It’s official, the HBO Max name has been reinstated and even though the streaming service has changed its name, it’s still going to bring you the usual slew of exciting new titles each month.
August is a packed month for one of the best streaming services, bringing a mix of new movies as well as old Hollywood classics, which the platform has a soft spot for. But HBO Max has caught our attention with five new movies and shows with over 90% on Rotten Tomatoes from the critics.
Leading the pack is a powerful historical-action movie starring Viola Davis, a performance I feel was snubbed by the Oscars, followed by the latest season of one of the best modern comedy shows as well as two comedy dramas to indulge in – all topped off with a Gene Kelly classic.
The Woman King (2022)
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RT Score: 94%
Age rating: PG-13
Runtime: 135 minutes
Director: Gina Prince-Bythewood
Arriving on: August 1
Prince-Bythewood’s historical action blockbuster is a powerful re-imagination of the story of the Agojie, an 1800s West African tribe made up entirely of female warriors.
Leader of the Agojie, General Nanisca (Viola Davis), swears to protect the land of the Kingdom of Dahomey ruled by King Ghezo (John Boyega) from the wrath of the Oyo Empire. As a new generation of female warriors emerges, Nanisca uses her combat skills and intellect to train them, readying them for a violent against the rival Oyo Empire – who are determined to destroy the Agojie’s way of life.
Abbott Elementary season 4
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RT Score: 99%
Age rating: TV-PG
Episode runtime: ~ 22 minutes
Creator: Quinta Brunson
Arriving on: August 23
Though Abbott Elementary is one of the best shows in Hulu’s library, it’s most recent season is coming to Max in just a few weeks, meaning you can catch season four without having to make the switch to Hulu.
Quinta Brunson writes and stars in this mockumentary-style sitcom that follows the faculty of a Philadelphia public school. It shows the workplace lives of dedicated teachers, and their tone-deaf principal, who are determined to help their students succeed despite being underfunded and overlooked by the school’s district.
Since premiering in 2021, Abbott Elementary has become one of the most popular shows on streaming, and has earned several Emmy awards in the comedy categories.
The Peanut Butter Falcon (2019)
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RT Score: 95%
Age rating: PG-13
Runtime: 98 minutes
Directors: Tyler Nilson & Michael Schwartz
Arriving on: August 1
From Netflix, to Prime Video, and now Max, Nilson and Schwartz’s The Peanut Butter Falcon sure likes to hop between streaming services – but it’s good news for Max subscribers at least.
In this adventure drama, 22 year-old Zak (Zack Gottsagen) has Down Syndrome and without a biological family of his own, he’s forced to reside in a nursing home in Richmond, Virginia. But despite this, he has big dreams of becoming a professional wrestler just like his idol Salt Water Redneck.
Determined to achieve his goals, he escapes the nursing home and embarks on a journey to Ayden, North Carolina so that he can attend Salt Water’s wrestling school. Along the way he meets Tyler (Shia LaBeouf), an outlaw who is also on the run. When Tyler has a change of heart and agrees to help Zak on his journey, a unexpected bond between them blossoms.
You Hurt My Feelings (2023)
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RT Score: 94%
Age rating: R
Runtime: 93 minutes
Director: Nicole Holofcener
Arriving on: August 1
A24’s You Hurt My Feelings is another movie that has cropped up on other platform’s monthly lists before, but now Holofcener’s comedy-drama will find a new home among Max’s library of movies.
Following successful author and creative writing teacher Beth (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) and her therapist husband Don (Tobias Menzies), their marriage is seemingly perfect on the surface. But when Beth overhears Don’s honest opinion of her new book, it makes her question everything about their relationship.
This sends Beth into a an emotional frenzy, forcing her to confront insecurities about her marriage, her work, and her self-worth.
It’s Always Fair Weather (1955)
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RT Score: 91%
Age rating: U
Length: 102 minutes
Director: Stanley Donen & Gene Kelly
Arriving on: August 1
If there’s one thing Max loves it’s classic Hollywood cinema, and this Gene Kelly movie-musical is just one of this month’s new Golden Age titles – but with one of the highest Rotten Tomatoes scores.
Three World War II soldiers Ted (Gene Kelly), Doug (Dan Dailey), and Angie (Michael Kidd) meet up at a New York City bar in 1945, celebrating their last day together before going their separate ways. They vow to return to the same bar in 10 years time, but when they reunite, they find that their friendship is drastically different to what it used to be.
When they meet program coordinator Jackie Leighton (Cyd Charisse), she has the idea to bring them together for a live TV show. But after Ted gets into trouble with a mob of gangsters, the three of them are forced to band together and confront their pasts.
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