Looking for the perfect movie to watch this weekend? You’re almost sure to find it on HBO Max.
This weekend, there are plenty of new movies on the platform that are dying to be watched.
HBO Max has a particularly fantastic library, with selections ranging all over the world to as far back as the early 1900s.
Watch With Us wants to highlight three new platform additions in particular that would make picks for a weekend movie night.
Our first choice is the action classic The Terminator, the movie that cemented Arnold Schwarzenegger‘s status as a movie star.
HBO Max has one of the deepest libraries among the major streamers, thanks to a lineup of films that dates back to the dawn of cinema. But even if you prefer more recent films, HBO Max has a large number of films from the 21st century, including blockbuster hits. For this month, Watch With Us […]
‘The Terminator’ (1984)
A cyborg assassin called The Terminator (Schwarzenegger) travels from 2029 back to 1984 in search of a woman named Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton). Sarah’s future child holds the key to defeating Skynet: a malevolent artificial intelligence system that sparked the near-extinction of humanity. Meanwhile, Kyle Reese (Michael Biehn) has been sent back in time to protect Sarah and ensure the safety of her unborn child, and together the two race to outrun and defeat the merciless Terminator.
What more is there to say about The Terminator? James Cameron‘s blockbuster classic is simply one of the best action sci-fi movies of all time. The exciting adventure plot and enthralling action set pieces are just part of what makes the movie unmissable, but the real star of the show is Schwarzegger in his iconic performance as the titular killer cyborg. Amidst a glut of monotonous and unoriginal modern sci-fi films, The Terminator still stands as a bold, original and unmistakably fresh idea.
‘V for Vendetta’ (2005)
In the near future, England is ruled by a fascist totalitarian party led by High Chancellor Adam Sutler (John Hurt), and the country descends into fear and turmoil over the threat of imprisonment or execution for being deemed an “undesirable” person. State-run television worker Evey (Natalie Portman) is rescued from police brutality by a man in a Gay Fawkes mask calling himself V (Hugo Weaving), and the next morning, V hijacks her network. Every ultimately joins V in his terrorist tactics to fight against the perpetrators of their oppressive world.
Based on Alan Moore‘s celebrated graphic novel of the same name, V for Vendetta is a visually impressive and ambitious work of overtly political cinema, with thought-provoking ideas on its mind that are as engaging as the elaborate set pieces. Despite never actually seeing Weaving’s face in his performance as V, both he and Portman are excellent in the film. The sci-fi dystopia narrative has some shocking moments that may disturb, but it is overall a gripping social thriller and adventure film.
‘Swiss Army Man’ (2016)
Hank (Paul Dano) has been stranded on a deserted island for God knows how long and is ready to finally give up and end it all, when he notices a corpse wash ashore nearby. Inspecting the body, belonging to a young man (Daniel Radcliffe), Hank realizes that the corpse’s robust flatulence may be enough to send him back to civilization. Hank indeed rides the corpse’s gassy body to the mainland, but he still has a ways to go to get back home. Accompanied by the body, whom he dubs “Manny,” Hank and his multifaceted new friend (who talks) traverse the dense wilderness in search of something more than just rescue.
Before the Daniels were Academy Award-winning directors, they helmed this absurdist fantasy about a man who falls in love with a talking corpse. Of course, Swiss Army Man employs much of the same humor and emotional sensibilities that the directors would soon be praised for in Everything Everywhere All at Once, albeit in a much less accessible fashion. Still, if you can handle some gross-out gags, Swiss Army Man is a deeply funny, tender and original movie, with Radcliffe giving the dead body performance of a lifetime.