Welcome to EliteViser’s new Max movies guide. Over the past few months, we’ve regularly updated this article with the biggest new movies that have debuted on Max, aka HBO Max’s streaming successor.
From August 2023 onwards, we’re doing things differently. Before a new month rolls around, we’ll be giving our new Max movies hub (and articles like it, such as our new Prime Video movies and new Hulu movies guides) a massive overhaul.
What does that mean in practice? Instead of updating this article every time a worthwhile film lands on Max, we’ve compiled every single new movie that’s set to join Warner Bros Discovery’s (WBD) primary streaming platform over the next four weeks. So, if you want a quick rundown of every new Max movie coming in August, all you need to do is scroll down this page to see what’ll be on a TV screen near you very soon.
That’s not all, though. Each month, we’ll handpick six or seven brilliant movies to spotlight – in a section under this article introduction – that we think are must-watch flicks for every kind of film fan. That way, you can see what movies to definitively add to your watchlist on one of the world’s best streaming services, too.
If you’re looking for a broader range of what’s on offer in Max’s movie library, our best Max movies guide is packed with more recommendations to stream. For now, however, here are all of the new Max movies coming to the streamer in August.
New Max movies: the best films to stream in August
These are our seven top picks of all the new Max movies that are viewable on the streaming service this August:
A Nightmare on Elm Street collection
Release date: August 1
Wes Craven’s beloved supernatural slasher film series (up to and including the fifth flick, that is) makes its Max debut this month. And, while some of the newer entries in the horror franchise are completely skippable, there are a few notable exceptions to that rule. Namely, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Freddy’s Revenge (i.e. the second movie), and Dream Warriors (aka film number 3) are the ones to stick to.
For their time, the Nightmare on Elm Street movies were the stuff of, well, nightmares. There’s a reason why returning antagonists Freddy Kreuger is a regular inclusion on the best horror film villains lists – and it’s because he’s a spooky dude who only appears when you’re at your most vulnerable (i.e. while you sleep). Sure, each movie became more camp (and less frightening) with each new entry in the franchise, but there’s no denying A Nightmare on Elm Street‘s influence on the horror genre. A worthy film collection entry on our new Max movies list for this month.
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs
Release date: August 1
Before Phil Lord and Chris Miller changed animated and superhero films forever with offerings including The LEGO Movie, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, the pair cut their teeth on family-friendly films like this one.
The duo’s comedy-infused, creatively animated, and original storytelling fingerprints are all over Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, too. In it, a scientist named Flint Lockwood develops an invention that converts rainwater into food. However, when the machine gains sentience and threatens the world, it’s up to Flint to stop its “food storms” destroying humanity.
A quirky but enjoyable family flick that’s full of laugh-out-loud slapstick moments, as well as nuanced drama, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs is absolutely worth your time.
Fargo
Release date: August 1
Years before it was turned into a popular TV show on FX (it’s available on Hulu in the US these days), Fargo was acclaimed directing duo Joel and Ethan Coen’s breakout movie hit.
The black comedy crime thriller stars Frances McDormand as Marge Gunderson, a pregnant Minnesota-dwelling police chief who’s tasked with investigating a triple homicide.
Fargo proved to be such a hit among casual viewers and critics alike, it went on to earn seven Oscar nominations in 1997, two of which it deservedly won. A gratuitously violent and darkly funny flick, Fargo laid the groundwork for what we’ve come to expect from the Coen brothers’ back catalog down the years. Its influence on the crime genre, too, shouldn’t be underestimated.
The Naked Gun collection
Release date: August 1
Few comedy films can claim to be as surreal as The Naked Gun movies are. The series, which ran from 1988 to 1994 (and was also known as Police Squad!), is a collection of spoof flicks stuffed to the rafters with hilarity from the moment they all begin.
The trilogy primarily stars acclaimed comedian Leslie Nielsen as bumbling police lieutenant Frank Drebin, whose investigations into various crimes lead viewers on a merry dance of superb slapstick, outstanding one-liners, witty retorts, and other absurdist humor.
Given the era they were released in, The Naked Gun movies are unashamedly crass and at-times politically incorrect, so there’d be little chance of being made – in the manner they were – if they were released in 2023. If you can look past how dated their references are, though, you’ll have a thoroughly brilliant time with them all, particularly the first movie. Three new Max movies that deserve a spin.
The Bourne Ultimatum
Release date: August 1
Few spy-centric movie series can hold a candle to the Bourne films. Yes, James Bond obviously can – it’s the godfather of fictional espionage tales – but many others outside of the Bourne flicks can.
Luckily, the best Bourne movie joins Max’s film library this month. The Bourne Ultimatum, which originally debuted in theaters in 2007, brings the Jason Bourne-starring film trilogy to a close in stunningly intelligent and thrilling fashion. Led by a powerhouse performance from Matt Damon as the titular character, it’s a delightfully shot film with sharp writing and great action set-pieces. There’s a reason why The Bourne Ultimatum was rated as the best film of 2007 by the likes of Rotten Tomatoes and Empire Magazine. Once you’ve watched it, you’ll agree with those sentiments.
The Iron Giant
Release date: August 1
Five years before he helmed one of the best Pixar movies and best superhero movies in The Incredibles, director Brad Bird made us all fall in love with (and subsequently cry buckets of tears) over a sentient giant made of cast iron.
The Iron Giant, which is based on Ted Hughes’ 1968 book of the same name, has no right to be this good and upsetting. Set in the late ’50s, a young boy called Hogarth Hughes discovers and befriends a metallic alien robot after it crash lands on Earth. With the aid of an artist named Dean McCoppin, Hogarth attempts to keep the titular character out of the clutches of the US government, US army, and the FBI.
A masterful movie that explores complex human relationships and rich themes in a beautifully stylized aesthetic, The Iron Giant is a wonderfully gripping and heart-wrenching film that’ll make the whole family cry. Be sure to have a box of tissues handy for this one.
Avatar
Release date: August 17
After Avatar: The Way of Water swam its way onto Max in June, its 2009 predecessor will join its superb sequel on the platform in mid-August.
The James Cameron-directed sci-fi adventure film tells the tale of Jake Sully, a paraplegic marine who’s given a new lease of life as a human-Na’vi hybrid known as an “avatar”. Initially tasked with infiltrating the Na’vi’s homeworld and race to scout for resources that Earth’s nefarious Resources Development Administration (RDA) can mine and commandeer, Jake falls in love Neytiri and soon finds his allegiances torn between the two species.
The highest-grossing movie of all-time with a near $3 billion box office haul, Avatar was a mind-blowing and visually arresting movie when it debuted 14 years ago. Its plot and characterization may be a tad lacking, but what it foregoes in the way of substance, it more than makes up for stylistically. In fact, few films can attest to being this gorgeous in the years since. Funnily enough, Avatar: The Way of Water can. While you’re here, find out where each Avatar film placed on our James Cameron movies ranked list, too.
New Max movies: every film coming in August 2023
Want to know about every new Max movie that’ll be joining the service (and when) throughout August? Read on for the full list:
August 1
- A Hologram for the King (2016)
- A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
- A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010)
- A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge (1985)
- A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987)
- A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988)
- A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child (1989)
- A Royal Affair (2012)
- Agent Cody Banks (2003)
- Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London (2004)
- American Gangster (2007)
- Amsterdam (2022)
- Angel of Mine (2019)
- Animal Kingdom (2010)
- Annie Hall (1977)
- Antitrust (2001)
- Before Midnight (2013)
- Best Man Down (2013)
- Beyond the Reach (2015)
- Blown Away (1994)
- Body of Lies (2008)
- Bulletproof Monk (2003)
- Chernobyl Diaries (2012)
- Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer (2010)
- Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009)
- Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)
- De-Lovely (2004)
- Deadfall (2012)
- Death Wish II (1982)
- Death Wish 3 (1985)
- Death Wish 4: The Crackdown (1987)
- F/X (1986)
- F/X 2: The Deadly Art of Illusion (1991)
- Fame (2009)
- Fargo (1996)
- Flash of Genius (2008)
- Good News (1947)
- I Am Not Your Negro (2016)
- Ice Station Zebra (1968)
- Infinitely Polar Bear (2015)
- Inside Job (2010)
- Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (1993)
- Kill Your Darlings (2013)
- King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017)
- Kingpin (1996)
- Leaving Las Vegas (1996)
- Love Is Strange (2014)
- Maggie’s Plan (2016)
- Miss Congeniality (2000)
- Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous (2005)
- Mortal Kombat Legends: Battle of the Realms (2021)
- My Scientology Movie (2015)
- Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult (1994)
- Night Catches Us (2010)
- Night Moves (1975)
- Ocean’s Eight (2018)
- Ocean’s Thirteen (2007)
- Ocean’s Twelve (2004)
- Our Family Wedding (2010)
- Out of Time (2003)
- Restless (2011)
- Ronin (1998)
- Rubber (2010)
- Searching for Sugar Man (2012)
- Shattered (1991)
- Soul Plane (2004)
- Spaceballs (1987)
- Spawn (1997)
- Stage Fright (1950)
- Stan & Ollie (2018)
- Star 80 (1983)
- Stealing Harvard (2002)
- Take Shelter (2011)
- The Age of Adaline (2015)
- The Amityville Horror (1979)
- The Amityville Horror (2005)
- The Assistant (2020)
- The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)
- The Bronze (2015)
- The Comedian (2016)
- The Dirty Dozen (1967)
- The Exception (2017)
- The Fluffy Movie (2014)
- The Getaway (1972)
- The Good Lie (2014)
- The Goodbye Girl (1977)
- The Hollars (2016)
- The Hunted (2003)
- The Illusionist (2010)
- The Iron Giant (1999)
- The Killer Elite (1975)
- The Mean Season (1985)
- The Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear (1991)
- The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988)
- The Omega Man (1971)
- The Phantom (1996)
- The Prince & Me (2004)
- The Seagull (2018)
- The Thomas Crown Affair (1968)
- The Thomas Crown Affair (1999)
- The Wash (2001)
- The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep (2007)
- They Died with Their Boots On (1941)
- This Is Elvis (1981)
- Till the End of Time (1946)
- Torpedo Run (1958)
- Transcendence (2014)
- Travels with My Aunt (1972)
- Twister (1996)
- Wes Craven’s New Nightmare (1994)
- Whiteout (2009)
- Wild Wild West (1999)
August 3
August 9
August 17
August 18
- American Masters: Sidney Poitier: One Bright Light (2000)
For more Max-based coverage, find out what the best Max shows are or get the lowdown on whether there’s a free Max trial available right now.
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