HBO Max has one of the most impressive catalogs of movies across any streaming service, with more than 1,000 options. There are obvious hits on the platform, like The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Parasite, and The Dark Knight, but the real fun is finding the hidden gems among those classics.
These are the films that were underappreciated upon release or that have been overlooked for one reason or another, yet deserve a chance to gain the appreciation they deserve. Among these movies are HBO Max originals, undervalued dramas, international animated classics, and more.
Turtles All The Way Down (2024)
When movies release straight to HBO Max, they can often fly under the radar and that was the case for Turtles All the Way Down. Based on a novel of the same name by John Green, the film centers on two teen friends, one with obsessive-compulsive disorder, who search for a missing billionaire.
While the premise might not sound like anything too special on its own, Turtles All the Way Down works because of the heart at the center, the bond between the main characters, and the performances of the cast.
At the center of it all is Isabela Merced as the protagonist Aza, who has recently shined in The Last of Us and Superman. Anyone who liked her in those projects needs to check out this hidden gem where she’s great and the film received strong reviews from critics.
Martha Marcy May Marlene (2011)
These days, Elizabeth Olsen is one of the most prominent actors in Hollywood, thanks to her incredible performance as Wanda Maximoff in the MCU. Since then, she’s starred in several major movies and TV shows but it all started with Martha Marcy May Marlene.
This 2011 indie film sees Olsen star as the тιтular character, who returns home after spending years in a violent and abusive cult. Her PTSD and how she interacts back in the regular world are the driving forces of the movie.
Beyond the gripping story, though, this is all about Elizabeth Olsen. She delivers a powerful performance that put her on the map and propelled her to the stardom she has today. However, she’s not alone as Sarah Paulson and John Hawkes also showcase their great acting chops.
Unpregnant (2020)
Along the same lines as Turtles All the Way Down, Unpregnant is one of those movies that was released straight to HBO Max and was somewhat overlooked because of it. Based on a novel of the same name, Unpregnant follows a teenager who reconnects with an old friend as she goes on a road trip to have an abortion.
There’s a tense nature throughout the screenplay, as the two are keeping the trip a secret from the protagonist’s parents and, as former friends with an uneasy relationship, the two main characters have a lot to get through.
Haley Lu Richardson and Barbie Ferreira are fantastic together, while Giancarlo Esposito pops up for a blast of a cameo. Unpregnant holds a strong 91% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with most of the praise going towards the chemistry and charisma shared by Richardson and Ferreira.
Love & Other Drugs (2010)
On paper, a romantic comedy starring Anne Hathaway and Jake Gyllenhaal should be an instant classic. Both are acclaimed actors and the chemistry they share in Love & Other Drugs is electric, yet the film was mostly met with mixed reviews from critics.
Based on a 2005 novel, Love & Other Drugs follows a pharmaceutical sales representative (Gyllenhaal) who becomes a sensation while selling Viagra and falls for a woman with Parkinson’s disease (Hathaway), whom he is casually seeing.
The film ultimately grossed an impressive $102 million and the positive reviews were aimed at Gyllenhaal and Hathaway’s performances. In fact, both were nominated for Golden Globes, yet Love & Other Drugs only has a 49% Rotten Tomatoes rating. It deserved better reviews and should be watched now that it’s on HBO Max.
Kimi (2022)
Yet another movie that flew under the radar after it was released directly to HBO Max, Kimi has some great star power going for it. Acclaimed filmmaker Steven Soderbergh directs, successful screenwriter David Koepp penned the movie, and the talented Zoë Kravitz stars as the тιтular Kimi.
The plot is captivating, as it follows agoraphobic tech worker Kimi, who has to leave her apartment to investigate a violent crime she discovered at work. That makes for a thrilling mystery with an intense nature behind it, perfect for true crime lovers.
Steven Soderbergh’s signature style is evident in almost every scene and, combined with the stellar performance of Kravitz, turns this into one of the best and most underrated movies in each of their respective filmographies.
The Descendants (2011)
Not to be confused with Disney’s popular Descendants movies, this indie flick from 2011 comes from director Alexander Payne, who had previously won an Oscar for Sideways. The Descendants arrived a few years later and may be his greatest achievement.
The film features George Clooney in the lead role and marked the breakout of Shailene Woodley, who is incredible as his character’s daughter. Her performance here received a lot of praise and is a big reason why she ended up being a sought-after actress during the 2010s.
The Descendants follows Clooney’s Matt King as he takes his daughters on a trip to Hawaii to confront the person who had an affair with his wife, who is on life support after an accident. The film is emotional, gripping, and the writers took home an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay.
Juror No. 2 (2024)
Continuing the trend of HBO Max movies being overlooked when they hit the platform, Juror No. 2 is another in that conversation and might be the best of them all (though it had a short theatrical run). Directed by the legendary Clint Eastwood, Juror No. 2 is one of those movies that puts the protagonist in a morally compromising position.
In the film, Justin (Nicholas Hoult) serves on the jury for a high-profile murder trial, only to realize that he is actually the person behind the victim’s death. We watch as he squirms with whether to be honest and go to jail himself, leaving his pregnant wife alone, or to be dishonest and sway the jury to wrongfully convict someone.
Nicholas Hoult delivers one of the best performances of his career and helped lead the legal thriller to a 93% Rotten Tomatoes rating. The supporting cast, featuring J.K. Simmons, Toni Collette, and Zoey Deutch, is also a highlight.
The Fallout (2021)
After initially starring alongside the aforementioned Shailene Woodley in the poorly received show The Secret Life of the American Teenager, Megan Park has become one of the most impressive young filmmakers in Hollywood. Her feature debut was The Fallout and she entered this moviemaking world with a bang.
The Fallout starts with an ordinary day in the life of Vada (Jenna Ortega) but quickly turns grim as a school shooting happens. The audience experiences this harrowing scene with Vada, who cowers in the bathroom with Mia (Maddie Ziegler) as the sH๏τs ring out and screams are heard.
From there, the story deals with the aftermath of the shooting and how it impacts those involved. Ortega and Ziegler give remarkable performances and the film was lauded for tackling such an important subject in America. The Fallout ending is also a memorable one that really hits on an emotional level.
Aftersun (2022)
A year after Megan Park’s impressive feature debut, Charlotte Wells delivered one of her own. She wrote and directed the semi-autobiographical film Aftersun, which follows a young girl who goes on vacation with her father at a resort in Turkey.
What drives the story is that the father, played masterfully by Paul Mescal, is trying to make the trip fun for his daughter but he’s struggling with his own battle with depression. As the layers pull back and this gets revealed, the movie becomes intense and rather heartbreaking.
Frankie Corio is incredible in her acting debut, while Mescal found himself nominated for Best Actor at the Academy Awards. Aftersun is a heavily emotional movie and a must-see, especially when it comes to the unbelievable “Under Pressure” scene.
Your Name (2016)
The fact that Your Name is an underappreciated movie is a shame. Not only is it one of the best animated films of the decade, it’s also a masterfully crafted story of love, time travel, and more, mixing several genres seamlessly.
Your Name follows two high school students who suddenly switch bodies, despite never meeting, and bring chaos into each other’s lives. They find a way to communicate and form a touching bond before some major twists come into play.
The animation style is stunning, the love story at the center will have you in tears, and those plot twists truly make Your Name into one of the best movies in recent memory. The film comes from Makoto Shinkai, and is part of his critically acclaimed “disaster trilogy,” followed by Weathering With You and Suzume.
