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Another streaming service means another massive library of titles to sift through to find what you’re looking for. HBO Max is WarnerMedia’s streaming service, which includes titles from the pay cable channel HBO and a slew of films from the Warner Bros. library and other studios. The HBO Max movies that are currently available are pretty good. There’s a great mix of classics, recent releases, quirky indies, and superhero films. The studio that brought you The Dark Knight and Man of Steel has a slew of DC films available for streaming.
But if you’re intimidated by the over 600 movies available to stream, don’t worry; we’ve got your back. We’ve compiled a list of the best movies on HBO Max, which you can find below. Films that will be well worth your time, with our writers explaining why each one is special. Some may have heard of it but haven’t seen it yet, while others may have seen it countless times. Whatever the case, we’re confident you’ll find something to your liking.
So, please take a look at our list of the best movies available on HBO Max streaming below.
Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain:
Year: 2021
Director: Morgan Neville
Stars: Anthony Bourdain, Nancy Bourdain, Joel Rose
Genre: Documentary
IMDB: 7.7/10
Runtime: 1h59m
As a chef, an author, a TV personality, and a celebrity, Anthony Bourdain has achieved success far beyond anyone’s greatest hopes. Why did this guy experience such profound misery and despair that he committed suicide? Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain addresses that issue while delving into Bourdain’s illustrious past. The use of artificial intelligence to reproduce Bourdain’s voice in a few scenes in this documentary film sparked considerable debate. But it doesn’t diminish the photo’s impact or the words Bourdain penned.
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore:
Year: 2022
Director: David Yates
Stars: Eddie Redmayne, Jude Law, Mads Mikkelsen
Genre: Fantasy, Adventure, Action
IMDB: 6.4/10
Runtime: 2 h22m
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore didn’t seem to work as well at the box office as prior Harry Potter films. However, HBO Max users will be able to see it sooner rather than later. Albus Dumbledore, played by Jude Law, is the film’s protagonist. Because of a magical contract they struck together, Albus Dumbledore is unable to resist Gellert Grindelwald. Albus’s last hope for victory is Newt Scamander and his unusual band of comrades. Credence Barebone is an easily duped young man who believes Albus must die at Gellert Grindelwald’s hands.
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The Survivor:
Year: 2022
Director: Barry Levinson
Stars: Ben Foster, Vicky Krieps, Billy Magnussen
Genre: Drama, History
IMDB: 6.9/10
Runtime: 2h9m
The Survivor is an HBO original film based on Harry Haft’s true tale (Ben Foster). Harry is imprisoned in the Auschwitz extermination camp during World War II because of his Jewish ancestry. To stay alive, Harry engages in boxing fights with other convicts, knowing that the loser will die. Harry permits his narrative to be told in postwar America in the hopes of locating Miriam Wofsoniker, the woman he loved before the Holocaust separated them. Harry’s climb up the boxing ranks raises his profile, but will he be able to win the major battle and win back his lost love?
The Batman:
Year: 2022
Director: Matt Reeves
Stars: Robert Pattinson, Zoë Kravitz, Paul Dano
Genre: Crime, Mystery, Thriller
IMDB: 8.2/10
Runtime: 2h 56m
Let the Battinson era begin! With Robert Pattinson in the main role, The Batman is a full remake of the Dark Knight. In filmmaker Matt Reeves’ depiction of Gotham City, Batman is still a young man when he faces the Riddler (Paul Dano), a maniac who threatens to bring the city to its knees. While Batman has confidence in Jim Gordon (Jeffrey Wright), he is wary of Selina Kyle, a cat thief with her purpose. However, if Batman is to preserve Gotham, he must evolve into more than a vigilante.
The Card Counter:
Year: 2021
Director: Paul Schrader
Stars: Oscar Isaac, Tiffany Haddish, Tye Sheridan
Genre: Drama, Crime, Thriller
IMDB: 6.3/10
Runtime: 1h 51m
You weren’t the only one who missed The Card Counter in cinemas. This drama slipped under the radar in 2021, but it now gets a new chance to shine on HBO Max. Oscar Isaac plays William Tell, a poker player with an extraordinary ability to count cards. He’s also an expert at avoiding detection by casinos. When William meets Cirk (Tye Sheridan), a young guy who knows William’s actual name and background, his carefully created life is upended. Cirk seeks William’s assistance in securing retribution on the man who mistreated them both: Major John Gordo (Willem Dafoe). Cirk is taken under William’s wing, and he attempts to persuade him to put his grudge aside. Unfortunately, both men are doomed to live a life of bloodshed.
King Richard:
Year: 2021
Director: Reinaldo Marcus Green
Stars: Will Smith, Saniyya Sidney, Aunjanue Ellis
Genre: Drama, History
IMDB: 7.5/10
Runtime: 2h 24m
Will Smith was nominated for an Academy Award for his portrayal of King Richard. This movie is based on the true tale of Richard Williams (Smith), a father who helped his daughters, Venus and Serena, become two of their age’s finest female tennis players. However, getting to the peak of the mountain requires conquering several challenges. The film acknowledges that Richard’s wife, Oracene “Brandy” Price, was equally essential in molding Venus and Serena’s lives.
Dune:
Year: 2021
Director: Denis Villeneuve
Stars: Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac
Genre: Science Fiction, Adventure
IMDB: 8.0/10
Runtime: 2h 35m
Denis Villeneuve’s version of Frank Herbert’s Dune was one of the epidemic’s few great successes. Now that the film is back on HBO Max, audiences can understand why it was nominated for numerous Oscars. Paul Atreides, the heir of House Atreides and presumably a figure of fate, is played by Timothée Chalamet. Paul controls the world or did until his house was betrayed by the emperor and invaded by House Harkonnen. Now, Paul and his mother, Lady Jessica, must find a means to live on Arrakis/Dune, the desert planet, and recapture the power that was once theirs.
West Side Story:
Year: 2021
Director: Steven Spielberg
Stars: Ansel Elgort, Rachel Zegler, Rita Moreno
Genre: Drama, Romance, Crime
IMDB: 7.2/10
Runtime: 2h 36m
Both versions of West Side Story are now available on HBO Max and included on this list. They both have a right to be here. Steven Spielberg has given the classic musical a great contemporary version while keeping the original story’s basic spirit. Two gangs, the Jets and the Sharks, compete to control a neighborhood in the late 1950s. Tony is a former Jets player who is smitten with Maria, the sister of Bernardo, the Sharks’ captain. As the gangs prepare for the showdown, Tony and Maria’s newfound love is put to the test.
Nightmare Alley:
Year: 2021
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Stars: Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Toni Collette
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
IMDB: 7.0/10
Runtime: 2h 30m
Guillermo del Toro’s contemporary adaptation of Nightmare Alley steers clear of fantasy and science fiction. Stanton “Stan” Carlisle, played by Bradley Cooper, is a guy who learns the technique of cold reading after joining a carnival. Stan’s skill enables him to impersonate a medium, leading some desperate individuals to think he has psychic abilities. Soon, Stan is approached by psychiatrist Lilith Ritter, who offers to deceive the wealthy and powerful Judge Kimball. Stan quickly discovers, however, that Lilith may be a better con artist than he is. He’s also the target.
Nobody:
Year: 2021
Director: Ilya Naishuller
Stars: Bob Odenkirk, Aleksey Serebryakov, Connie Nielsen
Genre: Action, Crime, Thriller
IMDB: 7.4/10
Runtime: 1h 32m
Bob Odenkirk could hardly be regarded as average after a stellar career on television. Despite this, the star of Better Call Saul discovered his inner action star in Nobody. Hutch Mansell is alienated from his wife, Becca, and their children on an emotional level. Hutch finds his old rifle and goes hunting for trouble after a house robbery leaves him feeling like a failure in front of his family. Unfortunately for Hutch, when he alienates Yulian Kuznetsov, a ruthless Russian crime lord, he discovers exactly what he’s searching for. Hutch will have to stand up and defend his loved ones if Yulian sends his troops to exact vengeance.
The Suicide Squad:
Year: 2021
Director: James Gunn
Stars: Margot Robbie, Idris Elba, John Cena
Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
IMDB: 7.2/10
Runtime: 2h 12m
The Suicide Squad is returning with some of the most obscure comic book characters to grace the big screen after a brief appearance on HBO Max earlier this year. Bloodsport, the guy who shot Superman, is kidnapped and forced to lead a group of deadly criminals on a suicide mission beyond enemy lines. Bloodsport, against his better judgment, learns to care for some of his colleagues. Not everyone in Task Force X, however, can be trusted. And there’s a good probability the squad forgot to carry enough corpse bags for this expedition. Take a film’s slogan seriously when it says, “don’t get too involved.”
Promising Young Woman:
Director: Emerald Fennell
Year: 2020
Stars: Carey Mulligan, Bo Burnham, Alison Brie, Clancy Brown, Jennifer Coolidge
Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
IMDB: 7.5/10
Runtime: 1h 53m
Carey Mulligan’s bold performance in Promising Young Woman made it one of the most daring films of 2020. In the film, Mulligan portrays Cassie Thomas, a woman plagued by her best friend Nina Fisher’s rape and murder. Cassie seduces men into thinking they may take advantage of her in order to attain some justice before revealing their grave moral faults. When Cassie learns that Nina’s rapist, Al Monroe, is about to marry, she embarks on a dangerous quest for justice, even if it means jeopardizing her budding relationship with Ryan.
Shazam!:
Year: 2019
Director: David F. Sandberg
Stars: Zachary Levi, Mark Strong, Asher Angel, Jack Dylan Grazer, Djimon Hounsou
Genre: Action, Superhero
IMDB: 7.0/10
Runtime: 2h 12m
On HBO Max, there’s no lack of superhero movies. Shazam!, on the other hand, is one of the few family-friendly games. Billy Batson, played by Asher Angel, is an orphan who is put in a new foster home. When Billy lashes out, he unwittingly summons the wizard Shazam, who bestows his power on Billy before dying. Billy may now become the new Shazam and shares his good fortune with Frederick “Freddy” Freeman, his new foster brother. The wicked Dr. Thaddeus Sivana, unfortunately for Billy, seeks Shazam’s power for himself. To acquire it, he’s ready to go through Billy’s new family.
The Grand Budapest Hotel:
Year: 2014
Director: Wes Anderson
Stars: Ralph Fiennes, Tony Revolori, Adrien Brody
Genre: Comedy, Drama
IMDB: 8.1/10
Runtime: 1h 39m
According to Zero Moustafa, the Grand Budapest Hotel is a narrative inside a story. In the early 1930s, young Zero worked as a bellhop at the Grand Budapest Hotel and was the protégé of Monsieur Gustave H., the hotel’s concierge. Madame D., Gustsave’s lover, dies and hands Gustave a valuable picture in her estate. Dmitri, Madame D.’s son, is so enraged by this that Gustave and Zero are forced to flee from allegations of theft and murder. From then, the narrative gets weirder.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower :
Year: 2012
Director: Stephen Chbosky
Stars: Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, Ezra Miller
Genre: Drama
IMDB: 8.0/10
Runtime: 1h 43m
Stephen Chbosky held on to the rights to his book The Perks of Being a Wallflower until he was given the opportunity to create and direct the film himself. As a consequence, one of the finest coming-of-age films of the recent decade has emerged. Charlie Kelmeckis, played by Logan Lerman, is a bashful adolescent who starts his first year alone and without friends. As Charlie battles to overcome a tragedy he has buried from himself, Samantha Button and her stepbrother, Patrick Stewart, become his only true friends at school. When Charlie’s feelings endanger his relationships with Sam and Patrick, he risks being alone again.
The Last Duel:
Year: 2021
Director: Ridley Scott
Cast: Matt Damon, Adam Driver, Jodie Comer, and Ben Affleck
Runtime: 2h32m
IMDB: 7.4/10
Ridley Scott’s historical drama is a fascinating storey full of opposing viewpoints and contradictions. The Last Duel is told in three parts and is about Jean de Carrouges, a knight who fights his old friend Jacques Le Gris in a duel after his wife Marguerite accuses him of rape. The sequence of events changes as Scott shows each side of the storey. Each scene’s intentions are different, and the truth isn’t always obvious. The character of Count Pierre d’Alençon, played by Ben Affleck, is one of the best in the film, but Comer is the star of The Last Duel because her chapter tells the truth about this situation in a way that deserves recognition. The Last Duel is one of Scott’s best films and one of the year’s least-known films.
The Matrix:
Year: 1999
Director: The Wachowskis
Cast: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, Joe Pantoliano
Runtime: 2h16m
IMDB: 8.7/10
When The Matrix came out in 1999, it changed everything about action movies. As time goes on, The Matrix is still one of the best action movies ever been made. The Wachowskis made it, and even now, it is still one of the best. The Matrix, starring Keanu Reeves as the hacker-turned-saviour Neo, was a new movie that no one had seen before. It mixed a cyberpunk look with martial arts moves and new special effects to make a movie that no one had seen before. Only a few movies are as captivating and mind-blowing as The Matrix, even after there have been a lot of sequels, a lot of copies, and a lot of technological changes.
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The King’s Man (2021):
Year: 2021
Director: The Wachowskis
Cast: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, Joe Pantoliano
Runtime: 2h16m
IMDB: 8.7/10
The King’s Man is the prequel to the other Kingsman movies. It tells the story of the Kingsman organization from the beginning of the 20th century to the events of World War I. Orlando, Duke of Oxford, is the man who started the Kingsman organization. He hires his servants, Polly Watkins and Shola, to be trusted operatives for the group, and they work for him. Besides, they will have to deal with The Shepherd and his agents, including the notorious Grigori Rasputin, who will be hard for them to deal with.
In the Heights:
Year: 2021
Director: Jon M. Chu
Cast: Anthony Ramos, Corey Hawkins, Leslie Grace, Melissa Barrera, Olga Merediz, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Gregory Diaz IV, and Jimmy Smits.
Runtime: 2h23m
IMDB: 7.3/10
The musical In the Heights won many Tony Awards before Lin-Manuel Miranda took the world by storm. The story is about a group of people in Washington Heights who want to leave the barrio or come back and start a new life there. Miranda and director Jon M. Chu make a great team. The two take Miranda’s great songs and figure out how to make them sound good on the big screen, making the movie a lot more fun. You’ll be singing the songs for a long time after you see this movie. The cinematography is very creative, and the actors do a great job. However, we don’t care if you can’t stop singing “96,000.”
Oblivion:
Year: 2021
Director: Jon M. Chu
Cast: Anthony Ramos, Corey Hawkins, Leslie Grace, Melissa Barrera, Olga Merediz, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Gregory Diaz IV, and Jimmy Smits.
Runtime: 2h23m
IMDB: 7.3/10
Oblivion, a 2013 sci-fi movie, has become more and more important to me as time goes on. This movie is a pleasure to look at because director Joseph Kosinski (who directed TRON: Legacy) has an eye for the way things look on the set. When you add in a fantastic score from M83, you have a good movie to watch on a Sunday. When a technician is in an alien-wrecked world, he makes a startling discovery about his existence and what he’s been told to believe. If you didn’t see this movie in the theatres, it’s worth a look, especially because Cruise and Kosinski will be back together in Maverick Top Gun.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban:
Year: 2004
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint
Runtime: 2h22m
IMDB: 7.9/10
First, he made the best Harry Potter movie. Before that, he won two Best Director Oscars. Chris Columbus did a good job setting up the Harry Potter world and getting the right actors. On the other hand, Cuaron knew that by the time the third film came out, it was time to start taking creative risks, or else the films wouldn’t be able to live on their own. Thanks to him, the Harry Potter series has some of its best emotional moments, but it also finally feels like a movie, not just a way to read the books in a new way.
The Jurassic Park Trilogy:
Year: 2001
Director: Steven Spielberg and Joe Johnston
Cast: Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, and Richard Attenborough
Runtime: 1h32m
IMDB: 5.9/10
If you want to watch a lot of movies at once, you can now watch the whole Jurassic Park trilogy on HBO Max. This movie made by Steven Spielberg in 1993 is pure movie magic. It’s a classic, perfect movie that everyone should see at least once. His movie The Lost World, which came out in 1997, isn’t as good as his first movie, but there are still some exciting parts (that dual T. rex scene with the trailers on the cliff is incredible). If you don’t like Joe Johnston’s Jurassic Park III from 2001, then you can take or leave that one.
The Hangover:
Year: 2009
Director: Todd Phillips
Cast: Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis, Ed Helms, Ken Jeong, and Justin Bartha
Runtime: 1h40m
IMDB: 7.7/10
The Hangover is one of those “lighting-in-a-bottle” comedies that can’t be duplicated, which is why there have been so many sequels. In the movie, three friends wake up hungover after a night in Vegas with no memory of the night before and a missing groom-to-be. The film is anchored by a great ticking clock that shows the time. They have to go back and find their friend Doug before the wedding starts. Hilarity ensues, of course, but it’s hard to describe the comedy in this case. The movie isn’t just funny because of the way Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis, and Ed Helms work together. They also react to the increasingly ridiculous situations they’re put in. While the sequels didn’t capture what made the original so excellent, this movie is still fun.
Collateral:
Year: 2004
Director: Michael Mann
Cast: Jamie Foxx, Tom Cruise, Jada Pinkett Smith, Mark Ruffalo, Peter Berg, Bruce McGill, and Javier Bardem
Runtime: 2h
IMDB: 7.5/10 It’s rare for Tom Cruise to play a bad guy, so his performance in Collateral, a 2004 thriller by Michael Mann, is still a beautiful thing of art. Jamie Foxx plays a cab driver who gives a ride to Tom Cruise, dressed very well. After the fact, he realizes that the man is an assassin and that he just took him a hit. Mann adds beautiful touches to the thriller all the way through, making it more than just a simple “assassin movie” and one of the best movies of the 21st century.
You’ve Got Mail:
Year: 1998
Director: Nora Ephron
Cast: Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, Parker Posey, Jean Stapleton, Dave Chappell, Steve Zahn, and Greg Kinnear
Runtime: 1h59m
IMDB: 6.7/10 Sometimes, you want to watch something that makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside. You’ve Got Mail does just that. “Internet mania” had been around for a long time, and the 1998 movie came out. The internet and email were taking the world by storm. She owns a small, independent children’s book store. Tom Hanks is the heir to a big book store chain, which could put her out of business, so Meg Ryan plays the owner. In person, they flirt with each other and then fight. But they don’t know that they’re secret pen-pals, emailing each other under fake names. Because this movie is so bad and cheesy, it’s also hard not to like it.
The French Dispatch:
Year: 2021
Director: Wes Anderson
Cast: Benicio Del Toro, Adrien Brody, Tilda Swinton, Léa Seydoux, Frances McDormand,Timothée Chalamet, Lyna Khoudri, Jeffrey Wright, Mathieu Amalric
Runtime: 1h47m
IMDB: 7.2/10
Settle in for another weird, fantastic-looking movie from Wes Anderson. A filmmaker who made “Moonrise Kingdom” and “The Grand Budapest Hotel” has a new project in mind: a new story, or three stories. It’s called a “love letter to journalists,” and it takes viewers through three separate stories, all from the pages of a fake magazine. If you didn’t see this unique movie when it came out last October, now is the time to get in on its captivating story.
Locked Down:
Year: 2021
Director: Doug Liman
Cast: Sonic, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Dulé Hill, Jazmyn Simon, Anne Hathaway, Frances Ruffelle, Bobby Schofield, Tallulah Greive, Dan Ball, Louis Ball, Katie Leung, Mark Gatiss
Runtime: 1h58m
IMDB: 5.2/10 Doug Liman’s unexpected rom-com heist comedy stars Anne Hathaway and Chiwetel Ejiofor (The Bourne Identity). Writing and shooting were both done under a pandemic, which featured in the film’s background. Hathaway and Ejiofor star as a couple preparing to rob a London jewellery store on a day when the city’s businesses are closed. Their relationship has taken a hit during the lockdown, and they’ve had to reassess a few things. It’s not the most polished film, but the magnetism of Hathaway and Ejiofor makes up for it. You’ll either be intrigued or turned off by the mention of the pandemic.
The Great Gatsby:
Year: 2013
Director: Baz Luhrmann
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan, Tobey Maguire, Joel Edgerton, Isla Fisher, Elizabeth Debicki, and Jason Clarke
Runtime: 2h23m
IMDB: 7.2/10
You’re missing out if you haven’t seen Baz Luhrmann’s 2013 film adaption of The Great Gatsby. Luhrmann brings the same frenetic energy he brought to Romeo + Juliet and Moulin Rogue! to this story of love and class in this over $200 million flashy and glamorous adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s renowned novel. It’s hard not to fall in love with Leonardo DiCaprio as Gatsby, Carey Mulligan as Daisy, and Tobey Maguire as Nick. Luhrmann used a combination of real-world settings and magnificent computer-generated imagery to bring this tale to life in vibrant hues for his 3D production.
Best in Show:
Year: 2000
Director: Christopher Guest
Cast: Eugene Levy, Catherine O’Hara, Jane Lynch, Jennifer Coolidge, Parker Posey, John Michael Higgins, Michael Hitchcock, Jim Piddock, Fred Willard, and Michael McKean
Runtime: 1h30m
IMDB: 7.4/10
One of the greatest comedies ever filmed is Best in Show. Director Christopher Guest’s “mockumentary” film was released in 2000 and is portrayed as a fictional documentary about people preparing for and participating in the Mayflower Kennel Club Dog Show. Against the ridiculousness of the situation and dog grooming, the film’s varied cast of people turns into a series of hilarious performances. All of the characters in Best in Show are likely to steal the show in any other film, but they produce a hilarious tour de force when put together.
Inception:
Year: 2010
Director: Christopher Nolan
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Marion Cotillard, Ellen Page, Ken Watanabe, Michael Caine, Cillian Murphy, Tom Hardy, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Runtime: 2h28m
IMDB: 8.8/10
Inception, Christopher Nolan’s 2010 sci-fi actioner, was a test of whether Hollywood could still gamble big on creative ideas after releasing one of the most critically praised superhero movies. An enthusiastic response from both the public and critics resulted in a new classic and an estimated $828.3 million in box office receipts. Professional thief burdened by his history, Leonardo DiCaprio carries on one more mission in the film. What’s the snag, then? In order to carry out his heists, he must either steal or plant information in the minds of others. Visually breathtaking, Inception also has one of the most exciting endings in recent memory.
Kimi:
Year: 2022
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Cast: India de Beaufort, Derek DelGaudio, Sarai Koo, Jaime Camil, Koya Harada, Zoë Kravitz, George Evans
Runtime: 2h28m
IMDB: 8.8/10 Steven Soderbergh directs this gripping tech thriller set during the COVID-19 pandemic. Angela, a Seattle tech worker played by a neon blue-haired Zo Kravitz, has agoraphobia, a fear that prevents her from leaving her apartment. But when she comes across an unsettling recording while doing her job, she is compelled to take the risk. Kimi is a stylish thriller with arresting cinematography, a strong score, and a protagonist you’ll root for.
The Eyes of Tammy Faye:
Year: 2022
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Cast: India de Beaufort, Derek DelGaudio, Sarai Koo, Jaime Camil, Koya Harada, Zoë Kravitz, George Evans
Runtime: 2h28m
IMDB: 8.8/10
Jessica Chastain stars in this biopic of televangelist Tammy Faye Bakker, who co-founded and ran the massively popular religious broadcasting network PTL in the 1970s and 1980s with her husband, Jim. Tammy Faye’s outsized and magnetic personality is brought to life by Chastain’s committed performance. You’ll be drawn into her world, complete with ridiculous makeup choices, oddly timed prayers, and bubbling scandals. It’s unclear how long The Eyes of Tammy Faye will be available on HBO Go, so book an evening with Bakker.
The Empty Man:
Year: 2020
Director: David Prior
Cast: James Badge Dale, Marin Ireland, Stephen Root, Ron Canada, Robert Aramayo, and Sasha Frolova
Runtime: 2h17m
IMDB: 6.2/10
If you enjoy thrillers like Se7en but are also interested in complex, thought-provoking stories like The Ritual or Midsommar, The Empty Man may be right up your alley. This underappreciated gem, released in 2020, stars James Badge Dale as a former detective. While searching for a missing teenager, he stumbles upon a conspiracy far larger and more disturbing than he could have imagined. This is a horror-thriller packed with tension and atmosphere, where the scares come from the story and characters rather than gore or boogeymen (though there’s some great creature design).
No Sudden Move:
Year: 2021
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Cast: Don Cheadle, Benicio Del Toro, David Harbour, Amy Seimetz, Kieran Culkin, Ray Liotta, Julia Fox, Frankie Shaw, and Bill Duke
Runtime: 1h55m
IMDB: 6.5/10 No Sudden Move, director Steven Soderbergh’s second original film for HBO Max, is one of the Ocean’s Eleven and Traffic director’s best. The crime thriller, set in the 1950s, revolves around a botched heist and follows two criminals, played by Don Cheadle and Benicio Del Toro, who must deal with the fallout and figure out why they were hired and by whom before they are killed. This is a twist-filled heist thriller with a lot to say about the world we live in, as the 1950s Detroit setting provides a backdrop where Black neighborhoods were being demolished in the name of “progress.” It’s thrilling, funny, surprising, and clever, and it builds to a surprise ending.
Memento:
Year: 2000
Director: Christopher Nolan
Cast: Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Joe Pantoliano
Runtime: 1h53m
IMDB: 8.5/10
Christopher Nolan’s second film, Memento, introduced many of the ideas he’d return to throughout his career. Nolan’s fascination with time is perhaps at its most mind-bending in this story about Leonard Shelby, a man with no short-term memory attempting to solve his wife’s murder. Nolan would regularly return to films with untrustworthy protagonists and open-ended endings, but rarely has he been as good as he was with this early film. With Memento, Nolan established himself as a rule-breaking filmmaker capable of completely messing with the viewer’s mind in novel and exciting ways.
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