The 10 best movies on Max to watch right now

Listing the best movies on Max is like charting cinematic history, since the streaming service (formerly known as HBO Max) offers so many of the absolute greatest films ever made.

As the bespoke platform for Warner Bros, Max's library contains The Lord of the Rings, all the Harry Potter movies, all the DC movies, and some choice imports, such as the filmography of legendary anime company Studio Ghibli. As if that wasn't enough, you have all cult favorites, awards winners, and some critical darlings as well.

It's easily one of the best streaming services. To save you spending half your viewing time trying to settle on something to watch, we've listed the 10 best movies on Max right now. These include modern masterpieces such as Barbie and The Martian, rewatchable classics like 2001: A Space Odyssey, and everything in between. So, get the popcorn out, settle in, and press play.

10. Reality

Year: 2023
Director: Tina Satter

Sydney Sweeney is proving herself as one of today's most promising movie stars. If you can just forget she was in Madame Web, her work from horror gem Immaculate to HBO's hit show Euphoria has been fascinating. However, it's one of her lesser-known works that stands out as her best movie so far.

A one-location thriller that will have you at the edge of your seat, Reality follows a 25-year-old woman who is confronted by the FBI at her home. Throughout the conversation, her life begins to unravel, and secrets come to light. With dialogue taken verbatim from a real FBI transcript, Tina Satter's directorial debut blurs the lines between reality and fiction to deliver this brilliant movie, with an excellent performance from Sweeney.

For more recommendations, read our list of the best shows on HBO Max to watch right now.

9. The Martian

Year: 2015
Director: Ridley Scott

In the not-too-distant future, an accident at NASA's Mars base has left astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon) stranded and presumed dead. Now, Watney will have to use all his intelligence and cunning to keep himself alive on the Red Planet and somehow find a way to contact home — and then survive long enough should a rescue mission arrive against all odds.

The Martian is simply two hours of smart, attractive people solving problems with wit and charm. The stakes are high, but the vibes are immaculate in Ridley Scott’s star-studded sci-fi drama, which is perhaps the most purely watchable movie on this list.

For more information on one of the best sci-fi movies available on streaming, read our The Martian review.

8. Barbie

Year: 2023
Director: Greta Gerwig

Despite being massively popular across generations, Barbie dolls don’t exactly have an inherent narrative that you’d think would make for a good film. And yet, Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie (who produced Barbie in addition to playing the title character) pulled off something of a miracle, as Barbie is whip-smart, funny, and tremendously relevant, exploring heavy issues with earnest deftness.

When Barbie starts having thoughts about death and other things that do not belong in the pink paradise of Barbieland, she ventures into the real world (joined by a scene-stealing Ryan Reynolds as Ken). Once there, she discovers the true complexities of being a woman, just as Ken learns about the highs and ultimate lows of the patriarchy. Barbie will make you laugh and weep in ways you might not have expected.

If you want a tour of this Dream House of a film, check out our Barbie review.

7. Singin’ in the Rain

Year: 1952
Director(s): Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen

A candy-colored view into Hollywood history, Singin' in the Rain is a charming musical comedy about a silent film star in the '20s who must navigate the transition to talkies while also striking up a new romance. Gene Kelly, one of the most talented dancers ever to grace the silver screen, stars in addition to his directing and choreographing duties.

His Don Lockwood is one of cinema's most charming leading men. Debbie Reynolds co-stars as an aspiring actress who becomes tangled with Don following a memorable meet-cute. The story is delightful, but it’s the many song and dance numbers that have cemented Singin' in the Rain's place in cinema history, most notably the titular number, which Kelly famously filmed while suffering from a high fever as he cavorted without a care in the world amidst a torrential downpour.

After more recommendations? Check out our list of the best shows on Max to watch right now.

6. 2001: A Space Odyssey

Year: 1968
Director: Stanley Kubrick

When it comes to filmmaking, few hold a candle to Stanley Kubrick, and few movies have ever managed to achieve both the level of design and scope that the director’s ‘60s sci-fi, 2001: A Space Odyssey, did. Not only does the story manage to cover the history of humankind but it shows us the birth of a new species through a mesmerizing plot that reminds you what an outer space epic truly entails – big concepts explored through a big universe.

It's inspired by Arthur C. Clarke’s 1951 short story 'The Sentinel' and other works and follows a voyage by astronauts and their sentient supercomputer HAL as they set out to investigate an alien monolith. Throughout its two-and-a-half-hour runtime, we see one of the first films to explore themes of human evolution, technology, and the dangers of AI. 2001: A Space Odyssey helped pioneer special effects in sci-fi and is truly one of the most influential movies ever made.

Read our five-star 2001: A Space Odyssey review for more information on this timeless piece of art.

5. The Host

Year: 2006
Director: Bong Joon Ho

13 years before 2019's Parasite won him the Academy Award for Best Picture, Bong Joon Ho made this gooey monster movie about a grotesque mutation which emerges from the Han River in South Korea. As the creature runs rampant, extreme measures are taken to contain the casualties.

Inspired by the real life dumping of toxic chemicals in the Seoul waterway, director Bong's film keeps the human cost of such environmental flippancy at the forefront. A young woman, Park Hyun-seo (Go Ah-sung), is held captive by the monster, prompting rescue efforts by her family, who get caught in the crossfire of a misguided attempt at killing the beast. Themes of systemic oppression and societal issues radiate through the storytelling, making this a must-watch if you've seen Parasite and want to understand director Bong's creative journey.

4. Casablanca

Year: 1942
Director: Michael Curtiz

Sometimes, old movies that are widely regarded as 'Great Films' can feel a bit like homework to younger audiences. Rest assured, Casablanca is not that, as the World War II classic above love, loss, and resistance is a thoroughly engaging watch all these many decades later. To watch Casablanca for the first time is to understand why all those quotes (such as, "Here’s lookin' at you, kid") are so iconic.

The film follows Humphrey Bogart’s Rick Blaine, an American expat who runs a bar in the titular Moroccan city, which is under Vichy control as the Nazis have overtaken France. Then, of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, his former lover Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman) walks into his looking for help. Rick must decide if he should follow his heart or help Ilsa’s husband, a resistance leader, escape the Germans. It’s worth remembering that World War II was ongoing when Casablanca came out in 1942, meaning the outcome of the war was uncertain, adding an extra level of poignancy to the film.

Need more classics in your life? Well, read our Casablanca review for more insights into this Max gem.

3. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy

Years: 2001-2003
Director: Peter Jackson

Yes, including the whole trilogy technically brings this list of 10 movies up to a dozen, but how can you pick just one movie when The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King collectively make up some of the greatest epic filmmaking of all time? I mean, are you actually watching Tolkien if you don't watch all the Lord of the Rings movies in order during a single sitting?

A true adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s beloved fantasy saga was once thought unfilmable, but Peter Jackson somehow pulled it off. He did this by using cutting-edge special effects, thoughtful adapting of Tolkien's books, an incredible score from Howard Shore, and a fantastic cast whose likes included Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett, and many more. Depicting the Fellowship’s quest to defeat the ultimate evil of Sauron by trekking across Middle-earth is an astounding and moving cinematic achievement.

2. The Dark Knight

Year: 2008
Director: Christopher Nolan

The best Batman movie ever made? The best superhero movie of all time? One of the best action films released this century? The Dark Knight is all of the above if you ask us. Christopher Nolan's follow-up to Batman Begins is nothing short of iconic, from the outstanding performances to the breathtaking action. Nolan delivered a dark, bold, and mature take on the superhero movie, creating a crime thriller with complex themes and compelling characters.

Everything works to perfection, but the highest praise has to go to Heath Ledger's memorable performance as Joker. Add in Christian Bale's serious Batman, Gary Oldman's cunning Jim Gordon, Morgan Freeman's charismatic Lucius Fox, and Maggie Gyllenhaal's fierce Rachel Dawes, and you have a dreamy ensemble for a groundbreaking, history-making superhero movie.

For more details, read our review of The Dark Knight.

1. Spirited Away 

Year: 2001
Director: Hayao Miyazaki

In all honesty, this list could probably just be 10 of Miyazaki’s movies, and it would still work as a list of the 10 best movies on Max. But as much as Porco Rosso is slept on and worth watching, we’d be kidding ourselves if we put anything but Spirited Away, the greatest of his many great works.

The film follows a young girl named Chihiro who gets trapped in a fantastical world of spirits. Forced to work at an ornate bathhouse run by the witch Yubaba, Chihiro must learn how to find strength within herself if she ever hopes to escape (and to rescue her parents, who have been transformed into pigs). Magical, moving, and absolutely gorgeous, Spirited Away regularly gets named as one of the greatest best anime movies of all time, and for good reason.

For more details on the best Max movie that you can watch right now, read our Spirited Away review.

For more on Max, check out our handy guides on all the deals and prices available on the streamer right now and how you can watch Max in the UK. Or, if you are after more releases, we also have a list of all the upcoming movies heading our way this year.