Wondering what you should watch on the Max streaming service?
Max replaced HBO Max last year and streams a variety of titles, including Warner Bros. movies like Dune and HBO originals such as Tony Hawk: Until the Wheels Fall Off. Below, you’ll find a batch of can’t-miss films on the streamer, plus a look at new releases for this month. (If you’re still trying to figure out if Max is for you, skim our review of the Warner Bros. Discovery streaming service).
New releases for November
Note: These descriptions are taken from Max press releases and official websites for the films and lightly edited for style.
Nov. 14
- Carville: Winning is Everything, Stupid! (2024): Documentary. Democratic strategist James Carville, one of the most influential forces in modern political history, looks back at his unlikely career.
Nov. 19
- Night Is Not Eternal (2024): Documentary. It’s a deeply personal exploration of political activism through the eyes of Chinese American filmmaker Nanfu Wang.
Nov. 20
- Surveilled (2024): Documentary. It tracks The New Yorker journalist Ronan Farrow as he investigates the growing business of commercial spyware.
Nov. 28
- Sweethearts (2024): Comedy. Two college freshmen make a pact to break up with their high school sweethearts over Thanksgiving break.
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 Max. All score around 65 or higher on Metacritic.
Drama
Turtles All the Way Down (2024)
Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla, about the relationship between Priscilla and Elvis Presley, is streaming on Max along with other recent films from entertainment company A24. Cailee Spaeny and Jacob Elordi star in the stylish flick, which tells things from Priscilla’s point of view. If you like new A24 flicks, Max’s stash also includes The Iron Claw, The Zone of Interest, Dream Scenario, Love Lies Bleeding and Civil War.
The Fallout (2022)
Remember 2021, when Warner Bros. movies hit HBO Max on the same day they premiered in theaters? That exciting period may be over, but at least we’ll always have the memory of watching Denis Villeneuve’s spectacular sci-fi epic at home and still being part of the conversation. Both parts of Dune are now streaming on Max.
Drive My Car (2021)
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Saniyya Sidney as Venus Williams and Will Smith as Richard Williams in \"King Richard.\"
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Saniyya Sidney as Venus Williams and Will Smith as Richard Williams in \"King Richard.\"
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Saniyya Sidney as Venus Williams and Will Smith as Richard Williams in "King Richard."
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King Richard is a feel-good biopic about the father of tennis legends Venus and Serena Williams. The film winds back the clock to before the sisters became household names, giving us a glimpse of their upbringing in Compton and time spent practicing on run-down courts with their father, Richard Williams (Will Smith). Convinced his daughters are going to be successful, Richard works tirelessly to get their star potential noticed by professional coaches. A complicated man with a tremendous personality, Richard is fascinating to get to know, and his unwavering belief in Venus and Serena is inspiring.
Son of Monarchs (2020)
Bad Education (2019)
Musical
Dune’s Timothée Chalamet stars in this prequel to Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and it’s a total treat. With new and familiar tunes, a committed cast and oodles and oodles of whimsy, the film allows audiences to get to know a young Willy Wonka with giraffe-sized ambition and undeniable chocolate-making skill. It’s a quirky, comforting flick from Paddington director Paul King that you’ll absolutely want on your plate.
The Color Purple (2023)
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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.
The Suicide Squad (2021)
Robert Pattinson steps out as Batman in this moody 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. Catch up on the dark and satisfying mystery before you watch the Max spinoff series, The Penguin.
All That Breathes (2022)
Tony Hawk: Until the Wheels Fall Off (2022)
This film about beloved author, chef and globe-traveling TV host Anthony Bourdain comes from documentary filmmaker Morgan Neville, who also directed 2018’s Won’t You Be My Neighbor? and the Oscar-winning film Twenty Feet from Stardom. In interviews with people who knew Bourdain, like his friends, former partners and longtime colleagues, the doc tracks his career path, relationships and personal struggles. Bourdain fans and those less acquainted with the star will likely appreciate this two-hour look at his life.
Am I OK? (2022)
Father of the Bride (2022)
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.
Steven Soderbergh directs this engaging tech thriller set during the COVID-19 pandemic. Angela, a Seattle tech worker played by a neon blue-haired Zoë Kravitz, has agoraphobia, a fear that prevents her from making it past the front door of her apartment. But when she uncovers an unsettling recording while doing her job, she’s pushed to make the leap. Kimi is a stylish thriller complete with eye-catching cinematography, a solid score and a protagonist you’ll be rooting for.
No Sudden Move (2021)
Action and Adventure
Who can pass up a Studio Ghibli film? Hayao Miyazaki came out of retirement to make The Boy and the Heron, which won the award for best animated feature at the 2024 Oscars. The starry English voice cast Christian Bale, Willem Dafoe, Robert Pattinson, Florence Pugh and more.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Unless you’ve been living in Barbie Land (or another place that isn’t the real world), chances are you’re very familiar with this pink-coated comedy already. The flick — Warner Bros.’ highest-grossing global release of all time — brings a long list of stars together for a hilarious and heartfelt adventure. Greta Gerwig directs, Margot Robbie plays the titular role, and Ryan Gosling belts out an incredible power ballad as Ken.
