7 Best Movies on Max That You Didn’t Know Were Streaming

Max, formerly known as HBO Max and HBO Go, boasts one of the best movie libraries in the world of streaming, and there exist a number of great titles on the platform that subscribers may have missed. The extensive catalog of Max includes hit original movies such as Reality and The Fallout, as well as platform-exclusive TV series like The White Lotus, Chernobyl, and Game of Thrones. When films constantly hop from one streaming service to another, it’s hard to keep track of what’s available to watch. Accordingly, one will discover a multitude of both critically acclaimed and extremely underrated movies buried in Max’s vast selection of titles.

Most people are not aware that these seven outstanding films are available to stream on Max.

Taxi Driver

Martin Scorsese’s 1976 classic Taxi Driver never gets old. Robert De Niro stars as the film’s morally gray protagonist Travis Bickle, a Vietnam War veteran and New York cab driver whose insomnia and mental instability impact his nighttime shifts. A masterful psychological thriller and pioneer of neo-noir films, Taxi Driver constructs a riveting character study with palpable tension. De Niro’s career-defining performance of Bickle’s gripping descent into madness is both gripping and disturbing, while Scorsese’s brilliant direction makes Taxi Driver a must-watch for those who love an anti-hero main character.

Black Swan

Another mesmerizing psychological thriller, 2010’s Black Swan chronicles a ballerina’s downward spiral amid her personal and professional battle to reach perfection in a production of the famous ballet Swan Lake. Darren Aronofsky’s Oscar-winning movie is captivating from start to finish, as it incorporates horror and drama elements into its story. Starring Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, and Vincent Cassel, Black Swan also features some incredible acting performances. The film’s twisted series of events ends with a stunning final sequence that viewers are still talking about. Fans of thrillers should not pass up the opportunity to see Black Swan while it’s streaming on Max.

Silver Linings Playbook

Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence headline 2012’s Silver Linings Playbook, a criminally underrated romantic comedy centered on two troubled adults who begin an unlikely romance. The movie’s charming story heavily influenced by football fandom and family connections has not aged one bit over the years. Cooper and Lawrence also exhibit amazing chemistry, which works well with Silver Linings Playbook‘s amusing script heightened by supporting cast members Robert De Niro, Jacki Weaver, and Chris Tucker. Even viewers who don’t usually enjoy rom-coms will likely find something to love in Silver Linings Playbook.

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Disobedience

2017’s Disobedience tells an absorbing romance narrative while addressing important topics surrounding religion and sexuality. Starring Rachel Weisz and Rachel McAdams, the Sebastián Lelio-directed film follows two childhood friends who reconnect later in life in their Orthodox Jewish community, only to rekindle their feelings for each other. Disobedience‘s tale of forbidden love is far from a cliché, as the lead duo’s powerful interpretations of their characters’ desire and conflict bolster the movie’s thought-provoking screenplay. The enduring relevance of Disobedience‘s story of the lasting rift between religious institutions and the LGBTQ+ community establishes the movie as a memorable work of cinema.

To Be or Not to Be

To Be or Not to Be was one of many World War II-inspired movies that came out during the conflict itself. The 1942 film fixates on a pair of actors who try to prevent a suspected Nazi spy from uncovering a list of resistance members during the German occupation of Poland. The satirical angle of To Be or Not To Be‘s narrative is wildly hilarious over the course of the movie’s hour-and-a-half-long runtime, as it repeatedly and cleverly mocks Adolf Hitler and the Nazis. The film succeeds in making light of an unfathomably dark era while remaining in touch with the seriousness of its subject material. To Be or Not to Be also deviates from typical combat-centric war movies, while the lead pairing of Jack Benny and Carole Lombard is a joy to watch on screen. The novelty and brilliance of Ernst Lubitsch’s film have cemented it as a timeless classic.

Gangs of New York

Among Scorsese’s most underrated titles, 2002’s Gangs of New York derives its story from Herbert Asbury’s 1927 book, which details the conflicts and violence between various gangs in New York City during the 19th Century. Set in 1863, Gangs of New York focuses on an Irish immigrant who pursues vengeance against his father’s murderer, who happens to be a powerful gang leader. The first of numerous collaborations between Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio, Gangs of New York is both brutal and alluring. The film has not received the level of recognition garnered by other Scorsese classics like Taxi Driver, Goodfellas, and The Departed. Thus, Gangs of New York is well worth a watch for those who have overlooked the movie.

Prisoners

The Denis Villeneuve masterpiece Prisoners packs chills, thrills, and heart-pounding suspense into two and a half hours. Released in 2013, the movie stars Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal, following the case of two missing girls as the father of one of the children and a detective relentlessly searching for the kidnapper. Jackman’s excellent portrayal of a tormented father desperate for answers pairs well with the more subtle resolve of Gyllenhaal’s character. Prisoners functions well as a crime drama and horror-soaked mystery, keeping audiences guessing at every mesmerizing turn and concluding with one final shocking twist that will leave viewers with their jaws on the floor.

All of these entries can be streamed on Max.