We live in a world where there are countless choices of movies to watch. At any given moment, chances are there’s something streaming somewhere that you’ll enjoy. But what about the times when you aren’t sure what you want to watch?
Thankfully, over on Max, there are plenty of movies to check out that will do the trick. After all, Max has a massive library of films, all ready to be watched at the click of your remote (or phone or tablet). How do you choose, though? That’s where Fandom comes in. We know movies and have a pretty good idea of what you should be watching. From family favorites to compelling dramas to exciting sci-fi and superhero adventures, there is something for everyone on Max. Here are some of the movies we think you should stream right now.
1. Wonka
Based on the iconic character created by author Roald Dahl, Wonka follows the titular candymaker Willy Wonka before he opened his over-the-top chocolate factory. Watch a down-on-his-luck man who dreams of nothing but making the world’s best candy attempt to disrupt the established order of chocolate making and take the city by storm—that is, if the Chocolate Cartel doesn’t shut him down first.
Wonka is a fun origin story that’s great to watch with the whole family. It has the same quirkiness as the 1971 classic, with a wide-eyed and pure Willy Wonka giving this familiar tale an exciting new twist. Timothée Chalamet’s take on the character is full of heart, loves helping others, and remains hopeful for the future. This film is a deeper look at the lore created by Dahl. And yes, the movie does explain the origins of the Oompa Loompas.
2. The Color Purple
For Women’s History Month–or really anytime—the 2023 remake of The Color Purple is the perfect movie to watch. Set in the American South between 1909–1947, the film follows the life of Celie and the close friends she’s made along the way: Shug Avery, Sofia, and Mary Agnes. Celie faces many challenges throughout her life, many of them at the hands of abusive men. Despite such hardship, she persists and finds her own place in the world.
The Color Purple is a story of empowerment and sisterhood. It’s a story of perseverance when faced with unspeakable odds and lifelong trauma. The story is one of struggle, yet one of sisterhood and empowerment. And despite the heavy themes, its ending is one that will elicit happy tears. In addition to the most recent version of The Color Purple, the original 1985 movie, directed by Steven Spielberg, is also available to watch on Max.
3. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
Is there anything better right now than watching Jason Momoa give his all to an over-the-top and genuinely entertaining superhero? No, there isn’t. The 2023 James Wan-directed follow-up to Aquaman finds Momoa reprising his superhero role as Aquaman, the king of Atlantis. This time around, Aquaman and his wife, Mera, have a son, and the villain Black Manta is back for revenge.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is a fun watch, filled with action sequences that are bombastic and over-the-top in the best way possible. It doesn’t hurt that Momoa and Patrick Wilson (Orm) are fantastic together anytime they share the screen. There is a serious side to it all, though. It’s a movie about being a parent and how splitting your time between work and raising a child can be pretty tough, especially when you feel like the world is against you.
4. The Matrix
While it may have come out 25 years ago on March 31, 1999, The Matrix is an exceptionally layered film, which follows a man named Neo living in what he believes to be the real world. One day, he’s offered the chance to live outside of the Matrix—what he’s perceived to be real—or to escape into the actual real world, which is ruled by robotic AI that uses living humans as little more than batteries that are plugged into the virtual world. He takes up the offer and learns to bend the rules of the Matrix–giving him superpowers while plugged in. The subsequent films continue Neo’s battle against the robot masters in order to free humanity. This leads up to 2021’s The Matrix Resurrections, which is both a continuation of the first three movies and a little bit of a reboot.
The Matrix revolutionized a style of filmmaking and one that many films in its wake attempted to copy. The film took the world of pop culture by storm, and not just because of its innovative and often gravity-defying action sequences and slow-motion “bullet time” shots. Its layered storytelling and wildly interesting characters pulled audiences in and never let them go. Watch it for the first time or rewatch to celebrate the anniversary!
5. Dune
With Dune: Part Two in theaters now, you may want to see what all the hubbub is about. But first, you really need to check out filmmaker Denis Villeneuve’s first movie in the series, Dune. Based on the book of the same name by Frank Herbert, Dune takes place far into the future on a distant planet, where a family of nobles are involved in a war for a precious resource contained on another planet. The film follows the young Paul Atreides, part of said noble family, who heads to the war-torn planet and finds what he knows about the world and his culture is much different than what he was taught.
Dune has been adapted to both the large and small screen a couple times. However, these two movies from Villeneuve are the first to do the original book justice. Dune is a simple, yet complex, hero’s journey story. Atreides gets the call to action, finds his world is quite a bit more complicated than he originally thought, and must find balance between two worlds and rise up to fight the oppressors by way of joining the oppressed. It’s a layered sci-fi movie that has mass appeal. Also, it looks really cool.
6. Tons of Godzilla movies, including Godzilla vs. Kong
Giant monster movies have been a staple of cinema since 1925, with the debut of Lost World. However, the genre of movies really gained traction in 1933 with King Kong and then again in 1954 with Godzilla, which spawned an entire series of kaiju movies in Japan. With Godzilla and King Kong meeting face-to-face again in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, coming to theaters on March 29, it’s a great time to dig into the archives of these giant monster/kaiju movies in order to get yourself prepared for the next installment.
Max has all the movies in the current franchise leading up to The New Empire, including Godzilla vs. Kong, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Kong: Skull Island, and 2014’s Godzilla. From there, you can head back further in time to the many Godzilla movies where the giant lizard fights other various giant monsters, or you can watch the early King Kong movies. Check out the list below for all the offerings on Max.
- Godzilla vs. Kong
- Godzilla: King of the Monsters
- Kong: Skull Island
- Godzilla (2014)
- Godzilla 2000
- Godzilla (1998)
- Godzilla (1954)
- Godzilla Raids Again
- Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla
- Godzilla vs. Megalon
- Godzilla vs. Gigan
- Godzilla vs. Hedorah
- Godzilla, King of the Monsters
- Invasion of Astro-Monster
- Mothra vs. Godzilla
- Son of Godzilla
- Terror of Mechagodzilla
- King Kong (1933)
- Son of Kong
7. Priscilla
Priscilla challenges everything we know about the wife of Elvis Presley, upending what you might expect to be a modern-day fairy tale story. The film, from A24 and written/directed by Sofia Coppola, follows a young Priscilla Wagner as she meets the already-established King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, when she’s 14 and Elvis is 24—during his military service. When their courtship and marriage is exposed, it tears apart the legend of Elvis, as Priscilla feels imprisoned in her house alone while a controlling Elvis films movies. The film isn’t a complete destruction of who Elvis is, but it sheds light on the fact he wasn’t as perfect as he was made out to be.
Elvis is one of the biggest figures in pop culture history, but the movie does more than just present a new point of view on his life–it unveils the compelling life of a woman who was much more than just the wife of a rock ‘n’ roll superstar.
Movie buffs everywhere can enjoy the collection of A24 films available on Max. We recommend giving a watch to not only Priscilla but also Dicks: The Musical, Ex Machina, The Farewell, and Dream Scenario.
All movies within this article are available on Max through 4/30/2024.
