriller. A young writer is invited to the remote compound of a legendary pop star who mysteriously disappeared 30 years ago.
July 25
Death of a Unicorn (2025): Horror comedy. A father and daughter accidentally hit a unicorn while en route to a weekend retreat, where his billionaire boss seeks to exploit the creature's miraculous curative properties.
The best movies to watch
The films below consist of notable new releases and blockbusters, HBO and HBO Max originals and Warner Bros. films made exclusively for HBO Max.
Drama
A24
Sing Sing (2024)
Sing Sing is a subtle and impactful prison drama starring Colman Domingo -- who earned a 2025 best actor Oscar nomination for his role -- and formerly incarcerated actors. Domingo plays Divine G, who acts in a theater group while imprisoned at Sing Sing Correctional Facility. The film will surprise and uplift you.
Warner Bros.
Juror #2 (2024)
Nicholas Hoult, J.K. Simmons and Toni Collette are in the cast of this absorbing, haunting Clint Eastwood courtroom drama. Hoult stars as Justin Kemp, who faces a moral dilemma after getting called for jury duty. He must decide whether to disclose information that would change the outcome of the high-profile trial and impact his own life. A well-acted, well-paced flick that will get you thinking.
HBO Max
Turtles All the Way Down (2024)
Don't usually dabble in the young adult genre? You shouldn't let that keep you from taking in Turtles All the Way Down, based on a 2017 novel of the same name by John Green. The film stars Isabela Merced (The Last of Us, Alien: Romulus) as a teen who suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder and anxiety. With elements of romance and a captivating performance from Merced, this straight-to-streaming movie deserves more attention.
A24
Priscilla (2023)
Sofia Coppola's Priscilla, about the relationship between Priscilla and Elvis Presley, is streaming on HBO Max along with other recent films from entertainment company A24. Cailee Spaeny and Jacob Elordi star in the stylish flick, which tells things from Priscilla's point of view. If you like new A24 flicks, HBO Max's stash also includes The Iron Claw, The Zone of Interest, Dream Scenario, Love Lies Bleeding and Civil War.
WarnerMedia
The Fallout (2022)
After a shooting occurs at her high school, 16-year-old Vada Cavell must navigate friendships, school and her relationship with her family. The Fallout skillfully approaches serious subject matter with realistic dialogue and compassion for its characters. With strong performances from stars Jenna Ortega as Vada and Maddie Ziegler as her new friend Mia Reed, the feature will keep you glued to the screen for the entirety of its 90-minute runtime.
Warner Bros.
Dune (2021) and Dune: Part Two (2024)
Remember 2021, when Warner Bros. movies hit HBO Max on the same day they premiered in theaters? That exciting period may be over but at least we'll always have the memory of watching Denis Villeneuve's spectacular sci-fi epic at home and still being part of the conversation. Both parts of Dune are now streaming on HBO Max.
Criterion
Drive My Car (2021)
What can we say about the acclaimed Japanese drama Drive My Car? Well, it snagged an Oscar for Best International Feature Film at the 2022 Academy Awards. It's also a three-hour movie that people are sitting and watching all the way through, which, to me, speaks volumes. Seriously, Drive My Car is a powerful film that explores loss and letting go. If you missed it, stream it now.
Chiabella James/Warner Bros. Pictures
King Richard (2021)
King Richard is a feel-good biopic about the father of tennis legends Venus and Serena Williams. The film winds back the clock to before the sisters became household names, giving us a glimpse of their upbringing in Compton and time spent practicing on rundown courts with their father, Richard Williams (Will Smith). Convinced his daughters are going to be successful, Richard works tirelessly to get their star potential noticed by professional coaches. A complicated man with a tremendous personality, Richard is fascinating to get to know, and his unwavering belief in Venus and Serena is inspiring.
Imaginal Disc
Son of Monarchs (2020)
A rare (nowadays) 90-minute film, American Mexican drama Son of Monarchs will stay with you long after the credits roll. This deep character study follows two brothers who are changed in markedly different ways by the trauma they suffered in childhood. This story, folding in magical realism, follows how they move forward in life -- the butterfly metaphors are strong, with biologist Mendel returning to his hometown surrounded by majestic monarch butterfly forests.
HBO
Bad Education (2019)
Based on a magazine article by journalist Robert Kolker, this tale about a public school embezzlement scandal and the student journalists who broke the news is captivating from start to finish. Allison Janney and Hugh Jackman are great in their roles as the school officials who took part in the scheme. The drama also won the 2020 Emmy award for Outstanding Television Movie.
Action and adventure
Warner Bros. Pictures
Mickey 17 (2025)
Mickey 17 comes from acclaimed director Bong Joon Ho (Snowpiercer, Parasite) and stars Robert Pattinson as Mickey Barnes. Barnes escapes Earth for another planet by applying to be an "expendable." The role subjects him to deadly missions and experiments, with his body reprinted each time he doesn't make it. Black humor, heart, eccentricity and great performances are all on display. Even if the film doesn't surpass any of Bong's earlier works, it deservedly makes it on this list.
Janus Films
Flow (2024)
Winner of Best Animated Feature at the 2025 Oscars, this wordless Latvian film follows a black cat after a great flood devastates his home. The brave feline bands together with a capybara, a lemur, a bird and a dog in a stunning and thought-provoking film that will appeal to adults and kids alike.
Studio Ghibli
The Boy and the Heron (2023)
Who can pass up a Studio Ghibli film? Hayao Miyazaki came out of retirement to make The Boy and the Heron, which won the award for best animated feature at the 2024 Oscars. The starry English voice cast includes Christian Bale, Willem Dafoe, Robert Pattinson and Florence Pugh.
Warner Bros. Pictures
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024)
This thrilling prequel to the 2015 movie Mad Max: Fury Road stars Anya Taylor-Joy (The Queen's Gambit, The Menu) as a younger version of Charlize Theron's Imperator Furiosa. Life takes a turn for the protagonist when she finds herself in the Wasteland rather than the Green Place of Many Mothers. The resourceful heroine fights for survival, facing off with villains such as the warlord Dementus, played by Chris Hemsworth. Visually striking and intense, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is chock-full of postapocalyptic action, and you won't want to miss a minute.
Jaap Buitendijk/Warner Bros.
Barbie (2023)
Unless you've been living in Barbie Land (or another place that isn't the real world), chances are you're very familiar with this pink-coated comedy already. The flick -- Warner Bros.' highest-grossing global release of all time -- brings a long list of stars together for a hilarious and heartfelt adventure. Greta Gerwig directs, Margot Robbie plays the titular role and Ryan Gosling belts out an incredible power ballad as Ken.
Superhero
Warner Bros.
The Suicide Squad (2021)
Over-the-top violence abounds in this DC film about supervillains who agree to help the US government in exchange for some time off their prison sentences. Their mission is to destroy something alluded to as Project Starfish, harbored in the fictional island country of Corto Maltese. With a notable cast that includes Margot Robbie, Idris Elba and John Cena, 2021's The Suicide Squad is a wickedly entertaining, darkly funny bloodbath that differs from what you usually see in superhero movies. (Peacemaker, a spinoff TV series, is also available on HBO Max.)
Warner Bros.
The Batman (2022)
Robert Pattinson steps out as Batman in this moody superhero flick directed by Matt Reeves. The movie takes place in a perpetually gray and rain-soaked Gotham City, where Bruce Wayne starts to seek out a murderer with an affinity for riddles. Along the way, he meets Catwoman, played by a swaggering Zoë Kravitz. Catch up on the dark and satisfying mystery before you watch the HBO spinoff series, The Penguin.
Comedy
HBO Max
Am I OK? (2022)
This comedy-drama follows Dakota Johnson's character, 32-year-old Lucy, who tells her longtime best friend Jane that she likes women. But there's more for Lucy to navigate as that friend, played by House of the Dragon's Sonoya Mizuno, is moving far away to London. If you enjoy stories about late blooming and female friendships, it's no question -- you should check out the funny, touching Am I OK?
Warner Bros.
Father of the Bride (2022)
HBO Max's Father of the Bride introduces a Cuban American family that includes patriarch Billy, a traditional guy who struggles to digest surprising news from his eldest daughter: She's met a guy, and she wants to marry and move away with him. The third film adaptation of a 1949 novel of the same name by Edward Streeter, the movie is an enjoyable iteration that includes stars like Andy Garcia and singer Gloria Estefan.
HBO Max
Let Them All Talk (2020)
Meryl Streep playing an eccentric author in a Steven Soderbergh comedy. What more do you need to know? If you do want to know more: Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Alice Hughes (Streep) is struggling to finish her next book, chased by her literary agent (Gemma Chan). She boards a cruise ship with old friends, who inspired her best-known work. Tensions are strong. It looks great -- Soderbergh uses crisp, natural light -- and most of the dialogue is improvised. See how Dianne Wiest, Candice Bergen, Lucas Hedges and the rest of the impeccable cast have fun with that.
Thriller
Warner Bros.
Kimi (2022)
Steven Soderbergh directs this engaging tech thriller set during the COVID-19 pandemic. Angela, a Seattle tech worker played by a neon blue-haired Zoë Kravitz, has agoraphobia, a fear that prevents her from making it past the front door of her apartment. But when she uncovers an unsettling recording while doing her job, she's pushed to make the leap. Kimi is a stylish thriller complete with eye-catching cinematography, a solid score and a protagonist you'll be rooting for.
HBO Max
No Sudden Move (2021)
A movie from Steven Soderbergh, the great director behind Erin Brockovich, Ocean's Eleven and, more recently, Logan Lucky? Twists, thrills and desperate characters populate this crime thriller set in 1950s Detroit. When a seemingly simple job gets out of hand, a group of criminals must work together to uncover what's really going on. Take in the incredible cast: Don Cheadle, Benicio del Toro, David Harbour, Jon Hamm and Amy Seimetz. While the plot can be a little convoluted and some won't be able to get past the fish-eye lens cinematography, Soderbergh's sense of humor and immersive direction make this crime caper an entertaining night in.
Documentary
HBO
All That Breathes (2022)
This captivating documentary is filled with images that will stick with you. It centers on two brothers in New Delhi who run a bird hospital dedicated to black kites -- birds of prey that are a staple of the sky. It was a contender for best documentary feature at the 2023 Oscars.
HBO Max
Tony Hawk: Until the Wheels Fall Off (2022)
Tune into this HBO doc for the gravity-defying skateboard stunts, a time capsule of the '80s skateboarding scene, and a version of Hawk you've probably never seen. We get to know the renowned athlete as a lanky, stubborn but determined kid who adopted his own skateboarding style. Hawk's persistence is something to marvel at, along with all the stunning skateboard moves this film packs in. Hang on for a memorable ride.
CNN/Focus Features
Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain (2021)
This film about beloved author, chef and globe-traveling TV host Anthony Bourdain comes from documentary filmmaker Morgan Neville, who also directed 2018's Won't You Be My Neighbor? and the Oscar-winning film Twenty Feet from Stardom. In interviews with people who knew Bourdain, like his friends, former partners and longtime colleagues, the doc tracks his career path, relationships and personal struggles. Bourdain fans and those less acquainted with the star will likely appreciate this two-hour look at his life.
Musical
Warner Bros. Pictures
Wonka (2023)
Dune's Timothée Chalamet stars in this prequel to Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and it's a total treat. With new and familiar tunes, a committed cast and oodles and oodles of whimsy, the film allows audiences to get to know a young Willy Wonka with giraffe-sized ambition and undeniable chocolate-making skill. It's a quirky, comforting flick from Paddington director Paul King that you'll absolutely want on your plate.
Warner Bros. Pictures
The Color Purple (2023)
This movie musical version of The Color Purple is adapted from Alice Walker's 1982 novel and the Broadway play. Set in the early 1900s, the film tells the story of Celie, a Black woman living in the South who faces multiple hardships but is able to find strength in the bonds in her life. The cast includes Fantasia Barrino, Taraji P. Henson, Colman Domingo, Halle Bailey and Danielle Brooks, who received a 2023 Oscar nomination for her role as Celie's daughter-in-law, Sofia.