HBO Max’s identity crisis and the ever-evolving library of content are impossible to keep up with, but we’re making the latter a little easier. (We can’t help you remember the name — we’ll probably just call it HBO forever.)
While HBO Max is known for having some amazing limited series, especially as of late — The Last of Us, The White Lotus, Hacks, to name just a few — it’s also a prime destination for movies. (It originated as Home Box Office, after all.) So let us be your guide to the best movies on HBO Max this month, in no particular order. And if you don’t have an HBO Max account already, you’ll be convinced it’s worth the investment after reading this.
The 10 Best Movies on HBO Max Right Now
A Christmas Story
Honestly, sometimes the best movie to watch is a well-worn classic. In this ode to boyhood, Ralphie Parker spends most of his time dodging a bully and dreaming of his ideal Christmas gift, a “Red Ryder air rifle.”
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Six-year-old Hushpuppy (Quvenzhané Wallis) lives with her father, Wink (Dwight Henry), in a rural bayou community. When Wink falls mysteriously ill, fearsome prehistoric beasts called aurochs run loose. Rising waters threaten to engulf their community, sending Hushpuppy in search of her long-lost mother.
A Christmas Carol (1938)
Did you know this 87 year old film has a 100 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes? In this film based off the Charles Dickens classic, miserly Ebenezer Scrooge hates Christmas and mistreats his long-suffering employee. But a visit from the ghost of his former business partner and three Christmas spirits might convince him to change his ways and become more kindhearted.
Elf
Or how about a silly Christmas classic on the other end of the spectrum? Buddy (Will Ferrell) was accidentally transported to the North Pole as a toddler and raised to adulthood among Santa’s elves. Unable to shake the feeling that he doesn’t fit in, the adult Buddy travels to New York, in full elf uniform, in search of his real father.
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
As the holidays approach, Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) wants to have a perfect family Christmas, so he pesters his wife, Ellen (Beverly D’Angelo), and children. However, things quickly go awry.
Past Lives (November 2)
If you’re not in a holiday mood, how about a quietly devastating film about lives not lived? Nora and Hae Sung, two deeply connected childhood friends, are wrest apart after Nora’s family emigrates from South Korea. Decades later, they are reunited for one fateful week as they confront destiny, love and the choices that make a life.
Materialists (November 7)
A young, ambitious New York City matchmaker (Dakota Johnson) finds herself torn between the perfect match (Pedro Pascal) and her imperfect ex (Chris Evans).
One to One: John and Yoko (November 14)
A rare and revelatory inside look at John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s first year in New York City in the early 1970s, this candid documentary delivers a experience immersed in explosive creativity and political activism.
Eddington (November 14)
In May of 2020, a standoff between a small-town sheriff and mayor sparks a powder keg as neighbor is pitted against neighbor in Eddington, New Mexico. Starring Joaquin Phoenix and Pedro Pascal.
Thoughts & Prayers (November 18)
Equal parts absurd and unsettlingly real, the film traces the $3 billion active shooter preparedness industry and its effect on students and educators, raising important questions about the unintended consequences of these intense preparations.
Not finding what you’re craving? Sign up for HBO Max for even more options.
