The best movies and TV shows on Max

I’ve checked out everything new and noteworthy coming to Max this month, and the following TV shows and movies are the best, or at least the most interesting.

My big three of the month: HBO’s own shows The Pitta thrilling medical drama in which stressed-out medical staff try to save lives and stay sane; Another manan incredibly clever, dark comedy about identity and rejection; and Season 5 of an excellent animated series about female superheroes Harley Quinn.

The Pitt

Medical series from HBO Originals The Pitt was created by IS Producer R. Scott Gemmill. The exciting, realistic drama takes viewers into the crowded emergency room of Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Hospital. Each of The PittThe 15 episodes are presented in real time: One episode is one hour of the same shift in the emergency room. Noah Wyle plays Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch, the chief medical officer who struggles to deal with the stress and trauma of his position. He is not alone: The Pitt deals with the personal lives of its characters as well as the decisions about life and death and the everyday drama in the emergency room.

Begins streaming January 9th.

Another Man (2024)

If you like your comedy pitch black and full of absurdity and social commentary, then Another man is the film for you. Sebastian Stan plays Edward, a struggling actor with an extreme facial deformity. A medical procedure turns him into a good-looking guy – a different man – but he’s only pretty on the outside. Edward soon realizes that while beauty is skin deep, ugliness can reach to the core. Like pretty much everything released by A24, Another man receive well-deserved praise from critics.

Begins streaming January 17th.

Harley QuinnSeason 5

The fifth season of the adult cartoon Harley Quinn sees the title character, voiced by Kaley Cuoco, moving to Metropolis with her friend Poison Ivy, voiced by Lake Bell. The two soon realize that something serious is afoot in Superman-Town, and Quinn meets up with Lex Luthor, his sister Lena Luthor, Brainiac and other comic book favorites in this irreverent version of the DC Universe. Harley Quinn has one 97% freshness rating on Rotten TomatoesSo it’s definitely worth it.

Begins streaming January 16th.

The Leopard Man (1943)

As well Leopard man The most famous film by producer Val Lewton, Cat peoplehad no cat people in it, Leopard man is not about a leopard man. Lewton spent most of his career as head of the horror department at B-movie production company RKO, where studio executives dictated the titles of their films but let Lewton film whatever he wanted. Lewton decided to go for it Leopard man An atmospheric, creepy, surprisingly progressive take on misogyny and violence rather than a cheesy monster flick. Leopard man is arguably the first film about a serial killer and remains one of the best examples of this genre ever made.

Begins streaming January 1st.

The front room

The directorial debut of Max and Sam Eggers, the half-brothers of Nosferatu Director Robert Eggers, The front room is a surrealistic domestic horror story in which the worst mother-in-law imaginable moves in to “help” her pregnant daughter-in-law and son. Despite the seriousness of the trailer, The front room is lightened throughout by black humor. Solange, played by Kathryn Hunter, is a true nightmare and will do anything to drive a wedge between her son Norman, played by Andrew Burnap, and his wife Belinda, played by Brandy Norwood.

Begins streaming January 3rd.

Sons of Ecstasy

This documentary explores the rivalry between English stockbroker Shaun Attwood and Gerard Gravano, son of notorious New York gangster Salvatore “Sammy the Bull” Gravano. The conflict took place against the backdrop of Arizona’s ecstasy boom in the 1990s, as both men fought for control of a desert drug empire built on the rave scene’s insatiable appetite for molly. That’s what I call a good topic for a documentary series!

Begins streaming January 9th.

An update on our family

All “family YouTubers” are weird, but the Stauffer family was even more reprehensible. This three-part documentary series explores how Myka and James Stauffer built a small vlogging empire by portraying themselves and their children as the perfect family, but went a step too far when they adopted a baby from China with severe neurological problems. They tried to make two-year-old Huxley the focus of their content, but he soon disappeared from the family channel and the family.

Begins streaming January 15th.

CB Strike: The Inky Heart

This four-episode British series is based on JK Rowling’s best-selling novels, but there is no wizard. Instead, CB Strike: The Inky Heart offers the detective team of Cormoran Strike and Robin Ellacott, who are tasked with investigating a murder involving the creator of a cult TV cartoon and an anonymous online troll known as “Anomie.” The case uncovers a complex web of online intrigue, dark business interests and family conflicts that will test the limits of Strike and Robin’s investigative skills and potentially cost them their lives.

Begins streaming January 23rd.

Look into my eyes

I tend to think of “clairvoyants” as cynical ghouls who exploit grief for profit, but Look into my eyes“Director Lana Wilson has a more nuanced view of the craft. Her documentary examines the relationship between small-time New York psychics and their clients, without addressing the question of whether the media’s claims are true. Instead of exploitation, Wilson finds healing, faith and human connection. No matter how skeptical you are, it’s a fascinating take on the subject.

Begins streaming January 10th.

Last month’s tips

Juror #2

Directed by 94-year-old icon Clint Eastwood, the film stars Tony Collette, JK Simmons, Chris Messina, Kiefer Sutherland and Nicholas Hoult. Juror #2 is a legal drama about justice and personal responsibility. Hoult plays Justin Kemp, an everyman who sits on the jury of a high-profile murder case. When Kemp realizes he may have personal knowledge of the crime, he must decide whether to try to influence the rest of the jury. This film is receiving extremely good reviews from critics.

Begins streaming December 20th.

Creature Commands

This stylish adult animated series is based on the DC Comics anti-hero team and was created by James Gunn, its standout character Peacemaker also aired on HBO. The Creature Commandos of the title are a group of super-powered monsters who have come together to take down humanity’s most dangerous enemies using whatever method they choose. They tend to choose extreme violence. More than just a series, Creature Commands serves as a gentle introduction to the James Gunn reboot of the DC Comics universe in which we will be featured Superman: Legacy in summer 2025.

Begins streaming December 5th.

Humphrey Bogart Film Festival

Particular attention should be paid to the classic films that Max streams every month. In December, they’ll dig deep into the cinema vault for some of Humphrey Bogart’s best work – everything from the hard-boiled 1939 gangsters-and-guns flick king of the underworld, until 1937 horror film The Return of Doctor Xuntil 1940s It all came truea musical in which Bogie shares the screen with Ann Sheridan. If you haven’t seen any Bogart films and are overwhelmed by the 14(!) options available at Max, start with Sam Spade’s classic noir detective film The Maltese Falconwhich deserves its reputation as one of the best films of all time.

• Marked woman (1937)

• San Quentin (1937)

• Child Galahad (1937)

• Invisible stripes (1939)

• King of the underworld (1939)

• The Return of Doctor X (1939)

• The Roaring Twenties (1939)

• You can’t get away with murder (1939)

• It all came true (1940)

• They drive at night (1940)

• The Maltese Falcon (1941)

• Crossing to Marseille (1944)

• The two Mrs. Carrolls (1947)

• Key Largo (1949)

Begins streaming December 1st.

Super/Man: The Christopher Reeves Story

Through interviews with family and friends, this documentary tells the story of the rise of the actor the world came to know as Superman, the near-fatal accident that left him paralyzed, and his activism thereafter. Super/Man: The Christopher Reeves Story is not hagiography; Reeves was a complex man, and this film doesn’t shy away from exploring his frustration at being labeled Superman and struggling with his own demons.

Begins streaming December 7th.

Hard Knocks: In the season with the AFC North

With the playoffs right before us and the Super Bowl approaching, this HBO documentary series takes viewers into the locker rooms and coaches’ offices of the Ravens, Steelers, Bengals and Browns as they battle for the top spot in the AFC North Division. Even if you’re not a big football fan, the personal stories of players like Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, Myles Garrett and TJ Watt are fascinating, as is the comprehensive overview of what it takes to make it as an elite team.

Begins streaming December 3rd.

Type of crime

In Type of crime, We follow three incarcerated men as they prepare for parole hearings after decades in prison. Convicted as teenagers, these men are now middle-aged, and now they face a panel of citizens who must balance protecting society against rehabilitating long-time convicts.

Begins streaming December 10th.