It was tough, but we found the 26 best movies on Max

The motorboat whitethorn person been confusing, but Max yet landed connected its feet and became a streaming work we can't unrecorded without.

The room boasts thousands of hours of endless movie magic, from hallowed Hollywood favorites successful nan Turner Classic Movies postulation to nerdy essentials for illustration The Matrix, The Lord of nan Rings, and Aliens to nan useful of board for illustration Chantal Akerman, Wong Kar-wai, Robert Altman, and Akira Kurosawa.

Picking nan champion (and distinguishing them from our individual favorites) was nary easy task, but we someway managed.

In nary peculiar order, present are nan 26 champion movies connected Max.

1. Parasite (2019)

Four years person passed, and it’s still chaotic that a movie for illustration Parasite took location nan Best Picture trophy astatine nan Oscars backmost successful 2020. Not only was Bong Joon-ho’s achromatic drama thriller nan very first non-English connection movie to drawback Hollywood’s highest honor, but it was besides by acold nan astir audacious movie to do so. The South Korean filmmaker’s anti-capitalist parable follows nan Kims, a mediocre family conscionable hardly getting by, who determine to infiltrate nan lives of nan able Park family, who reside successful a luxurious modern home. First Ki-woo (Choi Woo-shik) pretends to beryllium a student to get a occupation tutoring nan Parks’ daughter. Then he gets his sister Ki-jung, aka “Jessica” (cue aerial quotes) a occupation arsenic their son’s creation therapist. Eventually, nan full Kim family is connected nan Parks’ payroll, without nan Parks realizing they’re related. 

But Parasite is truthful overmuch much than a class-conscious communicative astir a scheming family. Bong has agelong been a maestro of genre mash-up filmmaking, and pinch Parasite, he further blends tingling suspense pinch biting humor, startling violence, and unforgettable group pieces. Parasite is 1 of those uncommon films that was afloat deserving of nan monolithic hype astir it, and still is.

How to Watch: Parasite is now streaming connected Max.

2. Aliens (1986)

Every sequel faces nan situation of surviving up to its predecessor, but Aliens had nan peculiarly reliable situation of pursuing sci-fi scary masterpiece Alien. They’re 2 phenomenal, though different, films. The beauty of James Cameron’s sequel is really it does its ain point and takes Ripley’s (Sigourney Weaver) communicative successful an exhilarating, action-packed direction, alternatively of trying to recreate nan slow, atmospheric scary of Ridley Scott’s Alien.  

Aliens reunited america pinch our heroine 57 years aft nan events of nan first film. After awakening, Ripley decides to spell backmost to nan satellite wherever she first encountered nan Xenomorph, now that nan Weyland corp has mislaid interaction pinch a quality colony surviving there. Joined by a unit of Marines including Michael Biehn's Hicks, Bill Paxton's Hudson, and Jenette Goldstein’s Vasquez (one of coolest female action characters cinema's seen), Ripley heads backmost to LV-426 and takes nan young orphan Newt (Carrie Henn) nether her wing.

How to Watch: Aliens is now streaming connected Max.

3. In nan Mood For Love (2000)

In nan Mood For Love is simply a favourite among galore cinephiles (including this one!) for a logic — it’s 1 of nan astir sublime examples of really to show an affectional communicative done nan connection of cinema. But you don’t request to beryllium a movie clever clever aliases cognize thing astatine each astir filmmaking aliases overseas movies to bask this romance, which relies connected nan powerfulness of showing complete telling. 

It’s a elemental communicative astir 2 neighbors who soon observe a concealed astir their respective spouses. Set successful 1960s Hong Kong, Tony Leung’s Chow Mo-Wan and Maggie Cheung’s Su Li-Zhen hardly speak much than a fewer words to each other, but done their encounters successful nan hallway of their flat building and nan staircase of a section noodle shop, thing originates to blossom — a longing, a sadness, a desire to beryllium seen. The unthinkable point astir In nan Mood for Love is really filmmaker Wong Kar-wai captures these cosmopolitan emotions and tells a relatable communicative astir emotion and yearning done visuals, sound, and performances utilizing minimal exposition. Bursting pinch a twinkling reddish and aureate colour scheme, stunning ‘60s womens’ fashion, and a soundtrack of multinational music, In nan Mood for Love is much of an acquisition than a accepted romance, and 1 that grows much beautiful pinch each rewatch.

How To Watch: In nan Mood for Love is now streaming connected Max.

4. Moonlight (2016)

You tin look backmost connected immoderate Oscar Best Picture winners and wonder, “Was that movie really that good?” That’s acold from nan lawsuit for Moonlight. Barry Jenkins’ stunning triptych astir queer Black masculinity is simply a movie that’s only grown pinch beauty and affectional extent successful nan years since it rocked nan Oscars pinch nan infamous La La Land mix-up. 

For nan uninitiated, Moonlight tells a coming-of-age communicative astir Chiron, a young Black man from Miami, complete nan people of 3 chapters successful his life. First we meet him arsenic 10-year-old Little (Alex Hibbert), who’s taken nether nan helping of a compassionate section supplier trader named Juan (Mahershala Ali) and his woman (Janelle Monáe). In nan adjacent chapter, Little has grown into a teen (Ashton Sanders), who’s picked connected by bullies and starts to announcement feelings look for his champion friend Kevin (Jharrel Jerome). Then we reunite pinch Chiron arsenic a grown man successful nan shape of nan hulking Trevante Rhodes, who goes by nan sanction Black. Every spot of Moonlight is coursing pinch lyrical poetry, from its sumptuous blue-infused visuals to Nicholas Britell’s tear-inducing people and nan lead trio’s performances. It’s nan uncommon Best Picture victor you don’t hide astir easily.

How to Watch: Moonlight is now streaming connected Max.

5. Paris, Texas (1984)

Paris, Texas opens connected a man named Travis (Harry Dean Stanton) wandering done nan Texas godforsaken wearing a reddish shot headdress and an aged dusty suit, carrying thing but a jug of water. Travis doesn’t speak much, but successful clip we study bits and pieces of nan happy life he erstwhile had pinch a young boy and a woman who’s gone missing, and of nan early he’s dreaming of. Wim Wenders’ movie is simply a difficult 1 to categorize, but astir apt champion described arsenic a roadworthy movie astir dreamers and wanderers. We walk tons of clip successful cars and dingy motels pinch Travis and his brother, Walt (Dean Stockwell), arsenic they thrust from Texas backmost to Los Angeles, and later, arsenic Travis searches for his wife. It’s a slow, meditative movie astir loneliness and uncertainty, brimming pinch sun-soaked scenery shots and images lit by neon signs. Once you tune into its wavelength, Paris, Texas is simply a movie that will smack you correct successful nan heart. 

How to Watch: Paris,Texas is now streaming connected Max.

6. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

If a movie could consciousness for illustration getting a changeable of adrenaline injected consecutive into your eyeballs — again, and again, and again — past that movie would beryllium Mad Max: Fury Road. George Miller’s roadworthy warrior action epic is an perfectly bonkers thrust from nan very first segment to nan last. After Tom Hardy’s apocalypse subsister Max escapes from nan white-haired and pasty-skinned baddie Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne), he teams up pinch Charlize Theron’s brutal-as-hell Furiosa to outrun nan evil warlord. Really, Fury Road is conscionable 1 continual pursuit series filled pinch tricked-out apocalyptic cars and semi-trucks, flame-throwing and guitar-playing sickos, a unit of badass female survivors, and immoderate of nan astir gorgeous godforsaken battles you’ve ever seen. With its eye-popping accumulation design, blazing orangish godforsaken look, roaring sound design, and unrelenting suspense, Mad Mad: Fury Road remains an action spectacle for illustration nary other. 

How to Watch: Mad Max: Fury Road is now streaming connected Max.

7. The Devil Wears Prada (2006)

Need I discarded clip explaining why The Devil Wears Prada continues to beryllium 1 of nan astir rewatchable and quotable comedies? Meryl Streep ne'er misses a statement arsenic nan scathing Anna Wintour-esque Miranda Priestly. Stanley Tucci is astatine his Tucci-est arsenic a manner mag creation head who comedically balances pity and interest for Anne Hathaway’s Andy. Emily Blunt is delightfully unlikable arsenic Miranda’s vicious individual assistant. And, of people there’s nan joyous Hathaway, whose Andy we can’t thief but guidelines for. The Devil Wears Prada has fixed america truthful much, from nan cleanable needle driblet of Madonna’s “Vogue” for Andy’s makeover montage to gifting nan net pinch nan Chanel boots meme. It’s besides nan movie that pops into your mind each clip you walk a ceramic of Jarlsberg successful nan food aisle and think, “Good god, $8 worthy is simply a lot of food for a sandwich.”

How to Watch: The Devil Wears Prada is now streaming connected Max.

8. Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975)

You whitethorn person ne'er heard of nan 1975 Belgian-French movie Jeanne Dielman until recently, when nan mag Sight and Sound named it nan top movie of each time. “But wait, don’t movie group see Citizen Kane nan champion movie ever?” you whitethorn beryllium thinking. For 40 years, that Orson Welles classical dominated nan list, soon followed by Hitchcock’s Vertigo. Not anymore. The boys sewage bumped down for Chantal Akerman’s radically feminist, avant-garde marvel to reign, and deservingly so. 

So what makes Jeanne Dielman truthful incredible? On insubstantial it admittedly doesn’t sound for illustration much, but nan enactment of watching it is almost hypnotic. Throughout nan movie we slow spot a lonely widow and mother (Delphine Seyrig) meticulously do housework, for illustration peel potatoes, market shop, and make nan bed. Jeanne besides earns money done activity work, hosting men astatine her location earlier her boy returns from school. Throughout nan monotony of it all, a palpable dread grows until Akerman’s characteristic study culminates successful 1 of nan astir shocking endings of each time. If a movie could someway beryllium tedious and enthralling astatine nan aforesaid time, Jeanne Dielman is it.

How to Watch: Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles is now streaming connected Max.

9. Blood Simple (1984)

The Coen brothers’ very first movie is simply a must-see for fans of nan versatile filmmakers, aliases conscionable anyone who loves Fargo. Blood Simple is simply a thin crime thriller that’s oozing pinch style, taut pinch suspense, and features an early sensation of nan duo’s signature acheronian humor. It has each nan makings of a slick neo-noir pinch a elemental communicative involving a concealed affair, a execution plot, and a backstage eye.

Frances McDormand, successful her characteristic movie debut, plays Abby, a Texas housewife who originates an matter pinch a bartender named Ray (John Getz). But Abby’s husband, Marty (Dan Hedaya), is Ray’s boss, and erstwhile he starts to fishy her of infidelity, he hires a backstage detective (an unthinkable M. Emmet Walsh) to snoop astir and spy connected nan caller couple. The neon and blood-drenched visuals paired pinch an eerie physics people from beloved composer Carter Burwell and slayer performances each astir make Blood Simple 1 of nan all-time champion first films. Fun fact: This is besides nan movie wherever McDormand met now-husband Joel Coen.

How to Watch: Blood Simple is now streaming connected Max.

10. Jennifer’s Body (2009)

Name a much cleanable transportation for an early 2000s scary comedy: A cheerleader turns into a man-killing demon aft a section indie stone set tries to sacrifice her successful speech for fame. 2009’s Jennifer’s Body was a gift, a superb blend of gore and satire wrapped up successful a stylized feminist revenge communicative led by Megan Fox arsenic nan titular possessed cheerleader. But that gift from head Karyn Kusama and screenwriter Diablo Cody besides took connected a curse of its own erstwhile antheral movie critics and audiences tore it to shreds — classical misogyny astatine work! Thankfully, Jennifer’s Body has gained well-deserved praise successful nan years since. Kusama’s movie was awesome to statesman with, because what’s amended than Fox transforming into a terrifying monster gnawing astatine nan throats of horny precocious schoolhouse dudes who conscionable position her arsenic a activity object? Jennifer’s Body will unrecorded connected arsenic a hilarious bloody queer scary drama that besides happens to person immoderate of nan champion one-liners.

How to Watch: Jennifer’s Body is now streaming connected Max.

11. 20th Century Women (2016)

Set successful 1979, 20th Century Women is simply a coming-of-age movie told done nan eyes of a young teenage boy raised by women. 15-year-old Jamie (Lucas Jade Zumann) lives pinch his azygous mother, Dorothea (Annette Bening playing nan kinda cool mom you wish was your own), who runs a boarding location for women retired of their aged Santa Barbara home. Twentysomething photographer Abbie (Greta Gerwig) lives there, and 17-year-old Julie (Elle Fanning) slips successful and retired of Jamie’s model to show him astir nan boys she’s hooked up with. Surrounded by these women, Jamie’s introduced to books connected feminism and conversations astir commencement control, cervical cancer, heartbreak, and menstruation. He goes to his first punk concert, jams retired to The Strokes records, and gets drunk for nan first time. 

20th Century Woman isn’t conscionable immoderate run-of-the-mill coming-of-age movie, though. Filmmaker Mike Mills constructs nan movie for illustration a cinematic scrapbook, utilizing voiceover montage sequences afloat of archival footage, recovered photos, and entity portraits to show each woman’s story. It’s a unsocial creator attack that lends a stylish separator to a communicative bursting pinch sweetness.

How to Watch: 20th Century Women is now streaming connected Max.

12. Eighth Grade (2018)

Coming-of-age movies emotion to revel successful nan nightmarish play and joke that is precocious school, but what astir mediate school? We’re talking a clip of highest excruciating awkwardness, of pimples and puberty, of celebrated mean girls and gross boys. Now adhd successful societal media and you’ve sewage Bo Burnham’s Eighth Grade, a movie that captures each nan embarrassing particulars of being a tween successful nan integer age. 

We travel Elsie Fisher arsenic Kayla Day, a awkward woman successful her past week of eighth grade. She uploads constitution tutorials to her YouTube transmission and selfies to Instagram, a beardown favoritism from nan quiet persona she has astatine school. She tells her crush she gives rustle jobs earlier Googling what those moreover are. She goes to a excavation statement and has a full-blown panic onslaught — nan astir relatable segment for immoderate personification who was nan anxious, quiet kid astatine a statement afloat of cool kids. Really, it’s a scary movie astir adolescence successful nan property of societal media, but 1 that’s caller pinch a crisp consciousness of joke and compassion for those reliable coming-of-age hurdles.

How to Watch: Eighth Grade is now streaming connected Max.

13. The Player (1992)

The Player opens pinch an eight-minute search changeable crossed a Hollywood movie workplace arsenic executives and assistants panic complete a Variety headline, perceive a unspeakable transportation astir a sequel, and chat astir nan diminution successful value filmmaking. “The pictures these days are each cut, cut, cut,” 1 characteristic laments arsenic he praises classical movie search shots… during a literal search shot. 

Robert Altman’s 1992 movie isn’t conscionable a meta movie astir Hollywood, it’s 1 of nan best, funniest, and smartest satires astir nan movie business. Tim Robbins plays nan vice president of a awesome workplace who’s been getting threatening postcards from a scorned screenwriter he ne'er called back. Paranoia builds arsenic his life starts to reflector nan crippled of a classical crime thriller — there’s a murder, a mysterious girl, and probing detectives — each while he greets celebs astatine elite restaurants astatine his time job. It’s each hilarious and perfectly meta, poking nosy astatine nan authorities of Hollywood and modern blockbusters successful commentary that remains relatable moreover today. Come for nan crisp sardonic humor, enactment for nan 65 cameos of celebrities playing themselves, which are immoderate of nan film’s champion punchlines.

How to Watch: The Player is now streaming connected Max.

14. Brooklyn (2015)

If you’re a sucker for tender play romances that lead to wholesome cries, Brooklyn is nan film. Saoirse Ronan is arsenic Irish arsenic ever arsenic Eilis Lace, a young woman from a mini municipality successful southeast Ireland. It’s nan early 1950s, and aft struggling to find unchangeable activity astatine home, Eilis decides to emigrate to New York City. She gets a occupation astatine a section shop and moves into a Brooklyn boarding house, but she can’t thief missing location and emotion truthful unsocial successful her caller world. Then she meets Tony (Emory Cohen), a charming Italian guy, and a saccharine emotion communicative takes hold. But backmost location there’s different awesome feline (Domhnall Gleeson) who whitethorn operation things up a bit. While connected first glance, Brooklyn could easy beryllium mistaken arsenic immoderate mid-rate play drama, it’s elevated by its trio of beardown performances (most notably Ronan, who is thing short of awesome successful a domiciled that earned her a 2nd Oscar nom), an fantabulous screenplay by writer Nick Hornby (About a Boy), and its stunning cinematography that glows pinch warmth.

How to Watch: Brooklyn is now streaming connected Max.

15. The Banshees of Inisherin (2022)

Colm (Brendan Gleeson) and Pádraic (Colin Farrell) are champion friends. One time Pádraic goes to his friend’s location to inquire him to spell for a pint — a regular ritual for nan duo — but Colm doesn’t answer. Then later, Colm refuses to beryllium adjacent Pádraic astatine nan pub, and yet tells him nan truth: “I conscionable don’t for illustration you nary more.” Colm is truthful complete their relationship that he threatens to trim disconnected 1 of his fingers each clip Pádraic bugs him. But that’s conscionable a silly exaggeration… right?

Martin McDonagh’s The Banshees of Inisherin is arsenic heavy pinch acheronian joke arsenic it is pinch existential despair — but successful a funny, cathartic kinda way. Set amid nan rolling greenish hills of a mini Irish land during nan extremity of nan Irish Civil War, Banshees isn’t truthful overmuch a literal communicative astir 2 middle-aged dudes going done a friend breakup arsenic it is 1 that reflects really soul sorrow and turmoil tin measurement heavy connected nan quality mind and soul. The film’s joke isn’t arsenic crude arsenic McDonaugh’s erstwhile work, for illustration In Bruges (which besides starred Farrell and Gleeson), or, thankfully, arsenic racist and violative (*ahem* Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri). Sad, funny, and human, it hits conscionable nan correct saccharine spot for a tragicomedy, and is simply a showcase for Farrell’s champion acting yet.

How to Watch: The Banshees of Inisherin is now streaming connected Max.

16. A Woman Under nan Influence (1974)

In A Woman Under nan Influence, Gena Rowlands gives what galore person rightfully deemed 1 of nan top performances successful film. She plays Mabel Longhetti, a mother and housewife who’s known to grounds immoderate alternatively erratic behavior. Mabel is often giddy and bursting pinch childish excitement 1 moment, past erupts into angry outbursts aliases desperately clings astatine affection nan next. Perhaps she struggles pinch bipolar aliases borderline characteristic disorder. Or possibly her troubled matrimony to Nick (Peter Falk) and nan housewife container she’s been confined to are ushering her into a full-on tense breakdown. That’s fundamentally what nan John Cassavetes movie is — a harrowing image of a woman, and a marriage, falling isolated astatine nan seams. 

A Woman Under nan Influence is a premier illustration of what makes Cassavetes’ filmmaking truthful riveting, and it’s a awesome preamble for anyone willing successful exploring nan filmmaker who’s known for laying nan instauration for American independent cinema. But still, this is Rowlands' film. She captivates each infinitesimal she’s connected surface pinch a capacity that feels truthful real, off-the-cuff, and lived successful that you whitethorn correction it for improvisation. It isn’t, and proves why Rowlands was 1 of nan champion of her generation.

How to Watch: A Woman Under nan Influence is now streaming connected Max.

17. I Am Not Your Negro (2016)

James Baldwin died 37 years ago, but his penning and contented stay arsenic relevant, arsenic urgent, and arsenic basal arsenic ever. Raoul Peck’s 2016 Oscar-nominated documentary is simply a powerful creator research that spotlights Baldwin’s potent examinations of anti-Blackness and achromatic supremacy successful America. Those insights don’t simply speak of nan past aliases Baldwin’s lifetime, but straight to nan circumstances of coming regarding movements for Black and brownish liberation and constabulary abolition.

I Am Not Your Negro pairs immoderate of Baldwin’s astir celebrated TV interviews pinch footage of Black Lives Matter protests, imagery of anti-Black constabulary violence, archival footage, and clips from Hollywood films to show a communicative nan precocious writer ne'er sewage to decorativeness himself. Peck takes Baldwin's unfinished manuscript, which discusses nan lives and assassinations of Medgar Evers, Martin Luther King Jr., and Malcolm X done Baldwin’s eyes, and attempts to complete it done his ain film. It’s a bold imagination that elevates I Am Not Your Negro beyond your mean doc into thing rousing and live by utilizing lessons of nan past to understand nan present, and to thief america trade a amended future. It’s basal viewing for immoderate and everyone moving to unlearn achromatic supremacy and America’s history of anti-Black racism, and a awesome preamble to Baldwin’s work.

How to Watch: I Am Not Your Negro is now streaming connected Max.

18. The Lobster (2016)

For fans of brutally acheronian humor, aliases of caller Oscar-nom Poor Things, whitethorn I present you to nan delightful chaos that is The Lobster. Also from Greek filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos, nan 2015 achromatic drama stars Colin Farrell arsenic a lonely divorcee who checks into a edifice for singles. But there’s a drawback to this matchmaking service: Residents person only 45 days to find a caller partner aliases other they’ll be, literally, transformed into an animal. Don’t worry, they get to take nan animal! 

Farrell’s David choses a lobster. He’s having a difficult clip uncovering a mate, though, contempt attending dances, going connected hunting trips, and having different weird experiences involving basking tubs, intersexual offers, and silent discos. Eventually he meets a female played by Rachel Weisz and things return a turn. The remainder of The Lobster, an outrageously absurd movie pinch shocking unit and morbid humor, is champion near discovered connected your own. 

How to Watch: The Lobster is now streaming connected Max.

19. The Dark Knight (2008)

It's daunting to prime conscionable 1 Batman movie from nan literal dozens disposable connected Max, but successful nan extremity nan apical spot could only spell to 2008’s The Dark Knight, written and directed by Christopher Nolan (Mask of nan Phantasm, we will avenge you — someday).

The Dark Knight is much than nan evident highest of Nolan’s Batman trilogy and nan final, mesmerizing capacity that won Heath Ledger an Oscar. Over a decade later, nan film’s exploration of nuance wrong nan poles of bully and evil remains arsenic prescient arsenic ever. We’re drawn to nan chaos and fury of Ledger’s Joker, yes, but we are arsenic compelled by Bruce’s struggle (Christian Bale) and Harvey’s autumn from grace (Aaron Eckhart). You don’t get a statement for illustration “You either dice a hero, aliases unrecorded agelong capable to spot yourself go nan villain” without earnestly contemplating its meaning. — Proma Khosla, Entertainment Reporter

How to watch: The Dark Knight is now streaming connected Max.

20. Singin' successful nan Rain (1952)

Easily 1 of nan top movie musicals ever made, Singin’ successful nan Rain tells nan communicative of Hollywood’s displacement from silent films to talking pictures. Caught successful this modulation is starring man Don Lockwood (Gene Kelly), whose starring woman Lina Lamont (Jean Hagen) has nan astir grating sound imaginable. With nan thief of his champion friend Cosmo Brown (Donald O’Connor) and aspiring character Kathy Selden (Debbie Reynolds), he plans to make a movie musical. What follows are immoderate of nan best philharmonic numbers successful history, pinch showstopping choreography accompanying catchy tunes. The title number is an absolute joy, arsenic are “Good Morning” and nan comedic masterpiece “Make ‘Em Laugh.” But it’s nan 13-minute “Broadway Melody” series successful each its Technicolor glory that solidifies Singin’ successful nan Rain as 1 of nan all-time greats. — Belen Edwards, Entertainment Reporter

How to watch: Singin' successful nan Rain is now streaming connected Max.

21. The Lord of nan Rings: The Two Towers (2002)

Peter Jackson’s Lord of nan Rings trilogy remains nan golden modular for imagination adaptations: It’s epic successful scope and afloat of memorable characters and performances. Most impressively, nan trilogy is consistently great. Choosing nan champion movie from nan 3 is tricky, but I’ve sewage to springiness nan separator to The Two Towers. The conflict of Helm’s Deep is still nan champion imagination conflict put to film, and nan preamble of Rohan, nan Ents, and Gollum (Andy Serkis) deepens nan already well-established world of Middle Earth. Gollum successful peculiar elevates nan movie to a full caller level, pinch Serkis and nan ocular effects squad nailing 1 of nan astir iconic characters of nan books. Max has nan entire Lord of nan Rings trilogy successful its library, arsenic good arsenic nan extended editions if you want moreover much Middle Earth goodness. — B.E.

How to watch: The Lord of nan Rings: The Two Towers is now streaming connected Max.

22. Drive My Car (2021)

The first Japanese movie to ever beryllium nominated for Best Picture, Drive My Car is a softly moving masterpiece that examines an improbable relationship betwixt 2 fascinating characters: widowed character Yūsuke (Hidetoshi Nishijima) and his driver Misaki (Tôko Miura). The 2 are astatine likelihood pinch each different astatine first — Yūsuke would for illustration to thrust himself — but Drive My Car sees them gradually fto down their defenses and find comfortableness successful each other. Don't fto nan three-hour runtime scare you off: Drive My Car is engaging throughout. — B.E.

How to watch: Drive My Car is now streaming connected Max.

23. Rashomon (1950)

Akira Kurosawa is rightly considered 1 of Japan’s top filmmakers, and Rashomon is his champion known movie successful nan United States. When it premiered successful 1950, its unsocial storytelling instrumentality successful which nan aforesaid events are told from nan position of 4 different witnesses (one of whom is really dead) was specified a revelation successful filmic building that nan movie became eponymous pinch nan conception — hence, nan Rashomon Effect. Through this effect, nan comparatively elemental communicative of a priest, a bandit, a samurai, a woodcutter, and a female becomes a analyzable study of truth and position that earns its spot arsenic a keystone of 20th period filmmaking. — Alexis Nedd, Senior Entertainment Reporter

How to watch: Rashomon is now streaming connected Max.

24. The Matrix (1999)

The Matrix has been imitated, referenced, and parodied truthful often successful nan past 2 decades, it's almost easy to hide really mind-blowing it erstwhile felt. Almost. Watch nan real point successful 2021, and it's still plain to spot that Lana and Lilly Wachowski's sci-fi thriller is simply a existent original. Keanu Reeves stars arsenic Neo, a machine programmer haunted by nan consciousness that something's conscionable disconnected — only to beryllium proven correct erstwhile he discovers he's been surviving successful a simulation each along. The Wachowskis weren't nan first to raise nan thought that reality mightiness not beryllium existent (and location are other, less literal ways to construe that cardinal concept), but The Matrix did truthful pinch specified panache that it everlastingly embedded it into our popular civilization consciousness. The sequels whitethorn not person nan sterling estimation arsenic nan original, but they're besides worthy watching for nan Wachowskis' unparalleled action sequences and trippy philosophizing — and they're connected Max, too. — Angie Han, Deputy Entertainment Editor

How to watch: The Matrix is now streaming connected Max.

25. Grey Gardens (1975)

In their famed 1976 movie Grey Gardens, brothers and documentary squad Albert and David Maysles salary a sojourn to a dilapidated mansion successful nan Hamptons. There, they floor plan nan intriguing and tragic lives of a reclusive mother and daughter, some named Edith Beale, successful a unusual and winding characteristic study dissimilar immoderate other.

Relatives of First Lady Jackie Kennedy, nan life stories of "Little Edie" and "Big Edie" are sensationalized successful nan documentary, and galore reason that nan movie takes an inherently exploitative position of its subjects and their evident intelligence wellness conditions. But arsenic acold arsenic fascinating footage goes, Grey Gardens is a must-watch — capturing a unsocial family astatine nan bosom of a broader speech astir nan diminution of governmental royalty and ‘60s-era Americana. — Alison Foreman, Entertainment Reporter

How to watch: Grey Gardens is now streaming connected Max.

26. Spirited Away (2001)

If you want to get into nan beautiful, captivating films of Studio Ghibli, nan immense mostly of which are connected Max, Spirited Away is a awesome spot to start. It’s nan communicative of Chihiro, a young woman trapped successful a tone world who must activity to free her parents from a witch’s curse, and it’s a cleanable movie. Everything astir it, from nan visuals to nan characters to nan score, grabs you tightly and immerses you successful head Hayao Miyazaki’s imaginative world of tone bathhouses, soot sprites, dragons, and more. There’s beauty in Spirited Away’s astir elaborate sequences, but besides successful its quiet moments too, for illustration a train thrust aliases a repast shared betwixt friends. These are nan moments erstwhile you’ll find yourself crying without afloat knowing why. All you’ll cognize for judge is that Spirited Away is astonishing and you’ll ne'er want it to end. — B.E.

How to watch: Spirited Away is now streaming connected Max.

UPDATE: Jan. 31, 2024, 2:30 p.m. EST This article has been updated to bespeak nan latest streaming options.