As the birthplace of prestige TV shows like The Sopranos and The Wire, HBO—and, by extension, HBO Max—is best known for its impressive lineup of original series. The network has also been upping the ante with feature-length content that is the stuff of Oscar dreams.
Below is a list of some of our favorite films streaming on HBO Max—from Oscar-winning epics to dystopian sci-fi classics. If you decide you’re in more of a TV mood, head over to our picks for the best shows on HBO Max. If you’re looking for even more recommendations, check out our lists of the best movies on Netflix, the best movies on Amazon Prime, and the best movies on Disney+.
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Friendship
Paul Rudd and Tim Robinson both do what they do best—be impossibly likable and incredibly unhinged, respectively—in this dark comedy bromance. Craig Waterman (I Think You Should Leave’s Robinson) is an awkward marketing executive who is surprised when his new neighbor Austin Carmichael, a local TV meteorologist, invites him over for a beer one night. The two strike up an unexpected friendship which has the typically homebound Craig seeing the world in a whole new way—one filled with guys’ nights and male bonding. But when Austin decides to call off their brewing brotherhood, Craig cannot handle the rejection. And will go to wild lengths to mend their relationship.
Goodfellas
“No finer film has ever been made about organized crime, not even The Godfather.” That’s what Roger Ebert had to say about Martin Scorsese’s mafia masterpiece in 1990. It was a bold statement, but one that’s easy to get behind. Scorsese worked with novelist Nicholas Pileggi to adapt his 1985 book, Wiseguy, into this Oscar-winning crime-drama that follows the life of Henry Hill (Ray Liotta), a wannabe gangster turned real-life mafioso whose hubris (coupled with a drug problem) get the best of him and turn his life into a worst-case scenario. Even with a running time of nearly 2.5 hours, Goodfellas remains immensely watchable and rewatchable—not to mention quotable. For true film nerds, the three-minute Copacabana tracking shot remains one of cinema’s greatest achievements.
Se7en
What’s in the box? If you don’t know, you’re about to find out. If you do know, it’s still worth rewatching. Gwyneth Paltrow was simply known as Brad Pitt’s girlfriend when this clever thriller was released in 1995, and Kevin Spacey was a hot commodity fresh off his Oscar win for The Usual Suspects. How times have changed! But this David Fincher classic, about a serial killer whose North Star is the seven deadly sins, remains a gritty masterpiece that has lost none of its potency in the 30 years since its release.
The Cabin in the Woods
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