Searching for your next HBO Max must-watch movies, but can't bear to scroll through what the streamer has to offer in September? Maybe you want to let the critics help you out this time.
Just like all the best streaming services, HBO adds a fresh selection of movies each and every month, but only a handful comfortably meet (or exceed) that coveted 90% Rotten Tomatoes threshold. While a high score on the review aggregate platform isn't necessarily a guarantee that you'll personally love any movie in particular, it is at the very least a reliable indicator that most critics liked what they watched.
This month, HBO Max has added another batch of well-loved features, including older classics through to a visceral war movie, and an acclaimed anime movie. Here are the five new to HBO Max movies with 90% or higher on Rotten Tomatoes you should stream in September 2025.
'The Cabin in the Woods' (2011)
If you want to start getting into the spooky mood in the run-up to Halloween, "The Cabin in the Woods" is a great option. Directed by Drew Goddard, this sci-fi/horror movie follows a group of unsuspecting teenagers who are heading off on a weekend getaway at a remote forest cabin ... though that stay proves to be anything but restful.
In classic horror fashion, the teens start encountering nightmarish creatures during their stay, though it becomes clear that something more sinister is afoot, too.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 92%
Stream "The Cabin in the Woods" on HBO Max now
'Dog Day Afternoon' (1975)
Hailed on Rotten Tomatoes as "a finely detailed snapshot of people in crisis with tension-soaked drama shaded in black humor," Sidney Lumet's "Dog Day Afternoon" is a gripping crime movie based on a true story that's just landed on HBO Max this month.
The movie takes us back to the 1970s, wherein three amateur robbers led by Sonny (a brilliant Al Pacino) attempt what should have been a simple bank hit. Alas, their supposedly simple heist proves anything but easy and spirals into a nightmare hostage situation.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 96%
Stream "Dog Day Afternoon" on HBO Max now
'Goodfellas' (1990)
What do you say about Martin Scorsese's "Goodfellas" that hasn't already been said? It's a stone-cold classic, and for good reason: "Goodfellas" remains a brilliantly entertaining mafioso odyssey (and if you want to be sucked into another classic crime epic, this is the one to watch).
If you somehow haven't seen it before, this 1990 gangster movie introduces us to Brooklynite teenager Henry Hill (Ray Liotta), a teen who idolized the local mob and went to work for them, and chronicles his rise (and fall) within the Mafia, along with Tommy DeVito (Joe Pesci) and Jimmy (Robert De Niro).
Rotten Tomatoes score: 94%
Stream "Goodfellas" on HBO Max now
'Warfare' (2025)
"Warfare" is a haunting, visceral watch that chronicles a firefight from the Iraq War. Co-written and co-directed by military veteran Ray Mendoza and "Civil War" filmmaker Alex Garland, and (as the trailer confirms) based on the memories of those who lived through the experience, "Warfare" embeds viewers with a platoon of American Navy SEALs.
They take up residence within the home of an Iraqi family while overwatching the movement of US forces through the territory, when the platoon comes under fire. Playing out in real time, "Warfare" is an incredibly intense, graphic representation of modern conflict that is not for the faint of heart.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 93%
Stream "Warfare" on HBO Max now
'Your Name' (2016)
Makoto Shinkai's acclaimed romantic fantasy anime movie also landed on HBO Max this month, and it comes highly recommended. We meet two total strangers: small-town resident Mitsuha (Mone Kamishiraishi/Stephanie Sheh) and city kid, Taki (Ryunosuke Kamiki/Michael Sinterniklaas).
The high school students who lead distinctly different lives, but share some sort of connection that sees them suddenly start swapping bodies. When they realize they share this connection, the pair decides to complicate things further by trying to meet in person. Boasting gorgeous visuals, powerful emotions, and a great soundtrack courtesy of Radwimps, "Your Name" is deserving of its lofty reputation and well worth streaming.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 98%
Watch "Your Name" on HBO Max now
Not seeing anything you like the look of? You can always check out our list of the best movies on HBO Max and the best HBO Max shows for more streaming suggestions.
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