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

HBO Max is packed this week, with brand new premieres right next to big studio rides and a few can’t miss essentials. If you want something current, there are fresh festival titles and recent crowd pleasers ready to press play. If you are in the mood for familiar favorites, the lineup also includes action showpieces, clever horror, and a couple of all time greats that always reward a revisit.

Below are fifteen movie picks drawn only from this week’s incoming lists. To make things simple, the choices start with the most recent releases and then work backward, and each entry sticks to the helpful stuff like what the story covers and who made it happen on both sides of the camera. Set your queue and enjoy the mix.

‘The Legend of Ochi’ (2025)

A young girl leaves home and ventures into a wild landscape where she meets mysterious creatures called ochi and learns to communicate with them. The main roles are played by Finn Wolfhard, Helena Zengel, Willem Dafoe, and Emily Watson, and the story follows first contact between people and beings that live beyond the village edge.

The film is directed by Isaiah Saxon and released by A24 with a focus on practical locations and natural textures. Production is backed by A24 with world building that draws on folklore and a grounded approach to fantasy.

‘Friendship’ (2025)

A suburban dad named Craig becomes obsessed with befriending his new neighbor Austin who works as a TV weatherman and plays music on the side. The pursuit shakes up both families as Craig pushes past normal boundaries to win Austin over. The lead roles are played by Tim Robinson and Paul Rudd with key support from Kate Mara and Jack Dylan Grazer.

The feature is written and directed by Andrew DeYoung in his debut and produced by BoulderLight Pictures and Fifth Season. The release comes after a festival run and a rollout that brought the film to a wider audience in the new year.

‘Emmanuelle’ (2024)

A hotel brand auditor travels to Hong Kong for work and finds her professional life merging with a personal awakening that changes her sense of desire and control. Noémie Merlant plays the title role with Naomi Watts and Will Sharpe in supporting parts.

The movie is directed and co written by Audrey Diwan and is based on the novel by Emmanuelle Arsan. It is a French produced reboot that premiered in 2024 before reaching wider platforms the following year.

‘The Woman King’ (2022)

Set in the Kingdom of Dahomey, the story follows the Agojie, an all woman military unit that trains new recruits while the nation faces outside pressure and internal change. Viola Davis leads the cast as a seasoned general with Thuso Mbedu, Lashana Lynch, Sheila Atim, and John Boyega in major roles.

Gina Prince Bythewood directs from a screenplay by Dana Stevens based on a story developed with Maria Bello. The production team includes Cathy Schulman, Viola Davis, and Julius Tennon and the film was shot on location to highlight the region’s history and culture.

‘Lonely Castle in the Mirror’ (2022)

Seven students who are avoiding school find that their bedroom mirrors open a path to a castle ruled by a masked girl where a wish can be granted to the one who solves the puzzle. The voice cast features a young ensemble that grounds the story of friendship and second chances.

The feature is directed by Keiichi Hara and adapts the bestselling novel by Mizuki Tsujimura. Animation is produced by A 1 Pictures with Toho handling domestic release and the film blends mystery and coming of age elements with gentle fantasy.

‘The Fate of the Furious’ (2017)

Dom Toretto turns on his crew under the control of a master hacker and the team must regroup across multiple countries to stop a global threat. Vin Diesel stars alongside Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, and Charlize Theron.

The eighth main entry in the series is directed by F Gary Gray from a script by Chris Morgan. Universal Pictures produced the film with extensive location work that carries the franchise’s globe trotting scale.

‘The House’ (2017)

A couple loses their daughter’s college fund and teams up with a neighbor to open an illegal casino in their suburban home. Will Ferrell and Amy Poehler play the parents with Jason Mantzoukas as the friend whose big idea sends them into deeper trouble.

Andrew J Cohen directs and co writes with Brendan O’Brien for New Line Cinema and Village Roadshow. The ensemble includes Ryan Simpkins, Nick Kroll, and Allison Tolman with Warner Bros handling distribution.

‘Fireworks’ (2017)

A summer day at a seaside school turns strange when classmates argue about whether fireworks look round or flat from the side and a boy’s wish resets events again and again. Suzu Hirose and Masaki Suda lead the Japanese voice cast.

The film is directed by Akiyuki Shinbo and Nobuyuki Takeuchi from a screenplay by Hitoshi Ōne. It reimagines a 1993 television drama by Shunji Iwai and is produced by Shaft with Toho releasing in Japan.

‘Almost Christmas’ (2016)

A widower gathers his large family for the holidays and old grievances collide with new romances across one long weekend. The ensemble includes Danny Glover, Gabrielle Union, Mo’Nique, Kimberly Elise, Romany Malco, and J B Smoove with Omar Epps and John Michael Higgins also appearing.

David E Talbert writes and directs with Will Packer producing. The Universal Pictures release balances family drama with broad comedy and uses shared meals and gatherings to frame the story.

‘The 33’ (2015)

The survival drama recreates the 2010 Copiapó mine disaster in Chile and follows the trapped miners underground while families and experts work to rescue them above. Antonio Banderas appears as Mario Sepúlveda with Juliette Binoche, Rodrigo Santoro, and Lou Diamond Phillips among the ensemble.

Patricia Riggen directs from a script by Mikko Alanne, Craig Borten, Michael Thomas, and José Rivera. The production filmed in Chile and Colombia with additional work in the United States and is backed by an international team of producers.

‘Veronica Mars’ (2014)

Years after leaving her coastal hometown, Veronica returns to help Logan when a scandal turns deadly during a high profile event. Kristen Bell steps back into the title role with Jason Dohring and Enrico Colantoni returning from the series.

Rob Thomas writes and directs with Diane Ruggiero Wright and the project is notable for its crowdfunding campaign that reunited the original creative team. The film is produced and released through Warner Bros with a fast schedule that brought much of the cast back together.

‘Safe Haven’ (2013)

A woman with a guarded past arrives in a North Carolina town where she builds a new life and begins a relationship with a widower while her secrets catch up. Julianne Hough and Josh Duhamel star with Cobie Smulders in a key supporting role.

The film is directed by Lasse Hallström and adapted from the novel by Nicholas Sparks. It was released by Relativity and Alliance with a script credited to Dana Stevens and Gage Lansky.

‘Prometheus’ (2012)

Scientists follow a star map to a distant moon to search for humanity’s origins and uncover an ancient bio threat that puts the crew at risk. The cast includes Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron, and Idris Elba.

Ridley Scott directs from work by Jon Spaihts and Damon Lindelof and the film connects to the world first explored in the original alien saga. Production comes from Scott Free and Brandywine with large scale sets and visual effects work supporting the story.

‘The Cabin in the Woods’ (2012)

Five friends head to a remote cabin and find themselves inside a larger controlled nightmare that rewrites familiar horror setups. The cast features Kristen Connolly, Chris Hemsworth, Fran Kranz, Jesse Williams, Richard Jenkins, and Bradley Whitford.

Drew Goddard directs and co writes with producer Joss Whedon. The film is released by Lionsgate after a delayed rollout linked to studio financing changes and it uses a control room structure to explain the strange events around the cabin.

‘Goodfellas’ (1990)

The crime chronicle follows mob associate Henry Hill across years of heists, score settling, and fallout inside a New York crew. Ray Liotta stars as Hill with Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, Lorraine Bracco, and Paul Sorvino in key roles.

Martin Scorsese directs and co writes with Nicholas Pileggi from the book Wiseguy with Irwin Winkler producing. The crew includes cinematographer Michael Ballhaus and editor Thelma Schoonmaker and the film is known for long takes and carefully chosen period music.

Share the two or three movies you plan to start with this weekend in the comments so everyone can compare picks.