Just because the fireworks are over doesn't mean the best streaming services are finished lighting up with critically acclaimed movies this summer.
Max is no exception, but with so many movies arriving this month, we're rounding up the ones with a 90% or higher score on the review aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes to help you narrow down what to watch on your next movie night. Granted, not every movie with a high rating is guaranteed to be a hit, but it is a useful metric to see what movies are beloved by critics and audiences alike.
The best new to Max movies in July 2024 span a range of genres, from an over-the-top queer thriller starring Kristen Stewart to a poignant documentary about the surviving members of the family shown in "The Zone of Interest." There’s something for everyone on our favorite streaming service this month.
'Love Lies Bleeding' (2024)
After missing A24's super-violent, super-sapphic thriller "Love Lies Bleeding" in theaters, this is one movie I'm counting down the days until I can stream it. Kristen Stewart shines as Lou, a reclusive gym manager striving to escape her criminal family's influence and build an independent life for herself.
She falls for an ambitious bodybuilder named Jackie (Katy O'Brian) who's just passing through town on her way to make it big in Las Vegas. What begins as a passionate romance quickly escalates into a series of violent crimes as the two are pulled deep into the web of Lou's sordid past.
Genre: Mystery and Thriller/Crime/Drama/LGBTQ+/Action
Rotten Tomatoes score: 94%
Stream it on Max starting July 19
'Inside Job' (2010)
Documentary fans will devour "Inside Job," the Oscar-winning deep dive into how the 2008 financial crisis came to pass. As gripping as any thriller, this Matt Damon-narrated documentary reveals how deregulation, Wall Street greed, and a lack of oversight contributed to the pop heard around the world.
While the ins and outs are undeniably dense, "Inside Job" does a fantastic job of breaking down how financial products like mortgage-backed securities and credit default swaps were created and sold with hidden risks, leading to the collapse of major financial institutions. It features interviews with experts like economists, politicians, and journalists as well as archival footage demonstrating how world leaders responded to the crisis.
Genre: Documentary
Rotten Tomatoes score: 98%
Stream it now on Max
'Lady Bird' (2017)
Before Greta Gerwig brought "Barbie" to the big screen, her solo directorial debut "Lady Bird" made her a household name. This bittersweet coming-of-age tale stars Saoirse Ronan as the titular Lady Bird, a low-level rebel on the verge of graduating from a Catholic high school in Sacramento.
As she carves out her own identity, she frequently butts heads with her no-nonsense mother (Laurie Metcalf), but the two are more alike than they'd ever admit. "Lady Bird" can be a tough watch if (like me) you come into it with your own baggage of a less-than-ideal mother-daughter relationship, but it's not one to miss. This is one of those movies that sticks with you long after the credits roll.
Genre: Comedy/drama
Rotten Tomatoes score: 99%
Stream it now on Max
'The Commandant's Shadow' (2024)
If "The Zone of Interest" still haunts you, this is one documentary to check out. "The Commandant's Shadow" follows the 87-year-old son of Rudolf Höss, the head of Auschwitz whose family is at the center of Jonathan Glazer's Oscar-winning film. Hans Jürgen Höss, who was 7 years old when the camp was liberated, is pushed to reckon with his family's horrific past by his son and grandson.
All the while, a parallel story unfolds about Anita Lasker-Wallfisch, a German-Jewish cellist and Auschwitz survivor who played in the camp band. The two come face-to-face at the documentary's conclusion over snacks and coffee at Lasker-Wallfisch's England home in a touching display of humanity.
Genre: Documentary/History
Rotten Tomatoes score: 91%
Stream it on Max starting July 18
'Frank' (2014)
Prepare to laugh and cry with this irreverent indie dramedy from Irish director Lenny Abrahamson ("Room," "Normal People"). "Frank" is inspired by the true story of British punk rocker Chris Sievey, known for performing as his alter-ego Frank Sidebottom while wearing a giant papier-mâché head.
Michael Fassbender stars as a version of Frank, now a lead vocalist in a band that embarks on a tour with aimless aspiring songwriter Jon (Domhnall Gleeson). During the tour, Frank leads the group to record an album on what becomes a yearlong retreat. As the weeks go by, he pushes Jon and the others to the brink of insanity — or perhaps to just the creative breakthrough they need.
Genre: Comedy/drama/romance
Rotten Tomatoes score: 92%
Stream it now on Max
'Four Weddings and a Funeral' (1994)
This delightful British rom-com was a smash hit when it first hit theaters in 1994, going on to become the highest-grossing British film in history at the time as well as one of the most beloved films of the decade.
Written by Richard Curtis — the screenwriter of rom-com classics including "Bridget Jones," "Notting Hill" and "Love Actually" — Four Weddings and a Funeral follows the bumbling English bachelor Charlie (Hugh Grant) across, you’ve guessed it, four nuptials and one slightly more somber affair. He falls for an American woman named Carrie (Andie MacDowell), who he's convinced is the one for him. Too bad he can never get the timing quite right.
Genre: Romantic comedy
Rotten Tomatoes score: 92%
Stream it now on Max
'Cat on a Hot Tin Roof' (1958)
A classic from the Golden Age of Hollywood, "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" stars Elizabeth Taylor and Paul Newman as a couple in crisis. Former high school sports star Brick Pollitt (Newman) injures himself one night while out drunk trying to recapture his glory days.
When the couple heads to his family's plantation to celebrate the birthday of wealthy, ornery patriarch Big Daddy (Burl Ives), they're put on the spot about when they plan to have children. Tensions boil over as the reunion jogs a host of memories and revelations for both father and son.
Genre: Drama
Rotten Tomatoes score: 97%
Stream it now on Max
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