Top 10 Movies To Watch This Week on HBO Max | July 13-19, 2025
So you’re stuck in scrolling purgatory again, huh? Endlessly thumbing through HBO Max, hoping something jumps out. We’ve been there. That’s why we pulled together the Top 10 Movies you would actually want to watch this week—no fluff, no filler. Whether you’re into thrillers, rom-coms, or indie gems, there’s something worth hitting play on. Here’s your movie cheat sheet for July 13-19, 2025—because your time is too valuable for another “meh” movie night.
1. Sinners (2025)
If you like your horror with fangs, family trauma, and an emotional gut punch, Sinners is calling.
Michael B. Jordan and Miles Caton play twin brothers trying to leave their troubled past behind by returning home. But instead of a fresh start, they find something much worse waiting in the shadows—an ancient vampiric force rooted in their town’s dark history.
Directed by Ryan Coogler (Black Panther, Fruitvale Station), this is horror with weight. It’s moody, stylish, and not afraid to get messy—emotionally and otherwise. Hailee Steinfeld and Jack O’Connell bring depth to the ensemble, while Delroy Lindo? Steals scenes with just a look.
It’s Midnight Mass meets Let the Right One In, with a whole lot of blood and baggage.
2. A Minecraft Movie (2025)
Yes, it finally happened. After years of memes and mods, Minecraft made it to the big screen—and honestly? It works.
Jason Momoa leads the cast as an overpowered, cube-slinging legend named Steve who helps four teens navigate the Overworld after they’re sucked through a mysterious portal. There are creepers, crafting jokes, and enough heart to balance out the chaos.
Directed by Jared Hess (Napoleon Dynamite), it’s just as weird and fun as you’d expect. Think The LEGO Movie with a pixelated twist and enough inside jokes to keep younger fans hooked while the rest of us laugh at how hard Jack Black commits to the bit.
Surprisingly good—and yeah, you’ll want to punch a tree after watching.
3. The Northman (2022)
Revenge. Blood. Fire. Slo-mo sword fights. The Northman isn’t here to make you comfortable—it’s here to drag you through the mud, howl at the moon, and then set a longhouse on fire.
Alexander Skarsgård is in full beast mode as Amleth, a Viking prince out for vengeance after his father (Ethan Hawke) is betrayed by his uncle (Claes Bang). There’s also Nicole Kidman as a disturbingly layered queen and Anya Taylor-Joy channeling forest witch vibes to perfection.
Directed by Robert Eggers (The Witch), this one’s brutal, beautiful, and absolutely unhinged in the best way. Myth, madness, and raw animal energy—served cold and bloody.
If you like your epics grimy and hallucinatory, this is your jam.
4. Kung Fu Panda 3 (2016)
Po is back—and he brought a whole village of pandas with him.
In Kung Fu Panda 3, the legendary Dragon Warrior (voiced once again by Jack Black) reunites with his long-lost dad and discovers a secret panda village. But peace is short-lived when a new villain, the supernatural warrior Kai (J.K. Simmons), threatens kung fu as they know it.
It’s got all the heart, humor, and insane martial arts animation you’d expect from the franchise—plus some genuinely beautiful visuals that blend Western CGI with traditional Chinese art styles.
This is the kind of sequel that sticks the landing. Bonus points if you watch it with snacks and shout “Skadoosh!” every five minutes. You’re allowed.
5. Grown Ups 2 (2013)
Look, we’re not saying this movie is good—but we are saying it’s the cinematic equivalent of eating a whole pizza in your sweatpants and calling it self-care.
Grown Ups 2 brings back Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, and David Spade for another round of summer shenanigans, dad jokes, and low-stakes hijinks in their hometown. There’s a deer in the house, a giant party, and Shaq as an overzealous cop. It’s exactly what it sounds like.
Critics hated it. Audiences made it a $247 million hit. Sometimes, that’s the math that matters.
Turn your brain off, crack a drink, and enjoy the chaos.
6. 1992 (2024)
Set against the explosive backdrop of the LA riots, 1992 drops you into a city on fire—literally and figuratively. Tyrese Gibson stars as Mercer, a father trying to piece his life back together and reconnect with his son as tensions explode following the Rodney King verdict.
Across town, another father-son duo (led by Scott Eastwood) is planning a heist to rip platinum from Mercer’s factory. As chaos spreads and the two worlds collide, both families are pushed to their limits.
Directed by Ariel Vromen (The Iceman) and produced by Snoop Dogg (yes, really), this one’s gritty, raw, and heavy—but it doesn’t preach. It lets the city, the pain, and the characters speak for themselves.
Think Training Day with Fruitvale Station DNA. You’ll feel it in your chest.
7. The Outrun (2024)
If you need something quieter—haunting, even—The Outrun is waiting.
Based on Amy Liptrot’s memoir and starring Saoirse Ronan in one of her most grounded roles yet, this is a story about healing, not headlines. After rehab, Rona returns to the remote Orkney Islands where she grew up. There’s no big twist. No third-act meltdown. Just memory, recovery, and wild Scottish winds.
Directed by Nora Fingscheidt (System Crasher), this is all about vibe. Moody, poetic, emotionally loaded vibe. The kind of film that breathes through landscapes and silence.
If you loved Wild, Aftersun, or anything with deeply personal female leads staring out over cold oceans, add this to your queue.
8. Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League (2025)
Gotham gets a samurai upgrade—and it’s every bit as bonkers as it sounds.
Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League is the anime sequel you didn’t know you needed. Batman battles an elite gang of villains reimagined as feudal warlords. Think Joker with a katana, Harley in kabuki makeup, and a Batmobile that turns into a freaking mech.
It’s directed by Jumpei Mizusaki and Shinji Takagi, with jaw-dropping animation that mixes traditional 2D, 3D CG, and brush-style Japanese artistry. The action? Next level. The plot? Vibes first, logic second. And that’s the point.
If Into the Spider-Verse and Ghost of Tsushima had a goth anime baby, this is it.
9. High Rollers (1976)
Time for a throwback—and this one’s got swagger.
High Rollers (also known as Bluff Stop or The Con Artists) is a slick Italian crime comedy from Sergio Corbucci, best known for spaghetti westerns. Here, he swaps guns for grifts. Anthony Quinn and Adriano Celentano star as mismatched con men tricking their way through a twisty revenge plot involving an ex, a jailbreak, and one very complicated daughter.
It’s old-school Euro-cool with jazzy vibes, sharp suits, and just enough romantic chaos to keep you guessing. Capucine and Corinne Cléry add the glamour, and Corbucci keeps the pacing tight and the grins coming.
If you’re into The Sting, Ocean’s Eleven, or dusty European charm, this one’s a buried gem.
10. Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006)
You know what it is. You’ve quoted it. And if you haven’t rewatched it recently? Now’s the time.
Talladega Nights is Will Ferrell at his most unhinged. He plays Ricky Bobby, a NASCAR superstar with one motto: “If you’re not first, you’re last.” But when a wildly flamboyant French driver (Sacha Baron Cohen) shows up to challenge his reign, Ricky’s entire world turns into a flaming wreck.
Directed by Adam McKay (Anchorman), it’s stuffed with chaotic gags, absurd side characters (hi, Jane Lynch and John C. Reilly), and enough quotable lines to fill a pit crew. Also, the dinner table prayer scene? Still legendary.
It’s dumb. It’s brilliant. It’s America in a race suit.
And That’s a Wrap
There you go—ten HBO Max picks that go all in. You’ve got mythic revenge (The Northman, Batman Ninja), emotional wreckage (Sinners, The Outrun), and absolutely zero shame (Talladega Nights, Grown Ups 2). Whether you’re in the mood for chaos, catharsis, or a talking panda, this week’s watchlist has range.
There’s pixelated adventure (Minecraft), dark LA crime stories (1992), and one incredibly charming con artist duo (High Rollers). Some of these will leave a mark. Others will just leave you laughing with a mouthful of popcorn.
Either way, it’s time to hit play. Let the streaming begin.
