Max has gone through several significant and controversial changes since its launch in May 2020. Previously known as HBO Max, the streaming service currently has nearly 96 million subscribers and counting. Max has an impressive library of movies and shows, including acclaimed HBO efforts, classic Warner Bros. pictures, and original content.
With so much to choose from, viewers might find settling for a single thing almost impossible. Luckily, they can see what others are watching, as Max now has a ranking of its most popular films. From revered classics to modern films, the most popular films on Max are an ideal representation of the streamer’s remarkably versatile collection.
Looking for something else? We’ve also rounded up the best movies on Max, the best shows on Max, the best shows on Netflix, the best movies on Netflix, the best movies on Amazon Prime, and the best movies on Disney+. For Netflix fans, check out the 10 most popular movies on Netflix right now and the 10 most popular shows on Netflix right now.
Mel Brooks’ irreverent space opera parody Spaceballs lampoons the most famous sci-fi franchises, including Star Wars, Star Trek, and more. The film stars an ensemble led by Bill Pullman, Rick Moranis, John Candy, and Brooks, and it follows a pilot-for-hire and his sidekick, who must save a princess from the evil Spaceballs. Although far from Brooks’ best effort, Spaceballs is a hilarious and suitably silly parody that will satisfy fans of the acclaimed director’s oeuvre.
Academy Award winner Sandra Bullock (Bullet Train) stars in the 2000 action comedy Miss Congeniality. The plot centers on Gracie Hart, an FBI agent who must infiltrate the Miss United States pageant to disrupt a terrorist attack. Anchored by a spectacular performance from Bullock and buoyed by a stellar supporting cast, including Michael Caine, William Shatner, and Candice Bergen, Miss Congeniality is a classic of 2000s comedy.
Academy Award winners Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe star in Ridley Scott’s 2007 crime biopic American Gangster. The film dramatizes the criminal career of Frank Lucas a notorious drug smuggler who rose to power in the late 1960s. Although far from historically accurate, American Gangster is a stunning showcase for its two brilliant leads, and it features an Oscar-nominated supporting performance from the late Ruby Dee and some of Scott’s most assured directing.
James Cameron’s 2009 sci-fi Avatar is the highest-grossing film of all time. Set on the lush moon Pandora, the plot centers on humanity’s efforts to mine a precious mineral, which puts the local Na’vi tribe at risk.
A watershed moment in modern filmmaking, Avatar remains a seminal and game-changing sci-fi film that revolutionized the industry. Its reputation was further enhanced by the long-awaited release of its sequel, Avatar: The Way of Water, which cemented it as a major cinematic franchise and confirmed Cameron as a singularly creative mind.
Sony Pictures Animation’s 2009 animated adventure Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs was an unexpected success. The film centers on Flint Lockwood, an inventor who develops a machine that can turn water into food.
Starring the voice talents of Bill Hader (Barry) and Anna Faris, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs is a quirky, funny, and wildly creative family adventure that will entertain parents and children alike.
The sequel to 2011’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes continues Caesar’s storyline. The film chronicles the increasingly tense relationship between the few surviving humans and Caesar’s expanding ape community, where the treacherous and human-hating Koba sows discord.
Powered by Andy Serkis and Toby Kebbell’s tour-de-force performances and guided by Matt Reeves’ confident directorial approach, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is a cerebral sci-fi movie that successfully expands the franchise’s lore with thought-provoking ideas of survival and the human condition.
Oscar-winner Helen Hunt and the late Bill Paxton lead a large ensemble in the 1996 disaster film Twister. The plot follows a group of ambitious storm chasers attempting to collect data on tornadoes to develop new-and-improved weather alert systems.
Well-known for its impressive visual effects and high-concept plot, Twister is a superior and surprisingly quotable blockbuster that ranks among the finest high-budget efforts of the late ’90s. A sequel is currently in production, although its unlikely it will reach the inventive highs of the original.
Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart make an unlikely duo in the 2015 crime comedy Get Hard. The film follows a wealthy investment banker who asks one of his employees to toughen him up for prison after he gets accused of a crime he didn’t commit.
Although far from funny or inventive, Get Hard benefits from the ever-reliable talents of Ferrell and Hart. The duo crafts an entertaining dynamic, elevating a pedestrian screenplay through sheer commitment and innate comedic genius.
The 2023 documentary BS High chronicles the Bishop Sycamore High School scandal of 2021. It features interviews with several of the scandal’s key figures, including former coach Roy Johnson and his colleagues, as well as journalists and investigators who covered the story.
BS High paints a chilling portrayal of the man behind the scandal, an unrepentant and fascinating figure. Itprovides further insight into one of the most unbelievable sports cases in recent memory. By digging deeper and going further, the documentary paints a full picture, even if it doesn’t answer all the questions it raises.
Andy Muschietti’s long-awaited superhero film The Flash finally arrived in June 2023, with uneven results. The film follows Barry Allen, who travels back in time to prevent his mother from dying. However, his actions have severe repercussions, and he must seek unexpected allies to repair the damage he caused.
Although it feaures several intriguing ideas and a handful of great performances, The Flash also includes several cringeworthy moments that severely affect its impact. Still, the film is far from DC’s worst effort, even if it is among the studio’s most uninspired.
David is a Mexican freelance writer with a deep appreciation for words. After three years in the cold world of Marketing, David quit his desk job and began pursuing a writing career. His work has been featured in publications like Screen Rant, Film Daze, and now, Digital Trends. His novel, A Timely Knight, won the 2020 Watty Award for Science Fiction, and he's currently working on his follow-up, a Steampunk adventure that blends action and romance. Whenever he's not writing, David is usually playing video games (he's currently on the first of many Mass Effect 3 playthroughs) or cooking.
China just gave Hollywood a cautionary tale about AI filmmaking. Sanxingdui: Future Past, billed as the country's first fully AI-generated movie, hit theaters on October 23 and bombed at the box office.
According to Futurism, the film's reported $1.5 million production budget landed on more than 10,000 screens. Yet it pulled in only about $181,000, averaging roughly $20 per screen, making the budget difficult to recover.
Some of the best shots in Grok Imagine’s AI-made Odyssey don’t contain actors. Ancient landscapes stretch into the distance. Close-ups of grimy hands suggest people who have touched something rougher than a keyboard. For a few seconds, the illusion holds.
https://twitter.com/imagine/status/2113712964419063911
YouTube videos could soon look better without eating quite so much data, right? Thankfully, the platform plans to introduce a new video format called AV2 on its web player in early 2027, promising more efficient streaming and potentially fewer playback hiccups on slower internet connections. The big headline is a roughly 30% improvement in compression efficiency over AV1, YouTube's existing video format. That doesn't guarantee every video will use 30% less data, but it could make streaming a little easier on both internet connections and data allowances.
What is AV2, and why should viewers care?