HBO Max is getting into the spooky spirit!
HBO Max has earned a reputation as the premier destination for streaming films, with a vast library with a wide range of options that are always changing. And with a new month comes new additions to streaming services film library. As the nights get longer and spooky season arrives, it is the perfect time of the year to treat yourself to some horror films, plenty of which have been added to this month’s slate. But if scary movies aren’t to your interest, HBO Max still has you covered with a pair of laugh-out-loud comedies, a gripping thriller, and a superhero epic also joining the service’s library.
Director: Mike Flanagan
Cast: Ewan McGregor, Rebecca Ferguson, Kyleigh Curran, Cliff Curtis
Doctor Sleep, Stephen King’s long-gestating sequel to his classic story The Shining, was brought to the screen by the horror auteur Mike Flanagan with this entertaining and meditative epic that is worthy of both King’s original novel and Stanley Kubrick’s film masterpiece. Ewan McGregor steps into the role of Danny Torrance, who is now an adult traumatized by his experience at the Overlook Hotel. Danny is burdened with the task of protecting a young girl, who shares his abilities to “shine,” from a murderous cult that feeds on people with this power in order to remain immortal. McGregor is excellent, as usual, in the leading role while Rebecca Ferguson creates a villain for the ages as the sinister cult leader Rose the Hat.
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Director: Robert Eggers
Cast: Anya Taylor-Joy, Ralph Ineson, Julian Richings, Kate Dickie
Robert Eggers announced himself as a filmmaker to pay close attention to with his creepy folk horror feature debut. Set in 1630s New England, a family begins to turn on each other as they are being terrorized by a witch’s black magic. Anya Taylor Joy broke out with an excellent performance that revealed a star in the making. A bewitching little horror film that is perfect for the Halloween season and is sure to get under your skin.
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Director: Tim Burton
Cast: Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Jeffrey Jones
Tim Burton’s vivid imagination is on full display in this supernatural comedy classic. The film follows the spirits of a recently deceased couple (Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis) who are haunting the house they once lived in. When a new family (Catherine O’Hara, Jefferey Jones and Winona Ryder) moves in, the couple attempts to scare them away. After some unsuccessful attempts, they seek help from a professional bio-exorcist from the crude and vile Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton) and that is when things get interesting. Burton was at the height of his creative powers with this inventive and stylish film, while Keaton is unforgettable in the title role.
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Director: Dan Gilroy
Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Rene Russo, Bill Paxton, Riz Ahmed
Jake Gyllenhaal gives a career-best performance as Lou Bloom, an opportunistic freelancer who scours the streets of Los Angeles in search of valuable footage of traffic accidents, fires, and crime scenes. The supporting cast manages to keep up with Gyllenhaal’s manic charisma, with Renee Russo co-starring as the morning news director who hires Lou and soon falls into his sociopathic web, while Riz Ahmed is also excellent as Lou’s young assistant. Dan Gilroy’s script and direction are of the highest order, with his plot moving at a breakneck pace and the cinematography of the night streets of LA looking equally haunting and intoxicating. An excellent thriller about our media culture and need-depraved voyeurism.
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Directors: Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone
Cast: Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer, Jorma Taccone, Sarah Silverman, Tim Meadows
The musical comedy troupe Lonely Island created a pop music mockumentary that works as a kind of This is Spinal Tap for a new generation. Andy Samberg stars as the popstar Conner4Real, who after releasing a reviled bomb of an album resorts to chasing gimmicks and fads to return to the music industry’s summit. Jorma Taccone and Akiva Schaffer co-star in the film as well as taking on directorial duties, showing once again that they are adept comedic auteurs after releasing the gems Hot Rod and MacGruber. Popstar is a laugh riot that works because of Samberg’s comedic range, and because of the quality of the very silly, but catchy, songs written by the Saturday Night Live alums. Filled with memorable scenes and cameos from a host of celebrities ranging from Snoop Dogg and Mariah Carey to Ringo Starr and Nas, who just about steals the show with a few brief scenes.
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Director: Christopher Guest
Cast: Christopher Guest, Fred Willard, Catherine O’Hara, Parker Posey, Eugene Levy
In the small town of Blaine, Missouri, a community theatre led by the eccentric director Corky St. Clair (Christopher Guest) is preparing to put on a musical production that chronicles the town’s history, titled; "Red, White and Blaine". But when the crew of the show learns that a Broadway producer will be in attendance, they go overboard in trying to create the most elaborate show they can. An endlessly rewatchable and uniquely funny film.
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Director: Christopher Nolan
Cast: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, and Gary Oldman
Batman (Christian Bale) is pushed to his limit when a maniacal madman known only as the Joker (Heath Ledger) menaces Gotham City. Christopher Nolan’s middle act of his Dark Knight trilogy became a global sensation upon its release and ushered in a new era for comic book films as we know them. Stacked with an impressive cast of actors, several unforgettable action sequences, and an instantly iconic villain performance from Ledger, The Dark Knight remains one of the best blockbusters of the past 20 years.
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