[ad_1]
Quick Links
Another streaming service means another vast library of titles to sift through to find what you want to watch. HBO Max is the streaming service from WarnerMedia, hosting not just titles from the pay cable channel HBO, but a bevy of films from the Warner Bros. library and other studios. In truth, the HBO Max movies that are available at launch are actually pretty terrific. There’s a great selection of classics, fairly new releases, quirky indies, and yes, superhero movies. The studio behind The Dark Knight and Man of Steel has a solid number of DC films available to stream.
But if you’re daunted by the over 600 movies available to stream, we’ve got your back. Below, we’ve put together a curated list of the absolute best movies on HBO Max. Films that will be well worth your time, with our writers making the case for why each film is special. Some you may have heard of but haven’t gotten around to seeing yet, and some you may have already seen countless times. Whatever the case, we guarantee you’ll find something you enjoy.
So check out our list of the best movies on HBO Max streaming below. For more recommendations, check out our list of the best shows on HBO, best drama movies on HBO, and best horror movies on HBO.
Editor’s note: Last updated on December 23rd to include The Banshees of Inisherin.
Action
The Suicide Squad (2021)
Director: James Gunn | Run Time: 2 hr 12 min
Cast: Idris Elba, Daniela Melchior, Margot Robbie, John Cena
The Suicide Squad is not just the best DCEU movie yet, it’s one of the best films of 2021 hands down. This semi-sequel to the 2016 film is more a reboot than anything, as Guardians of the Galaxy filmmaker James Gunn envisions a Dirty Dozen-type war movie starring these DC outcasts. The members of Task Force X are sent into hostile territory on a secret mission from which they almost certainly will not return, and plenty of violence, action, and humor ensues. This is R-rated insanity through Gunn’s meticulous lens – the film is endlessly surprising and nutty, but never without purpose. A truly joyous, darkly comedic blockbuster that refuses to apologize for being so, well, weird. – Adam Chitwood
Wonder Woman (2017)
Director: Patty Jenkins | Run Time: 2 hr 29 min
Cast: Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Robin Wright, Danny Huston
The best DCEU superhero movie by far, Patty Jenkins crafted a terrific origin story for Diana’s first lead outing on the big screen. The story puts the Amazonian (Gal Gadot) into World War I where she goes hunting for Ares, the God of War, to try and bring peace to mankind. However, her journey has her confronting the world in all its beauty and terror while also falling for pilot Steve Trevor (Chris Pine). Wonder Woman embraces the heroism of its female superhero while also challenging her beliefs and forcing her to grow and change. It’s a difficult balancing act, especially as it carries the weight of being a feminist icon, but Jenkins pulls it off with style to spare. – Matt Goldberg
The Batman (2022)
Director: Matt Reeves | Run Time: 2 hr 56 min
Cast: Robert Pattinson, Zoë Kravitz, Paul Dano
We’ve been inundated with different versions of Batman in recent years, with everything from the Snyderverse take to LEGO Batman. But even with plenty of Batman options to choose from, Matt Reeves‘ The Batman still manages to feel like a fresh take on a character we’ve seen adapted an absurd amount of times. Robert Pattinson plays Bruce Wayne as Gotham’s emo knight, trying to rid the streets of crime and failing at his goal. Making matters worse are gangster nightclub owner The Penguin (Colin Farrell), and a menace causing mayhem around the city that goes by the name of The Riddler (Paul Dano). Despite how many times we’ve experienced these characters and this city, Reeves’ dark take on the caped crusader is a captivating one, as we watch Bruce Wayne attempt to become the hero that Gotham needs. — Ross Bonaime
The Last Duel (2021)
Director: Ridley Scott | Run Time: 2 hr 23 min
Cast: Matt Damon, Adam Driver, Jodie Comer, Ben Affleck
Ridley Scott’s historical drama is a fascinating, Rashomon-like tale of varying viewpoints and contradictions. Told in three chapters, The Last Duel tells the story of Jean de Carrouges (Matt Damon), a knight who confronts his old friend Jacques Le Gris (Adam Driver) in a duel when Jean’s wife Marguerite (Jodie Comer) accuses Jacuqes of rape. As Scott shows each side of this story, the perspectives alter the series of events, the intentions of each scene shift, and truths become uncertain. While Damon, Driver, and Ben Affleck, as the flamboyant Count Pierre de’Alençon, are great, The Last Duel is Comer’s film, as her chapter tells the true reality of this scenario in a performance that deserves awards consideration. The Last Duel is one of Scott’s best, and one of the most underrated films of 2021. — Ross Bonaime
The Jurassic Park Trilogy (1993-2001)
Directors: Steven Spielberg and Joe Johnston | Run Time: 5 hr 48 min
Cast: Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum
Okay so really and truly the first Jurassic Park is unmatched in terms of quality, but the entire Jurassic Park trilogy is now streaming on HBO Max if you feel like a marathon. Steven Spielberg’s 1993 film is movie magic plain and simple – a classic, perfect movie. His 1997 sequel The Lost World is a step down in quality story-wise, but still has some compelling sequences (that dual T. rex scene with the trailers on the cliff is incredible). And 2001’s Jurassic Park III, directed by Joe Johnston, well you can take or leave that one.
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
Director: George Miller | Run Time: 2 hr
Cast: Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult, Hugh Keays-Byrne
After watching Mad Max: Fury Road, Steven Soderbergh once said, “I don’t understand two things: I don’t understand how they’re not still shooting that film and I don’t understand how hundreds of people aren’t dead.” That’s just a testament to George Miller’s insane action masterpiece, a film so over-the-top and insane that it’s remarkable it even exists. It’s no wonder that soon after its release in 2015, Fury Road was being considered one of the greatest action films ever made. By returning to the Max Mad franchise decades after Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, Miller made an absurd and remarkable film that hits the gas hard and never lets up. – Ross Bonaime
Horror
The Witch (2015)
Director: Robert Eggers | Run Time: 1 hr 32 min
Cast: Anya Taylor-Joy, Ralph Ineson, Kate Dickie
The Witch is a suspenseful and frightening film that defies expectations through delightfully terrifying imagery and thought-provoking story. It follows the story of a Puritan family, outcast from their village, who encounter strange and dangerous things in the woods beyond their farmland. The slow-build of horror, unfolding slowly and then seemingly all at once, is enhanced by the historical setting; the descent into hysteria is contrasted by the family’s devotion to their religion, and the climactic finale is triumphantly disturbing. — Olivia Fitzpatrick
Nightmare Alley (2021)
Director: Guillermo del Toro | Run Time: 2 hr 30 min
Cast: Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Toni Collette, Willem Dafoe
Based on the 1946 William Lindsay Gresham novel of the same name, Guillermo del Toro’s Nightmare Alley is a bleak drama exploring the life of the circus, a world full of lies, deception, and opportunities. Bradley Cooper stars as Stanton Carlisle, a carny who moves his way up the ladder of the circus, and then sets out on his own with a psychic act. Once Stan meets Dr. Lillith Ritter (Cate Blanchett), his opportunistic streak gets the best of him, as he goes down a path that could cause him to lose everything. Del Toro’s Best Picture nominee is one of his darkest films, complete with an extraordinary ensemble, and a haunting conclusion that will stick with the audience long after the credits roll. — Ross Bonaime
The Exorcist (1973)
Director: William Friedkin | Run Time: 2 hr 12 min
Cast: Ellen Burstyn, Linda Blair, Max von Sydow, Lee J. Cobb
The infamous The Exorcist is a classic for a reason. A young girl’s strange behavior becomes worse and worse, until it is decided that traditional diagnosis and treatments won’t do. Regan is determined to be possessed by a demon, and the only cure is an exorcism. The Exorcist is well known for having terrified audiences upon its initial release, while at the same time causing long, long lines for admittance to the theater. There were also rumors of the set being cursed: a fire shut down the set for six weeks; many of the actors and crew suffered from injuries, familial tragedies, and even death. Director William Friedkin eventually had a Jesuit priest come in to bless the set; everything seemed to be fine after that. — Alyse Wax
Night of the Living Dead (1968)
Director: George A. Romero | Run Time: 1 hr 37 min
Cast: Judith O’Dea, Duane Jones, Marilyn Eastman, Karl Hardman
Yes, George A. Romero basically invented the zombie movie with Night of the Living Dead. We can quibble about proto-zombie movies and influences, but Romero changed an entire genre with his horror film, but rather than just introduce a creature, he injected it with social meaning. When you look at zombie movies like 28 Days Later or TV shows like The Walking Dead, they all owe a debt to Night of the Living Dead, which is about some survivors hunking down in a barn trying to fend off the undead. But it’s the social message, particularly with regards to race that gives Night of the Living Dead, its enduring power. – Matt Goldberg
Romance
When Harry Met Sally… (1989)
Director: Rob Reiner | Run Time: 1 hr 36 min
Cast: Billy Crystal, Meg Ryan, Carrie Fisher, and Bruno Kirby
While so many romantic comedies tend to ask “will they or won’t they?,” When Harry Met Sally… instead asks the question “when will they?” So much of love isn’t just about finding the right one, but it’s also about finding the right person at the right place and time. With When Harry Met Sally…, we follow the title characters, played by Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan, as they go from two people who can’t stand each other, to reluctant friends, into one of the greatest romances ever captured on film. Thanks to Nora Ephron’s hilarious and charming script, and two fantastic lead performances, When Harry Met Sally… shows how finding the one isn’t always necessarily the most important part of a great love story. – Ross Bonaime
City Lights (1931)
Director: Charlie Chaplin | Run Time: 1 hr 21 min
Cast: Charlie Chaplin, Virginia Cherrill, Florence Lee
Charlie Chaplin was already one of the most beloved actors in the world after films like The Gold Rush and The Kid, but with 1931’s City Lights, Chaplin made his absolute masterpiece. With City Lights, Chaplin once again plays his iconic Tramp character, who this time falls in love with a blind flower girl. The Tramp does everything he can to raise money in order for the flower girl to have an operation to allow her to see, from befriending a rich man, to fighting in a boxing match. City Lights concludes with one of the best endings in film history, a staggering conclusion to one of the best romance films ever made. – Ross Bonaime
(500) Days of Summer (2009)
Director: Marc Webb | Run Time: 1 hr 35 min
Cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Zooey Deschanel, Geoffrey Arend
Ah, the sweet highs and lows of falling madly in love. This story is told through time jumps of the ecstasy and the agony of a failed relationship. Zooey Deschanel stars as the titular Summer who is the object of Tom’s (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) affection. The two have a whirlwind romance but when it has run its course, Summer is ready to let go and Tom just is not. The two share a dynamic chemistry and Deschanel makes it easy to see why someone would fall head over heels. Come for the romance, but stay for the choreographed dance sequence as it is well worth a watch. — Jennifer McHugh
West Side Story (2021)
Director: Steven Spielberg | Run Time: 2 hr 36 min
Cast: Ansel Elgort, Rachel Zegler, Ariana DeBose, David Alvarez, Mike Faist, Rita Moreno
While the pandemic hindered the box office success of Steven Spielberg‘s remake of West Side Story, that doesn’t take away from this refreshing reimagining of this Romeo and Juliet story. Spielberg updates the beloved musical with changes befitting a modern remake, including putting Rita Moreno in the cast as the new character Valentina. While Ansel Elgort and Rachel Zegler succeed as a new Tony and Maria, it really is Ariana DeBose‘s Anita that steals the show with here vivacious energy. From dancing up the streets of New York to her heartbreaking declaration at the end of the film, DeBose gives a performance that inspires and proves it with her Oscar win. A rare remake that is perhaps even better than its original, Spielberg’s West Side Story is a must-watch for musical lovers. — Therese Lacson
Singin’ in the Rain (1952)
Directors: Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen | Run Time: 1 hr 43 min
Cast: Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds, Donald O’Connor, Jean Hagen, Cyd Charisse
Singin’ in the Rain is considered the greatest musical ever made for a reason. Every musical number is perfect, it actually boasts a compelling and rich story arc, and there’s not a false note in the entire film. It’s also of huge interest to cinephiles, as the 1952 film takes place against the backdrop of Hollywood’s transition from silent films to “talkies,” with Gene Kelly playing a famous silent film star. Kelly is charming as hell, Donald O’Connor is a straight-up magician on the dance floor, and Debbie Reynolds is adorably irresistible. The film is packed with stylish musical numbers that showcase the best of what Hollywood could offer during this golden age of musicals, and the script is hilarious to boot. Singin’ in the Rain isn’t just the best musical ever made, it’s one of the best movies ever made period. — Adam Chitwood
Casablanca (1942)
Director: Michael Curtiz | Run Time: 1 hr 42 min
Cast: Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid, Claude Rains
The 1942 winner for Best Picture, Casablanca has lost none of its impact over the decades. It really is a movie that has it all—action, adventure, intrigue, romance, patriotism, sacrifice—it’s more than just “Here’s looking at you, kid.” The story follows jaded nightclub owner Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) who just wants to be left alone until the love of his life, Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman), comes to him looking for help for her husband, a Czech Resistance leader. Don’t be daunted by the film’s prestige; you can still enjoy it for how damned entertaining and surprisingly funny it can be. Casablanca still hits with all the immediacy of its original release as it embraces universal themes about love and self-sacrifice. It’s a beautiful movie, and one worth revisiting. – Matt Goldberg
The Notebook
Director: Nick Cassavetes | Run Time: 2 hr 3 min
Cast: Ryan Gosling, Rachel McAdams, James Garner, Gena Rowlands, James Marsden, Kevin Connolly, Sam Shepard and Joan Allen
No matter how many times you watch The Notebook, tears will be there by the end. A poor yet passionate young man (Ryan Gosling) falls in love with a rich young woman (Rachel McAdams), giving her a sense of freedom, but they are soon separated because of their social differences. From a tear-jerking love story to the chemistry between Gosling and Adams, The Notebook is a romantic movie that hits every single time. There are laughs, tears, and smiles throughout, a roller coaster of emotions that never leave, no matter how many times you have seen it. It’s a testament to the actors who sell this script and how much they bring to the roles. It’s no surprise that almost 20 years from its release, The Notebook continues to be one of those films you can revisit when you want to watch a good love story. — Arianne Binette
Drama
The Banshees of Inisherin (2022)
Run Time: 1 hr 54 min | Director: Martin McDonagh
Cast: Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Kerry Condon, Barry Keoghan
Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson star as Pádraic Súilleabháin and Colm Doherty in the dark comedy film The Banshees of Inisherin. Cleverly written and gorgeously directed by Oscar winner Martin McDonagh (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri), The Banshees of Inisherin tells the story of two friends, Pádraic and Colm, who drift apart at the end of the Irish Civil War in 1923. With Colm attempting to build a legacy as a folk musician while Pádraic seeks to find comfort in his newfound solitude, McDonagh uses The Banshees of Inisherin as a lens to explore themes of mortality and isolation. – Yael Tygiel
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Director: Frank Darabont | Run Time: 2 hr 22 min
Cast: Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman, Gil Bellows, William Sadler
The populist pick for the best movie of all time, The Shawshank Redemption is one of those films that never seems to get old. Filmmaker Frank Darabont’s adaptation of a Stephen King short story takes place in the mid-20th century and revolves around a man (Tim Robbins) serving two consecutive life sentences in prison for murdering his wife. The story chronicles his journey at Shawshank, which is colored by the friends (and enemies) he makes while the audience is left to guess whether he actually committed the crime or not. It’s an expertly told drama packed with memorable performances and a terrific score by Thomas Newman. There’s a reason so many people choose The Shawshank Redemption as their favorite film ever made. – Adam Chitwood
GoodFellas (1990)
Director: Martin Scorsese | Run Time: 2 hr 26 min
Cast: Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro, Lorraine Bracco, Joe Pesci, Paul Sorvino
Any director would be happy to make one masterpiece in his or her career, but filmmaker Martin Scorsese has several. Surely Goodfellas is towards the top of the heap, as the director’s 1990 mob drama still stands today as a stone-cold classic. The film tells the true rise and fall story of mob associate Henry Hill (Ray Liotta), tracking his life of crime from childhood up through the 1980s. It’s an epic saga told with vigor—this thing moves, and it’s all thanks to Scorsese’s kinetic camerawork and editing style. The soundtrack is killer, the performances are incredible (Joe Pesci!), and it’s a film that’s been mimicked countless times since. But there’s no touching the original. – Adam Chitwood
The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928)
Director: Carl Theodor Dreyer | Run Time: 1 hr 54 min
Cast: Maria Falconetti, Eugène Silvain, André Berley, Maurice Schultz
92 years after its release, Carl Theodor Dreyer’s The Passion of Joan of Arc still features one of the greatest performances of all-time, with Maria Falconetti’s draining and powerful performance as the film’s title character. Based on the actual trial record of Joan of Arc, Falconetti shows the exhaustion and crisis that must have existed within Joan of Arc during this horrific experience. Dreyer often shows Falconetti in extreme close-up, centralizing the entire film around Falconetti’s face, and the absolute terror within. By recreating the nightmare and crisis of faith that Joan of Arc went through, Falconetti gave a performance that a century later is still considered one of the best. – Ross Bonaime
Ikiru (1952)
Director: Akira Kurosawa | Run Time: 2 hr 23 min
Cast: Takashi Shimura, Miki Odagiri
While director Akira Kurosawa is associated with movies featuring samurai and ronin like Seven Samurai, Yojimbo, Red Beard, and Rashomon, one of his most powerful features centered on a humble government bureaucrat. Kenji Watanabe (Takashi Shimura) is that bureaucrat, and when he discovers he has stomach cancer with less than a year to live, he goes on a search to give his life meaning by trying to build a playground. The film is a powerful meditation on what we want our legacies to mean, what it means to live your life to the fullest in service of others, and the ability to find the courage to make a difference. It’s a beautiful and heartbreaking masterpiece from a filmmaker whose filmography is filled with masterpieces. – Matt Goldberg
Rebel Without a Cause (1955)
Director: Nicholas Ray | Run Time: 1 hr 51 min
Cast: James Dean, Natalie Wood, Sal Mineo, Jim Backus, Ann Doran
To this day, Rebel Without a Cause is a shocking watch, though perhaps not for the reasons audiences first found it shocking in 1955. Sure, some of the teenage melodrama’s depictions of youth gone amok may seem dated upon modern eyes (though a lot of it, especially the picture’s dissections of class and generation gaps, still ring true). But I am most shocked by the sheer passion, risk-taking, and verve inherent in Nicholas Ray’s filmmaking. It’s in vogue these days for screen depictions of troubled youth to have a grounded, realistic, and muted approach to their performances and lensing techniques. But Ray, a maestro of classic Hollywood melodrama, is like, “Fuck that.” Rebel Without a Cause screams with primal howls, with Technicolor paintings, with grandiose music from Leonard Rosenman, and especially with its central performances from Natalie Wood and James Dean. Dean tragically died just one month before the film’s release, and the knowledge that this is his last impassioned statement lends the film even more tragically compelling subtext. If you want an example of a classic Hollywood film that just keeps appreciating value in age, look no further. — Greg Smith
Citizen Kane (1941)
Director: Orson Welles | Run Time: 1 hr 51 min
Cast: Orson Welles, Joseph Cotton, Dorothy Comingore
Yes, Citizen Kane is one of the greatest movies of all time. No, it is not boring. On the contrary, if you like investigative dramas and stories about damaged individuals, Orson Welles‘ acclaimed 1941 drama is a damn entertaining film. The story starts with the death of newspaper magnate Charles Foster Kane (Welles) and his cryptic last word, “Rosebud.” Even if you know what “Rosebud” is, the film loses none of its impact as Welles, by pioneering new cinematic techniques like Deep Focus, is able to weave a captivating and tragic narrative about a man who gains the world but loses his soul by being unable to buy the things he truly wants out of life. Packed with terrific performances and a timeless story, Citizen Kane is a classic that shouldn’t intimidate you from finally giving it a shot. – Matt Goldberg
Fruitvale Station (2013)
Director: Ryan Coogler | Run Time:
Cast: Michael B. Jordan, Melonie Diaz, Kevin Durand, Chad Michael Murray
Before they teamed up on Creed or Black Panther, filmmaker Ryan Coogler and actor Michael B. Jordan took the Sundance Film Festival by storm with their gut-wrenching 2013 drama Fruitvale Station. The film tells the true story ofOscar Grant III, a 22-year-old from Hayward, California who was wrongfully shot and killed in 2009 by a BART police officer. As crafted by Coogler, the film chronicles the last day of Oscar’s life, and as it builds to its inevitable conclusion you’ll be racked with emotion, anger, and frustration at how far we still have to go. It’s a stunning debut by Coogler and also put Jordan on Hollywood’s radar in a big way. – Adam Chitwood
In the Heights (2021)
Director: Jon M. Chu | Run Time: 2 hr 23 min
Cast: Anthony Ramos, Corey Hawkins, Leslie Grace, Melissa Barrera
Before Lin-Manuel Miranda rocked the world with Hamilton, he happened to rack up a bunch of Tony Awards for his musical In the Heights. The story chronicles a group of dreamers in Washington Heights as they strive to either leave the barrio or reestablish their roots there. Miranda and director Jon M. Chu make an electric pair as the duo take Miranda’s terrific songs and find a way to make them sing on the big screen. The cinematography is inventive, the performances are stunning, and like any good Broadway show, the songs are bound to get stuck in your head. However, we take no responsibility when you can’t stop humming “96,000”. – Matt Goldberg
Drive My Car (2021)
Director: Ryusuke Hamaguchi | Run Time: 2 hr 59 min
Cast: Hidetoshi Nishijima, Tōko Miura, Reika Kirishima
When the 2022 Academy Award nominations were announced, Drive My Car‘s nomination in Best Picture might have been a surprise to many, but the powerful Japanese drama from Ryusuke Hamaguchi is by far one of the best films of 2021. Based on a Haruki Murakami short story of the same name, Drive My Car tells the story of actor and theatre director Yūsuke Kafuku as he directs an adaptation of Uncle Vanya soon after his wife’s death. At close to three hours, Drive My Car takes its time capturing Yūsuke’s heartbreak and the beautiful stories of those he meets through this production. Spending so much time with Yūsuke only enriches this story with more compassion in Drive My Car, one of the most wonderful character studies in years. — Ross Bonaime
The Tale (2018)
Director: Jennifer Fox | Run Time: 1 hr 54 min
Cast: Laura Dern, Isabelle Nélisse, Elizabeth Debicki
Filmmaking doesn’t get more inventive or more harrowing than The Tale. Jennifer Fox set out to interrogate her own memories and look into sexual abuse she suffered at the hands of adults who she thought were her friends. It’s a vital movie of the #MeToo movement, examining how predators prey on their victims and how those victims turn their pain inward and distort what really happened to avoid facing that pain. Led by a searing, complex performance from Laura Dern, The Tale is an essential movie, brilliantly made with thought and ingenuity, and one of the best films of 2018. – Matt Goldberg
Young Adult (2011)
Director: Jason Reitman | Run Time: 1 hr 34 min
Cast: Charlize Theron, Patton Oswalt, Patrick Wilson, Elizabeth Reaser
This 2011 film was hotly anticipated given that it marked a reunion from the writing/directing team behind Juno, but Young Adult is a very different kind of movie. Charlize Theron anchors this comedy/drama as a divorced, alcoholic ghost writer of a series of young adult novels who up and decides to go back to her hometown and strike up a relationship with her now-married high school boyfriend. Theron doesn’t shy away from the prickly aspects of this hard-to-love protagonist, but that’s what makes Young Adult special. A mix of cringeworthy comedy and heartbreaking drama, this one probably isn’t for everyone, but if it’s for you, you’ll love it. – Adam Chitwood
Braveheart (1995)
Director: Mel Gibson | Run Time: 2 hr 58 min
Cast: Mel Gibson, Sophie Marceau, Patrick McGoohan, Catherine McCormack
Freeedoooom! Mel Gibson’s adaptation of the legend of Scottish knight Sir William Wallace won’t get any prize for historical fidelity, but, heck, the movie hits all the notes of the classic 90s popcorn flick. There’s a fierce protagonist whose moral compass is always pointed in the right direction, a set of funny supporting characters, a corrupt and oppressive government to depose, and an army of rebels fighting for a just cause. It’s impossible not to cheer for Gibson’s Wallace until the very end, knowing what horrible fate awaits for the brave warrior. Braveheart is the perfect film to celebrate our collective love for freedom, as long as we don’t think too hard about the story and instead just focus on the breathtaking action pieces and the classic motivational speeches. — Marco Vito Oddo
Gravity (2013)
Director: Alfonso Cuarón | Run Time: 1 hr 31 min
Cast: Sandra Bullock, George Clooney, Ed Harris
The ambition and awe of Alfonso Cuarón’s science fiction adventure Gravity is unparalleled when it comes to cinema of this kind. Almost entirely set in space, the film fully takes you into the world of Sandra Bullock’s astronaut Ryan. When catastrophe strikes and she is left alone she will have to use her wits to find a way to survive long enough to get back down to Earth. Bullock gives a committed performance when acting almost entirely alone and against the imagined nothingness of space that makes you really root for her character to somehow survive. That process of getting there is a grueling one as she continually must face new challenges that threaten to overwhelm her at every turn. However, it is a gorgeous spectacle to witness when handled with such care and craft on display. — Chase Hutchinson
Comedy
Risky Business (1983)
Director: Paul Brickman | Run Time: 1 hr 39 min
Cast: Tom Cruise, Rebecca De Mornay, Joe Pantoliano
This is the film that officially launched Tom Cruise into movie stardom, and for good reason. The actor’s turn in Risky Business is the very definition of a star-making performance, at once charming, relatable, and unforgettable. But it helps that writer/director Paul Brickman’s satire is so confidently realized. While Risky Business hit the zeitgeist for Cruise’s good looks and the classic underwear moment, the film itself is really a brilliant and thoughtful treatise on adolescent sexuality, guilt, and capitalism. Through Joel Goodson, we experience the pressures and shame of teenage sexuality, and Brickman’s handle of the satire here is perfectly on point. It’s an incredibly tricky tone to pull off, but Brickman does it beautifully within the conceit of a coming-of-age teen drama as Cruise carries the film onscreen with his thoughtful, layered performance. Add in the incomparable Rebecce De Mornay as the “hooker with a heart of gold” who’s able to transcend the cliché, plus a killer soundtrack, and Risky Business remains one of Cruise’s absolute best films. – Adam Chitwood
Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
Director: Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris | Run Time: 1 hr 40 min
Cast: Steve Carrell, Greg Kinnear, Toni Collette, Abigail Breslin
Little Miss Sunshine is literally the “indie comedy sensation that could.” Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris’ Sundance hit went on to become a sensation, earning Academy Award wins for both screenwriter Michael Ardnt and Alan Arkin’s wisecracking grandfather. The story follows a dysfunctional yet loving family that takes off on a cross-country trip to support their youngest daughter Olive (Abigail Breslin) in a national beauty pageant. From a stressed-out mother (Toni Collette) to a solemn teenager boy (Paul Dano), Little Miss Sunshine transcends cliches and feels like a hilarious slice-of-life journey. –Liam Gaughan
The Hangover (2009)
Director: Todd Phillips | Run Time: 1 hr 36 min
Cast: Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis, Ed Helms, Ken Jeong, Justin Bartha
The Hangover is one of those lighting-in-a-bottle comedies whose success is impossible to replicate—as evidenced by the sequels. The film is anchored by a terrific ticking clock as three friends wake up hungover after a night in Vegas with no memory of the night before, and a missing groom-to-be. They’re forced to retrace their insane steps to find their friend Doug before the wedding gets underway. Hilarity ensues, obviously, but the comedy here is hard to describe. The film is hilarious not in a traditional “set up and punchline” sort of way, but largely due to the chemistry between Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis, and Ed Helms, and how the trio react to the increasingly ridiculous situations they’re put in. While the sequels failed to capture what made the original special, this film remains a fun watch. – Adam Chitwood
Family
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Director: Alfonso Cuaron | Run Time: 2 hr 21 min
Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint
Before he went on to win a couple of Best Directing Oscars, Alfonso Cuaron directed the best Harry Potter movie (do not DM me to tell me why I am wrong). While Chris Columbus did an admirable job of setting up the Harry Potter world and deserves credit for following the books and finding the right actors, Cuaron wisely knew that by the time the third film came around, it was time to start taking some creative chances or else the films would never be able to take on a life of their own. Thankfully, he found that pulse and gives the Harry Potter series not only some of its best emotional beats but finally makes them feel cinematic rather than simply trying to transfer the books to a new medium. — Matt Goldberg
Scooby-Doo (2002)
Director: Raja Gosnell | Run Time: 1 hr 26 min
Cast: Freddie Prinze Jr., Sarah Michelle Gellar, Matthew Lillard, Linda Cardellini
A modern classic, two decades after its release, Scooby-Doo’s impact on pop culture is obvious from the number of memes and quotes that constantly pop up on social media. And it’s worth the hype! This movie is a blast from start to finish as Mystery Incorporated reunites and heads to Spooky Island, a horror-themed resort, to solve the latest case. The group encounters hijinks and monsters galore, never ceasing to be a fun, wacky, and adventurous time. – Taylor Gates
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
Director: Peter Jackson | Run Time: 2 hr 58 min
Cast: Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen
The first Lord of the Rings movie is also the best (don’t @ me). Director Peter Jackson took a tricky, unwieldy novel and managed to hammer it into an unforgettable fantasy epic by using cutting-edge VFX, exquisite practical effects, and the gorgeous scenery of New Zealand. For those unfamiliar with J.R.R. Tolkien’s famous tale, the story centers on Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood), a hobbit from the Shire who resolves, with the help of a fellowship of friends and allies, to take the One Ring of Power to Mount Doom and cast it into the fires to stop the rise of the dark lord Sauron. Things don’t go quite according to plan (that’s why there are two more movies), but the beginning of this journey includes some of the most powerful moments of the entire franchise like Gandalf’s (Ian McKellen) speech to Frodo about living in difficult times or Samwise (Sean Astin) promising not to leave his friend. It’s a beautiful film that happened to change blockbusters forever. – Matt Goldberg
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971)
Director: Mel Stuart | Run Time: 1 hr 38 min
Cast: Gene Wilder, Jack Albertson, Peter Ostrum, Roy Kinnear, and Julie Dawn Cole
Don’t you dare let your kids watch that terrible Johnny Depp adaptation of the Roald Dahl classic—1971’s Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory is the way to go. The film toes a devilishly fun line between delightful and terrifying, largely thanks to Gene Wilder’s lead performance, but it’s tame enough to prevent any serious traumatization. Besides, the off-kilter nature will make your kid think he or she is in on some sort of secret. It’s a strange film to be sure, but it has a big heart. And Dahl himself wrote the screenplay, so this is definitely the version you’ll want to go with. – Adam Chitwood
My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
Director: Hayao Miyazaki | Run Time: 1 hr 36 min
Cast: Noriko Hidaka, Chika Sakamoto, Hitoshi Takagi
The fact that you can finally stream any of Hayaoi Miyazaki’s wonderful films animated by Studio Ghibli is a straight-up event, but I know the first one I’ll head for is My Neighbor Totoro. Miyazaki has made a career out of crafting endlessly imaginative stories that will make you believe in magic, and the sense of innocence and discovery in Totoro is awe-inspiring. The film follows two young sisters, Satsuki (Noriko Hidaka) and Mei (Chika Sakamoto), who stumble upon the woodland spirits that live beside the country house they’ve moved into with their father (Shigesato Itoi) while waiting for their mother (Sumi Shimamoto) to recover from an illness. The balance between pure delightfulness and genuine emotion here is breathe-taking, couple with the type of visuals that become instantly iconic. (You’ve almost certainly already seen the rotund gentle giant Totoro standing at the bus stop in the rain.) Grab a box of tissues and get ready to meet your new favorite neighbor. — Vinnie Mancuso
The Wizard of Oz (1939)
Directors: Victor Fleming and King Vidor | Run Time: 1 hr 52 min
Cast: July Garland, Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr, Jack Haley, Billie Burke
It’s a miracle that The Wizard of Oz exists, let alone is as great as it is. The production was beset by difficulty after difficulty, running through multiple directors and even recastings. But the finished product is a fantasy masterpiece featuring one of the greatest onscreen performances of all time from Judy Garland. It tells the story of a young girl from Kansas who is whisked away to the fantasical world of Oz, where she must join forces with a brainless Scarecrow, a heartless Tin Man, and a cowardly Lion to find her way home, all while saving Oz from a wicked witch with an army of flying monkeys. Released in 1939, the effects still hold up tremendously well today, and the songs are magnificent. This movie is guaranteed to put a smile on your face at any time. — Adam Chitwood
Spirited Away (2001)
Director: Hayao Miyazaki | Run Time: 2 hr 5 min
Cast: Rumi Hiiragi, Miyu Irino, Mari Natsuki, Takeshi Naito
Hayao Miyazaki is one of our greatest animation filmmakers. He’s a master of blending the surreal and fantastical with the humane and emotion-driven — and his visuals never cease to amaze. Everyone who’s a fan of his has a favorite (I’m partial to the pig-in-a-plane pleasures of 1992’s Porco Rosso, myself). But 2001’s Spirited Away continues to linger in the cultural consciousness more than most, perhaps representing the family-friendly accessibility of the picture without sacrificing an inch of Miyazaki’s most authentic impulses. Chihiro Ogino (Rumi Hiiragi) is moving to a new neighborhood with her parents, when something odd happens: After stuffing their faces with food at a mysterious bathhouse, they are transformed into ginormous pigs. How on earth can Chihiro keep living with pig parents? To find her way back (and to change her parents back), she must travel into the world of spirits (kami), encounter all kinds of surreally, beautifully rendered spirits based on traditional Japanese mythology, and figure out a little about herself, too. Spirited Away exudes childlike wonder and terror in equal measure, giving every viewer the perfect entry point to one of our most perfect animation auteurs. — Greg Smith
Sci-Fi
Inception (2010)
Director: Christopher Nolan | Run Time: 2 hr 28 min
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Ken Watanabe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Perhaps Christopher Nolan’s most striking, stirring film, Inception holds up more than a decade later as one of the great sci-fi films of our time. Leonardo DiCaprio stars as Cobb, who leads a team of dream thieves hired for a bit of high-concept corporate espionage. Using their dream-sharing tech, Cobb’s team has a mission to implant an idea in a dying CEO’s subconscious, traveling through several of their own dreamscapes – dreams within dreams, each with their unique set of rules – along the way. From the slick visuals to the dilating perspectives of time, Inception reflects all of Nolan’s signature cinematic fascinations in their most cohesive, effective form. He builds a fascinating world out of the human mind along the way, making Inception one of the most compelling sci-fi stories of its era, not to mention one of the most technically accomplished. – Haleigh Foutch
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
Director: Stanley Kubrick | Run Time: 2 hr 19 min
Cast: Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood, William Sylvester, Daniel Richter
Stanley Kubrick’s body of work as a director may be short but it is arguably one of the most venerated in film. Ranking high both amongst this catalogue and in the general scope of film is 2001: A Space Odyssey. Starring Keir Dullea, 2001 is the perfect introduction into the mind of Kubrick as director, screenwriter, and auteur. You can feel Kubrick’s hand in every aspect of 2001 as he fine-tunes so nothing is amiss and all of the pieces come together to make a compelling, visually-arresting story. That story sees Dullea’s character, Dr. Dave Bowman, and a team of other scientists suddenly thrown into a mission searching for mankind’s true origins after a mysterious artifact is discovered on the moon’s surface. 2001 is also just a gorgeous, intelligent bit of sci-fi cinema, providing gorgeous shot after gorgeous shot to sink your teeth into as you ponder your own existence. If you’re looking for a movie to woo you with aesthetics while also making you question the nature of your relationship to the world and technology, 2001 is the movie to watch. — Allie Gemmill
The Matrix (1999)
Directors: The Wachowskis | Run Time: 2 hr 16 min
Cast: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss
When The Matrix was released in 1999, it completely altered the landscape of action films. The Wachowskis crafted a film that was both cerebral and completely kick-ass, and even after all these years, The Matrix still holds up as one of the finest action films ever made. Starring Keanu Reeves as the hacker-turned-savior Neo, The Matrix blended a cyberpunk aesthetic with martial arts choreography and groundbreaking special effects to make a film unlike anyone had seen before. Even after several sequels, plenty of imitators, and years of technical innovations, few films are as enthralling and mind-blowing as The Matrix. – Ross Bonaime
Thriller
Don’t Worry Darling (2022)
Director: Olivia Wilde | Run Time: 2 hrs 3 min
Cast: Florence Pugh, Harry Styles, Chris Pine, KiKi Layne, Gemma Chan
Don’t Worry Darling is a captivating mystery set in a utopian town reminiscent of the white picket fence American dreams of the 1950s. Director Olivia Wilde, who also appears in the film, beautifully captures the scenic landscape of the enigmatic community surrounding her stars Florence Pugh (Black Widow) and Harry Styles (My Policeman). Centered on a fascinating premise, Don’t Worry Darling’s intriguing secrets slowly reveal themselves as Pugh’s Alice questions the validity of the experimental situation in which she finds herself. Don’t Worry Darling is a beautifully shot, suspenseful puzzle that presents infinite questions that may or may not be answered. – Yael Tygiel
Nightcrawler (2014)
Director: Dan Gilroy | Run Time: 1 hr 57 min
Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Rene Russo, Riz Ahmed, Bill Paxton
In the prolific pantheon of Oscar snubs, few have bewildered me so much as the failure to nominate Jake Gyllenhaal for his mesmerizing, terrifying portrayal of Louis Bloom in 2014’s Nightcrawler. Without question one of the best performances of his career, and easily towards the top of my list for the best of the 21st Century so far, Gyllenhaal is a force of lean and hungry fury as an ambitious and unethical oddball who discovers he has a gift for capturing and selling gruesome crime scene footage. And things go from “stay away from that guy” to “run for your life” when Louis channels his enterprising machiavellian mind into making sure he always has new footage. A chilling indictment of how the American Dream can turn into a nightmare in the hands of the wrong person, Nightcrawler is a tight, focused, fantastically shot thriller that you can never quite shake. — Haleigh Foutch
No Country for Old Men (2007)
Director: Joel and Ethan Coen | Run Time: 2 hr 2 min
Cast: Josh Brolin, Javier Bardem, Tommy Lee Jones, Kelly Macdonald
There’s no shortage of fantastic Coen Brothers films in the first decade of the 21st Century, but No Country for Old Men is the best received and one of the best of their entire career. The country crime thriller took home four Oscars in 2008, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Supporting Actor for Javier Bardem, who delivers one of the all-time great villainous performances as the chilling assassin of chance, Anton Chigurh. Yet another extraordinary Coen film about simple folk whose ambition outranks their ability, No Country for Old Men is tense and thrilling, funny and bleak, and just strange enough to be distinctly Coen. — Haleigh Foutch
M (1931)
Director: Fritz Lang | Run Time: 1 hr 39 min
Cast: Peter Lorre, Otto Wernicke, and Gustaf Gründgens
Fritz Lang’s M is an early icon of crime films, a procedural drama told with limited dialogue and powerful German Expressionistic visuals. Peter Lorre plays a serial killer of children who is hunted by the Berlin police and the criminals of the area. Lang crafts an incredibly tense thriller that escalates to a near breaking point, as Lorre has to reckon with his crimes and the people out to get him. Lang’s greatest film is a masterpiece of crime films and a dark drama that still is still extremely unsettling over 90 years later. – Ross Bonaime
Memento (2000)
Director: Christopher Nolan | Run Time: 1 hr 53 min
Cast: Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano
With his second film, Memento, Christopher Nolan presented many of the ideas he’d return to throughout his career. Nolan’s interest in playing with time is arguably at its most mind-bending here in this story of Leonard Shelby (Guy Pearce), a man with no short-term memory attempting to solve the murder of his wife. Nolan would also return quite frequently to films about unreliable protagonists and open-ended conclusions, but rarely has Nolan been as great as he was with this early film. With Memento, Nolan became a rule-breaking filmmaker who could completely screw with the viewer’s head in wild and exciting ways. – Ross Bonaime
North by Northwest (1959)
Director: Alfred Hitchcock | Run Time: 2 hr 16 min
Cast: Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, James Mason, Jessie Royce Landis
Obviously, Alfred Hitchcock was “The Master of Suspense”, but a film like North by Northwest shows how he could use that suspense in so many different ways. Sometimes it would be horror; other times it could be drama, but here it’s used for one of the best thrillers ever made. The film follows Roger Thornhill (Cary Grant), who is mistaken by some goons for special agent George Kaplan. Kidnapped, drugged, and framed for murder just for a start, poor Roger goes on the run for his life and to find some answers about his predicament. Hitchock puts his action chops on display with some exhilarating set pieces, but never loses sight of the breakneck pacing and exciting narrative of mistaken identity. – Matt Goldberg
Blood Simple (1984)
Director: Joel and Ethan Coen | Run Time: 1 hr 35 min
Cast: John Getz, Frances McDormand, Dan Hedaya
Few filmmakers make a debut as confident or stunning as Blood Simple, but the Coen Brothers has no problem making their voices heard with their first feature. Dan Hedaya plays a dive bar owner who suspects that his wife (Frances McDormand) is cheating on him with an employee (John Getz). His suspicions confirmed, he asks a P.I. (M. Emmet Walsh) to kill the lovers, but this plot soon spirals out of control and leads to unexpected bloodshed. The Coens made a masterpiece of neo noir and while they would go on to a series of classics like Raising Arizona, Miller’s Crossing, Fargo, The Big Lebowski, and No Country for Old Men, their first film still ranks among their best.
[ad_2]
Source link
Armessa Movie News