24 absolute best movies on Max to watch now

Max has become a streaming service we can’t live without.

The library boasts thousands of hours of endless movie magic, from hallowed Hollywood favorites in the Turner Classic Movies collection to nerdy essentials like The Lord of the Rings and Aliens to the works of directors like Chantal Akerman, Wong Kar-wai, Robert Altman, and Akira Kurosawa. Not to mention, Barbie.

Picking the best (and distinguishing them from our personal favorites) was no easy task, but we somehow managed.

In no particular order, here are the best movies on Max.

1. Parasite (2019)

Four years have passed, and it’s still wild that a film like Parasite took home the Best Picture trophy at the Oscars back in 2020. Not only was Bong Joon-ho’s black comedy thriller the very first non-English language film to grab Hollywood’s highest honor, but it was also by far the most audacious film to do so. The South Korean filmmaker’s anti-capitalist parable follows the Kims, a poor family just barely getting by, who decide to infiltrate the lives of the wealthy Park family, who reside in a luxurious modern home. First Ki-woo (Choi Woo-shik) pretends to be a student to get a job tutoring the Parks’ daughter. Then he gets his sister Ki-jung, aka “Jessica” (cue air quotes) a job as their son’s art therapist. Eventually, the entire Kim family is on the Parks’ payroll, without the Parks realizing they’re related. 

But Parasite is so much more than a class-conscious story about a scheming family. Bong has long been a master of genre mash-up filmmaking, and with Parasite, he further blends tingling suspense with biting humor, startling violence, and unforgettable set pieces. Parasite is one of those rare films that was fully deserving of the massive hype around it, and still is.

How to watch: Parasite is now streaming on Max.

2. Aliens (1986)

Every sequel faces the challenge of living up to its predecessor, but Aliens had the particularly tough challenge of following sci-fi horror masterpiece Alien. They’re two phenomenal, though different, films. The beauty of James Cameron’s sequel is how it does its own thing and takes Ripley’s (Sigourney Weaver) story in an exhilarating, action-packed direction, instead of trying to recreate the slow, atmospheric horror of Ridley Scott’s Alien.  

Aliens reunited us with our heroine 57 years after the events of the first film. After awakening, Ripley decides to go back to the planet where she first encountered the Xenomorph, now that the Weyland corporation has lost contact with a human colony living there. Joined by a crew of Marines including Michael Biehn’s Hicks, Bill Paxton’s Hudson, and Jenette Goldstein’s Vasquez (one of coolest female action characters cinema’s seen), Ripley heads back to LV-426 and takes the young orphan Newt (Carrie Henn) under her wing.

How to watch: Aliens is now streaming on Max.

3. Barbie (2023)

Sweet, smart, and surprisingly subversive for a billion-dollar blockbuster, Barbie is a blast. Movies about toys are not supposed to be this thoughtful or this good, but apparently no one told that to director Greta Gerwig, who wrote Barbie with her long-term partner, Noah Baumbach. The comedy stars Margot Robbie as Barbie, the stereotypical beautiful blonde in a Barbieland populated by every imaginable kind of Barbie, a handful of Kens (led by a delightful Ryan Gosling), and one lone Allan (Michael Cera). She starts having very un-Barbie-like thoughts about, like, death, so she journeys to the real world, where she discovers things are not as idyllic as they were back in female-led Barbieland. 

In addition to being 2023’s top-grossing film, Barbie earned eight Oscar nods and one win. However, many believed it didn’t get the nominations it deserved for either Robbie as lead actress or Gerwig as director, who perhaps made their hard work look effortless. Some viewers also complained that it was too revolutionary in its feminism, while others found it too moderate, echoing the monologue from America Ferrara’s character that undoubtedly got the actress an Oscar nomination. Yet despite its small number of detractors, Barbie remains a crowd-pleasing winner, brimming with intelligence, optimism, and so much pink paint. — Kimber Myers, Freelance Contributor

How to watch: Barbie is now streaming on Max.

4. In the Mood for Love (2000)

In the Mood for Love is a favorite among many cinephiles (including this one!) for a reason — it’s one of the most sublime examples of how to tell an emotional story through the language of cinema. But you don’t need to be a film scholar or know anything at all about filmmaking or foreign movies to enjoy this romance, which relies on the power of showing over telling. 

It’s a simple story about two neighbors who soon discover a secret about their respective spouses. Set in 1960s Hong Kong, Tony Leung’s Chow Mo-Wan and Maggie Cheung’s Su Li-Zhen hardly speak more than a few words to each other, but through their encounters in the hallway of their apartment building and the staircase of a local noodle shop, something begins to blossom — a longing, a sadness, a desire to be seen. The incredible thing about In the Mood for Love is how filmmaker Wong Kar-wai captures these universal emotions and tells a relatable story about love and yearning through visuals, sound, and performances using minimal exposition. Bursting with a radiant red and golden color scheme, stunning ‘60s womens’ fashion, and a soundtrack of multinational music, In the Mood for Love is more of an experience than a traditional romance, and one that grows more beautiful with each rewatch.

How to watch: In the Mood for Love is now streaming on Max.

5. Moonlight (2016)

You can look back on some Oscar Best Picture winners and wonder, “Was that movie really that good?” That’s far from the case for Moonlight. Barry Jenkins’ stunning triptych about queer Black masculinity is a film that’s only grown with beauty and emotional depth in the years since it rocked the Oscars with the infamous La La Land mix-up. 

For the uninitiated, Moonlight tells a coming-of-age story about Chiron, a young Black man from Miami, over the course of three chapters in his life. First we meet him as 10-year-old Little (Alex Hibbert), who’s taken under the wing of a compassionate local drug dealer named Juan (Mahershala Ali) and his girlfriend (Janelle Monáe). In the next chapter, Little has grown into a teenager (Ashton Sanders), who’s picked on by bullies and starts to notice feelings emerge for his best friend Kevin (Jharrel Jerome). Then we reunite with Chiron as a grown man in the form of the hulking Trevante Rhodes, who goes by the name Black. Every bit of Moonlight is coursing with lyrical poetry, from its sumptuous blue-infused visuals to Nicholas Britell’s tear-inducing score and the lead trio’s performances. It’s the rare Best Picture winner you don’t forget about easily.

How to watch: Moonlight is now streaming on Max.

6. Paris, Texas (1984)

Paris, Texas opens on a man named Travis (Harry Dean Stanton) wandering through the Texas desert wearing a red ball cap and an old dusty suit, carrying nothing but a jug of water. Travis doesn’t speak much, but in time we learn bits and pieces of the happy life he once had with a young son and a wife who’s gone missing, and of the future he’s dreaming of. Wim Wenders’ film is a difficult one to categorize, but probably best described as a road movie about dreamers and wanderers. We spend lots of time in cars and dingy motels with Travis and his brother, Walt (Dean Stockwell), as they drive from Texas back to Los Angeles, and later, as Travis searches for his wife. It’s a slow, meditative film about loneliness and uncertainty, brimming with sun-soaked landscape shots and images lit by neon signs. Once you tune into its wavelength, Paris, Texas is a film that will smack you right in the heart. 

How to watch: Paris, Texas is now streaming on Max.

7. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

If a movie could feel like getting a shot of adrenaline injected straight into your eyeballs — again, and again, and again — then that movie would be Mad Max: Fury Road. George Miller’s road warrior action epic is an absolutely bonkers ride from the very first scene to the last. After Tom Hardy’s apocalypse survivor Max escapes from the white-haired and pasty-skinned baddie Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne), he teams up with Charlize Theron’s brutal-as-hell Furiosa to outrun the evil warlord. Really, Fury Road is just one continual chase sequence filled with tricked-out apocalyptic cars and semi-trucks, flame-throwing and guitar-playing sickos, a crew of badass female survivors, and some of the most gorgeous desert battles you’ve ever seen. With its eye-popping production design, blazing orange desert look, roaring sound design, and unrelenting suspense, Mad Mad: Fury Road remains an action spectacle like no other. 

How to watch: Mad Max: Fury Road is now streaming on Max.

8. The Devil Wears Prada (2006)

Need I waste time explaining why The Devil Wears Prada continues to be one of the most rewatchable and quotable comedies? Meryl Streep never misses a note as the scathing Anna Wintour-esque Miranda Priestly. Stanley Tucci is at his Tucci-est as a fashion magazine art director who comedically balances pity and concern for Anne Hathaway’s Andy. Emily Blunt is delightfully unlikable as Miranda’s vicious personal assistant. And, of course there’s the joyous Hathaway, whose Andy we can’t help but root for. The Devil Wears Prada has given us so much, from the perfect needle drop of Madonna’s “Vogue” for Andy’s makeover montage to gifting the internet with the Chanel boots meme. It’s also the film that pops into your mind every time you pass a brick of Jarlsberg in the cheese aisle and think, “Good god, $8 worth is a lot of cheese for a sandwich.”

How to watch: The Devil Wears Prada is now streaming on Max.

9. Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975)

You may have never heard of the 1975 Belgian-French film Jeanne Dielman until recently, when the magazine Sight and Sound named it the greatest film of all time. “But wait, don’t film people consider Citizen Kane the best movie ever?” you may be thinking. For 40 years, that Orson Welles classic dominated the list, soon followed by Hitchcock’s Vertigo. Not anymore. The boys got bumped down for Chantal Akerman’s radically feminist, avant-garde marvel to reign, and deservingly so. 

So what makes Jeanne Dielman so incredible? On paper it admittedly doesn’t sound like much, but the act of watching it is almost hypnotic. Throughout the movie we slowly see a lonely widow and mother (Delphine Seyrig) meticulously do housework, like peel potatoes, grocery shop, and make the bed. Jeanne also earns money through sex work, hosting men at her home before her son returns from school. Throughout the monotony of it all, a palpable dread grows until Akerman’s character study culminates in one of the most shocking endings of all time. If a film could somehow be tedious and enthralling at the same time, Jeanne Dielman is it.

How to watch: Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles is now streaming on Max.

10. Blood Simple (1984)

The Coen brothers’ very first film is a must-see for fans of the versatile filmmakers, or just anyone who loves Fargo. Blood Simple is a lean crime thriller that’s oozing with style, taut with suspense, and features an early taste of the duo’s signature dark humor. It has all the makings of a slick neo-noir with a simple story involving a secret affair, a murder plot, and a private eye.

Mashable Top Stories

Frances McDormand, in her feature film debut, plays Abby, a Texas housewife who begins an affair with a bartender named Ray (John Getz). But Abby’s husband, Marty (Dan Hedaya), is Ray’s boss, and when he starts to suspect her of infidelity, he hires a private detective (an incredible M. Emmet Walsh) to snoop around and spy on the new couple. The neon and blood-drenched visuals paired with an eerie electronic score from beloved composer Carter Burwell and killer performances all around make Blood Simple one of the all-time best first films. Fun fact: This is also the film where McDormand met now-husband Joel Coen.

How to watch: Blood Simple is now streaming on Max.

11. Under the Skin (2013)

During her decade-long blockbuster run as Marvel’s Black Widow, Scarlett Johansson starred in this spare sci-fi oddity from 2013. Under the Skin is a truly strange and discomfiting film that crawls its way just where its title promises. Johansson plays “The Female,” an alien being who looks like a human woman (specifically, like Johansson in a short black wig). She uses her appearance to lure men in Scotland to their gruesome deaths in an inky black void. The central themes of Under the Skin are up for debate — and you won’t be able to stop thinking about this movie — but it’s fascinating to watch a film where gender roles are flipped and men are the ones who need to worry about what will happen if they walk home alone in the dark.

Director Jonathan Glazer went on to make the 2023 Oscar-winning drama, The Zone of Interest, which is also streaming on Max. What makes Glazer’s latest film so disturbing is its basis in reality and the unseen horrors of the Holocaust, yet somehow the converse applies here, too. Under the Skin feels eerie and otherworldly, like nothing we’ve watched before, which is what makes it so unnerving. This film also doesn’t hesitate to show some of its terrors, and it’s like witnessing something humans weren’t meant to see. An absolute nightmare in the best of ways, Under the Skin is a singular cinematic experience that leaves you with a primal, deep-seated discomfort. — K.M.

How to watch: Under the Skin is now streaming on Max.

12. 20th Century Women (2016)

Set in 1979, 20th Century Women is a coming-of-age film told through the eyes of a young teenage boy raised by women. 15-year-old Jamie (Lucas Jade Zumann) lives with his single mother, Dorothea (Annette Bening playing the kinda cool mom you wish was your own), who runs a boarding house for women out of their old Santa Barbara home. Twentysomething photographer Abbie (Greta Gerwig) lives there, and 17-year-old Julie (Elle Fanning) slips in and out of Jamie’s window to tell him about the boys she’s hooked up with. Surrounded by these women, Jamie’s introduced to books on feminism and conversations about birth control, cervical cancer, heartbreak, and menstruation. He goes to his first punk concert, jams out to The Strokes records, and gets drunk for the first time. 

20th Century Woman isn’t just any run-of-the-mill coming-of-age movie, though. Filmmaker Mike Mills constructs the film like a cinematic scrapbook, using voiceover montage sequences full of archival footage, found photos, and object portraits to tell each woman’s story. It’s a unique artistic approach that lends a stylish edge to a story bursting with sweetness.

How to watch: 20th Century Women is now streaming on Max.

13. Eighth Grade (2018)

Coming-of-age movies love to revel in the nightmarish drama and humor that is high school, but what about middle school? We’re talking a time of peak excruciating awkwardness, of pimples and puberty, of popular mean girls and gross boys. Now add in social media and you’ve got Bo Burnham’s Eighth Grade, a film that captures all the embarrassing particulars of being a tween in the digital age. 

We follow Elsie Fisher as Kayla Day, a shy girl in her last week of eighth grade. She uploads makeup tutorials to her YouTube channel and selfies to Instagram, a strong distinction from the quiet persona she has at school. She tells her crush she gives blow jobs before Googling what those even are. She goes to a pool party and has a full-blown panic attack — the most relatable scene for any person who was the anxious, quiet kid at a party full of cool kids. Really, it’s a horror movie about adolescence in the age of social media, but one that’s fresh with a sharp sense of humor and compassion for those tough coming-of-age hurdles.

How to watch: Eighth Grade is now streaming on Max.

14. The Player (1992)

The Player opens with an eight-minute tracking shot across a Hollywood movie studio as executives and assistants panic over a Variety headline, hear a terrible pitch about a sequel, and chat about the decline in quality filmmaking. “The pictures these days are all cut, cut, cut,” one character laments as he praises classic film tracking shots… during a literal tracking shot. 

Robert Altman’s 1992 film isn’t just a meta film about Hollywood, it’s one of the best, funniest, and smartest satires about the movie business. Tim Robbins plays the vice president of a major studio who’s been getting threatening postcards from a scorned screenwriter he never called back. Paranoia builds as his life starts to mirror the plot of a classic crime thriller — there’s a murder, a mysterious girl, and probing detectives — all while he greets celebs at elite restaurants at his day job. It’s all hilarious and perfectly meta, poking fun at the state of Hollywood and modern blockbusters in commentary that remains relatable even today. Come for the sharp sardonic humor, stay for the 65 cameos of celebrities playing themselves, which are some of the film’s best punchlines.

How to watch: The Player is now streaming on Max.

15. Brooklyn (2015)

If you’re a sucker for tender period romances that lead to wholesome cries, Brooklyn is the film. Saoirse Ronan is as Irish as ever as Eilis Lace, a young girl from a small town in southeast Ireland. It’s the early 1950s, and after struggling to find stable work at home, Eilis decides to emigrate to New York City. She gets a job at a department store and moves into a Brooklyn boarding house, but she can’t help missing home and feeling so alone in her new world. Then she meets Tony (Emory Cohen), a charming Italian guy, and a sweet love story takes hold. But back home there’s another great guy (Domhnall Gleeson) who may stir things up a bit. While on first glance, Brooklyn could easily be mistaken as any mid-rate period drama, it’s elevated by its trio of strong performances (most notably Ronan, who is nothing short of wonderful in a role that earned her a second Oscar nom), an excellent screenplay by author Nick Hornby (About a Boy), and its stunning cinematography that glows with warmth.

How to watch: Brooklyn is now streaming on Max.

16. A Woman Under the Influence (1974)

In A Woman Under the Influence, Gena Rowlands gives what many have rightfully deemed one of the greatest performances in film. She plays Mabel Longhetti, a mother and housewife who’s known to exhibit some rather erratic behavior. Mabel is often giddy and bursting with childish excitement one moment, then erupts into angry outbursts or desperately clings at affection the next. Perhaps she struggles with bipolar or borderline personality disorder. Or maybe her troubled marriage to Nick (Peter Falk) and the housewife box she’s been confined to are ushering her into a full-on nervous breakdown. That’s essentially what the John Cassavetes film is — a harrowing portrait of a woman, and a marriage, falling apart at the seams. 

A Woman Under the Influence is a prime example of what makes Cassavetes’ filmmaking so riveting, and it’s a great introduction for anyone interested in exploring the filmmaker who’s known for laying the foundation for American independent cinema. But still, this is Rowlands’ film. She captivates every moment she’s on screen with a performance that feels so real, off-the-cuff, and lived in that you may mistake it for improvisation. It isn’t, and proves why Rowlands was one of the best of her generation.

How to watch: A Woman Under the Influence is now streaming on Max.

17. The Lobster (2016)

For fans of brutally dark humor, or of recent Oscar nom Poor Things, may I introduce you to the delightful chaos that is The Lobster. Also from Greek filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos, the 2015 black comedy stars Colin Farrell as a lonely divorcee who checks into a hotel for singles. But there’s a catch to this matchmaking service: Residents have only 45 days to find a new partner or else they’ll be, literally, transformed into an animal. Don’t worry, they get to choose the animal! 

Farrell’s David choses a lobster. He’s having a hard time finding a mate, though, despite attending dances, going on hunting trips, and having other weird experiences involving hot tubs, sexual offers, and silent discos. Eventually he meets a woman played by Rachel Weisz and things take a turn. The rest of The Lobster, an outrageously absurd film with shocking violence and morbid humor, is best left discovered on your own. 

How to watch: The Lobster is now streaming on Max.

18. The Dark Knight (2008)

It’s daunting to pick just one Batman movie from the literal dozens available on Max, but in the end the top spot could only go to 2008’s The Dark Knight, written and directed by Christopher Nolan (Mask of the Phantasm, we will avenge you — someday).

The Dark Knight is more than the obvious peak of Nolan’s Batman trilogy and the final, mesmerizing performance that won Heath Ledger an Oscar. Over a decade later, the film’s exploration of nuance within the poles of good and evil remains as prescient as ever. We’re drawn to the chaos and fury of Ledger’s Joker, yes, but we are as compelled by Bruce’s struggle (Christian Bale) and Harvey’s fall from grace (Aaron Eckhart). You don’t get a line like “You either die a hero, or live long enough to see yourself become the villain” without seriously contemplating its meaning. — Proma Khosla, Entertainment Reporter

How to watch: The Dark Knight is now streaming on Max.

19. Singin’ in the Rain (1952)

Easily one of the greatest movie musicals ever made, Singin’ in the Rain tells the story of Hollywood’s shift from silent films to talking pictures. Caught in this transition is leading man Don Lockwood (Gene Kelly), whose leading lady Lina Lamont (Jean Hagen) has the most grating voice imaginable. With the help of his best friend Cosmo Brown (Donald O’Connor) and aspiring actor Kathy Selden (Debbie Reynolds), he plans to make a movie musical. What follows are some of the best musical numbers in history, with showstopping choreography accompanying catchy tunes. The title number is an absolute joy, as are “Good Morning” and the comedic masterpiece “Make ‘Em Laugh.” But it’s the 13-minute “Broadway Melody” sequence in all its Technicolor glory that solidifies Singin’ in the Rain as one of the all-time greats. — Belen Edwards, Entertainment Reporter

How to watch: Singin’ in the Rain is now streaming on Max.

20. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)

Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy remains the gold standard for fantasy adaptations: It’s epic in scope and full of memorable characters and performances. Most impressively, the trilogy is consistently great. Choosing the best movie from the three is tricky, but I’ve got to give the edge to The Two Towers. The battle of Helm’s Deep is still the best fantasy battle put to film, and the introduction of Rohan, the Ents, and Gollum (Andy Serkis) deepens the already well-established world of Middle Earth. Gollum in particular elevates the movie to a whole new level, with Serkis and the visual effects team nailing one of the most iconic characters of the books. Max has the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy in its library, as well as the extended editions if you want even more Middle Earth goodness. — B.E.

How to watch: The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers is now streaming on Max.

21. Stop Making Sense (1984)

If you watch Stop Making Sense only knowing Talking Heads through cultural osmosis, prepare to be a full-blown fan in less than its 88-minute runtime. One of the greatest concert films ever, this Jonathan Demme-directed documentary is a warm, weird welcome into the world of the new wave band. Stop Making Sense doesn’t provide context or give behind-the-scenes peeks; instead, this 1984 film is just what you’d have witnessed as an audience member attending a Talking Heads show at the Pantages Theater in Hollywood in December 1983.

Stop Making Sense opens with a sparse stage, initially populated only by frontman David Byrne, his guitar, a microphone stand, and a boombox. He launches into a stripped-down version of “Psycho Killer,” no less iconic at its bare bones. As the show progresses, Byrne’s fellow band members — Bernie Worrell, Alex Weir, Steve Scales, Lynn Mabry, Ednah Holt, Tina Weymouth, Jerry Harrison, and Chris Frantz — begin to join him one or two at a time per song, with the sound layering and building as the group grows. 

In “Life During Wartime,” Byrne sings, “This ain’t no party, this ain’t no disco,” but sir, I beg to differ. Hips are moving and hearts are pounding to the beat, and it feels like you’re there with the band. Even before the appearance of the big suit, you’ll wish time machines existed so you could have been there in 1983. Still, Stop Making Sense is an amazing experience all on its own. — K.M.

How to watch: Stop Making Sense is now streaming on Max.

22. Rashomon (1950)

Akira Kurosawa is rightly considered one of Japan’s greatest filmmakers, and Rashomon is his best known film in the United States. When it premiered in 1950, its unique storytelling device in which the same events are told from the perspective of four different witnesses (one of whom is actually dead) was such a revelation in filmic structure that the movie became eponymous with the concept — hence, the Rashomon Effect. Through this effect, the relatively simple tale of a priest, a bandit, a samurai, a woodcutter, and a woman becomes a complex analysis of truth and perspective that earns its place as a keystone of 20th century filmmaking. — Alexis Nedd, Senior Entertainment Reporter

How to watch: Rashomon is now streaming on Max.

23. Grey Gardens (1975)

In their famed 1976 film Grey Gardens, brothers and documentary team Albert and David Maysles pay a visit to a dilapidated mansion in the Hamptons. There, they profile the intriguing and tragic lives of a reclusive mother and daughter, both named Edith Beale, in a strange and winding character study unlike any other.

Relatives of First Lady Jackie Kennedy, the life stories of “Little Edie” and “Big Edie” are sensationalized in the documentary, and many argue that the film takes an inherently exploitative view of its subjects and their apparent mental health conditions. But as far as fascinating footage goes, Grey Gardens is a must-watch — capturing a unique family at the heart of a broader dialogue about the decline of political royalty and ‘60s-era Americana. — Alison Foreman, Entertainment Reporter

How to watch: Grey Gardens is now streaming on Max.

24. Spirited Away (2001)

If you want to get into the beautiful, captivating films of Studio Ghibli, the vast majority of which are on Max, Spirited Away is a great place to start. It’s the story of Chihiro, a young girl trapped in a spirit world who must work to free her parents from a witch’s curse, and it’s a perfect movie. Everything about it, from the visuals to the characters to the score, grabs you tightly and immerses you in director Hayao Miyazaki’s imaginative world of spirit bathhouses, soot sprites, dragons, and more. There’s beauty in Spirited Away’s most elaborate sequences, but also in its quiet moments too, like a train ride or a meal shared between friends. These are the moments when you’ll find yourself crying without fully knowing why. All you’ll know for sure is that Spirited Away is amazing and you’ll never want it to end. — B.E.

How to watch: Spirited Away is now streaming on Max.

UPDATE: May. 16, 2024, 5:30 p.m. EDT This article has been updated to reflect the latest streaming options.