7 best new to Max movies with 90% or higher on Rotten Tomatoes for August 2023
published July 31, 2023
Max gains a ton of great movies in its third full month
(Image credit: Shutterstock/Max)
Max (the rebooted HBO Max) is still in its infancy, but it continues its predecessor’s tradition of delivering fantastic movies. And by maintaining its position as the home box office, it helps ensure its ranking as the best streaming service.
August’s big new batch of movies gives us a lot of options for what to add to the best Max movies list, which often sees titles come and go as contracts expire. To help clarify this chaos, and thus fight decision paralysis (a problem we all share), we’re refining the massive list of new-to-Max movies with two filters.
These movies all have a score of 90% or more on Rotten Tomatoes, which is basically an A-grade. Then, we curate the list down to give something for everyone. This month offers excellent action, a classic dark comedy crime film, one of the best horror movies of all time, and superb documentaries.
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)
The second chapter (which does not require seeing any of its predecessors) of the 2010’s Planet of the Apes reboot is a fantastic edition. Humanity is reeling after the ‘Rise’ of the apes, as only 1 in 500 humans are genetically immune to the Simian Flu pandemic.
Malcolm (Jason Clarke) may be humanity’s only hope at peace, as he leads a group into the ape community. There, he builds a bond with Caesar (Andy Serkis), their leader. Of course, since someone named ‘Caesar’ is involved, the odds of peace are truly small.
A fantastic popcorn flick that you might have easily missed, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is a blast that’s as thoughtful as it is action-packed.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 91%
Genre: Action
Stream it on Max starting tomorrow (Tuesday, August 1)
A Royal Affair (2012)
Amazingly, A Royal Affair delivers a true story of historical non-fiction that most wouldn’t believe. And it’s a romance at that, all told through the point of view of Queen Caroline (Alicia Vikander), from her youth to the courtship with the unstable and unfaithful King Christian VII (Mikkel Boe Folsgaard).
There, she meets doctor Johann Friedrich Struensee (Mads Mikkelsen), an intellectual who she blonds with almost instantly, creating a royally complicated love triangle. Mikkelsen and Vikander won praise for their performances, and A Royal Affair is well-regarded for its mix of history, passion and philosophy.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 90%
Genre: Historic drama
Stream it on Max starting tomorrow (Tuesday, August 1)
Fargo (1996)
If you’ve never seen the Coen Brothers classic that’s remembered for its iconic — yet bloody — violence, I hope you’re ready for it right now. Fargo all starts with a bad idea: Jerry (William H. Macy) is in deep debt, and hires two criminals (Steve Buscemi, Peter Stormare) to kidnap his wife so her father can pay a ransom that he will split with his hired help. Everything, of course, goes wrong.
While the above trio help make this movie great, it’s Frances McDormand’s performance as police chief Marge Gunderson that makes this film practically perfect. With a casual oh-gosh demeanor, Marge unpacks the plot at hand, ruining everyone’s already bad day.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 94%
Genre: Comedy/crime
Stream it on Max starting tomorrow (Tuesday, August 1) [click thru on the URL at the top for the remainder of the list)
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