Max top 10 movies — here’s the 3 worth watching right now

(From L to R) Rohan (Nik Dodani), Josh (Brandon Flynn), Dorothy (Edie Falco), John (Dean Norris), and Liddie (Lisa Kuthrow) in The Parenting
(Image credit: Max)

Max's top 10 movies list is constantly in flux, with each month bringing a new batch of films to the streaming service. But when you're spoiled for choice, figuring out what to watch next can be a headache in and of itself.

Thankfully, Tom's Guide is here to help — we’ve sorted through the streamer's current top 10 to narrow those overwhelming options down to the three best movies worth adding to your watchlist. This includes a new offbeat horror comedy, a psychological thriller led by Hugh Grant as a devilish villain, and an Oscar-winning animated feature that beat out Disney and Dreamworks for Hollywood's highest honor.

So let's go ahead and dive into the best three movies in Max's top 10 list. Nothing catch your eye? Check out everything new on Max for more streaming recommendations.

This article is based on the Max top 10 movies in the U.S. as of 10:00 a.m. ET on Saturday, March 15.

Best movies in Max's top 10

'The Parenting' (2025)

The Parenting | Official Trailer | Max - YouTube The Parenting | Official Trailer | Max - YouTube
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Max's new horror comedy "The Parenting" has a premise that immediately caught my attention. Falling somewhere between "The Exorcist" and "Meet the Parents," it follows a new couple (Nik Dodani and Brandon Flynn) who plan a weekend getaway to introduce their respective parents for the first time that takes a supernatural turn.

While some awkwardness is to be expected, what no one saw coming was the 400-year-old poltergeist stalking the halls of their remote country retreat. Weird things start happening, and all hell breaks loose when the specter possesses one of the parents. The offbeat premise was enough to convince me to add this one to my watch list, but the supporting cast, including Parker Posey, Lisa Kudrow, Dean Norris and Brian Cox, is what really sold me on this one.

Watch it on Max now

'Heretic' (2024)

Heretic | Official Trailer HD | A24 - YouTube Heretic | Official Trailer HD | A24 - YouTube
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"Heretic" was one of my biggest surprises of last year, and it's right up there with "Get Out" and "The Invisible Man" in the pantheon of smart horror movies. Hugh Grant is also a delight to watch playing against type as the sinister Mr. Reed, a reclusive old man who invites two teenage Mormon missionaries into his house for what becomes a deadly game of cat and mouse.

At first, they're delighted to find someone with such a keen interest in their message, but the longer they stay the more uneasy they become as his eccentricities belie a truly unhinged psyche. For a thriller, "Heretic" takes a while to get the ball rolling, but it's none the worse for its wordy first half. I found it just as riveting hearing Reed and Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher of "Yellowjackets" fame) and Sister Paxton (Chloe East) debate religious philosophies as it was watching the missionaries try to escape his demented puzzle box of a home.

Watch it now on Max

'Flow' (2024)

FLOW - Official US Trailer - YouTube FLOW - Official US Trailer - YouTube
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This Best Animated Feature winner made history as the first Latvian film to win an Academy Award, a particularly nice feather in its cap considering it was up against Disney and Dreamworks, two of the biggest animation studios in Hollywood.

"Flow" cultivates a dreamy aesthetic with soft, bright visuals and a lack of dialogue, similar to Pixar's "Wall-E." It follows a cat's fight to survive amid a catastrophic flood that destroys its home. When the rising waters threaten to overtake them, the cat finds sanctuary on a sailboat, where it's greeted by a capybara. The two initially distrust each other, but grow closer as they navigate the newly flooded landscape and welcome a menagerie of other animal survivors on board. As the unlikely group grows, they must learn to coexist peacefully despite their differences if they want to make it out alive.

Watch it now on Max

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Our favorite streaming service combines quality and quantity. Its library contains HBO prestige shows like "House of the Dragon" and "White Lotus," blockbuster movies from Warner Bros. and DC, plus reality TV and true crime docs from Discovery's family of networks.

Max top 10 movies right now

  1. 'Heretic' (2024)
  2. 'The Parenting' (2025)
  3. 'Assassin's Creed' (2016)
  4. 'Flow' (2024)
  5. 'Elevation' (2025)
  6. 'Men in Black' (1997)
  7. 'White Chicks' (2004)
  8. 'End of Watch' (2016)
  9. 'Morbius' (2022)
  10. 'The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim' (2024)

More from Tom's Guide

Alyse Stanley
News Editor

Alyse Stanley is a news editor at Tom’s Guide overseeing weekend coverage and writing about the latest in tech, gaming, and entertainment.Prior to joining Tom’s Guide, Alyse worked as an editor for the Washington Post’s sunsetted video game section, Launcher. She previously led Gizmodo’s weekend news desk and has written game reviews and features for outlets like Polygon, Unwinnable, and Rock, Paper, Shotgun. She’s a big fan of horror movies, cartoons, and roller skating.

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