‘Materialists’ Is HBO Max’s Most-Watched Movie of the Week

HBO Max is having one of those weeks where new releases, spooky favorites, and holiday comfort watches are all climbing the charts at the same time, so your queue can swing from cozy Christmas lights to blood-soaked battlefields without missing a beat. From buzzy festival darlings to big-studio crowd-pleasers, these titles cover romance, horror, action, and a healthy dose of seasonal nostalgia, with several of them tying into larger franchises or upcoming HBO projects. Whether you are curious about the newest premieres or revisiting familiar classics that keep resurfacing every year, this rundown highlights what each movie is actually about, who is involved behind the camera, and how they connect to the rest of the pop-culture landscape. Consider it a quick guide to what everyone seems to be pressing play on across Max right now, so you can decide what fits your next movie night.

10. ‘Kingsman: The Golden Circle’ (2017)

‘Kingsman: The Golden Circle’ continues the story of the British private intelligence agency introduced in ‘Kingsman: The Secret Service’, picking up with Eggsy and Merlin after their organization is nearly wiped out in a coordinated attack. The surviving agents travel to the United States and link up with their American counterparts at Statesman, a whiskey-fronted spy outfit, to take on a drug-cartel leader who is holding the world hostage. Taron Egerton, Colin Firth, Mark Strong, and Julianne Moore lead an ensemble that also features Halle Berry, Channing Tatum, Jeff Bridges, and Elton John. The film combines large-scale action sequences, gadget-driven espionage, and broad comedy, and it remains central to ongoing conversations about the future of the ‘Kingsman’ series as it continues to stream on Max and related bundle offerings.

9. ‘The Substance’ (2024)

‘The Substance’ is a body-horror film from writer-director Coralie Fargeat that follows an aging celebrity who turns to a black-market rejuvenation treatment, only to end up sharing her life with a younger, more “perfect” version of herself. Demi Moore plays Elisabeth Sparkle, whose career is derailed by ageist producers, while Margaret Qualley portrays the engineered double whose rise disrupts her creator’s sense of identity and control. Dennis Quaid appears as the television executive who fires Elisabeth, and the film uses graphic practical effects, hyperreal imagery, and satirical touches to examine beauty standards, self-loathing, and the pressure on women to stay marketable. The movie became a breakout critical and commercial success, earning multiple major awards and an Oscar win for makeup and hairstyling, and it has quickly become a high-profile genre title in the modern Max lineup.

8. ‘Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter’ (2012)

‘Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter’ imagines the sixteenth U.S. president leading a secret double life as a fighter against a hidden society of vampires who are entwined with the institution of slavery. Based on Seth Grahame-Smith’s mash-up novel and directed by Timur Bekmambetov, the film blends stylized action scenes with real historical figures and events from Lincoln’s life and the American Civil War. Benjamin Walker stars as Lincoln, with supporting roles from Dominic Cooper, Anthony Mackie, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, and Rufus Sewell as a powerful vampire antagonist. The movie employs heavy visual effects and choreographed combat to stage its historical-fantasy battles and has recently seen renewed streaming interest on Max, where it appears in the service’s movie catalog and related recommendation rows.

7. ‘It Chapter Two’ (2019)

‘It Chapter Two’ returns to Derry decades after the events of ‘It’, reuniting the Losers Club as adults who must confront Pennywise once more when the killings start again. The film alternates between the characters’ present-day efforts to remember their childhood pact and extended flashbacks that fill in earlier encounters with the entity. James McAvoy, Jessica Chastain, Bill Hader, and others portray the grown-up Losers, while Bill Skarsgård reprises his role as Pennywise, with director Andy Muschietti again combining practical makeup and digital work to stage large-scale horror set pieces. The movie completes the two-part adaptation of King’s novel and directly feeds into the expanded on-screen universe that the Max series ‘It: Welcome to Derry’ continues to explore.

6. ‘National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation’ (1989)

‘National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation’ follows Clark Griswold and his extended family as they attempt to pull off the perfect home Christmas, only to run into a cascade of mishaps involving faulty decorations, surprise guests, and neighborhood chaos. Written by John Hughes and directed by Jeremiah S. Chechik, the film is the third entry in the ‘Vacation’ series and features Chevy Chase, Beverly D’Angelo, and Randy Quaid in central roles. The story unfolds almost entirely in and around the Griswold home, emphasizing domestic holiday rituals like tree-hunting, lighting displays, and big family dinners that go wildly off the rails. Over the years it has grown from a moderately received release into a widely cited holiday classic, frequently re-aired and discussed alongside other seasonal comedies.

5. ‘It’ (2017)

‘It’ adapts part of Stephen King’s novel about an ancient, shape-shifting entity that preys on the children of Derry, Maine, most famously taking the form of Pennywise the Dancing Clown. The film focuses on a group of misfit kids who call themselves the Losers Club as they realize that their town’s tragic history and their personal fears are tied to the same supernatural predator. Directed by Andy Muschietti and starring Bill Skarsgård as Pennywise, the movie combines coming-of-age drama with intense horror sequences and practical-plus-digital effects work. Its theatrical release set box-office records for R-rated horror and revitalized interest in King adaptations, and it now anchors a growing screen franchise that includes ‘It Chapter Two’ and the Max prequel series ‘It: Welcome to Derry’.

4. ‘The Polar Express’ (2004)

‘The Polar Express’ is an animated Christmas fantasy adventure based on Chris Van Allsburg’s illustrated children’s book, brought to the screen using performance-capture technology overseen by director Robert Zemeckis. Tom Hanks plays multiple roles, including the mysterious train conductor who invites a skeptical boy aboard a magical locomotive heading for the North Pole. The film follows the boy and other children as they experience a series of set-pieces on and around the train, each designed to probe their doubts about Santa Claus and the meaning of belief. With its orchestral score by Alan Silvestri and detailed digital environments, the movie has become a regular part of holiday lineups and is one of the animated cornerstones of Max’s seasonal catalog.

3. ‘Elf’ (2003)

‘Elf’ is a family Christmas comedy about Buddy, a human who accidentally ends up at the North Pole as a baby and is raised among Santa’s helpers before traveling to New York City to find his biological father. Directed by Jon Favreau and starring Will Ferrell, the film follows Buddy as he tries to reconnect with his family while clashing with big-city skepticism about holiday magic. Supporting performances from James Caan, Zooey Deschanel, Bob Newhart, and others flesh out a story that mixes fish-out-of-water humor with a focus on family bonds and belief. The movie has become a staple of holiday programming and is widely available on Max during the festive season, often featured alongside other Christmas titles.

2. ‘Weapons’ (2025)

‘Weapons’ is a supernatural mystery horror film from filmmaker Zach Cregger, whose script and direction weave together a series of interconnected stories around a single terrifying event. The plot kicks off when nearly an entire classroom of teenagers disappears on the same night at the same time, leaving one student behind and an entire community searching for answers. An ensemble cast including Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, Alden Ehrenreich, and others plays the parents, investigators, and bystanders whose lives become entangled as the investigation exposes deeper secrets. The film blends procedural elements with unsettling, possibly otherworldly forces, focusing as much on the psychological fallout and social tension in the town as on the horror of the disappearance itself.

1. ‘Materialists’ (2025)

‘Materialists’ is a romantic comedy-drama from writer-director Celine Song that follows a New York City matchmaker whose job depends on reading other people’s desires better than her own. The story centers on a love triangle involving the matchmaker, her struggling actor ex, and a wealthy client whose lifestyle embodies the high-end world she works in every day. Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans, and Pedro Pascal lead the cast, with the film using their characters’ intersecting relationships to explore how money, status, and emotional intimacy collide in contemporary dating culture. The movie is set against real New York locations and leans heavily on the contrast between curated luxury and the messier realities of long-term commitment and personal fulfillment.

Share your own Max must-watch picks from this week in the comments below.