In this installment, we’ll take a look at the must-see movies on HBO Max this month. Whether you’re looking for a fun comedy or intense thriller, we’ve got you covered!
- Elvis (2022)
After just three months in theaters, Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis biopic is coming to the small screen. Austin Butler is very, very convincing as the King of the Rock and Roll, both supported and hounded by his manager, Colonel Tom Parker (a very, very interesting Tom Hanks). This movie is filled to the brim with the ostentatious flair that sets Luhrmann apart as an iconic director of the 2000s, making it one of the most exciting and entertaining rock and roller biopics that have swept theaters in the past few years.
- Miss Congeniality (2000)
Nothing is quite as good as a movie that combines Sandra Bullock’s talent as both an action star and romcom lead. In this 90s classic, she plays Gracie, an FBI agent who must go undercover as a beauty queen as she puts a stop to a threat at the Miss United States pageant. In order to pass herself off convincingly, she enlists the help of expert pageant coach Victor (Michael Cane) and teams up with fellow agent Eric (Benjamin Bratt) to pull off the stunt. No doubt about it, this is peak Sandra Bullock—not only does she give this action-comedy the laughs it needs to succeed, but she proves that she knows how to throw a punch, too!
- The First Wives Club (1996)
Another hit from the 90s is The First Wives club, starring icons Diane Keaton, Goldie Hawn, and Bette Midler. In college, best friends Annie, Elise, and Brenda swear to support each other no matter what throughout the years, and must follow through on their promise later on in life when they discover that each of their husbands has left them for younger women. Although they reunite with plans to exact their revenge on their sexist husbands, they also experience a renewal of their friendship and learn how to better value themselves as women, making this as comforting a watch as it is hilarious.
- Ex Machina (2014)
Although Oscar Isaac, Alicia Vikander, and Domhnall Gleeson had been up-and-coming for some time before Ex Machina’s release, their participation in this cult film solidified their unique status as both indie darlings and bankable stars. In Alex Garland’s directorial debut, Ex Machina contemplates the progress of AI as it tells the story of scientist and entrepreneur Nathan (Isaac) and the experiment he designs to test his AI robot, Ava (Vikander). He recruits the unwitting help of Caleb (Gleeson), a programmer, and things just get creepier and creepier from there. For fans of psychological horror and suspense, this movie is top tier.
- Room (2015)
In one of Brie Larson’s breakout performances after a career as a child actress, Room tells the story of Joy (Larson) and her five-year-old son, Jack (Jacob Tremblay), who are held captive by Old Nick (Sean Bridgers). They live in a small shed in Old Nick’s backyard that is Jack’s entire world—having been born in the shed, which Joy and Jack call Room, he’s stayed in Room since birth and has only ever been able to look through a skylight at the outside world. When Joy hatches a plan to get Jack out of Room, they are rescued and their entire world changes as they learn to adapt to regular life. A completely bittersweet film, Room shows the pain of trauma but also the beauty in overcoming it to pursue healing.
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