We’ve been shelling out for a subscription to HBO (or its streaming counterpart, HBO Now) to get our legal fix of Game of Thrones, True Detective, Veep, and Silicon Valley for years, but you’re not getting your money’s worth unless you’re watching the best movies on HBO too.
Before streaming became our medium of choice, HBO offered a wide variety of premium content for subscribers. New films debuted on HBO every Saturday night, offering a variety of popular and prestigious movies months after they left movie theaters. Add in the slew of original programming, primetime boxing, and sports talk shows, and HBO’s status as a powerhouse was cemented even further.
The introduction of HBO Go and NOW brought its great original content to the streaming forefront. While there are many TV shows, miniseries, and documentaries on HBO to choose from, there are just as many movies worth watching. We’ve picked out the best movies on HBO to kickstart your binge-watching session. (* Original HBO Films are marked with an asterisk.)
The best movies on HBO Go and HBO Now
1) Unbreakable
With M. Night Shyamalan rounding out his superhero trilogy in 2019, it’s time to go back to the year 2000 and remind yourself how it all started. Bruce Willis gave one of his best performances as David, a man who doesn’t get sick or hurt, not even in a train crash. The yang to his yin is Elijah, played by the ubiquitous Samuel L. Jackson, a man who seemingly can’t walk a few steps without incurring great physical risk. Unbreakable is either the best or second best M. Night movie. Any excuse to spend time in its world is worth taking. —Eddie Strait
2) Blindspotting
Blindspotting is a movie about people and places in transition. Collin (Daveed Diggs), is three days away from getting off probation and worried about his future. His best friend Miles (Rafael Casal) is increasingly concerned about the gentrification of their home and his behavior is increasingly erratic. As the societal pressures mount, Collin and Miles are forced into a reckoning that will change their lives and friendship forever. Co-written by Diggs and Rasal, Blindspotting is a sharply observed and timely film.
3) Detective Pikachu
While Detective Pikachu may push the boundaries of what even diehard Pokémon fans can reasonably keep up with, it never forgets that its main mission is illustrating a fantasy world that only feels just the slightest bit out of reach. It’s a world where someone could, in fact, go from sleeping in a Pikachu bed surrounded by poké-battle posters, to working a dead-end job selling insurance, and back to a meaningful relationship with a sentient ball of fuzz. Though Detective Pikachu may be more of a kids film than I hoped for, the film wins by finding the heart of the video game. —Joseph Knoop
4) All the Way
All the Way depicts President Lyndon B. Johnson’s push to get the Civil Rights Act of 1964 passed through Congress while seeking the support of civil rights leaders like Martin Luther King, Jr. It was already a critically acclaimed play on Broadway before its television debut in May. Bryan Cranston, who won a Tony for his portrayal of Johnson on Broadway, reprised his role for the film (he’s likely a top contender for the Emmy) and is joined by Anthony Mackie, Melissa Leo, and Frank Langella. —Michelle Jaworski
5) Magnolia
Paul Thomas Anderson’s epic L.A. set story about interweaving lives is sprawling, messy, and completely captivating. The individual stories are all about broken people finding connections where they least expect it. There’s misogynistic motivational speaker Frank Mackey facing his dying, estranged father. Or John C. Reilly has an idealistic cop who finds something unexpected when he makes a house call. Julianne Moore, Philip Baker Hall, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Luis Guzman, and many other familiar faces pop up to help explore the randomness of life. Magnolia is a lot of things, but above all else it’s fascinating. —E.S.
6) The Tale *
Laura Dern headlines The Tale as Jennifer Fox, a documentary filmmaker who begins to reckon with the sexual abuse she suffered as a child for the first time after her mother (Ellen Burstyn) finds a short story she wrote at 13. As Jennifer revisits the relationships she had with her childhood riding instructor, Mrs. G. (Elizabeth Debicki), and running coach, Bill (Jason Ritter), the film cuts back and forth between Jennifer’s present in past, using her story as a bridge between the two. Eventually, her journey leads her to present-day Mrs. G. (Frances Conroy) and Bill (John Heard), and the movie culminates in an unforgettable confrontation that Jennifer has been building to her whole life. —C.O.
7) Bessie *
Queen Latifah, Mo’Nique, Khandi Alexander, and Michael Kenneth Williams star in the HBO biopic about American blues singer Bessie Smith. Ambitious and complex, it paints an extensive picture of the singer from struggling in the early days of her career to becoming “The Empress of the Blues.” —M.J.
8) Crimson Peak
I wasn’t the biggest fan of Guillermo del Toro’s gothic romance the first time I watched it, but I’ve caught random chunks on TV enough to make me reconsider. Even after a proper rewatch, I’m still not sure if it’s good, but I am convinced that it has enough interesting ideas and there’s enough going on to make it worthwhile. This is one that’s best enjoyed with a group of friends, as the film’s campy elements will certainly play better to a crowd than a solitary viewer. —E.S.
9) John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum
Violence begets more violence, just as John Wick begets more John Wicks. Picking up minutes after Chapter 2, the legendary John Wick has $14 million price tag on his head. As John Wick (you can just call him “John” or “Wick”) runs and runs, he must work his way through scores of the world’s top killers. The story grows more nonsensical with each new bit of information, but that’s hardly the point. Keanu Reeves continues to kick ass, literally and figuratively, as John Wick and with the action set pieces continuing to impress, John Wick’s reign as a top-tier action series will continue. —E.S.
10) Punch Drunk Love
Between this film and Judd Apatow’s Funny People, Adam Sandler has delivered two performances that deconstruct the comic persona honed on Saturday Night Live and his ‘90s comedies. For director Paul Thomas Anderson, Sandler plays Barry Egan, a socially awkward man prone to violent outbursts. A chance encounter with a woman in need of a favor (a terrific Emily Watson) helps bring Barry out of his shell. Anderson mixes the dark and absurd parts of the film with humor in that way only he can, and the result is pretty special.
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11) Game Change *
The stories that emerged from the 2008 presidential election after Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) named Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate feel like a much simpler time given the current political landscape. With Julianne Moore taking on Palin, it’s a more nuanced portrayal than Tina Fey gives on Saturday Night Live, but is every bit as scathing. —M.J.
12) War of the Worlds
Steven Spielberg’s take on H.G. Wells’ classic story is one of his most underrated great films. The story is so simple, aliens come to Earth and we follow one family’s struggle to survive the chaos, that it allows Spielberg to focus on the spectacle of it all. And what a spectacle it is. The setpieces here, be they huge like the initial alien attack, or as small scale as the basement scene, are uniformly thrilling. While most of the movie is unimpeachable entertainment, Spielberg delivers one of his patented schmaltzy endings that still draws mockery. But after staring down the end of the world and surviving, Spielberg is entitled to that indulgence.
13) The Normal Heart *
Glee creator Ryan Murphy directs an all-star cast in The Normal Heart, which started out as a play and focuses on the early days of the AIDS crisis in the 1980s as a group of people come together and create an organization calling for research on the disease that’s killing their friends. —M.J.
14) Ready or Not
On her wedding day Grace (Samara Weaving) gets an unusual wedding night celebration. The wealthy family she’s married into subjects her to a family ritual: a game of hide and seek. Only the stakes are literally life and death. With a house full of in-laws trying to kill her, Grace’s only way to win the game is to stay alive until dawn. Ready or Not is a blast from start to finish. It’s a witty social commentary that brandishes its themes as deftly and bluntly as its characters wield their weapons, anchored by Weaving’s star making turn.
15) Fahrenheit 451
Ray Bradbury’s classic novel about society that has outlawed books, and essentially knowledge, gets a 21st-century adaptation courtesy of HBO and writer-director Ramin Bahrani. Michael B. Jordan plays Guy, a “fireman” who has a change of heart and helps spark a rebellion. That pits him against Michael Shannon’s Captain Beatty. HBO’s Fahrenheit 451 doesn’t quite live up to the novel’s reputation, but with strong performances from Jordan and Shannon, it’ll do the job until the definitive adaptation comes along.
16) Apocalypse Now
1970s Marlon Brando and Francis Ford Coppola is like Jordan in his prime. The excellence of their collaborations is second to none. While Apocalypse Now will always play little brother to The Godfather and The Godfather Part ll, it’s still a masterpiece. Coppola’s adaptation of Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness is brimming with madness, just like Brando’s performance as Colonel Kurtz. The film’s vision of Vietnam is horrifying, thrilling, and essential. —E.S.
17) The Nice Guys
Shane Black can write action comedies in his sleep at this point in his career. His latest concoction is pure pulp and pure fun. Two grimy detectives (Ryan Gosling, Russell Crowe), an oil and water duo, team up to solve the murder of a porn star and the disappearance of a girl. The plot gets convoluted in the way that many classic noirs do, but following the case is hardly the point. Gosling and Crowe have great comedic chemistry, whether they’re working together or busting each other’s balls. By the time all the cards are on the table, the only mystery left unanswered is why this movie tanked at the box office. The Nice Guys is destined for cult-favorite status, so save yourself some time and get onboard now. —E.S.
18) Winter’s Bone
Debra Granik’s Ozark-set noir is a remarkably economical bit of filmmaking. It’s about a young woman, Ree (Jennifer Lawrence), struggling to keep her family together. She goes out looking for her deadbeat, drug-dealing father, but every step closer brings Ree deeper into a web of crime. Winter’s Bone is lean and mean, and Lawrence really is great as Ree. Between this and the excellent Leave No Trace, Granik has a sharp eye for the lives of people living on the margins.
19) Amelie
Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s 2001 film made Audrey Tautou a star, and it’s easy to see why. As the title character, she finds joy in bringing joy to others, quietly pulling strings around Paris to brighten the lives of strangers. She’s not a matchmaker; Amélie’s goal is something bigger. But then she stumbles upon Nino, a man with a similar goal. —Audra Schroeder
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20) It Chapter 2
Twenty seven years after their showdown with Pennywise, The Losers Club reunites in their hometown of Derry, Maine to destroy the demonic dancing clown once and for all. Just like Chapter 1, there are plenty of spine tingling supernatural setpieces, but it’s the exploration of real world horrors that gives Chapter 2 its dramatic heft. Chapter 2 is a bit unwieldy, with a three hour runtime that drags in a few places, but the emotional core of the movie is what makes it stick in your head. With Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy, Bill Hader, Isaiah Mustafa, and James Ransome as some of the adult actors joining the acclaimed younger cast of Chapter 1, It Chapter 2 is a worthy conclusion of the Stephen King adaptation. —E.S.
21) Confirmation *
Kerry Washington stars in the film adaptation of Anita Hill courtroom battle against Clarence Thomas, who was then nominated to join the Supreme Court, sexually harassed her. It’s harrowing and highlights the importance of the hearings for those who were too young to remember Hill’s sexual assault allegations, which had real-life ramifications—even if Thomas ultimately did get confirmed. —M.J.
22) The Others
The Others may have been slapped with lazy The Sixth Sense comparisons when it first came out, but it stands on its own as a superior ghost story. I kept waiting for general audiences to give The Others the credit it deserves. I don’t know if it ever happened, which is a shame. Nicole Kidman stars as a mother protecting her family in a post-World War II society. They’re sequestered away in their home, but as it usually goes in a lonely house, things go bump in the night. It’s a slowburn film that comes to a devastating climax. —E.S.
23) Paterno *
Barry Levinson’s controversial film highlights two fateful weeks of the renowned Penn State head coach’s life, in which willful ignorance and institutional hubris around the Sandusky scandal eventually come to a head for Joe Paterno. Al Pacino, vital as ever, remains grounded in his portrayal of Paterno as a national hero turned pariah. Penn State fans may hate this movie, but you can’t say it doesn’t strike some core, unsettling truths about power and complicity. —Kahron Spearman
24) Ford v Ferrari
Ford v Ferrari is the ultimate dad movie. It’s about two friends, their race car, and trying to win the 1966 Le Mans race. The friends are Carroll Shelby, an engineer and former racer, and Ken Miles, a mechanic and race car driver. Matt Damon and Christian Bale are great as Shelby and Miles, and their bond forms the heart of the story. Director James Mangold has a deft hand with the behind the scenes drama of what it takes for an underdog, the Ford team, to knock off the bullies on the block at Ferrari. Those scenes are almost as thrilling as the races themselves. Ford v Ferrari is an expertly crafted blast. —E.S.
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25) Ad Astra
A sci-fi blockbuster with some serious things to say about American masculinity and father/son relationships, Ad Astra stars Brad Pitt as an astronaut who must travel through the solar system to save the world—and make contact with his long-lost father, a missing astronaut played by Tommy Lee Jones. Pitt gives a gripping yet understated performance as a man who represses all emotion to do his job, in a realistic and beautifully shot near-future setting. Ad Astra is of the best sci-fi films of 2019, although it’s a more straightforward adventure story than some of the hype suggests. —Gavia Baker-Whitelaw
26) Tokyo Project
Tokyo Project is a short film by Richard Shepard (who worked on HBO’s Girls, among his other credits) that follows two strangers, Sebastian (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) and Claire (Elizabeth Moss) who keep running into each other in Tokyo. The movie jumps back and forth in time and their relationship but is anchored by the emotional truths it gets at. Tokyo Project runs less than 40 minutes, so the time investment is minimal, and the movie is easily worth it.
27) Long Shot
Seth Rogen and Charlize Theron star as an unlikely, but very charming pair of old friends who reconnect after a long time apart. Rogen plays Fred Flarsky, a recently-fired journalist, and Theron plays Charlotte Field, a diplomat gearing up to run for president. Charlotte hires Fred as a speechwriter, but as they spend more time together the professional relationship isn’t the only thing taking off. The script by Liz Hannah and Dan Sterling tackles plenty of romcom cliches, but they forge enough new territory to make Long Shot succeed.
28) A Star is Born
Despite being the fourth film version of this story, Bradley Cooper’s Star soars on the strength of the chemistry between himself and Lady Gaga. Cooper plays Jackson Maine, a musician on the down slope of his career. A chance meeting with Gaga’s Aly revitalizes Jackson and launches Aly to pop music stardom. The first hour of Star is particularly great, and shows what Cooper (who also directs and co-wrote the script) is capable of doing. The second half doesn’t quite hold up, but it still works. —E.S.
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29) Shazam!
Fourteen-year-old Billy Batson’s chance encounter with a wizard transforms him into a buff and caped superhero named Shazam (Zachary Levi). He and superhero fanboy Freddy Freeman (Jack Dylan Grazer) begin to test what Billy is capable of doing, which Freddy films and posts online to launch Shazam into viral fame. Shazam! wears its heart unabashedly on the sleeve of its hero’s over-the-top superhero suit and embraces some of the sillier aspects of the genre. And although that journey of self-discovery gets repetitive at times, it culminates in a fun and kid-friendly debut for DC Comics’ latest hero—and an even better story about found family.
30) Glass
Glass closes out the superhero trilogy M Night Shyamalan started back with 2000’s Unbreakable. He brings together Unbreakable’s David Dunn (Bruce Willis) and Elijah Price (Samuel L. Jackson) and Split’s Kevin Crumb (James McAvoy). While the three men at the center of the story are formidable, they find a capable adversary in Dr. Ellie Staple (Sarah Paulson), a psychiatrist who works with the men after they all end up in a mental hospital. Glass isn’t up to Unbreakable’s standard, but Shyamalan knows how to work an audience and keep viewers engaged.
31) Fight Club
I will spare you the lame joke about breaking the first (and second) rule of Fight Club, because we gotta talk about Fight Club. Aside from dude-bros co-opting and misreading David Fincher’s darkly hilarious, hyper-violent takedown of masculinity and consumer culture, the shenanigans of a milquetoast office worker (Edward Norton) and the anarchic Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt) still resonate today. Whether you find Fight Club to be subversive and incisive, or just Incels for Dummies, it’s a movie that is worth reckoning with. —E.S.
32) Dodgeball
Life is good when you’re playing dodgeball, but it’s even better when you’re watching Dodgeball. In a last ditch attempt to save his boutique gym Average Joes, Peter LeFleur (Vince Vaughn) and his team of scrappy misfits set their sights on an annual dodgeball tournament in Las Vegas. Meanwhile, villainous White Goodman (Ben Stiller) and his team of meatheads wants to take over Peter’s gym and will do whatever it takes to keep the Joes from reaching dodgeball’s highest apex. Dodgeball is silly, sweet, and absolutely hilarious. —E.S.
33) Yesterday
Director Danny Boyle and writer Richard Curtis’s ode to The Beatles is a whimsical, charming tale about a man who wakes up one day and realizes he is the only person alive who remembers the Fab Four. That man, Jack (Himesh Patel), a singer-songwriter struggling to break out beyond his local dives, takes it upon himself to record as many Beatles tunes as he can. When the modern world gets their first taste of the iconic songs, Jack experiences his own Beatlesmania. Yesterday is more of a loving tribute than hagiography, a celebration of the music that has meant so much to the world helps us connect to each other. If you’re in the mood for something that will put a smile on your face, Yesterday hits the right notes. —E.S.
34) Alien
The Alien series has been able to sustain full-on action (Aliens), French art film influences (Alien Resurrection), pro wrestling (Aliens vs. Predator), and isolationist survival horror (Alien 3). However, of all the films in the series, the original stands the tallest, as a perfect blending of Lovecraftian science and gothic horror. Anchored by an all-star cast—Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver, Harry Dean Stanton, John Hurt, Ian Holm, and more—Alien makes you care about each character before they’re systematically ripped apart. Barely showing the monster builds a sense of the unknown flashier films sometimes miss out on, and Alien is a stronger film for it. Director Ridley Scott has returned to the series recently with two prequels, Prometheus and 2017’s Alien: Covenant. —John-Michael Bond
Need something else to watch? Here are the best HBO documentaries, the sexiest movies streaming on HBO, and what’s new on HBO Go this month. Plus, check out the cheapest way to watch HBO online and how to watch HBO on Hulu.
Editor’s note: This article is regularly updated for relevance.
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