42 Best HBO Max Movies to Watch Right Now (September 2026): ‘Backrooms’ and More

Dr. Mary Kline (Renate Reinsve) is worried. One of her patients, furniture store owner Clark (Chiwetel Ejiofor), has disappeared, along with his employees, Bobby (Finn Bennett) and Kat (Lukita Maxwell). But what starts as an innocent trek to Clark’s nearly empty store turns into a harrowing journey for Mary, who realizes all three of them have been sucked into the Backrooms, an alternate dimension where your subconscious can literally kill you. Mary not only has to find Clark and the others, but she also has to face her own inner demons to make it out alive.

A huge word-of-mouth hit this past summer, Backrooms is a horror film where liminal spaces and the unconscious mind are the real villains instead of a masked dude with a machete. It’s psychological horror at its most psychotic, with a pirate version of Clark stalking the Backrooms like a deranged Michael Myers. It may not satisfy horror fans who crave buckets of blood, but Backrooms should appeal to moviegoers who want to see a horror film that’s a bit different and a whole lot creepy.

Kara Zor-El (Milly Alcock) is a loner by choice. Even though she loves her superpowered cousin, Kal-El (David Corenswet), she chooses to leave him on Earth and travel the unfriendly and frequently hostile galaxy with her pet pooch, Krypto. When the scuzzy Krem of the Yellow Hills (Matthias Schoenaerts) poisons him, Kara, better known as Supergirl, becomes super pissed and teams with orphan Ruthye Marye Knoll (Eve Ridley), who also has a bone to pick with Krem, to take him down. 

Supergirl was loudly trashed by online fanboys when it came out this past summer, but the flawed comic book film doesn’t deserve that kind of hate. Seen at home, it’s entertaining enough to warrant a watch, even if it has the potential to be so much better. Alcock, though, doesn’t need any improvement; she’s note-perfect as a messy heroine who gets her act together long enough to save her canine best friend and maybe avenge Ruthye’s dead family at the same time. 

Normal, Minnesota lives up to its name — it’s ordinary and not too special, and that includes most of its few citizens. But that’s not why new sheriff Ulysses (Bob Odenkirk) doesn’t like it; there’s something off about the place and, more specifically, his fellow cops. His suspicions turn out to be accurate when he’s nearly killed by friendly fire during a bank robbery gone horribly wrong. Beneath its boring exterior, Normal, Minnesota turns out to be anything but, and Ulysses might die because of it. 

Normal is yet another “ordinary guy who is really an extraordinarily lethal fighter” film that’s not all that different from past hits like John Wick and Nobody. The latter also starred Odenkirk, and he’s carved out a niche as an everyday Joe who can take down a room full of baddies. Along with its snowy locale and well-choreographed fight scenes, Normal stands out from other action pictures and makes you want to see more of Ulysses as he takes down one corrupt small town after another.

Colin (Harry Melling) is a shy English lad whose social life consists primarily of singing at a local barbershop quartet. He looks and acts innocent, but he’s secretly a horndog with a submission fetish he’s never really acted on before. That changes when he meets Ray (Alexander Skarsgård), a drop-dead gorgeous motorcyclist who likes leather, Prince Albert piercings and dominating his partners. Colin is over the moon when they hook up, but is a purely sexual relationship enough for him? And if it isn’t, would Ray be interested in him outside of the bedroom?

Billed as the world’s first “rom-dom,’ Pillion has its share of sex and nudity, but it’s not sleazy or pornographic. Instead, it tells a surprisingly sweet – if very unusual – love story between two men who have hidden parts of themselves for too long. Melling and Skarsgård are terrific as an odd couple who don’t make much sense as partners, but that’s precisely why they should be together. Their quirks complement each other, and they’re both lonesome freaks who find comfort in each other’s kinks. 

Video game movies don’t have a great track record, but Gran Torismo is one of the better ones. An adaptation of the popular Sony PlayStation racing game franchise, the movie stars Archie Madekwe as Jann Mardenborough, a teenage video game enthusiast who wants to become a professional racing car driver. He gets his chance when he wins entry into the prestigious Gran Turismo Academy, where he butts heads with the school’s unforgiving trainer, Jack Salter (David Harbour). Jann’s determined to become the best student the academy’s ever seen, even if that means making an enemy out of Jack and the rest of the students, who are just as ambitious as he is.

Gran Turismo is essentially Top Gun without Tom Cruise, fighter jets or homoerotic volleyball matches. Everything else is pretty much the same, though, including the rebellious student with something to prove and the training montages set to a thumping musical score. While most of the movie’s spare parts are borrowed from other, better movies, it has enough creative horsepower to ride in its own lane. (Ok, I’ll stop with the car puns.) The cast commits to the thin story, with Harbour providing surprising complexity to the standard tough-teacher-with-a-heart-of-gold role. Keep your expectations low, and you’ll enjoy Gran Turismo for all the mid-level racing car thrills it has to offer.

What happens when a deadly virus is unleashed and no one knows how to cure it? No, I’m not talking about the COVID-19 pandemic; I’m talking about Contagion, the 2011 Steven Soderbergh thriller that predicted our 2020 nightmare. Like most natural disasters, it all starts with Gwyneth Paltrow, who plays Beth, a businesswoman who unwittingly carries a new virus when she travels from Hong Kong to Minneapolis, where it quickly spreads. Beth quickly dies, as do millions of other people, as the world has to adjust to social distancing and being quarantined for an extended period of time.

This all sounds familiar, but Contagion doesn’t feel like a rehash of a time we all want to forget. Seen in 2026, it’s a prescient thriller about how a world-changing event affects every aspect of human life, from scientists racing to create an antidote to ordinary citizens struggling to survive. With a star-studded cast that includes Matt Damon, Marion Cotillard, Jude Law, Laurence Fishburne and Kate Winslet, Contagion is a disaster movie that values intelligence over spectacle, which is why it remains a must-watch modern classic.

The Angelina Jolie Lara Croft films were box office hits, but let’s be honest — they kinda sucked. What doesn’t suck is the 2018 reboot, simply titled Tomb Raider, which saw another Best Supporting Actress Oscar winner, Alicia Vikander, take on the role of everyone’s tank-top-wearing archaeologist. She’s convincing as an action heroine, and the movie she’s in is better than it has any right to be.

After her father, Lord Richard Croft (Dominic West), disappears and is declared dead after trying to find the ancient tomb of Himiko, Lara is forced to accept her inheritance to keep the family’s estate from being sold. She believes her father is still alive and thinks resuming his search for Himiko will lead to some answers. But what Lara doesn’t bargain for is that others want to raid Himiko’s treasures, and they’re not so keen to share the spoils.

Retail worker Matthew (Théodore Pellerin) wants what rising musician Oliver (Saltburn‘s Archie Madekwe) already has: some money, a little fame and a bright future. The two men instantly bond after a chance meeting, and Matthew grows closer to his successful counterpart as he films a documentary about the singer’s tour. But how close is too close? Sooner rather than later, Oliver will find out about Matthew, and all signs point to tragedy when the inevitable happens.

Lurker is an atypical thriller that largely avoids cliches, telling a nuanced story about obsession between two men who want the same thing. Adoration is the prize they both covet, and as the film progresses, they’ll do just about anything to get it.

Cathy Earnshawe (Margot Robbie) was lonely until Heathcliff (Jacob Elordi) entered her life. An orphan, Heathcliff was brought by her father to live with them in their estate located in the English Moors. As they grow up together, Cathy and Heathcliff grow closer — maybe a little too close. When Cathy marries the wealthy Edgar (Shazad Latif) to save Wuthering Heights, Heathcliff leaves, only to return a few years later, wealthier and more handsome than ever. Cathy is hot for Heathcliff, but does the now fully grown man feel the same way for her? 

Director Emerald Fennell’s spicy adaptation isn’t your mother’s version of Emily Brontë’s classic Victorian novel. She injects a lot of overt eroticism and not-so-subtle kink that’s definitely not present in the original text, and the second half of the novel is completely ignored. But what remains is an intriguing story of forbidden love accentuated by gorgeous visuals, out-there costumes and sex scenes that are more suggestive than explicit. What it lacks in fidelity, it more than makes up for in risk-taking and an adventurous, let’s-try-anything spirit.

In this follow-up to the Oscar-winning Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) is still adjusting to his new life as a superhero when a new threat arises. The inter-dimensional being known only as The Spot (Jason Schwartzman) has a bone to pick with Miles, and he’ll tear apart multiple Spider-Men — and realities — to get his vengeance. Miles teams up with Spider-Man 2099 (Oscar Isaac) and girlfriend Spider-Gwen (Hailee Steinfeld) to save the day, but is that enough to stop a villain who can’t be caught?

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is the rare sequel that outdoes the original in almost every way. The stakes are bigger, the villains odder and the visuals are so beautiful and abstract, they border on the avant-garde. What remains the same is the excellent voice cast, with Isaac bringing an intensity to his antihero that makes him really intimidating — and a little bit scary. 

Simon Spier (Nick Robinson) has a secret — he’s gay and in love with someone he’s never seen. After trading a few emails with someone named “Blue,” he thinks he might be able to finally come out. But when a classmate discovers Simon’s electronic love letters, he blackmails him to help him woo Simon’s best friend, Abby (Alexandra Shipp). Simon has no choice but to comply, but how long can he keep up living a double life?

Love, Simon is a sweet coming-of-age movie that is part reality, part fantasy and all charm. No teen has it as good as Simon does, and the film avoids messy issues like internalized homophobia. But it has a big heart, and it’s in the right place in telling a simple story about acceptance. Jennifer Garner steals the show as Simon’s mom, who knows more about her son than he thinks. The film inspired the hit Hulu series, Love, Victor, with several members of the film’s cast appearing as older versions of their characters. 

Young New Yorker Marty Mauser (Timothée Chalamet) dreams of becoming the world’s best ping pong player, but for all his hustle and ambition he’s limited by a lack of funds and some bad luck. Thanks to his relentless efforts, he eventually wins enough matches — and steals from those around him — to qualify for the World Championships in Japan. But the distance between NYC and Tokyo is huge, and even Marty may not be able to turn his dream into a reality.

While Marty Supreme didn’t win any Oscars despite the film’s nine nominations, it’s still a great picture. Directed with grimy zest by Josh Safdie, the film is a rousing underdog story with a protagonist who you want to kick in the shins every once in a while. Marty is kind of a dirtbag, but Chalamet makes him an endearing hero you can’t help but root for, even when he’s stealing from his naive girlfriend to fund his flights of fancy.

Marty Supreme will stream on April 24.

Eight-year-old Aurora (Sophie Sloane) is still young enough to believe in monsters hiding under her bed, but even she’s surprised when her foster parents are seemingly killed by a bunny-like creature. Her only salvation lies with 5B (Mads Mikkelsen), her loner next-door neighbor with a knack for defending the innocent. When mysterious assassins come to finish the job, 5B has no choice but to help the girl — but he wants answers. Why does someone want Aurora dead? And is there really a monster lurking somewhere in the little girl’s apartment?

Directed by Bryan Fuller, whose weird imagination brought us the cult shows Pushing Daisies and Hannibal, Dust Bunny is probably the world’s first kids fantasy movie featuring gun-toting assassins. It kinda resembles what a Quentin Tarantino Disney movie would likely look and feel like — fights that seem more violent than they actually are and magical creatures that are kinda scary. Sigourney Weaver pops up as a friend and foe to the movie’s lone wolf and cub, and she plays her character just right — a little all over the place, just like the movie itself. Still, Dust Bunny is never boring, and it gives the always magnetic Mikkelsen a lead role to show his talents.

Maddie Baker (Jennifer Lawrence) is desperate — she needs money to pay off property taxes on her dead mom’s Montauk house, and the car she uses as an Uber driver just broke down. That’s why she agrees to help the Beckers, a rich couple who will pay her to date and sleep with their virgin 19-year-old son, Percy (Andrew Barth Feldman). But Maddie’s attempts to seduce the socially awkward Percy don’t work, and they both wind up becoming friends rather than lovers. How long will this friendship last when Percy finds out about Maddie’s cash-upfront deal with his parents?

When it was released in the summer of 2023, No Hard Feelings was advertised as a return to the raunchy comedies of the ‘80s. While it contains an adequate amount of dirty jokes and gratuitous nudity to justify the comparison, it’s too sweet-natured and serious to be lumped in with the likes of Porky’s. The last act is surprisingly serious, with both Lawrence and Feldman showing some serious dramatic range. Ultimately, No Hard Feelings is a rewarding comedy that offers some life lessons that don’t make you want to gag. High praise, indeed.

In 1989, teenage basketball player Christy Salters (Sydney Sweeney) impulsively enters a boxing competition —- and wins. Flush with victory, she decides to pursue a career as a professional boxer and even signs with famous promoter Don King to represent her. Christy achieves success in the ‘90s, but a disastrous marriage to the abusive James (Ben Foster) and her inability to publicly and privately acknowledge her homosexuality threaten to derail her career and personal life. Christy knows her way around the ring, but can she take the hard knocks of life?

Based on an incredible true story, Christy combines a traditional underdog story with an insightful look at life as a closeted public sports figure. Christy isn’t portrayed as heroic — in an effort to quiet murmurs of her sexuality, she engages in homophobic trash talk against her rival and future wife, Lisa Holewyn (Katy O’Brien). Sweeney is well-known for her looks, but she’s a good actress, too, and her performances in 2023’s little-seen Reality and this film showcase her surprising talents. She’s believable as a West Virginian female jock who hits as hard as she lives, and Christy benefits substantially from her gritty, vanity-free performance.

Christy starts streaming on April 10.

John Wick is a massively popular action movie franchise, so it was only a matter of time before a spinoff was made to capitalize on all that goodwill. And while it’s not nearly as good as the mainline John Wick flicks, Ballerina has enough going for it for you to give it a chance.

Eve Macarro (Ana de Armas) is one of the best assassins in the Ruska Roma, a secret society that operates as a ballet training school to provide cover for its very illegal activities. When Eve discovers her father’s killer belongs to a cult that has a longstanding truce with the Ruska Roma, she goes rogue to seek revenge. Eve causes enough trouble for a bounty to be placed on her head, and there’s only one man who can bring her down — the one and only John Wick (Keanu Reeves). Can Eve avenge her father’s murder before Wick finds and kills her?

Ballerina balances its efficient fight sequences with enough intriguing character development to make it a step above most other action movies. De Armas follows up her badass supporting turn in the Bond flick No Time to Die with a fierce action heroine who can throw down with anyone, even John Wick. The supporting cast is pretty effective, too, with Reeves getting enough screentime to please longtime John Wick fans.

Ballerina will stream on March 27. 

There doesn’t seem to be a place at the box office for films like Fackham Hall, which plays like a cross between Downton Abbey and The Naked Gun. The satirical farce is set in the 1930s as the Davenport family hatches a desperate plan to keep Fackham Hall in the family by marrying off their daughter, Rose Davenport (Thomasin McKenzie), to her boorish cousin, Archibald Davenport (Tom Felton).

Rose would much rather strike up a romance with Eric Noone (Ben Radcliffe), an orphan who recently came to work for the Davenports. But when Lord Humphrey Davenport (Damian Lewis) is found murdered, Eric may take the fall for a crime he didn’t commit.

When Piscine Molitor Patel (How I Met Your Father‘s Suraj Sharma), nicknamed “Pi” as a child, travels from India to Canada by boat, he hopes to start a new life with his family. Those hopes are dashed when a storm wrecks the ship, leaving him stranded in a lifeboat with only a hungry Bengal tiger named Richard Parker as his companion. With no help on the way, Pi must find a way to survive the harsh elements while avoiding becoming Richard Parker’s next meal.

Life of Pi seems like a simple man-versus-nature survival story, but it’s so much more than that. As envisioned by director Ang Lee, Life of Pi is a transcendental experience — an allegory about the stories we tell ourselves to survive the unthinkable. It’s also a beautiful movie to look at, with Oscar-winning cinematography and special effects that breathe vibrant life into Pi’s fantastical imagination filled with orangutans, whales and, yes, even a Bengal tiger. 

Mark Kerr (Dwayne Johnson) smashes things, and he smashes them very well. A big guy with a soft touch, Kerr is a natural fit for the then-burgeoning sport known as MMA [Mixed Martial Arts]. But like some athletes who experience a touch of fame, he can’t quite avoid the temptation of using drugs. His girlfriend, Dawn (Emily Blunt), loves him, but she too has her own problems, which cause the couple to grow apart. With a big match in Japan on the horizon, can Mark get his life together in time to win it all?

The Smashing Machine is a Rocky-esque tale of a real-life person 99 percent of the world’s population has never heard of. So what makes Kerr so special? As embodied by an unrecognizable Johnson, he’s a gentle giant who winds up pioneering a sport that’s now super popular. While the riches-to-rags storyline is nothing new, what makes The Smashing Machine stand out are the lead performances by Johnson and Blunt, who convincingly portray a couple who are each other’s biggest strength and greatest weakness.

Linda (Rose Byrne) isn’t having the best time. Her ship captain husband is away at work, while her young daughter needs constant care due to a pediatric feeding disorder. To make matters worse, the ceiling in Linda’s apartment collapses, forcing mother and daughter into a cheap motel until it’s repaired. With one problem after another overwhelming her, Linda finds herself on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Will her new neighbors, particularly kind motel superintendent James (ASAP Rocky), provide her with some much-needed relief?

A panic-inducing look into the life of a stressed-out mother, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You is one of the most uncomfortable movies to watch. It’s also a very good film that effectively conveys the mounting desperation of its almost hysterical protagonist. As Linda, Byrne gives one of the best performances of the year — and is completely worthy of an Oscar nomination and win. You can’t imagine anyone else playing the role, which is probably the highest compliment you can give an actor. 

If I Had Legs I’d Kick You will start streaming on January 30.

Bob Ferguson (Leonardo DiCaprio) has seen better days. As a former member of the revolutionary group the French 75, he led an anti-establishment resistance that rebelled against a capitalist society. Nowadays, he’s just a washed-up stoner who does his best to raise his teenage daughter, Willa (Chase Infiniti), by himself. But when Willa’s life is threatened by an old enemy from his past, Bob teams up with his buddy Sergio (Benicio del Toro) to rescue his daughter and maybe regain some of his dignity.

One of the year’s most critically acclaimed movies and winner of 6 Oscars including Best Picture, One Battle After Another is an epic film about America as it was in 2025 — messy, violent, sometimes funny and always fascinating. Director Paul Thomas Anderson blends a variety of genres to create a portrait of a desperate father who will do anything for his daughter, even if that involves risking his own life and ideals. DiCaprio, Del Toro and Sean Penn have never been better, and newcomer Chase Infiniti is a star born right before your eyes.

What happened to Maybrook’s children? That’s the central question behind Weapons, the hit horror movie that captivated audiences last summer. Seventeen kids are gone, and they all belonged to local elementary teacher Justine Gandy’s (Julia Garner) class. She swears she had nothing to do with it, but most of the town, including Josh Brolin’s worried dad Archer, don’t believe her. The key to the mystery lies with young Alex (Cary Christopher), the only child who didn’t disappear. Why was he spared? And does he know something others don’t?

Zach Cregger’s creepy mystery is already gaining status as a modern-day classic, and it’s not hard to see why. The plot is genuinely intriguing, with a third act that amps up the thrills — and the scares. Garner and Brolin are terrific as two enemies linked by their mutual desire to find out what the hell is going on, but best of all is Amy Madigan as Aunt Gladys, whose ginger wig, tacky jewelry and slapped-on makeup have elevated her to horror icon status. She won an Oscar for her performance, and the Academy was right to honor her.

One of the best modern anime movies ever made is Perfect Blue, a trippy thriller about the high price of fame. When Mima (voiced by Junko Iwao) decides to abandon her successful pop music career to make it as a dramatic actress, she quickly realizes she’s in over her head. As her psyche breaks under the pressure, she discovers she’s being stalked by a crazy fan who wants her to go back to doing what she does best — singing catchy pop songs. 

But Mima doesn’t want to return to her old life, and her insistence on being an actress angers her mysterious stalker. As Mima’s friends fall victim to a variety of mysterious accidents, Mima is forced to confront the fact that her life is in danger and her biggest enemy isn’t a deranged fan but her own unstable unconscious.

Chances are, you’ve heard Jeff Buckley sing without realizing it. His cover of Leonard Cohen’s haunting ballad, “Hallelujah,” became a go-to staple for 2000s teen dramas, and his only studio album, Grace, is frequently cited as one of the best ‘90s albums ever. But how well do you know him? It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley paints an intimate portrait of an artist who, while cut short in his prime, left behind a body of work that still inspires those who listen to it today. 

Using archival interviews featuring Buckley plus never-before-seen concert footage, director Amy Berg captures Buckley from his early days as a struggling musician in Los Angeles and New York to his indie success following the release of Grace in 1994. The result is a fascinating documentary that makes you appreciate its subject more by making the man behind the music less mysterious and more relatable. Jeff was just like you and me; the only difference is that he was blessed with a once-in-a-generation talent. 

30 years after The Brothers McMullen premiered at Sundance and became an indie sensation, writer-actor-director Edward Burns is back with a long-awaited sequel, The Family McMullen. While Barry (Burns) and Patrick (Mike McGlone) McMullen return to tackle life as fiftysomethings, their older brother Jack (Jack Mulcahy) has died, leaving his widow, Molly (Connie Britton), to step into his role as the family’s mediator. She’s needed as the McMullen clan reunites at the family’s Queens home to celebrate new loves and nurse old grudges.

If you’re a fan of family dramas with a dose of romantic comedy, you’ll like The Family McMullen. The sequel stays true to the original film’s indie low-budget roots, making everything you see feel like it’s actually happening. Among the talented cast, Britton shines as a woman still grappling with the loss of her husband while trying to hold her family together.

The modern dating scene is brutal, but don’t worry — Lucy Mason (Dakota Johnson) is here to help. A professional matchmaker, she helps lonely New York women find love — and if the men all happen to be rich, so be it. Lucy herself needs some help in the love department since she soon finds herself torn between a poor ex, John (Chris Evans), and an ultra-rich prospective suitor, Henry (Pedro Pascal). Lucy’s head is telling her one thing while her heart is saying another — but which one is more important for a single woman to find a lasting relationship in 2025? 

Materialists has been described as a romantic comedy, but it’s much more than that — it’s a modern-day Jane Austen tale that looks at the absurd game of love with a sharp eye. Writer/director Celine Song focuses on her three lead characters, who are all deeply needy and believe they’ve earned the right to a happy ending. Everyone wants that — but as Lucy frequently asks her customers, How much are you willing to pay for it?

Paranormal duo Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga) are back in the fourth — and possibly final — Conjuring movie. Their latest case involves their now-grown daughter, Judy (Mia Tomlinson), who has psychic visions of a family haunted by three malevolent spirits. Soon, the entire Warren family is investigating this latest haunting, but when Judy becomes possessed, it’s up to Ed and Lorraine to not only save the victimized family but their own daughter as well.

Last Rites is mid Conjuring — it’s better than the last one and any of the Annabelle flicks, about on par with The Nun and nowhere near as good as the original. The sequel has plenty of scares, and the atmosphere is reliably spooky, but it’s Wilson and Farmiga that make this movie worth seeing. As the real-life Mulder and Scully, their supernatural super-couple makes you believe in the power of love — and things that go bump in the night.

The Conjuring: Last Rites begins streaming on HBO Max November 21.

Agnes (Eva Victor) is a part-time literature professor on the verge of a much-needed promotion. When she visits friends from her graduate school days, she flashes back to a traumatic event that’s always haunted her — a sexual assault by professor Preston Decker (Louis Cancelme), her adviser. As she relives the painful aftermath of that experience, she wonders how her life changed because of it and if she’ll ever fully recover.

One of the best-reviewed movies of the year, Sorry, Baby, combines grace and humor to tackle what’s typically a sobering topic. Victor, who also wrote and directed the movie, gives an effortlessly natural performance that doesn’t sugarcoat the trauma Agnes experienced — and is still processing. The movie’s brisk 93-minute runtime leaves you with just enough to want more, which is always an indication that the movie you just watched is pretty good.

Sorry, Baby will start streaming on October 30.

Is kindness the new punk rock? We wouldn’t go that far, but the new Superman movie by writer and director James Gunn seems to have struck a chord with audiences that none of this year’s Marvel movies could match.

This movie is a fresh start for DC’s heroes, with a new Man of Steel, Dave Corenswet, stepping into the dual role of Clark Kent and Superman. Clark is still finding his way as a hero while navigating an occasionally tense romance with his coworker, Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan). However, Superman’s nemesis, Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult), has found a new way to use Clark’s alien heritage as a weapon that may turn the public against him.

Superman is streaming on HBO Max.

The Substance was an indie horror sensation in 2024 and a story that seemed tailor-made for actress Demi Moore. In this movie, Moore plays a fading Hollywood star, Elizabeth Sparkle, who has been cast aside by her longtime producer, Harvey (Dennis Quaid), because of her age.

Out of desperation to save her career, Elizabeth uses a black market drug called the Substance to produce a younger version of herself called Sue (Margaret Qualley). Only one version can be active at a time, and there are dire consequences if Sue or Elizabeth goes more than a week without switching their consciousness. And Sue is starting to take on a life of her own at Elizabeth’s expense.

The Substance is streaming on HBO Max.

In the mood to cringe a lot? Then Friendship is the perfect movie to watch. Craig Waterman (Tim Robinson) is having a midlife crisis. Bored with his middle-class life and roles as husband to Tami (Kate Mara) and father to Steven (Jack Dylan Grazer), he perks up when his new neighbor, Austin Carmichael (Paul Rudd). Austin is everything Craig is not — cool, confident and liked by everyone he meets. The two men soon become best friends, but Craig wants Austin all to himself, and his neediness and jealousy set off a chain of events that could ruin his friendship, marriage and life.

Friendship is an oddball comedy that might make you cringe a little — but what else would you expect from Robinson, who perfected the awkward comedy subgenre with his show I Think You Should Leave. He’s able to wring laughs from the most desperate situations, and what Craig goes through throughout Friendship more than qualifies. As the “cool guy” who isn’t really all that cool, Rudd adds to his long list of impressive comedic performances. 

Friendship is streaming on HBO Max.

The Legend of Ochi stars Helena Zengel as Yuri, a young Ukrainian farm girl who lives a relatively normal life except that she cannot go outside after dark or else she might be eaten by mysterious creatures known as the Ochi. When she befriends lost baby Ochi, she embarks on a quest to return the creature to where it belongs.

If you’re a fan of ’80s kids epics like Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal, you’ll love this film. Heck, if you like adventure stories, The Legend of Ochi will entertain you. The movie is an impressive technical achievement — it utilizes CGI, practical puppetry and old-school matte paintings to create its vivid world that’s almost realistic, but not quite. Yuri’s bond with her new friend is touching and recalls Elliot’s rapport with E.T. in Steven Spielberg‘s classic film. It’s that good.

Death may arrive late, but it always comes back in Final Destination Bloodlines. Stefani Reyes (Kaitlyn Santa Juana) takes center stage this time as she inherits the visions that allowed so many of the franchise’s protagonists to cheat death.

In the present, Stefani discovers that she and two generations of her family were never meant to exist. The late Tony Todd shows up one last time as William Bludworth, the man who knows death better than anyone. He can offer some advice, but Stefani’s family is dropping like flies, and she’s next on the hit list.

Final Destination Bloodlines is streaming on HBO Max.

It should’ve been an ordinary trip to the country for Elliot (Paul Rudd) and his teenage daughter, Ridley (Jenna Ortega). Instead, they hit an animal with their car — and not just any animal, but a unicorn. They stash the injured creature into their trunk and drive to their destination: Elliot’s boss’ country estate. But their troubles are over as the animal parents come looking for their magical spawn and aren’t too pleased to find that humans have harmed it. 

Death of a Unicorn is about as odd as the title sounds — it’s a grounded movie that deals matter-of-factly with the existence of a mythical animal. The movie’s unicorn isn’t as peaceful as the ones in fairy tales, though, so there’s a lot of blood being shed and flesh getting torn as it exacts its revenge. The movie’s horrific parts are capably balanced by its comedy, which is often unexpected and uproarious. It’s not for everyone, but Death of a Unicorn is an entertaining adventure tale that’s worth streaming.

Twin brothers Smoke and Stack Moore (both played by Michael B. Jordan) are World War I veterans with dreams of opening up their own nightclub in 1930s Mississippi. They save enough money and recruit enough people to do so, but on the club’s opening night, their party is crashed by something completely unexpected: vampires. With both their livelihood and lives threatened, Smoke and Stack will have to forge some unholy alliances to make it out alive.

One of 2025’s surprise hits, Sinners is both a massively entertaining action-horror flick and one of the best-made movies in a while. The music, the cinematography, the acting and the direction are all top-notch, with Coogler once again showcasing the limitless possibilities of genre allegory — and his own talents as a filmmaker. It’s a movie so good that it was nominated for a record 16 Oscar nominations in 2026.

Fans of Succession should check out Mountainhead, an absorbing original movie written and directed by Jesse Armstrong, the creator of that award-winning HBO show. The movie chronicles the winter vacation getaway of four male Silicon Valley billionaires who aren’t that different from the Roy clan. When a humanitarian crisis occurs in the outside world, each man is forced to come to terms with how much wealth and power they have and how little they really care about anything else.

Steve Carell, Ramy Youssef, Cory Michael Smith and Jason Schwartzman are the tech bros who do some soul searching, while still enjoying the spoils of being in the 0.00001 percent. Mountainhead is a funny film that also tells some hard truths about our world today. Carell is great, but it’s Gotham actor Smith who steals the show as an evil version of Mark Zuckerberg.

Tóth (Adrien Brody) is an architect from Hungary who immigrates to America after World War II. After a period of struggle, he finds work with the wealthy Harrison Lee Van Buren (Guy Pearce). Harrison recognizes László’s talents, but he also envies them. As the years pass, László persistently fights Harrison to realize his artistic vision, which takes its toll on his career and relationships with his wife and daughter. Can art and commerce exist peacefully? Or are they constantly at odds, much like László and Harrison?

Nominated for 10 Academy Awards in 2025, The Brutalist is an American epic Hollywood just doesn’t make anymore. It takes place during the last half of the 20th century in New York City, Philadelphia and Italy. But The Brutalist is also an intimate character study focusing on two men who share wildly different views on just about everything. It’s a film with big ideas about Life and Art, but it never feels too stuffy or self-important.

Romy Mathis (Nicole Kidman) seemingly has it all: a thriving career as a powerful CEO, a loving marriage to a caring husband and two wonderful teenage daughters. But Romy has one big problem — her sex life stinks. That all changes when young intern Sam (Harris Dickinson) enters her life and correctly guesses that Romy isn’t just horny, she’s also craving to be sexually dominated. Soon, they have an affair, but how far will Romy go to have it all?

Babygirl deals with complicated subject matter, but it has a surprisingly light comedic touch that makes it a pleasure to watch. Kidman excels at playing characters like Romy, who can seem serious and cold one moment and funny and warm in another. It’s one of the actress’s best performances, and she was nominated for a Golden Globe for her efforts.

Iris (Sophie Thatcher) seems like the perfect girlfriend —  intelligent, attractive and attentive to her boyfriend Josh (Jack Quaid). There’s a good reason for that: she’s actually a companion android whose every move is controlled by Josh. But when she discovers Josh may be using her for nefarious purposes on a weekend getaway with some friends, Iris breaks free of her programming. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, even a female robot like Iris, and her revenge will change Josh and his friends forever.

Companion is a morbidly funny horror film with a twisty plot that will keep you guessing. Quaid takes a break from playing nice guys (well, mostly) to portray an amoral man who will do pretty much anything to get what he wants. Thatcher is also great as the paranoid android who has every reason not to trust the humans around her. 

Edward Lemuel (Sebastian Stan) is an out-of-work actor with neurofibromatosis who receives an experimental medical treatment that dramatically alters his appearance. After he assumes a new identity and a new career as a real estate agent, he discovers that a new play written by his past neighbor is about to be staged. He auditions for the role and gets it, but things get complicated when Oswald (Adam Pearson), a man with the same condition Edward once had, befriends the cast and crew, pushing Edward to the brink of madness.

A Different Man is a strange, hypnotic film, a movie about obsession and jealousy that never goes where you’d expect. Stan earned an Oscar nomination last year for The Apprentice, but he’s even more impressive here as the self-loathing Edward. He’s ably supported by Pearson, as the man Edward simultaneously hates and aspires to be, and Renate Reinsve as the neighbor/playwright Ingrid.

William Lee (Daniel Craig) is drifting through life. An American expat in Mexico, he has nothing better to do than hang out in bars and try to pick up hustlers who aren’t interested in him. Things change when he meets Eugene Allerton (Drew Starkey), a young GI also wandering without any clear objective. The two soon begin an affair, but Eugene isn’t sure he wants to be with any man, let alone William. But William is madly in love and is willing to travel to the ends of the Earth to make Eugene stay with him.

Queer isn’t quite a romance, drama or a comedy, although it contains elements of all those genres. The third act gets trippy (literally) and may leave you feeling confused, but it’s worth it for the dynamic lead performances by Craig and Starkey. They’re convincing as tenative lovers who can’t quite connect with one another.

One of the best films of 2024, Flow is an Oscar-winning animated movie from Latvia with no dialogue, nameless animal characters and barely any plot. A black cat barely survives a stampede of wild dogs when a giant flood engulfs his home … and eventually, most of the land. Desperate to survive, the cat finds a floating sailboat with a capybara as its sole occupant. Eventually, a dog, a secretary bird, and a lemur join them, and together, they navigate the dangers of rising tides, an epic storm and other wild animals as they try to find dry land free of danger.

On paper, Flow seems intimidatingly basic, but the movie’s pleasures are in simply experiencing its gorgeous visuals and spellbinding score. The director, Gints Zilbalodis, wrote the screenplay and composed the music, and his passion shines through in every frame and musical chord. Most modern animated movies, with their celebrity voiceovers and assembly-line pop tunes, play it safe to appeal to everyone, but Flow takes risks by marching to its own beat. It pays off, and it’s an instant classic.