As the birthplace of prestige TV shows like The Sopranos and The Wire, HBO—and, by extension, Max (aka the streamer formerly known as 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 Max—from Oscar-winning foreign films 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 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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We Live in Time
Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh ignite the screen with their chemistry in this romantic tearjerker that follows the couple over the course of a decade, from their meet-not-so-cute (she hits him with her car) to their journey into parenthood and, eventually, facing the ultimate curveball that threatens their happily-ever-after. Garfield and Pugh are two of the most acclaimed actors of their generation, and We Live in Time proves why.
Blue Velvet
Mulholland Drive may be widely considered David Lynch’s masterpiece, but Blue Velvet isn’t too far behind. Like most of Lynch’s projects, a general summary doesn’t really help sell the film: Clean-cut college student Jeffrey Beaumont (Kyle MacLachlan) returns home to help out at the family hardware store after his father has a stroke … and randomly finds a severed ear on the ground. While the detective assigned to investigate the incident tells Jeffrey not to discuss the crime, the detective’s teenage daughter (Laura Dern) seems to know as much about the crime as her dad does and teams up with Jeffrey to learn more. Their suspicions eventually lead them to Dorothy Vallens (Isabella Rossellini), a sultry nightclub singer, who seems to have some weird kinks (as Jeffrey sees for himself while hiding in her apartment). As always, Lynch’s movies are better experienced than explained. And Blue Velvet, which earned Lynch a Best Director Oscar nomination, is one of the late auteur’s very best.
Sons of Ecstasy
Phoenix, Arizona, may seem like an odd setting for a bitter feud between wannabe kingpins, but that’s exactly where this documentary takes place. It was there, in the 1990s, that two young men—Liverpool-born stockbroker Shaun Attwood and New York mafia royalty Gerard Gravano—found themselves at violent odds as both attempted to become the preferred supplier of ecstasy to local nightclubs and desert raves. For Gravano, son of Sammy “The Bull” Gravano, there’s a legacy to uphold. For Attwood, getting burned out by his day job led to the desire to become something more. Both men sat down with directors Elli Hakami and Julian P. Hobbs to tell their own stories.
Juror #2
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