As enthusiastic viewers find new avenues to stream a plethora of recently released content, the most innovative aspect of HBO Max entails its ability to stream a combination of new theatrical films, as well as already established content, from any portable smart device, at any time. Ranging from original, in-house content to third party projects, the HBO Max pallet is both diverse and wide in variety.
Launched in the midst of the pandemic (May 2020), HBO Max intended to directly compete with highly popular streaming services like Netflix, while providing a more accessible option for its existing viewership (that is less expensive than the television network). While releasing hit HBO TV shows, such as Euphoria, Sex and the City spinoff And Just Like That..., and Peacemaker, a number of recent box-office blockbusters also became available, acting as a substitute to theaters.
In a controversial move, Warner Bros. released all 2021 movies on HBO Max at the same time as in theaters. The idea sparked an outcry from people wanting to support physical movie theaters, and WarnerMedia has since moved away from the concept slightly. However, for those who still don't feel comfortable being in those physical spaces, due to fears associated with transmitting COVID-19, HBO Max will still get original Warner Bros. movies directly to their streaming service throughout the year.
It would be a lie to say that the emergence of the COVID-19 virus hasn't at all affected the way in which people live and watch movies. For anyone who still has concerns, there is an alternate option in HBO Max, which is still sticking to its '45-Days from Theatrical Release' distribution policy for recent projects. The following are highly successful, recently released theatrical films, that also exclusively became available on HBO Max, for anyone who wants a night in at the movies.
6 Halloween Kills
Mostly referred to as the most violent installment in the entire franchise by fans, Halloween Kills follows a sadistic and unusually more angry Michael Myers (James Jude Courtney) as he continues his obsessive attempt to kill Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis). The long-time survivors of his crimes dating back to his first killing spree in 1978, Tommy Doyle (Anthony Michael Hall), Lindsey Wallace (Kyle Richards), Marion Chambers (Nancy Stephens), Lonnie Elam (Robert Longstreet) and Deputy Frank Hawkins (Will Patton) all unite together to put an end to the brutal carnage by the hands of Myers.
5 West Side Story
West Side Story details the initial meeting between Tony (Ansel Elgort) and Maria (Rachel Zegler), and the love story that followed against the backdrop of gang wars in a modernized and visually striking update of the classic Oscar-winner. Loosely inspired by William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, the time frame is established in the mid-1950s, located around the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Who doesn't love a forbidden and unrequited love story, where the odds between the two are stacked against them? Especially if it has great music.
4 F9 (Fast & Furious 9)
A quick description of F9 in three words; cars, cars, (and yes, more) cars. As viewers once again see Dom (Vin Diesel) and Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) living their best lives along with their young son, off the grid of course, the pair quickly have to shift gears with unexpected circumstances. As Dom is forced to confront his estranged brother, Jakob Toretto (John Cena), the expert assassin does everything in his power to make Dom's life stressful, he becomes his brother's fiercest opposition.
3 The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It
After the initial 2020 release date became delayed as a result of the pandemic, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It became available for viewers to see in theaters during the summer of 2021, as well as on HBO Max for an exclusive month-long release. Throughout the film, well-known paranormal investigators Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine Warren (Vera Farmiga) become immersed into the trial of Arne Cheyenne Johnson (Ruairi O'Connor), as he was believed to have been possessed during the time of the murders he committed. His trial is known to have been the first United States court case, where demonic possession was regarded as a defense, in what may be the darkest movie in the Conjuring universe.
2 The Matrix: Resurrections
In his return to The Matrix franchise, Keanu Reeves leads the fourth installment into a dystopian future where virtual reality takes the place of real life experiences all together. While struggling to find out wether he is in fact an artificial representation or not, Neo (Reeves) and Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) attempt to escape the matrix, where machine intelligence has been formulated to utilize the body of human beings as sources of energy. One of the most infatuating elements of The Matrix: Resurrections has to be the intense and striking visual effects, which brilliantly updates the groundbreaking effects of the originals.
1 Free Guy
.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=1500&dpr=1.5)
This action-comedy film has to be one of the top comedy movies of 2021. Guy (Ryan Reynolds) is hilariously charming in his pursuit to become the center of the open-world video game he's unknowingly a part of. As the bank teller discovers he's actually a background character in the game (or NPC, non-player character), Guy makes a point to save his deteriorating world, as he falls for the girl of his dreams (the game's creator). Free Guy is a ridiculously fun and entertaining, feel-good action-comedy.