Max is one of the best streaming services, in no small part due to its deep library of incredible movies. Even better, it adds new ones every month, meaning you'll never run out of acclaimed films to watch.
However, with so much worth watching, it can be tough to decide where to start. So I've gone through the entire list of everything new to HBO and Max in May 2025 and narrowed it down to just seven movies with a 90% "fresh" or higher critics' score on the review aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes.
It's not a perfect solution, but it is an elegant one. While you may quibble about just how great these movies are, I've yet to find a movie rated 90% "fresh" or higher that wasn't worth watching.
So, without further ado, let's dive into seven new to Max movies with a 90% or higher on Rotten Tomatoes that you need to watch right now — including a few big Oscar winners.
'The Brutalist' (2024)
OK, so technically, you can't watch this for another ... two days. But if you've seen this movie already, you know that it merits inclusion on this list.
"The Brutalist" stars Adrien Brody as László Tóth, a Hungarian-Jewish architect who has newly arrived in America after surviving the horrors of the Holocaust.
He's a brilliant architect, trained in the Bauhaus school and acclaimed in Europe before the war for his work. While László is working for his cousin, Attila (Alessandro Nivola), the wealthy Harrison Lee Van Buren discovers the architect's work and hires him to build a monumental community center in rural Pennsylvania.
This movie is a brutal watch at times, even though the name of the film refers to the famous architectural design philosophy of the 1950s rather than the emotional gut punches this movie sometimes delivers.
But no matter what emotion it's making you feel, it's beautifully shot and the score is excellent. It's no surprise this movie was nominated for — and won — several Oscars.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 93%
Watch it on Max starting May 16
'The Silence of the Lambs' (1991)
"The Silence of the Lambs" is one of the best movies ever. It's based on the 1988 novel by Thomas Harris, and stars Anthony Hopkins as the serial killer Dr. Hannibal Lecter and Jodie Foster as FBI trainee Clarice Starling
Clarice is an ambitious pupil of Behavioral Science Unit chief Jack Crawford, and her boss is dealing with a serial killer known only as "Buffalo Bill" (Ted Levine). To try and score a breakthrough, Crawford assigns Clarice to interview Lecter (Anthony Hopkins), a former psychiatrist imprisoned for being a prodigious, cannibalistic serial killer.
That proves to be a dangerous game to play for Clarice, and you'll have to watch to see why.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 95%
Watch it now on Max
'The Princess Bride' (1987)
If you told someone you haven't seen "The Princess Bride," they'd probably tell you that's inconceivable. But in case you haven't seen it, here's a quick rundown on this 1987 cult classic.
Written and adapted by William Goldman, this fantasy comedy is set around a grandfather (Peter Falk) reading a bedtime story to his grandson (Fred Savage). That story begins as a love story between Buttercup (Robin Wright) and her farmhand Westley (Cary Elwes).
Their tale swiftly turns to tragedy when Westley is presumed dead and Buttercup is forcibly betrothed to Prince Humperdinck (Chris Sarandon). When she's shockingly kidnapped before the wedding, a heated chase for her begins, including by a mysterious masked man in black ....
Rotten Tomatoes score: 96%
Watch it now on Max
'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind' (2004)
If you only think of Jim Carrey as a comedic actor, this movie will forever change your mind.
"Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" exists in a world where a company, Lacuna, can erase anyone's memories, with surprising specificity. Carrey stars as Joel, who discovers that his estranged girlfriend Clementine (Kate Winslet) has decided to undergo this procedure to erase her memories of their relationship. Upon learning this, he decides to do the same.
What follows is a complex story of love and loss, with parts taking place inside Joel's mind and others in the real world around him while he undergoes the procedure. Don't miss this Academy Award winner (Best Original Screenplay) now that it's streaming on Max.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 92%
Watch it now on Max
'The Mortal Storm' (1940)
"The Mortal Storm" stars Frank Morgan and Margaret Sullavan as Prof. Viktor Roth and his wife Freya. Set in 1933 Germany, their world comes crashing down when Adolf Hitler is announced as the new Chancellor of Germany.
This is, of course, because the Roths are Jewish, though the movie never explicitly states it.
In fact, this movie is notable not only for its quality, but because while it highlights the horrifying persecution of Jews in Nazi Germany, it never explicitly uses the word “Jew.” Keep in mind that this movie is from 1940, before the U.S. entered the war and long before condemnation of the Holocaust was commonplace.
But despite omitting that key word, "The Mortal Storm" pulls almost no other punches. It's a harrowing tale, but worth watching nonetheless.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 100%
Watch it now on Max
'The Naked Spur' (1953)
"The Naked Spur" stars James Stewart as Howard Kemp, a cowboy on the hunt for wanted man Ben Vandergroat (Robert Ryan).
To do this, Kemp enlists the help of Jesse Tate (Millard Mitchell) and Roy Anderson (Ralph Meeker), and they eventually catch Vandergroat and his companion Lina Patch (Janet Leigh).
There's just one problem: Kemp is no lawman. Instead, Vandergroat reveals that Kemp is just after the $5,000 bounty on Vandergroat's head, and now, Kemp's partners want a share.
Will anyone survive to get even a piece of that reward? You'll have to watch this Academy Award-nominated Western to find out.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 100%
Watch it now on Max
'Wichita'
"Wichita" is another Western that's a must-watch on Max this month. It stars Joel McCrea as the famous Wyatt Earp, who arrives in Wichita, Kansas, to find it a lawless place.
That's just fine for Earp, who's a gunslinger with the skills to become the town's much-needed lawman.
He refuses the job at first, but eventually agrees. But once he does, he makes the unpopular decision to take away the townspeople's guns, and that doesn't sit well with them at all.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 100%
Watch it now on Max
Malcolm has been with Tom's Guide since 2022, and has been covering the latest in streaming shows and movies since 2023. He's not one to shy away from a hot take, including that "John Wick" is one of the four greatest films ever made.
Here's what he's been watching lately:
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