The best movies streaming on HBO Max this week
The best movies streaming on HBO Max this week
Halloween season is starting to creep into the lineup, but there are still plenty of great options here if horror isn’t your thing.
It’s that time of year… you will find at least four Halloween-appropriate movies on this list. I’m not going to apologize for it. And I’m not going to apologize for loving that HBO Max has real movies. Ones that were shot for a movie screen but also happen to play great on your TV screen. And don’t worry if you’re not into the scary stuff (I’m usually not either) because I’ve included a few lighter Halloween picks, along with a couple of thrillers and a superhero movie at the top of the list. So, here are my picks for the best movies streaming on HBO Max right now.
Top 7 movies streaming on HBO Max right now:
No. 7: ‘Misery’ (1990) | Psychological thriller
I started this year on a huge Stephen King kick, and one of the novels I read for the first time was “Misery.” Now, I couldn’t put the book down, nor will you be able to look away from the movie. Not only does it consistently rank as one of the best Stephen King adaptations ever made, but Kathy Bates won an Academy Award for playing the troubled, wildly entertaining antagonist, Annie Wilkes.
The basic premise is that a famous writer, Paul Sheldon (James Caan), gets in a car accident and is taken in (captured?) by Wilkes. The problems start when Wilkes realizes what her beloved author has done… killed off her favorite romance character, Misery Chastain, in his latest book. Now, she wants him to write a NEW novel, bringing the character back. And she’s willing to keep him there indefinitely until he finishes. Most of the movie takes place in a farmhouse, but the psychological warfare between these characters and the tension that creates makes it feel much bigger. If you haven’t seen this movie, the run-up to Halloween is the perfect time.
Misery
After an accident, acclaimed novelist Paul Sheldon is rescued by a nurse who claims to be his biggest fan. Her obsession takes a dark turn when she holds him captive in her remote Colorado home and forces him to write back to life the popular literary character he killed off.
No. 6: ‘Saltburn’ (2023) | Dark comedy thriller
“Saltburn” shocked me the first time I watched it. Yes, there are some shocking things in it (including a pretty disgusting bathtub sequence…) but the final act’s turn is what really threw me. The movie follows Oliver Quick (Barry Keoghan), who becomes obsessed with his wealthy, charming classmate Felix Catton (Jacob Elordi), who eventually invites Quick to spend the summer at his family’s mansion, Saltburn. There, Oliver gets pulled into the privileged world of Felix’s family, including his mother Elspeth (Rosamund Pike).
I don’t want to ruin the progression, but just know this movie starts slow and then ramps up into the totally unexpected. Along the way, it can sometimes feel like a character drama instead of a thriller. And that’s okay because the performances are incredible, the cinematography and set design are stunning, and the story keeps getting weirder the deeper you go.
Saltburn
Struggling to find his place at Oxford University, student Oliver Quick finds himself drawn into the world of the charming and aristocratic Felix Catton, who invites him to Saltburn, his eccentric family’s sprawling estate, for a summer never to be forgotten.
No. 5: ‘Interview with the Vampire’ (1994) | Gothic horror
With Halloween right around the corner, now is a great time to dig up some of the classics. That includes “Interview with the Vampire.” As you could have guessed from the title, the movie is framed around Louis (Brad Pitt) sitting down with a reporter and telling him the story of how he became a vampire in 18th-century New Orleans after meeting Lestat (Tom Cruise). From there, he looks back on their very weird life together, including turning a young girl named Claudia (Kirsten Dunst) into a vampire whose mind grows up when her body does not.
The big names are the reason to watch this one. Pitt and Cruise play polar opposites, but it’s Cruise’s weird, funny, seductive performance that is hard to look away from. Throw in an 11-year-old Dunst who’s incredible at playing an adult’s mind, and gothic sets, costumes, and old New Orleans, and you’ve got something special.
Interview with the Vampire
A vampire relates his epic life story of love, betrayal, loneliness, and dark hunger to an over-curious reporter.
No. 4: ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ (2024) | Horror comedy
Now, you could go back and watch the original “Beetlejuice,” and I would not blame you for one second. But if you want a movie that you haven’t seen at least 10 times, try the sequel, appropriately named “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.” Same world, same Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton), same Delia (Catherine O’Hara, RIP), same Lydia (Winona Ryder), new daughter, Astrid (who else but Jenna Ortega). Things take off when Astrid discovers the model of the town in the attic and opens up the connection to the Afterlife.
There’s a lot happening in the story, so be ready for that, but the reason you’re watching this movie is 1) Michael Keaton, and 2) Tim Burton’s practical effects. Keaton doesn’t miss a beat as the manic, funny, disgusting Beetlejuice despite 36 years off. And then there are the puppets, prosthetics, latex creatures, built sets, and miniatures that pop in a way CGI just doesn’t. Is it a perfect movie? No, but I walked out of the theater entertained, and that’s what counts.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
After a family tragedy, three generations of the Deetz family return home to Winter River. Still haunted by Betelgeuse, Lydia’s life is turned upside down when her teenage daughter, Astrid, accidentally opens the portal to the Afterlife.
No. 3: ‘Fuze’ (2026) | Crime thriller
The newest movie to land on HBO Max at the time of writing, “Fuze” follows Major Will Tranter (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), a bomb-disposal expert dealing with an unexploded World War II bomb found in central London. While the city is being evacuated, a group of criminals led by Karalis (Theo James) uses the chaos as cover for a major bank heist.
That’s the set-up, but half the fun is the number of twists and turns you get along the way. You’ll make guesses, think you have it figured out, before BOOM, it twists away in another (satisfying) direction. London is fun to spend time in and becomes an integral part of the heist. Plus, it’s relatively short by thriller standards at about 96 minutes, and I appreciate that! If you’re feeling like a throwback thriller that moves, this is the one.
Fuze
An unexploded WWII bomb is discovered on a busy construction site in the centre of London. Chaos ensues as the military and police begin a mass evacuation against a ticking clock.
No. 2: ‘Practical Magic’ (1998) | Romantic fantasy
Tara and I booted up “Practical Magic” because neither of us had seen it, and we were very curious what all the hype is about, considering they recently pushed out a sequel. The long and the short of it is… it’s super charming. It’s a bit slow by today’s movie standards, but I can see how the quirkiness and fluid tone (sometimes it’s a comedy, sometimes a rom-com, sometimes a thriller, and sometimes a horror movie) made it a cult classic.
The movie tells the story of two sisters, Sally (Sandra Bullock) and Gillian (Nicole Kidman), who come from a family of witches cursed to lose the men they fall in love with. When Gillian’s abusive boyfriend dies, the sisters use magic to try to fix the situation and end up making things much, much worse. The aunts are super fun, too (Stockard Channing and Dianne Wiest), while Bullock and Kidman really feel like sisters. This isn’t going to be for everyone, but if you want some throwback charm, or just want to see what all the fuss is about, watch it.
Practical Magic
Sally and Gillian Owens, born into a magical family, have mostly avoided witchcraft themselves. But when Gillian’s vicious boyfriend, Jimmy Angelov, dies unexpectedly, the Owens sisters give themselves a crash course in hard magic. With policeman Gary Hallet growing suspicious, the girls struggle to resurrect Angelov — and unwittingly inject his corpse with an evil spirit that threatens to end their family line.
No. 1: ‘Supergirl’ (2026) | Sci-fi/action
“Supergirl” isn’t just a female version of “Superman.” Milly Alcock makes her a lot more messed up. She remembers Krypton and the life she lost, so she carries a lot of grief and resentment that it was all taken away from her. Sure, she’s still powerful. But she’s also hard-drinking and sarcastic, not really giving a damn about being an inspirational superhero.
And her pairing with Ruthye Marye Knoll (Eve Ridley) is what makes the movie really work. It’s an odd coupling as they set out to avenge Kara’s poisoned Krypto (her dog) and Knoll’s dead father, but Ruthye’s earnestness is the perfect foil to Kara’s bitterness. The plot goes big and sometimes misses, but if you keep an open mind and enjoy the dynamic between these two women, there’s a lot to like.
Supergirl
When an unexpected and ruthless adversary strikes too close to home, Kara Zor-El, aka Supergirl, reluctantly joins forces with an unlikely companion on an epic, interstellar journey of vengeance and justice.