The 30 Best Movies on HBO Max to Watch Now

HBO Max is an embarrassment of riches when it comes to samurai classics—Akira Kurosawa's films especially. But towering above them all is still Seven Samurai, Kurosawa's seismic 1956 classic about a group of rōnin who defend a helpless village from bandits. The film influenced everyone from George Lucas to Steven Spielberg, and from The Lord of the Rings to The Avengers.

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If you haven’t visited Barbieland yet, now is your chance. The Greta-Gerwig-directed feature follows Barbie (Margot Robbie) and Ken (Ryan Gosling) as they travel to the human world to restore their perfectly pink universe. Then, Ken learns about the patriarchy—and Barbie learns that women aren’t exactly her biggest fans. Come for the pink-hued adventure, and stay to hear Gosling belt the now-famous ballad, “I’m Just Ken.”

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As we stand at the dawn of A.I., let Companion remind us of the dangers of romancing with robots. Sophie Thatcher and Jack Quaid star in this searing sci-fi thriller about a couple whose weekend getaway with friends descends into madness when Iris (Thatcher) learns she's an artificial being.

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In the final years of pro wrestling's territories, the Von Erichs ruled as champions before fate stepped into the ring. The many tragedies that befell an invincible family of Texas wrasslers are told in Sean Durkin's acclaimed The Iron Claw, a sinewy and sweaty sports biopic.

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It's got heart the size of jumbo wings. From mumblecore figure Andrew Bujalski, the critically-acclaimed Support the Girls follows Lisa (Regina Hall), the general manager of a highway breastaurant who endures one particularly difficult day on the job.

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Parasite tackles classism in a brilliant and surprising way. Set in Seoul, South Korea, the film follows two families—one rich and one poor—whose lives intertwine thanks to an ingenious scheme. I don’t want to spoil too much, but Parasite won Best Picture for a reason, people. If you haven’t seen it yet, let go of any preconceived notions and strap in for a nail-biting thriller.

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If you’ve ever doubted the great Nic Cage’s range, watch Dream Scenario. In this comedic fantasy, Cage stars as Paul Mathews, an ordinary man who suddenly begins to appear in everyone’s dreams. The strange occurrence makes Paul famous—but when his dream cameos turn into nightmares, he has to confront the dark side of fame. The film boasts a wild premise, but at its core, it questions the point of virality when, these days, superstardom seems to be everyone’s goal.

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Director Denis Villeneuve and Timothée Chalamet brilliantly pulled off Frank Herbert's vision, which you probably already know by now, six Academy Awards later. With Dune: Part Two also on HBO Max, you can have one hell of a double feature. Double the spice, double the sandworms, double the Dunes.

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Millennial memories are the juncture to a different existence in I Saw the TV Glow, the celebrated sophomore film by Jane Schoenbrun. Justice Smith and Jack Haven co-star as teenagers with a deep connection to the TV show The Pink Opaque. (Think Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets Are You Afraid of the Dark?) Years later, Haven's Maddy resurfaces and begs Owen (Smith) to follow her back to their real lives: their lives inside The Pink Opaque.

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Terminator 2: Judgment Day hogs the spotlight as a cranked-up sequel. But James Cameron's first outing in the franchise is no slouch and stands as a classic in its own right. Arnold Schwarzenegger shines as a villainous time traveler, a model T-800 who rampages through L.A. to kill the mother of humankind's future savior, Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton).

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LFG, LFG. If you can't for the Summer Olympics to spend time with the stars of the U.S. Women's National Soccer team, check out LFG, a documentary that chronicles its fight for equal pay. (Yes, Megan Rapinoe is in it, and, yes, we want a full-length solo profile of the legend someday.)

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Of all the streaming joints in the world, Casablanca is now on HBO Max. A triumph of the Hollywood studio system, Casablanca tells of an American expat (Humphrey Bogart) in Morocco who helps an old flame (Ingrid Bergman) and her new husband fight Nazis. If you've not yet treated yourself to this stone-cold classic, give it a chance. It just might be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

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Night of the Living Dead is an essential watch for any horror buff—and the remastered version is a reminder of George Romero's mastery of all things undead.

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Say what you want about the Snyder Cut, but you can't call it a lazy effort. Zack Snyder's version of the 2017 film he departed (due to family reasons) finally saw its glorious debut in 2021. And it really, really (really!) went for it. It's four hours long! And it features a woman huffing Aquaman's sweater. And slo-mo. Lots of slo-mo.

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Again, another PSA: Studio Ghibli's library is on Max, if you've already exhausted Disney+'s Pixar offerings and need a reliable third-act cry. You might've already seen Spirited Away, so check out The Secret World of Arrietty—which will leave you with the same sense of wonder.

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Two decades before Sean Baker took home the Oscar for Anora, his second movie Take Out drew buzz for its immersive portrait of immigration struggles in post-9/11 New York City. Charles Jang stars as an undocumented deliveryman for a Chinese take-out restaurant who has until the end of the day to pay back the snakeheads who smuggled him into the U.S.

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Sometimes, you just gotta dance! An achievement of motion pictures, Singin' in the Rain razzles and dazzles its way into your heart as a love letter to Hollywood's silent film era. Gene Kelly co-directs, choreographs, and co-stars in this Technicolor titan about a veteran movie star who tries to adapt to the latest breakthrough in popular cinema: sound.

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