Finding a new movie to watch on Max has become a little more difficult now that HBO Max combined with discovery+, but we’ve put together a curated list of some of the new arrivals you should add to your queue ASAP. Below, you’ll find historical thrillers, underrated gems, Oscar-winning classics and even an action movie about a giant shark. Truly, something for everyone.
Check out our picks for the best new movies on Max in July 2023 below.
“Dunkirk”
One of Christopher Nolan’s very best films, “Dunkirk” is best described as a historical thriller. The film recounts the true World War II story of how the allied troops in Dunkirk were evacuated by sea in a harrowing event. Nolan splits the film up into three timelines – what’s happening on the beach, the boats coming in by sea, and the planes in the air above trying to provide support. It’s a thrilling and emotional film, anchored by supporting performances from Kenneth Branagh, Cillian Murphy, Mark Rylance, Tom Hardy, Barry Keoghan and Harry Styles.
“Elizabethtown”
Call it a hidden gem or a cult classic, but “Almost Famous” and “Jerry Maguire” filmmaker Cameron Crowe’s 2005 film “Elizabethtown” deserves another look. Considered by many to be a disappointment after a terrific string of hits from the writer-director, “Elizabethtown” is a sweet and idiosyncratic spin on a family drama as Orlando Bloom plays a young shoe designer whose career just crashed and burned. Contemplating suicide, he gets a call that his father has died and is tasked with bringing the body home to Oregon from Kentucky, so he postpones his deed and sets off on a journey of self-discovery – complete with a charming flight attendant played by Kirsten Dunst. Backed by an incredible soundtrack, the ensemble includes Susan Sarandon, Judy Greer, Jessica Biel and Paul Schneider.
“Under the Silver Lake”
If you’re looking for a summer movie to watch that’s somewhat underrated, offbeat or downright odd, get thee to “Under the Silver Lake.” The 2018 film comes from “It Follows” filmmaker David Robert Mitchell and stars Andrew Garfield as a disenchanted man who, after a seemingly magical night with a young woman (played by Riley Keough), sets out to uncover the truth behind her apparent disappearance. This is a detective movie by way of aimless ennui, with a sharp commentary on toxic masculinity as it follows Garfield’s character down a series of cascading rabbit holes throughout Los Angeles.
“The Meg”
Prepare for “The Meg 2” by catching the first film in this unlikely franchise, “The Meg.” A comedic actioner, the film stars Jason Statham as a rescue diver who is recruited to investigate a strange disturbance in the sea that turns out to be a 75-foot-long megalodon shark that threatens the lives of many. It’s a summertime schlockfest in many respects, but “The Meg” is a fun time.
“Good Will Hunting”
The film that launched Matt Damon and Ben Affleck onto the world’s stage – and the Oscars stage – remains a moving, artful drama over two decades later. In “Good Will Hunting,” Damon stars as a janitor at MIT who solves an unsolvable problem on a chalkboard, which puts him on the radar of a professor (played by Stellan Skarsgard) who subsequently takes him under his wing. But after a fight puts Will in front of a judge, he’s ordered to therapy sessions with a mild-mannered therapist who happens to be an old friend of the professor’s. Robin Williams gives an Oscar-winning turn as the therapist, while the ensemble is rounded out by Minnie Driver, Ben Affleck, Casey Affleck and Cole Hauser.
“Southside With You”
This little-seen indie is a remarkable take on the biopic, as it pulls back the curtain on the lives of Barack Obama and Michelle Obama by imagining a single day in their lives in 1989, when a meeting to discuss community organizing turns into a date. Parker Sawyers plays the former president while Tika Sumpter plays the former first lady, and Richard Tanne writes and directs this engaging drama that takes inspiration from Richard Linklater’s “Before” trilogy.
“The Skeleton Twins”
Bill Hader has said that it was this Sundance hit that sparked HBO to want to work with the “SNL” alum on what would become his hit series “Barry.” In “The Skeleton Twins,” Hader plays a man who, after attempting suicide, is reunited with his twin sister (played by Kristen Wiig) in their hometown. The somewhat estranged siblings discover their lives have more in common than they thought, and Hader and Wiig both deliver tremendous performances that balance comedy with drama.
