Best Movies to Stream this Weekend on HBO Max, Including ‘Warfare’

HBO Max packed the lineup this week with a mix of brand new arrivals and recent favorites, so your weekend queue is set. From fresh festival hits to big studio spectacles and acclaimed anime features, there is a little something for every kind of movie night. Everything below is available to stream now, so you can press play as soon as the popcorn is ready.

To make things easy, this list starts with the newest releases and then works through other notable picks that landed on the service this week. Each entry includes a quick plot outline along with key cast and crew details, so you know exactly what you are picking before you settle in.

‘Friendship’ (2025)

A suburban dad named Craig becomes fixated on befriending his charismatic neighbor Austin who works as a TV weatherman and musician, and the pursuit spills into their families and wider circle. Tim Robinson plays Craig and Paul Rudd plays Austin with Kate Mara and Jack Dylan Grazer in supporting roles.

Writer director Andrew DeYoung makes his feature debut with the film, which was produced by BoulderLight Pictures and Fifth Season. The release rolled out after a festival run and comes to the service following wider availability through A24.

‘Warfare’ (2025)

A small U.S. military unit carries out an intense operation that unfolds largely in real time as the mission tests team tactics and communication under pressure. The film centers on a young ensemble cast and emphasizes the ground level perspective of the soldiers on the move.

The production comes from DNA Films with development in collaboration with A24. The filmmakers lean on immersive sound and close quarters cinematography to capture the feel of the action as the story tracks how the day reshapes the unit.

‘Emmanuelle’ (2024)

A hotel brand auditor travels to Hong Kong for a professional assignment and finds the job colliding with a personal awakening that changes how she moves through her life. Noémie Merlant leads the cast as Emmanuelle with Naomi Watts and Will Sharpe in key roles.

The film is directed and co written by Audrey Diwan and is based on the novel by Emmanuelle Arsan. The French produced reboot was made with Rectangle Productions and reached audiences internationally before arriving on the service this week.

‘Ghost Cat Anzu’ (2024)

After a girl named Karin moves to a rural town to live with her monk grandfather, she is watched over by Anzu who is a shambling talking spirit cat that takes on odd jobs and stirs up yokai tinged mischief. The voice cast features Mirai Moriyama and Noa Goto in the Japanese track.

The film is co directed by Yoko Kuno and Nobuhiro Yamashita and is based on the manga by Takashi Imashiro. It is a French and Japanese co production from Shin Ei Animation and Miyu Productions with music by Keiichi Suzuki.

‘Lonely Castle in the Mirror’ (2022)

Seven students who are struggling at school discover a portal to a mysterious castle ruled by a masked girl where a wish can be granted to the one who solves its secret. The story follows a young ensemble of voice actors as the group forms fragile bonds while searching for answers.

The film is directed by Keiichi Hara and is adapted from the bestselling novel by Mizuki Tsujimura. Animation was produced by A 1 Pictures with Toho handling the domestic release before the feature expanded internationally.

‘The Fate of the Furious’ (2017)

Dom Toretto appears to turn on his crew under the influence of a powerful cyberterrorist which pushes the team into a globe spanning chase to bring him back and stop a larger threat. The ensemble includes Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, and Charlize Theron.

Director F. Gary Gray leads the eighth main entry in the long running series from a script by Chris Morgan. The Universal Pictures production mounts large action sequences across multiple countries with returning producers and franchise mainstays behind the scenes.

‘Fireworks’ (2017)

On a summer day by the sea, schoolmates debate whether fireworks are round or flat and a boy makes wish after wish as time seems to loop and shift around a classmate who may be leaving town. The Japanese voice cast includes Suzu Hirose and Masaki Suda.

The feature comes from studio Shaft and is directed by Akiyuki Shinbo with Nobuyuki Takeuchi. It adapts a 1993 television drama by Shunji Iwai with a new screenplay by Hitoshi One and reached theaters before arriving on streaming.

‘Your Name.’ (2016)

Two teenagers who live far apart begin waking up in each other’s bodies and piece together a connection that crosses distance and time while a looming disaster ties their lives together. The Japanese voice leads are Ryunosuke Kamiki and Mone Kamishiraishi.

Writer director Makoto Shinkai crafted the film with CoMix Wave Films and Toho handled the domestic release before international distribution. The feature became one of the highest grossing animated films in Japan and helped introduce Shinkai’s work to a global audience.

‘Prometheus’ (2012)

Scientists follow a star map to a distant moon in search of humanity’s origins and instead encounter an ancient bio threat that puts the crew in escalating danger. The cast includes Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron, and Idris Elba.

Ridley Scott directs with a screenplay by Jon Spaihts and Damon Lindelof and production by Scott Free and Brandywine. The film is set in the wider world of the ‘Alien’ series and uses large scale sets and visual effects to build its exploratory setting.

‘The Cabin in the Woods’ (2012)

Five friends head to a cabin for a weekend trip and find themselves inside a larger system that is manipulating events while something older lurks beneath. The cast features Kristen Connolly, Chris Hemsworth, Fran Kranz, Richard Jenkins, and Bradley Whitford.

Drew Goddard directs and co writes the film with producer Joss Whedon and Lionsgate handles distribution. The project combined practical and digital effects and completed a delayed rollout that followed studio changes before landing on streaming.

Share your weekend picks and any hidden gems you spotted on the service in the comments.