The 30 Best Movies on HBO Max

• Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz, Frances Conroy

Get a deeper look into the fascinating origin story of the Joker, who goes from being a failed stand-up comic to being a terrifying, psychopathic killer. The film earned an impressive 11 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, and a Best Actor win for Phoenix.

• Cast: Margot Robbie, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Rosie Perez, Chris Messina, Ella Jay Basco

The Suicide Squad spin-off follows the aftermath of Harley Quinn’s painful breakup with the Joker. Left unstable and without protection, Harley eventually teams up with Black Canary, Huntress and Renee Montoya to take down a dangerous crime lord.

• Cast: Bradley Cooper, Lady Gaga, Andrew Dice Clay, Dave Chappelle, Sam Elliott

It was the film that low-key made us think that Cooper and Gaga had a real-life romance behind-the-scenes. Cooper stars as Jackson Maine, a country rock star who privately struggles with alcoholism. When he discovers budding artist Ally (Gaga), the two fall in love. As her career takes off, however, it takes a huge toll on their relationship.

• Cast: Denzel Washington, Angela Bassett, Albert Hall, Al Freeman Jr., Delroy Lindo, Spike Lee

This Spike Lee-directed drama follows the life of African-American civil rights activist Malcolm X, including his incarceration, his conversion to Islam and his subsequent fallout with the Nation of Islam. Oh, and did we mention that Denzel’s performance is phenomenal?

• Cast: Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Robin Wright, Danny Huston, David Thewlis, Connie Nielsen

Gadot shines as the fearless immortal hero in this captivating film and, TBH, it’s impossible for us to imagine anyone else taking on this role. In the film, Diana Prince, princess of the Amazons, decides to leave her sheltered home and help prevent World War I, discovering her destiny along the way.

• Cast: Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Gwyneth Paltrow, John C. McGinley, Kevin Spacey

William Somerset (Freeman), a retiring detective, teams up with newbie David Mills (Pitt) for a final case that involves a series of gruesome murders. As they investigate, they come to realize that the string of victims are all connected to the seven deadly sins.

• Cast: Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor, Debbie Reynolds, Jean Hagen

Don Lockwood and Lina Lamont (Kelly and Hagen) have risen to superstardom through the silent film era, thanks to their on-screen chemistry. When talking films ("talkies") are introduced, the popular duo’s success is threatened by Lina’s awful voice. Fortunately, an emerging talent named Kathy (Reynolds) just might be the solution they need.

• Cast: Tyrin Turner, Jada Pinkett, Larenz Tate, Samuel L. Jackson, Charles S. Dutton

Eighteen-year-old Caine Lawson is determined to escape his life of violence and crime in Los Angeles. He makes plans to leave the projects, with the support of his girlfriend and teacher, but this proves to be much riskier than he thought. It’s not an easy watch, but it’s packed with insightful messages about drug use and teenage violence.

• Cast: Melissa McCarthy, Bobby Cannavale, Brian Tyree Henry, Jean Smart, James Corden

Carol Peters (McCarthy), a former corporate executive, is given the opportunity of a lifetime when an anonymous network system decides to grant her a fortune and erase all her debt. Little does she know, she’s being observed by an evil force who’s planning to destroy the human race. As always, McCarthy is a delight.

• Cast: Meryl Streep, Dianne Wiest, Candice Bergen, Lucas Hedges, Gemma Chan

The legendary Streep stars as best-selling author Alice Hughes, who embarks on an exciting cruise across the Atlantic to receive a literary award. During the journey, Alice tries to make the most of the experience, celebrating with her old friends and nephew as she tries to deal with her troubled past.

• Cast: Kyle Behm, Roland Behm, Lydia X.Z. Brown, Susan Cain

It turns out there’s more to those harmless personality quizzes than meets the eye. This intriguing doc dives into the history of the Myers–Briggs personality assessment and discusses how it became a potentially dangerous tool.

• Cast: Chris Paul, Donovan Mitchell, Danilo Gallinari, Karl-Anthony Towns, Mark Cuban, Adam Silver, Michele Roberts, Mookie Betts, Natasha Cloud

The eye-opening documentary offers some insight into the abrupt shutdown of sports in March of 2020 (due to the pandemic) and how it has impacted the lives and careers of athletes.

• Cast: Queen Latifah, Michael Kenneth Williams, Khandi Alexander, Tika Sumpter, Tory Kittles, Mike Epps, Oliver Platt, Bryan Greenberg, Charles S. Dutton, Mo'Nique

This TV film explores the life of blues singer Bessie Smith, who went from struggling artist to the famed "Empress of the Blues," in the 1920s. It's worth noting that Bessie became the most watched HBO original film of all time in 2016, and it also won four Primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Television Movie.

• Cast: Michael B. Jordan, Michael Shannon, Sofia Boutella, Lilly Singh, Khandi Alexander, Martin Donovan, Dylan Taylor, Andy McQueen

Based on Ray Bradbury's acclaimed novel, the film centers on Guy Montag (Jordan), who lives in a dystopian world where nearly all literature is banned and burned by "Firemen." But Guy starts to question this system when he meets a woman who loves to read.

• Cast: Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeoh, Awkwafina, Ken Jeong, Gemma Chan

Rachel Chu, a Chinese-American economics professor from New York, travels to Singapore with her boyfriend, Nick Young, to meet his family. But she’s in for quite the surprise when she learns that Nick's family is extremely wealthy.

• Cast: Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, Bert Lahr, Margaret Hamilton

We can’t be the only ones who’ve made a tradition of watching this classic every year. Follow the yellow-brick road with Dorothy and the rest of the gang as they seek answers from the great Wizard of Oz.

• Cast: Lewis Tan, Jessica McNamee, Josh Lawson, Tadanobu Asano, Mehcad Brooks, Ludi Lin, Chin Han

Take a trip to Japan, where MMA fighter Cole Young makes a startling discovery about his heritage. After being hunted by a dangerous warrior, he finds sanctuary and trains with a team of skilled fighters before facing off against Outworlders to help save the universe.

• Cast: Maxine McNair, Chris McNair, Helen Pegues, Queen Nunn, Arthur Hanes Jr.

The Oscar-nominated documentary recounts the 1963 murder of four African-American girls in a Baptist Church bombing (carried out by the Ku Klux Klan) in Alabama, which lead to the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

• Cast: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, Joe Pantoliano

Nothing beats seeing Neo expertly dodge flying bullets in a black trench coat. Follow the skilled computer programmer as he unravels the truth about the Matrix and faces off against intelligent machines.

• Cast: Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, Parker Posey, Jean Stapleton, Dave Chappelle, Steve Zahn

Remember when “You’ve got mail” notifications were still a thing? This fan-favorite will take you right back to those nostalgic days and give you all the feels. Hanks and Ryan star as business rivals who, unbeknownst to them both, have fallen for each other anonymously online.

• Cast: Robert Redford, Dustin Hoffman, Jack Warden, Martin Balsam, Hal Holbrook, Jason Robards

Two reporters at the Washington Post research a 1972 burglary gone wrong, not knowing that they’re about to uncover a historic scandal that will lead to the downfall of former president Richard Nixon.

• Cast: Anne Hathaway, Octavia Spencer, Stanley Tucci, Kristin Chenoweth

When an orphaned boy goes to live with his grandmother in Alabama, he comes across a group of evil and deceptive witches. His grandma wastes no time in relocating to a seaside resort, but unfortunately for them, the witches have something bigger up their sleeves.

• Cast: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Gal Gadot, Ray Fisher, Jason Momoa, Ezra Miller

Inspired by Superman’s selfless sacrifice, Bruce Wayne joins forces with Wonder Woman, and together they create a team of superheroes to face off against a vicious new enemy. Although the plot is very similar to the 2017 theatrical release, this special cut offers fans a rare glimpse at how director Zack Snyder originally envisioned the film before leaving production.