Streaming on Max: The 23 Absolute Best Movies to Watch – CNET

Wondering what you should watch on Max?

Former HBO Max subscribers aren’t missing out on anything with Warner Bros. Discovery’s revamped streaming service. Max streams all of HBO Max, from Warner Bros. movies like Dune to HBO originals like Tony Hawk: Until the Wheels Fall Off. 

Here are the titles you should check out, plus new releases for this month. And here’s more on Max, which unites the HBO Max and Discovery Plus libraries.

New releases for June

HBO Max became Max on May 23 in the US.

June 2

  • Magic Mike’s Last Dance (2023): Musical comedy starring Channing Tatum and Salma Hayek. “Magic” Mike Lane takes to the stage again in the third installment of the blockbuster film franchise.

June 7

  • Avatar: The Way of Water (2022): Adventure film directed by James Cameron. It’s set more than a decade after the events of the first film and centers on the Sully family — Jake, Neytiri and their kids.

June 8

  • American Pain (2023): Documentary. It tells the story of America’s most prolific opioid kingpins.

June 17

  • John Early: Now More Than Ever (2023): Comedy special. John Early performs stand-up and explosive song covers in the style of a gritty 70s rockumentary.

June 21

  • The Stroll (2023): Documentary. It’s about the history of transgender sex workers In New York’s pre-gentrified Meatpacking District.

Read more: Best TV Shows to Watch on Max

The best movies to watch

The films below consist of notable new releases and blockbusters, HBO and Max Originals and Warner Bros. films made exclusively for HBO Max. All score around 65 or higher on Metacritic.

Drama

Elvis (2022)

Kimi (2022)

The Fallout (2022)

Drive My Car (2021)

Dune (2021)

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King Richard (2021)

Son of Monarchs (2020)

Bad Education (2019)

Documentary

All That Breathes (2022)

Tony Hawk: Until the Wheels Fall Off (2022)

Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain (2021)

Comedy

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Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson in The Banshees of Inisherin.

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Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson in The Banshees of Inisherin.

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The Banshees of Inisherin (2022)

Max’s Father of the Bride introduces a Cuban American family that includes patriarch Billy, a traditional guy who struggles to digest surprising news from his eldest daughter: She’s met a guy, and she wants to marry and move away with him. The third film adaptation of a 1949 novel of the same name by Edward Streeter, the movie is an enjoyable iteration that includes stars like Andy Garcia and singer Gloria Estefan.

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Searchlight Pictures

Settle in for another eccentric, fantastic-looking feature from director Wes Anderson. The auteur behind Moonrise Kingdom and The Grand Budapest Hotel this time sets his sights on an alluring story — or rather, three. The French Dispatch, dubbed a “love letter to journalists,” takes viewers through a triad of separate tales, straight from the pages of a fictional magazine. If you missed this highly original installment when it hit theaters, now’s the time to get in on its captivating story.

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Warner Bros.

A playful comedy set in the ’80s, 8-bit Christmas follows the story of a young Jake Doyle, a dedicated 10-year-old who desperately seeks a Nintendo. The film is delightfully narrated by Neil Patrick Harris, an older Jake reminiscing on his past quest to secure the gaming console. Yes, there’s a Christmas backdrop to the story, but Jake’s unyielding commitment to his mission, and what he learns along the way, make this cheery feature a must-watch even after the holiday season. 

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HBO Max

Meryl Streep playing an eccentric author in a Steven Soderbergh comedy. What more do you need to know? If you do want to know more: Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Alice Hughes (Streep) is struggling to finish her next book, chased by her literary agent (Gemma Chan). She boards a cruise ship with old friends, who inspired her best-known work. Tensions are strong. It looks great — Soderbergh uses crisp, natural light — and most of the dialogue is improvised. See how Dianne Wiest, Candice Bergen, Lucas Hedges and the rest of the impeccable cast have fun with that.

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Universal Pictures

Dreaming of a great movie night? Last Night in Soho, the latest movie from Edgar Wright (Baby Driver, Shaun of the Dead) is here to provide. The film begins in the present day, where a style-loving Ellie (Thomasin McKenzie) sets out for the London College of Fashion. Eventually, sleep transports her to the ’60s, where she encounters an aspiring singer named Sandie (Anya Taylor-Joy). Get ready for mystery, horror and dazzling neon lights.

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HBO Max

A movie from Steven Soderbergh, the great director behind Erin Brockovich, Ocean’s Eleven and, more recently, Logan Lucky? Twists, thrills and desperate characters populate this crime thriller set in 1950s Detroit. When a seemingly simple job gets out of hand, a group of criminals must work together to uncover what’s really going on. Take in the incredible cast: Don Cheadle, Benicio del Toro, David Harbour, Jon Hamm and Amy Seimetz. While the plot can be a little convoluted and some won’t be able to get past the fish-eye lens cinematography, Soderbergh’s sense of humor and immersive direction make this crime caper an entertaining night in.

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Eric Zachanowich/Searchlight Pictures

A dinner at an exclusive restaurant turns from something to savor to something to survive in this shocking horror satire. Viewers learn about the privileged guests dining at Hawthorne as Ralph Fiennes’ experienced chef unveils his fateful menu. Find your seat for this delectable experience, which also stars Anya Taylor-Joy.

Georgina Campbell in Barbarian Georgina Campbell in Barbarian
20th Century Studios

In Barbarian, a young woman (Georgina Campbell) travels to Detroit for a job interview and discovers her Airbnb has been double-booked. She doesn’t immediately trust the other person in the house (and, fair — the actor, Bill Skarsgård, appears as terrifying murder clown Pennywise in the It movies). But you definitely won’t predict what happens next. Barbarian can be found on lists of best horror movies of 2022.

The Batman The Batman
Jonathan Olley/DC

Robert Pattinson steps out as Batman in this superhero flick directed by Matt Reeves. The movie takes place in a perpetually gray and rain-soaked Gotham City, where Bruce Wayne starts to seek out a murderer with an affinity for riddles. Along the way, he meets Catwoman, played by a swaggering Zoë Kravitz. Great scene-setting and storytelling make this a satisfying dark mystery. 

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Warner Bros.

Over-the-top violence abounds in this DC film about supervillains who agree to help the US government in exchange for some time off their prison sentences. Their mission is to destroy something alluded to as Project Starfish, harbored in the fictional island country of Corto Maltese. With a notable cast that includes Margot Robbie, Idris Elba and John Cena, 2021’s The Suicide Squad is a wickedly entertaining, darkly funny bloodbath that differs from what you usually see in superhero movies. (Peacemaker, a spinoff TV series, is also available on Max.)

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Macall Polay/Warner Bros.

In the Heights stars Anthony Ramos (whom you might recognize as John Laurens in Hamilton) playing Usnavi, a bodega owner struggling to keep his business afloat while a heatwave strikes Washington Heights. Secretly in love with his neighbor Vanessa (Melissa Barrera), who dreams of getting out of the salon and out of the neighborhood, Usnavi serves the people of Washington Heights with a whole lot of love, lottery tickets and cafe con leche. Between the choreographed twirls and fireworks, In the Heights is an examination of wealth disparity, immigration, classism and the importance of culture.

New Movies Coming in 2023 From Marvel, Netflix, DC and More

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