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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Prime Minister
Very little about Jacinda Ardern's tenure as prime minister of New Zealand could be described as quotidian. She became the country's opposition party leader just weeks before election day. After she won she discovered she was pregnant and gave birth while still in office, one of very few heads of state in history to do so. During her tenure she navigated the Covid-19 lockdowns and the Christchurch mosque shooting. This documentary, directed by Michelle Walshe and Lindsay Utz, chronicles her meteoric rise, resignation, and life after her time in office.
Bring Her Back
A24’s partnership with HBO continues to ensure that a never-ending stream of fascinating new(ish) indies from around the globe find their way into the Max library. The latest is a totally deranged Australian horror film starring two-time Oscar nominee Sally Hawkins in what might be her most unhinged performance yet. Following the death of their father, teen step-siblings Andy (Billy Barratt) and Piper (Sora Wong) are sent to live in a foster home with Laura (Hawkins), an odd but seemingly well-meaning older woman who is also currently tending to a young mute boy named Oliver (Jonah Wren Phillips). But Andy comes to learn that Laura is harboring some serious trauma of her own—and that he and his fellow foster kids are part of a wild plan to restore normalcy to Laura’s life. The movie takes viewers to dark, unexpected, and often gruesome places as it dissects the power that trauma can have over our lives.
Hereditary
Ari Aster made a splash—and one unfortunately memorable splat—with his 2018 directorial debut, which took psychological horror to new heights. Annie Graham (Toni Collette) is an artist living a seemingly contented life with her psychiatrist husband (Gabriel Byrne) and their two teenaged kids, Peter (Alex Wolff) and Charlie (Milly Shapiro). But any sense of normalcy disappears almost immediately following the death of Annie’s mom, with whom she had an often strained relationship. Is Annie crazy? Is her husband a terrible shrink? Is Peter a terrible person? Why does Charlie make that clicking noise? What’s that in the back seat of the car? These are all valid questions that are answered by Aster, whose deft directorial style has made him an instant Hollywood icon. Aster’s follow-up films, 2019’s equally disturbing Midsommar and 2023’s surrealist Beau Is Afraid, are also both available to stream.
The Witch
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