Every month brings new movies to HBO Max. Their film selection is already one of the best you can find among streaming services. With additions arriving every week, it can be daunting to select a title to watch on movie night.
We’re here to help by highlighting the best HBO Max movies with great Rotten Tomatoes scores. The reviews aggregator issues ratings for movies and TV shows based on what critics and audiences have to say. If you are looking for quality movies, you can seek out ones that are certified “fresh,” which means at least 60 percent of reviews are positive.
And we're no strangers to finding the best critically-acclaimed movies on HBO Max. This list is comprised of movies that have been added in the last month or so, as we've compiled selections last August, October and December.
So, welcome back with more true slam dunk options, films recently added to HBO Max rated 89% or higher on RT? Here are some new HBO Max movies to stream right now.
The Menu (2022)
We usually keep this list to movies that are 90% or above on Rotten Tomatoes, but we couldn't resist including this delectable "eat the rich" thriller, which comes just under at 89%. Half thriller, half extremely dark comedy, The Menu skewers a number of topical morsels, including capitalism, fine dining, chef-auteurs, restaurant critics, tech bros, Hollywood and men.
A group of wealthy diners travel to an island that houses an exclusive restaurant run by Chef Slowik (Ralph Fiennes). To their growing dismay, they discover that Slowik has planned a very different kind of culinary experience — a deadly one.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 94%
Genre: Horror
Stream it on HBO Max
Ghostbusters (1984)
While it’s considered a classic, watched by several generations since release, Ghostbusters first became a hit because it was weird. And kind of disgusting (hence, why kids love it so much). Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis’ script is filled with irreverance and oddball humor, which offset the sometimes ludicrous hijinks of the actual “ghostbusting” against supernatural. The blend of comedy, science fiction, fantasy and action is appealing, but it’s really the cast that’s the main draw. Aykroyd, Ramis, Bill Murray, Ernie Hudson and Sigourney Weaver have the kind of chemistry even the richest corporation could buy.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 95%
Genre: Supernatural action comedy
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Captain Phillips (2013)
Tom Hanks has cemented himself as one of Hollywood’s most likeable and long-lasting leading men in a variety of genres, from romantic comedies to dramas. But some of his best work has come when he plays a real-life hero in difficult circumstances, like Jim Lovell in Apollo 13 or the titular Captain Phillips in this ripped-from-the-headliness biopic. Based on the 2009 Maersk Alabama hijacking, the Paul Greengrass-directed film puts Hanks at the helm of a cargo ship. When Somali pirates led by Barkhad Abdi take the crew hostage, the captain must do what he can to protect his crew.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 93%
Genre: Biographical thriller
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Hereditary (2018)
Hereditary is one of the weirdest, most entertaining horror movies of the last decade. Annie Graham (Toni Collette) is a suburban artist whose mother has just died. Their relationship was troubled, so the death comes almost as a relief. Then, strange things start happening to Graham, her teen son and daughter. When another tragedy strikes, Graham seeks solace in the supernatural, but her discovery serves only to unnerve her distraught family even further. As Graham's life continues to unravel, the supernatural influence grows, and becomes even stranger.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 90%
Genre: Horror
Stream it on HBO Max
Zero Dark Thirty (2012)
Kathryn Bigelow followed up her Oscar-winning film The Hurt Locker with this gripping, fictionalized account of the decade-long international manhunt for Osama bin Laden, the leader of Al Qaeda and orchestrator of the September 11 attacks. When CIA analyst Maya Harris (Jessica Chastain) discovers intelligence of his whereabouts, a strike force moves in to capture the terrorist.
Zero Dark Thirty generated quite a lot of controversy, facing criticism for historical inaccuracy, stereotypes, partisanship and depiction of torture. Whatever side you fall on, it’s a riveting chronicle of a major moment in American history.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 91%
Genre: Drama
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American Hustle (2013)
Some movies are a worthy slog, and some are just sheer fun. American Hustle is the latter. David O. Russell gathers a dream team of actors for a thoroughly entertaining scam story. Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence all got Oscar nominations, though none of them won. In fact, American Hustle has the unfortunate distinction of being the second-highest nominated movie that didn’t win any Oscars.
Awards seem meaningless, though, when you’re enjoying the show. When con artist lovers Irving (Bale) and Sydney (Adams) are caught by an FBI agent (Cooper), he recruits them to help take down a corrupt mayor (Jeremy Renner). But their cover may be blown by Irving’s jealous wife (Lawrence)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 92%
Genre: Crime drama/comedy
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The Artist (2011)
This delightful French film is a love letter to the early, silent days of cinema. It’s a feel-good movie that has romance, wit and heart. Set in the 1920s, it follows the fall of silent films and the rise of “talkies.” George Valentin (Jean Dujardin) is a debonair matinee idol with many adoring fans. While working on his latest project, he falls in love with ingenue Peppy Miller (Bérénice Bejo) — except he’s married. The other obstacle to their relationship is the growing popularity of sound, which all but dooms George’s career while Peppy’s star rises.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 95%
Genre: Romantic comedy
Stream it on HBO Max
