Instead of spending hours scrolling through the movies on HBO Max looking for something to watch, why not give these three picks a try this weekend? Behind only Netflix and Prime Video, HBO Max is the premiere destination for streaming right now. With the power of the premium cable network behind it, Max has amassed an impressive roster of original content.
Even though HBO Max is still best known for original shows like Euphoria or The Pitt, it also has a stellar catalog of movies. Though the movie selection is much smaller than other streamers, Max usually only hosts films worth watching and there is significantly less filler content. The streamer also usually lands some of the biggest and best movies right after their theatrical runs.
An abundance of choice is always a good thing, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy to pick movies to watch over the weekend. Even Max’s relatively small catalog is massive, and one can waste a lot of time scrolling. Thankfully, the best stuff usually floats to the top, especially at the beginning of each month.
The list compiled for this weekend consists of movies that just hit the platform on the first of the month. Though they aren’t all new movies, they are all new to HBO Max. One is a thrilling neo-western, while another is a frightening plague story. Finally, the list concludes with a long-awaited disaster movie sequel that just left theaters earlier in 2026.
3
Hell Or High Water (2016)
With a screenplay by Taylor Sheridan, 2016’s Hell or High Water is a gripping neo-western with some pretty rich themes. A pair of desperate brothers go on a bank robbing spree, and the only person standing in their way is a lawman with nothing left to lose. The movie deftly blends the frontier justice of classic westerns with the complex morality of modern storytelling.
Hell or High Water is very much a slow-burn experience, though it is punctuated by action sequences that actually mean something. It exists in an intentionally grey moral area, challenging the viewer to assess their own beliefs and choices. It may be overshadowed by Sheridan’s other works, but Hell or High Water is still one of his greatest projects.
2
Contagion (2011)
Steven Soderbergh’s Contagion was destined to be a mere footnote in the pages of 2010s movie history, until certain real-world events elevated its status. After a businesswoman travels abroad, she returns to the U.S. with a deadly new disease that causes a massive outbreak. Eerily predicting the events of 2020, Contagion is more than just a plague movie.
What the story really explores is the diverse and often dangerous reactions to such a global event. The conspiracies, the violence, and the unforeseen damage to the collective psyche of modern society. The medical thriller becomes an outright horror film in retrospect, and is arguably one of the scariest movies on HBO Max because of its prescient nature.
1
Greenland 2: Migration (2026)
Gerard Butler and the rest of the main cast return for the highly-anticipated sequel, Greenland 2: Migration. In the disaster movie follow-up, the Garrity family leave the safety of their bunker in search of a new life on the recently decimated planet. Migration adds an interesting wrinkle to the disaster movie formula by exploring the aftermath.
Though it isn’t as good as its predecessor, Migration is better than its middling reviews. It has drama elements and a different flavor of thrills, eschewing the usual disaster formula. It came straight to HBO Max after its disappointing theatrical run, where it will likely become a pretty significant streaming success story. The original film is also streaming on Max, so it makes for a perfect double feature.