HBO Max: 10 of the best movies to see this week – CNET [CNET]

July 29, 2021 Thomas Giboney technology

download — Watch Judas and the Black Messiah if you haven’t already.

Warner Bros. Pictures

Sadly, no notable arrivals hit HBO Max this week, so I’m going to select a few that arrived at the beginning of July. They include: Judas and the Black Messiah (2021), No Sudden Move (2021), Pleasantville (1998) and Reservoir Dogs (1992).

Judas and the Black Messiah was probably put on your radar at the Oscars, where it saw Daniel Kaluuya win best supporting actor. Kaluuya’s speech giving talent is on point in real life and in the film, where he plays Fred Hampton, chairman of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party. Set in the late ’60s, the film follows a petty criminal who’s recruited by the police to infiltrate the BPP. Crackling with themes of betrayal, revolution and social injustice, this biographical drama is powerful and riveting to watch.

Last week’s arrivals include Corazon De Mezquite (2019) and Freaky (2020). Thanks to WarnerMedia’s simultaneous theatrical and streaming release plan, major 2021 releases have hit HBO Max, including musical In the Heights and horror film The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It. If none of those take your fancy, HBO Max has loads of classics from the Criterion Collection and a small collection of quality originals, which you can peruse below, among a few of those blockbusters.

Thriller

No Sudden Move (2021)

HBO Max

A new Steven Soderbergh movie? Aka the great director behind Erin Brockovich, Ocean’s Eleven and, more recently, Logan Lucky? Twists, thrills and desperate characters populate this crime thriller set in 1950s Detroit. When a seemingly simple job gets out of hand, a group of criminals must work together to uncover what’s really going on. Take in the incredible cast: Don Cheadle, Benicio del Toro, David Harbour, Jon Hamm and Amy Seimetz. While the plot can be a little convoluted and some won’t be able to get past the fish-eye lens cinematography, Soderbergh’s sense of humor and immersive direction make this crime caper an entertaining night in.

Tenet (2020)

Warner Bros.

If ever there was a movie that improves with multiple rewatches, it’s Tenet. Thanks to its release on HBO Max, you can now understand the plot that goes with its spectacular visuals. John David Washington stars as the Protagonist, whose name is a subtle hint to his James Bond mission to prevent a world-destroying attack — from the future. The Protagonist learns to manipulate the flow of time with the help of Robert Pattinson’s debonair Neil. Possibly the most Christopher Nolan of Christopher Nolan movies, Tenet is as entertaining as it is cerebral.

Drama

Unpregnant (2020)

See at HBO Max

Charm City Kings (2020)

See at HBO Max

Superhero

Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)

Fan of the ’80s? Including that filmmaking style? The sequel to Wonder Woman leans hard into its inspirations, which will either take you back to pleasingly simple versions of adventure and heroism, or really annoy you with a nonsensical plot and slow pace. Gal Gadot’s Diana Prince hasn’t moved on from Steve Trevor’s (Chris Pine) death, working at the Smithsonian where an ancient artefact kicks off a world of trouble and forces her to make a few hard decisions. Kristen Wiig and Pedro Pascal are new additions to the cast. Colorful, lightweight escapism.