First of all, we have to clarify that Max (previously HBO Max, and maybe having a new name quite soon) is just a hub for one type of content only – movies of all sorts. Are you a cinephile, a screen junkie, or merely a curious passerby? There is such an astronomical number of movies that can be streamed: Oscar winners, cult rags, iconic staples, and the latest releases that are still going to the theaters.
However, the problem still exists, or maybe it is just a matter of getting out of bed and pushing play? Still, the truths are not that difficult to understand: films that premiere at theaters become box office hits when they finally arrive on streaming. Still, a lot of industry noise… Next is a top 10 countdown of the greatest films available on Max right now.
10. The Boy and the Heron (2023)
Hayao Miyazaki returns after all these years in an incredible, emotional journey through loss, art, and finding your own place in the world. Colorful and ornate, but extremely emotional and intimate, it’s ideal for Studio Ghibli newcomers.
9. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024)
George Miller again ensures hecano conjure magic twice over in the Wasteland. The Anya Taylor-Joy-furled Furiosa is a work of mesmerizing wonder, and one of Chris Hemsworth’s strangest creations is his unhinged side of his star persona. The movie is unapologetically loud, violent, and just plain adrenaline throughout.
8. Goodfellas (1990)
Scorsese’s gangster kingdom of lies, fraud, and crime remains as lively as ever. Through the application of razor-tongued narration and eerie characterizations, it redefined the gangster genre with new life. So, by some chance, if you have missed it, the ideal time to make up for it is now.
7. Barbie (2023)
Greta Gerwig’s hit is both hugely funny and surprisingly smart. Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling do their absolute best and are part of the key reasons why the film is more than just a light and extremely catchy exploration of identity and roles. A pop-culture phenomenon that just can’t get enough of the buzz created around it.
6. The Zone of Interest (2023)
Jonathan Glazer’s nightmarish and tragic tale is among the most repulsive movies in recent years. The site where the shooting takes place, Auschwitz, is a metaphor for terror masked in places where one least expects it, oftentimes as something commonplace within the everyday routine. Extremely hard to watch, but a must.
5. Inception (2010)
One dream within another and so on. Christopher Nolan’s moneymaker is just as smart and exciting now as it was back in the day. DiCaprio led the phenomenal cast in such a movie that one will leave with a different perspective every following view -you’ll always catch something that you hadn’t noticed previously.
4. Parasite (2019)
Bong Joon Ho’s Oscar-winning movie, which was universally acclaimed, is available on Max. It’s suspenseful, hilarious, and heartbreaking simultaneously, a very cutting-edge and contemporary take on inequality and class. You might not have seen it, so clear your evening to watch it.
3. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
Kubrick’s sci-fi masterpiece is a film that alters your perception of film and perhaps even of technology itself. It’s wondrous, provocative, and strangely ageless. Turn off the lights, crank up the speakers, and let it transport you.
2. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
Few adventures feel as epic or as heartfelt as Peter Jackson’s adaptation of Tolkien’s saga. From the Shire to the Mines of Moria, it’s a sweeping fantasy worth revisiting (and let’s be real, you’re not stopping at just one).
1. Sinners (2025)
The biggest original hit in years has already landed on streaming. Directed by and starring Michael B. Jordan, this unapologetic hybrid of horror, history, and music is a genre-bending epic that’s already being hyped as one of the greatest films of the year. Proof that audiences still crave new ideas when they’re first given the theatrical spotlight.
Here’s the kicker: theatrical films don’t only sparkle on the big screen, they actually win more viewers when they’re finally dropped onto streaming than titles that debut at-home. So as you watch these big guns on Max, remember you’re not just watching great movies, you’re watching proof that theaters and streaming can fuel each other best.