If you’ve ever explored the Max app, you’re aware that the streaming service has a few excellent movies for you to choose from. What you likely don’t know, though, in large part because of Max’s own interface, is that there are tons of other great titles that are much harder to find.
Finding something great on Max is only hard because they seem to hide that stuff. Thankfully, we’ve got you covered with an overview of five great movies that are definitely worth checking out this summer, whatever your interests might be.
Hoop Dreams (1994)
One of the great documentaries ever made, Hoop Dreams is the simple story of two Chicago teenagers with dreams of making it to the NBA. The documentary follows both of them over the course of years as they make their way to private schools where their talents can be honed and deal with the cards that the world has dealt them.
Hoop Dreams is great not just because it’s a great sports movie, but because it’s a study of the ways these boys feel trapped by the world around them and see the unlikelihood of a career in the NBA as their only way out.
You can watch Hoop Dreams on Max.
Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989)
Hayao Miyazaki has only made masterpieces, but if you’re looking for one of his underseen gems that the whole family can enjoy, then Kiki’s Delivery Service is the perfect choice. The film tells the story of a young witch who leaves home for the first time and eventually opens a delivery service in which she uses her broom to transport various items around the town where she now lives.
Kiki’s is very light on plot, though, and heavier on vibes. It’s a coming of age story about a girl trying to find her way in the world, and realizing that this new phase will take more adjustments than she may have thought.
You can watch Kiki’s Delivery Service on Max.
Wonka (2023)
Wonka is perhaps 2023’s unlikeliest success, but it was a success nonetheless, and a worthwhile one. Director Paul King has a unique gift for telling hopeful, whimsical stories set in beautifully crafted worlds, and that’s precisely what Wonka is. The movie follows the famed chocolatier as he struggles to open his first chocolate shop and meets a ragtag group of friends along the way.
Although you may not like it as a prequel to other Willy Wonka movies, if you take it on its own terms, and like a bit of singing and dancing, you’re almost guaranteed to have a good time.
You can watch Wonka on Max.
The Witch (2016)
Wouldst thou like to live deliciously? One of the most terrifying movies of the 21st century, The Witch tells the story of colonial settlers who are banished from their settlement and forced to start a farm in the wilderness of Massachusetts.
This deeply religious family begins to suspect that they are being tormented by a witch, and things continue to go from bad to worse as the family’s children disappear or are possessed. The Witch is set in a world where witchcraft is very real, and it leans into the horrors of that time, as well as its mysticism, to frightening effect.
You can watch The Witch on Max.
Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
A lovely romantic comedy that has the prestige of Oscar-bait, Silver Linings Playbook tells the story of a bipolar man who returns home from his time in a mental hospital and eventually meets a woman suffering from depression. Together, they deal with his family and prepare for a dance competition as he works to get back together with his ex-wife.
Silver Linings Playbook wouldn’t work at all without its two brilliant lead performances from Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence, the latter of whom won an Oscar. It’s a movie about love and pain, and it’s way funnier than you may have expected it to be.
You can watch Silver Linings Playbook on Max.