Figuring out what to watch is a constant struggle in my household (yes, I know, first-world problems), so I'm frequently perusing the top 10 movies list on the best streaming services like Max. While they're not all guaranteed to be home runs, it's a handy tool for cutting through the noise to see what people are buzzing about.
If you're also at a loss for what to watch, we've narrowed down the best movies in the Max top 10 to bring you the three that are truly worth the hype. This list includes A24's superviolent, superqueer thriller starring Kristen Stewart and Katy O'Brian, a poignant documentary on the family that inspired last year's Oscar-winning "The Zone of Interest" and a larger-than-life clash of the titans filled with breathtaking special effects that'll leave you oohing and aahing.
This article is based on the Max top 10 movies in the U.S. as of 4 p.m. ET on July 22. For even more streaming recommendations, be sure to check out our round-up of everything new on Max this month.
'Love Lies Bleeding' (2024)
"Love Lies Bleeding" may just be one of A24's best movies of the year. Think of it as a cross between "Thelma and Louise" and "Kill Bill" directed by the Coen Brothers and with the sapphic vibes dialed up to 11.
Kristen Stewart is in top form as Lou, a reclusive gym manager struggling to build a new life for herself outside of her criminal family's influence. She falls hard for an up-and-coming bodybuilder named Jackie (Katy O'Brian) who's headed for what she hopes is her big break in Las Vegas. The two hit it off, but their passionate romance turns into a chaotic, gory descent into a toxic love affair after Lou's family gets involved.
Watch it now on Max
'The Commandant's Shadow' (2024)
"The Zone of Interest" was one of last year's most haunting movies, but did you know that several members of the family at the center of Jonathan Glazer's Oscar-winning drama are still alive to this day?
"The Commandant's Shadow" follows Hans Jürgen Höss, the 87-year-old son of Auschwitz commandant Rudolf Höss. At the behest of his son and grandson, Hans finally reads the memoir his father wrote as he awaited execution, and he struggles to reconcile his fond memories of his father with the man's horrific legacy. Meanwhile, a parallel story unfolds about Anita Lasker-Wallfisch, a German-Jewish cellist and Auschwitz survivor who played in the camp band. The two meet face-to-face along with their respective children in a touching display of humanity.
Watch it now on Max
'Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire' (2024)
"Godzilla Minus One" may have been an Oscar-winning game-changer, but "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire" takes the series back to its roots, featuring larger-than-life set pieces and a blockbuster display of stunning special effects that make it easy to overlook its flimsy plot. Just don’t expect anything deeper than popcorn thrills.
This follow-up to 2021’s “Godzilla vs. Kong” forces the laser-blasting lizard and gigantic ape to set aside their past rivalry to confront a new threat. With a frost-breathing titan threatening to break out of Hollow Earth and wreak havoc on the surface, these former adversaries team up in a battle of epic proportions for the fate of the world.
Watch it now on Max
Max top 10 movies right now
- 'Twister' (1996)
- 'Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire' (2024)
- 'Love Lies Bleeding' (2024)
- 'Justice League Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part Two' (2024)
- 'The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie' (2004)
- 'Alvin and the Chipmunks' (2007)
- 'Gods of Egypt' (2016)
- 'Signs' (2002)
- 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' (2011)
- 'The Commandant's Shadow' (2024)
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