Top Picks: What to Watch on Max for Your Next Binge-Watching Session

It is a new month so that means a new month of streaming recommendations. This month's streaming service is Max. Max is the streaming service owned by Warner Bros Discovery. It features a ton of prestigious content as it is the home to all things HBO as well as the streaming home of the Criterion Collection. As usual, I will split this list up into three sections, original movies, original TV shows, and back catalogue. Max is a bit lacking on the original movie front but more than makes up for it in the original TV and back catalog.

These are all original movies that were made exclusively for Max. Max doesn't have a ton of original movies, but the movies that they do have are pretty good.

Justice League: The Snyder Cut: This is the directors cut of the 2017 film, Justice League. This version takes the under two hour mess and turns it into a 4 hour epic. Why the original deterred so much from Zach Snyder's vision, I will never know but the Snyder Cut is clearly the superior version. Justice League: The Snyder Cut is rated R.

Harry Potter Reunion: This may be a bit of stretch as an original movie but it is all I've got. This is basically a reunion special with the Harry Potter cast. You get to see them return to the set, talk with each other about their filming experience and sometimes reread some lines. If you are a fan of Harry Potter, it is probably worth a watch.

Friends Reunion: Just like the previous entry, this is just a reunion special with the Friends Cast. You get to see them talk about their favorite episodes and read through iconic moments from the show. They also take part in a bit of a trivia game like in the show. This is a good watch for any Friends fan.

Juror #2: This is the newest film from Clint Eastwood. It stars Nicholas Hoult as a juror in a high-profile murder case as he struggles with a serious moral dilemma that could determine the outcome of the case. Juror #2 is rated Pg-13.

A Christmas Story Christmas: This is a sequel to the 1980s classic A Christmas Story. It follows a now adult Ralphie as he strives to create the perfect Christmas for his family when they journey to his childhood home. The movie uses all of the actors from the original film. A Christmas Story Christmas is rated PG.

8-Bit Christmas: This is a very similar movie to A Christmas Story except this one set in the 1980's. The movie follows a 10 year old who sets out on a quest to get the hottest gift of the year, a Nintendo NES. 8-Bit Christmas is rated PG.

This section is all original TV shows on Max. There is a little bit of a grey area as some of these show are technically made for HBO but just stream on Max at the same as airing on TV. But since they are still original to a specific service, I am still counting them here. There are a lot of great prestige TV shows on Max so I am sure I will miss some that other people think are great. 

The Penguin: This is a new DC show set in the universe of Matt Reeve's The Batman. The show stars Colin Ferrell as Oswald Cobblepot and follows The Penguin as he attempts to build a criminal empire in the wake of the death of his boss. The Penguin is rated TV-MA.  

Game of Thrones/House of the Dragon: These are classics of HBO. Game of Thrones follows various families in the land of Westeros as they fight over who will sit on the Iron Throne. Game of Thrones is rated TV-MA. House of the Dragon is set almost 200 years before Game of Thrones and follows the Targaryen family as they fight for who should sit on the Iron Throne. House of the Dragon is also rated TV-MA.

The Last of Us; This is an adaption of the hit video game series of the same name. The show follows Joel and Ellie as they venture across the deserted USA to find a safe haven and attempt to end the pandemic. The Last of Us is rated TV-MA.

Creature Commandos: This is the first show in the new DC universe. The show follows a group of nonhuman mercenary teams assembled by Amanda Waller as they attempt missions that no one else is willing to do. Creature Commandos is rated TV-MA.

Succession: This is another acclaimed drama from HBO. The show follows The Roy family, head of the biggest media and entertainment company in the world, as their world changes when their father announces he is stepping down from the company. Succession is rated TV-MA.

The White Lotus: This is a solid anthology series from HBO. This show follows various families as they vacation at White Lotus resorts across the world. Drama ensues as their weeks unfold. The White Lotus is rated TV-MA.

Peacemaker: This is the one TV show addition to the now dead DCEU. This show follows Peacemaker in the aftermath of The Suicide Squad as he is forced to worth under Amanda Waller and her team to fight a new threat against Earth. Peacemaker is rated TV-MA.

Curb Your Enthusiasm: This is a comedy show from Larry David much in the vein of Seinfeld. This show features Larry David as an over the top version of himself and show cases seemingly trivial details of his day to day life. Curb Your Enthusiasm is rated TV-MA.

Other Prestige TV Shows: There are so many shows on Max that it would take forever to list and read them all so here is a quick-fire list of some other shows that I haven't seen but are high profile on the service. Euphoria: A drama about a group of high school students trying to navigate life. The Sopranos: A crime drama about Tony Soprano trying to balance his work and home life with his mental issues. Band of Brother: A historical epic about the east company of the U.S. Army 101st Airborne Division. Barry: A show about a hitman who moves to LA and gets caught up in the theater arts scene. True Detective: An Anthology series where police investigations unearth secrets that affect both their professional and personal lives.

This last section is all films and TV shows that weren't specifically made for HBO or Max but are housed there at the time of this writing. This list may be inaccurate as the rights to various properties tend to change. I will start with some overarching categories of films and then share some individual properties from there.

DC films: Max is mostly home to the DC properties. You can find a lot of animated DC movies such as Injustice, Crisis on Infinite Earths, and Flashpoint. You can also find popular animated series such as Batman the Animated Series, Superman the Animated Series, and Teen Titans Go. In terms of live-action DC movies, you can see all of the original Superman movies, all of the Batman movies, the two Joker films, and also the entire DCU universe from Man of Steel to Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. 

A24 Films: Max has made a deal with A24 to be the first streaming home to all of their films, so you can check out movies like Civil War: A story of reporters journeying through a modern day US civil war, Heretic: a cat and mouse game between a crazed man and two missionaries, Everything Everywhere All at Once: The Oscar-winning multiverse story starring Michele Yeoh, and Priscilla: a biopic about Priscilla Presley. Those are just the ones I have seen, there are even more that look interesting that I have not gotten to like The Iron Claw, Maxxxine, X, The Lighthouse. and A Different Man.

Studio Ghibli: Max also features the library of Studio Ghibli animated films. You can check out films like Spirited Away, The Boy and the Heron, Howl's Moving Castle, My Neighbor Totoro and Kiki's Delivery Service. I have never seen any of these but for people that are into anime, this would be a big draw.

Cartoon Network and Boomerang Shows: Max also has a ton of classic Saturday morning cartoon type of shows. You can find nostalgic shows such as Scooby Doo, The Loony Tunes, Tom and Jerry, Courage the Cowardly Dog, The Jetsons, The Smurfs, Yogi Bear, The Flintstones, as well as more modern Cartoon Network shows such as Adventure Time, The Powerpuff Girls, and Total Drama Island.

Dune: This is a big Sci-fi franchise from Warner Bros. Dune tells the tale of Paul Atreides as he attempts to wrestle control of Arrakis against the Harkonnen family. Max has both Dune movies. Dune is rated PG-13.

Harry Potter: As of know, Max has the entire Harry Potter series but it likes to jump back and forth between Peacock and Max. All of the Harry Potter films are rated PG-13.

Wonka: This is the musical prequel to Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. The movie stars Timothee Chalamet as Willy Wonka as he attempts to make a name for himself in the chocolate business. 

Doctor Who: This is a big show for Sci-fi fans. This is the second iteration of the TV series and follows The Doctor, a time-traveling alien who journeys across space and time to go on adventures. Doctor Who is rated TV-PG.

Rick and Morty: This is a popular animated show from Adult Swim. This show follows Grandfather and Grandson, Rick and Morty as they travel across space and time going on adventures and doing science experiments. Rick and Morty is rated TV-MA.

Friends: This is a classic sitcom and one of the big draws when the streaming service first started. Friends follows six friends in New York City as they navigate their everyday lives through hilarious Hijinx. Friends is rated TV-14.

Big Bang Theory: This is another day one staple of Max. This show follows four friends with a shared interest of science and nerd culture as their lives turn upside down when a young up and coming actress moves in across the hall. The Big Bang Theory is rated TV-PG.