Streaming services are all the rage at the moment, but as more and more new streaming services launch, the movies and TV shows we most hold dear appear to be spreading thinner and thinner. Over the last 12 months or so, we’ve seen the launch of a number of proprietary streaming services that aim to rival the established brands like Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu, and with those launches various films and shows have moved off “the big 3” to these new streaming services.
Of course Disney+ launched last year, and its whole thing is basically being a one-stop shop for anything and everything Disney-related. On brand and smart for the family marketplace. And most recently NBCUniversal launched Peacock, which offers a free and paid option as well as various iconic NBC shows – and it’ll be the exclusive streaming home ofThe Office, one of the most rewatched shows in history, starting in 2021.
This year also saw the launch of HBO Max from WarnerMedia, which as its name suggests includes every HBO program known to man along with a bunch of Warner Bros. titles. But HBO Max also quietly has one of thebest film librariesof any streaming service – yes, better than Netflix or Amazon or Hulu.
One growing trend we saw with the rise of Netflix as a giant in the content space was the streamer’s change of focus. When Netflix first launched, it relied on its library of movies and shows – both old and newer release – to keep people engaged. But as it grew out its original content, first in TV and over the past couple years in film, Netflix has really narrowed down its library selection and focused more on highlighting its originals. It’s almost impossible to find more than two or three movies made before the year 1985 on the streamer, and even then the library of titles available is a mix of constantly in-and-out rotations andsome hidden gems here and there.
HBO Max, however, has thebest classic film selectionin the streaming realm aside from the Criterion Channel, but also has a host of genuinely great new releases, beloved films from the 2000s and 90s, animated titles, and more.
HBO Max’s partnership with Turner Classic Movies has brought in a bevy of genuinely great classic films likeThe 400 Blows,Citizen Kane,Top Hat,The Wizard of Oz,Casablanca,Seven Samurai, andKlute– films that are not only iconic in their own right, but essential to the education of any burgeoning cinephile. Films like these are few and far between on Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu – a fact that serious film lovers have been decrying for years — so their ready availability on HBO Max is a welcome change of pace. And a necessary one – if young film fans don’t have something like Criterion Channel but do have HBO Max, the ability to check out something likeNorth by Northwestright alongside something likeBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justiceis an entry-point to expanding one’s film horizons.
But HBO Max isn’tonlyclassic film. It’s also just got a wonderfully diverse (and robust) selection of great movies full-stop. Comedies likeDumb and Dumber,Raising ArizonaandBridesmaids; dramas likeLa La Land,Saving Private Ryan, andThe Assassination of Jesse James; thrillers likeDie Hard,The Fugitive, andThe Road Warrior. Blockbusters too:The Lord of the Ringstrilogy, theHarry Potterfilms (for now),X-Men: First Classand theAlienmovies are all available, and of course Warner Bros.’ robust library of DC movies keeps a hearty rotation ofBatmanandSupermanmovies in rotation, as well as some of the lesser-beloved titles that remain curiosities likeGreen LanternorX-Men: Dark Phoenix.
And while Netflix, Amazon and Hulu have had some really great originals (watchPalm Springson Hulu ASAP), the new release library on HBO Max is pretty unparalleled. Of course, because this library pulls from titles that are premiering on HBO the window of availability is sometimes shorter, but you’re not gonna findJokerorFord v FerrariorDoctor Sleepon another streaming service for a good while. And they’re all on HBO Max right now.
And of course the family film selection is swell also, from the entire library of Studio Ghibli movies to films likeThe LEGO MovietoBabeto theHome Aloneseries (though I don’t know why anyone would watch pastLost in New York).
This is all to say nothing of HBO Max’s TV lineup, which as previously mentioned includes all of HBO’s programming which on the whole is pretty darn fantastic. Of course, the big hitch in HBO Max’s step right now is that it’s not compatible with Roku or Amazon Fire Stick yet, which many people use to watch all their things. And that’s a problem! But pound-for-pound, I’m hard-pressed to find a better library selection of movies out there right now.
Maybe it’s the nostalgia in me, but HBO Max feels like the closest thing to a Blockbuster that we’ve had since the early days of Netflix. Browsing the titles doesn’t just bring up a bunch of random VOD movies or original films that were created using an algorithm (ahem). It’s full of “real” movies for lack of a better word – films you loved as a kid, films you return to all the time, new releases you’ve been meaning to check out, and classics that help further an appreciation of cinema.
I still maintain physical media is the king of home content – licensing deals mean library availability is unpredictable, and you’ll never own anything you watch on Netflix or HBO Max. But in terms of streaming services that offer a selection of movies you don’t own but still want to watch (or rewatch) regularly, HBO Max is tops.
