For at least a few generations, HBO has been the home of cable TV movies. No one else can compete with it. So the rise of HBO Max seems likely to become the ultimate streaming destination for movie lovers — a title that's still up in the air, especially considering its decision to drop the "Home Box Office" part of its name in favor of HBO Max. Simpler, but more versatile, Max. Nonetheless, Max remains in partnership with TCM, providing it with a wide range of classic American and foreign films, as well as much of HBO's own catalog. It's the primary streaming platform for Studio Ghibli and A24, so while Max isn't in the business of producing many originals, it still has a rich variety of movies you won't find elsewhere.
With all that in mind, here are some of the best of Max's latest exclusives.
Purple (2023)
Following the beloved 1985 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, it was a tall order, but this adaptation of the subsequent Broadway musical cleared those hurdles and then some. If it doesn't quite replace the previous version, it offers a unique, vivid, and colorful story about the hard-working, stressed-out Miss Celie (Fantasia Barrino) who, despite being "poor," But she still survived and eventually thrived. "Dark and Ugly" takes place in the southern countryside at the beginning of the 20th century. Danielle Brooks was nominated for an Academy Award for her performance as Sophia.
Deeks: The Musical (2023)
If you haven't seen this truly raucous musical, you have no idea what you're in for. The musical follows a pair of twins (Josh Sharp and Aaron Jackson) separated at birth who are both misogynistic assholes who imitate each other in the film. To reconcile their long-estranged parents (Nathan Lane and Megan Mullally). It's a simple and silly premise, but things quickly get crazier and crazier. Mum Evelyn's vagina fell out years ago, and newly gay dad Harrison keeps several mutated "sewer boys" in a giant birdcage in his apartment. It's all so amazing and jaw-droppingly strange.
Collective Action Park (2020)
The dark, blackly comic true history of Vernon, New Jersey's once-popular action park is jaw-dropping. In 1978, stockbroker Eugene Mulvihill set out to create a theme park that would have as few restrictions and cost as little as possible. The result was a local attraction that attracted teenagers with the promise of an unbridled good time. The dangers implied in the park's shoddy quality may have made it more attractive—at least until it became clear that shady dealings with local governments meant that not only injuries, but also deaths, were being covered up.
Barbie (2023)
What else can be said about 2023 movies ? Oppenheimer may have won the Oscar, but Barbie had the voice and the box office, and the candy-pink, pro-feminist film made more money than any other movie. With Margot Robbie perfectly cast as the real-world water-dwelling doll trapped in the water and Ryan Gosling more than just Kynaugh, this is director Greta Gerwig's third win in a row.
Wonka (2023)
The terrifying Willy Wonka Chocolate Experience may have stolen Timothée Chalamet's spotlight as our favorite menacing chocolatier, but that's not what we're excited about Reasons for Wonka's Chocolate to be suspicious. An old-school musical with modern production values, "Wonka" feels completely refreshing and a throwback to a less cynical era, with some memorable songs and emotional beats that really land.
Dream Scene (2023)
One of A24's latest releases didn't quite make the same splash as some of the publisher's other recent releases, but it still received great reviews and earned star Nicolas Cage a few awards and nominations. Here, he plays college professor Paul Matthews, who begins to appear in the dreams of dozens of people who don't know each other, but as a dull and passive observer. Until he ceases to exist and his appearance begins to take on a more menacing, nightmarish quality. The whole thing ends up being an impressively unhinged meditation on fame, A24 style.
Priscilla (2023)
The great Sofia Coppola writes and directs this biopic based on Priscilla Presley's own memoir about her young life and relationship with the older Elvis Presley. Leslie's troubled romantic relationship. Cailee Spaeny and Jacob Elordi give wonderful performances, and the result is a portrait of a relationship that is tender, but also complex and deeply uneven.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023)
I'm not here to prove that Aquaman 2 is high art, or that it's entirely forgettable, but that it's a charming and silly bit of superhero fun that pairs Jason Momoa and Patrick Wilson as A pair of mismatched super brothers go on a mission to save the planet from some greenhouse gas-emitting villains. The stakes are high enough to keep things interesting, but the film lacks the self-seriousness that plagues so many other superhero movies, especially DC-adjacent ones.
Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)
The second and final Wonder Woman film, directed by Patty Jenkins (after breaking with the Zack Snyder-era DC Universe), takes Diana out of the trenches of World War I , walked into a shopping mall in the 1980s. Considering all the villains in these types of movies are technology-based, it's nice to see villains Kristen Wiig and Pedro Pascal pay homage to World War II history by attacking our heroines with mythical magic . It's a bit of a shame, though, that we won't be seeing any more post-credits cameos.
Not Pregnant (2020)
Back in 2020, a young pregnant woman might have to travel across several states to get an abortion. Of course, in modern America, in our more enlightened times, such a thing would never happen, and bodily autonomy is boldly and irrevocably placed among our inalienable rights. Ahem. In "Not Pregnant," Haley Lu Richardson stars as Veronica, a young woman who needs to leave her hometown in Missouri to avoid her parents trying to prevent her from having an abortion, along with her childhood friend Bailey (Barbie Ferreira). Joined her. If it sounds heavy, this movie is essentially a light-hearted road movie involving a few mismatched friends. It's quite enjoyable.
Everything Breathes (2022)
For some Muslims in New Delhi, feeding black kites, a type of bird of prey, has long been a tradition, believing such a good deed will help avoid trouble. It's just that it's becoming increasingly difficult for birds to survive in modern cities, and they fall victim to various dangers - pollution and overpopulation being the main culprits. The documentary " Everything Breathes" follows brothers Shatem and Nadeem, who run a bird sanctuary that has saved tens of thousands of raptors over the past two decades, and talks about the interconnectedness of our ecosystems and how to avoid looking The virtue of something that seems inevitable. decline.
Areas of Interest (2023)
Jonathan Glazer's Oscar-winning drama about Auschwitz concentration camp commander Rudolf Hoss (Christian Friedel) and his wife Hedwig (the always brilliant Sandra Wheeler) The banality of evil is explored in the story, where people appear to live ordinary lives but are actually complicit in extraordinary evil happening off-screen. . It's very specific in its treatment of the Holocaust and the real-life characters it depicts, but also more generally in showing that we all have the potential to turn a blind eye to the horrors in which we participate.
Good Times (2017)
This stylish, intense crime drama follows Robert Pattinson's Connie as she attempts to free her disabled brother from police custody during a bank robbery while trying to avoid being arrested for the same crime herself. This is a great neo-noir where everything that could possibly go wrong for our protagonist does. Pattinson's performance is impressive.
The Last Black Man in San Francisco (2019)
The film's co-writer, Jimmy Fales, plays the eponymous protagonist, a black San Francisco man with a long history whose old house (built by his grandfather) is now worth hundreds in a middle-class neighborhood. Ten thousand U.S. dollars. Even though the house is empty and unable to be bought back, Jimmy uses the vacant Victorian house as a base from which to explore his place in the ever-changing modern city. This beautifully shot and acted film briefly attracted Oscar attention but was ultimately ignored. Well worth a watch or rewatch.
Parasite (2019)
One of the most deserving Best Picture Oscar winners in recent years (perhaps decades), Bong Joon-ho's dark satire is a powerful indictment of modern capitalism, but it's also a very funny comedy of manners. Also, horror movies. Give you a movie that does it all.
Judas and the Black Messiah (2021)
Daniel Kaluuya wins an Academy Award for his role as Fred Hampton in this searing biopic about the FBI's infiltration of the 1960s The story of the Illinois chapter of the Chicago Black Panther Party in the late 1960s. Lakeith Stanfield stars as FBI informant William O'Neill in the film, which was also nominated for Best Picture.
Highland (2021)
Prior to "Hamilton ," Lin-Manuel Miranda spent three days writing the book, music and lyrics for the musical in a predominantly Dominican-American neighborhood in upper Manhattan. The film version captures all the joy of the stage version while adding on-location filming of all the cabaret performances. It's a gorgeous and moving celebration of life, change and community.
Green Knight (2021)
Loosely (but authentically) based on the 14th-century chivalric legend Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, David Lowery's medieval pastiche is a feast for the eyes and a journey into the imagination A dark, sensual journey in. Dev Patel stars as the knight of the title in a film that adheres to the conventions of middle-age storytelling better than almost any movie I've seen. The result feels a bit like a fever dream, but an experience for anyone willing to immerse themselves in it.
Albert Brooks: Defending My Life (2023)
Rob Reiner directs this riveting documentary about actor, comedian, director and screenwriter Albert Brooks, covering his early life and decades-long career, including Saturday Night Live, Scorsese films, voice acting for The Simpsons and Academy Award nominations. It's mostly just a conversation between Brooks and Renner, but it's all pretty entertaining whether you're a long-time fan or not.
All the Beauty and the Bleeding (2022)
Captivating portraits of photographer, artist, and activist Nan Goldin, whose work documents the HIV/AIDS crisis and the recent opioid epidemic following her own near-death from a fentanyl overdose. At the center of the film is a moral conflict: Golding's tireless campaign against the Sacklers' companies for their role in the ruthless marketing of OxyContin puts her in a difficult position when it comes to presenting her work. After encouraging the art world to divest from these pharmaceutical giants, she also began to question the value of showing her work in museums, many of which are heavily funded by the Sackler family. How many compromises must an uncompromising artist make for the greater good?
