Best Movies to Stream this Weekend on HBO Max, Including ‘Lonely Castle in the Mirror’

Max—formerly known as HBO Max—has a fresh weekly drop that blends recent theatrical highlights with modern favorites and studio classics. It’s a broad spread across genres, giving you a little bit of everything without hopping apps.

Below are ten film picks drawn from this week’s additions on Max. They’re arranged with the most recent releases first, followed by platform originals and then historically significant studio titles. Each entry includes a quick plot primer plus key cast and creative credits so you can hit play fully briefed.

‘Warfare’ (2025)

Set over the course of a single mission, ‘Warfare’ follows a small U.S. unit as shifting intel, tight timelines, and urban obstacles force split-second choices on the ground. The story tracks multiple team members under fire and focuses on procedure, communications, and field strategy as the operation unfolds in real time.

The film is built around an ensemble of soldiers whose roles and responsibilities interlock across the mission. Close-quarters camerawork and on-the-ground staging keep attention on tactics and teamwork while the command structure and rules of engagement shape every move.

‘The Woman King’ (2022)

Set in the West African Kingdom of Dahomey, ‘The Woman King’ follows the Agojie—an elite unit of women warriors—through training, strategy, and combat as regional conflicts and outside pressures mount. The plot centers on a seasoned general and a new recruit whose evolving bond anchors the campaign.

Gina Prince-Bythewood directs, with Viola Davis leading a cast that includes Thuso Mbedu, Lashana Lynch, and John Boyega. Large-scale battle choreography, period production design, and location photography support the film’s focus on military culture, command decisions, and the stakes facing Dahomey.

‘Lonely Castle in the Mirror’ (2022)

Seven students dealing with troubles at school discover a portal in their bedroom mirrors that leads to a castle ruled by a masked girl who promises a wish to whoever solves its secret. ‘Lonely Castle in the Mirror’ blends fantasy-mystery elements with a puzzle structure that ties each teen’s story to the castle’s rules.

Keiichi Hara directs this animated adaptation of Mizuki Tsujimura’s novel. Studio work emphasizes hand-drawn character acting, shifting room layouts, and symbolic motifs as the ensemble navigates deadlines and clues that link their lives outside to the quest inside the castle.

‘Almost Christmas’ (2016)

A widower brings his extended family together for the holidays, where old grudges, new romances, and sibling rivalries collide over a long weekend. ‘Almost Christmas’ uses overlapping subplots—kitchen mishaps, community events, and late-night confessions—to map how a household holds together under festive pressure.

David E. Talbert writes and directs, guiding an ensemble led by Danny Glover, Kimberly Elise, Gabrielle Union, Mo’Nique, Romany Malco, J.B. Smoove, and Nicole Ari Parker. The film’s ensemble design builds character arcs around shared meals and traditions as the family works toward a truce.

‘Veronica Mars’ (2014)

Years after leaving Neptune, ‘Veronica Mars’ returns its title detective to her hometown when a former classmate’s death entangles old friends and enemies in a new case. The plot weaves alumni-reunion dynamics with a murder investigation that points Veronica back to the corruption she once exposed.

Series creator Rob Thomas directs, with Kristen Bell, Jason Dohring, and Enrico Colantoni reprising their roles alongside the show’s familiar ensemble. The feature condenses the series’ voiceover, clue-chasing, and class-warfare threads into a self-contained mystery set against Neptune’s politics and media frenzy.

‘The Cabin in the Woods’ (2012)

Five friends head to a secluded cabin for a weekend and find themselves trapped inside a controlled scenario where surveillance, ritual rules, and hidden mechanisms shape every choice. ‘The Cabin in the Woods’ pairs a classic setup with a second storyline that explains how and why the nightmare is being engineered.

Drew Goddard directs and co-writes, with a cast that includes Kristen Connolly, Chris Hemsworth, Fran Kranz, Anna Hutchison, Richard Jenkins, and Bradley Whitford. The film intercuts cabin events with backstage operations to reveal the larger system dictating the group’s fate.

‘Splinter’ (2008)

Stranded at a rural gas station, a handful of travelers face a fast-spreading parasitic organism that converts human hosts into spiked, contorted predators. ‘Splinter’ uses a tight siege structure—limited tools, dwindling options, and improvised defenses—to push its characters toward risky plans.

Toby Wilkins directs, with lead performances from Jill Wagner, Paulo Costanzo, and Shea Whigham. Practical creature work, single-location staging, and brisk editing drive the tension as the group studies how the parasite moves so they can time an escape.

‘Goodfellas’ (1990)

Adapted from Nicholas Pileggi’s nonfiction book, ‘Goodfellas’ follows Henry Hill from teenage gofer to mob associate, tracking crew hierarchies, heists, and the fallout of informant deals. The narrative spans neighborhood rites of passage, long-form scores, and shifting loyalties as law-enforcement pressure builds.

Martin Scorsese directs and co-writes with Pileggi. The cast features Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, Lorraine Bracco, and Paul Sorvino. Music-driven sequences, long takes, and period detail support the film’s portrait of day-to-day operations inside a New York crime family.

‘Dog Day Afternoon’ (1975)

A summer-afternoon bank robbery in Brooklyn spirals into a hostage standoff as crowds gather, television crews arrive, and negotiations drag on. ‘Dog Day Afternoon’ condenses the action to a single day, using phone calls, shifting demands, and heat-induced fatigue to escalate the situation.

Sidney Lumet directs from Frank Pierson’s screenplay, with Al Pacino and John Cazale leading the ensemble alongside Charles Durning and Chris Sarandon. Extensive location work and a focus on real-time pacing ground the story as police tactics and public reaction shape the outcome.

‘Our Vines Have Tender Grapes’ (1945)

Told through the perspective of a young girl named Selma, ‘Our Vines Have Tender Grapes’ follows a Norwegian-American farming family in Wisconsin as they navigate seasons, school, and church gatherings. Everyday events—barn raisings, fairs, and town meetings—chart how neighbors support one another.

Roy Rowland directs from a screenplay by Dalton Trumbo, adapting George Victor Martin’s novel. The cast includes Edward G. Robinson, Margaret O’Brien, and Agnes Moorehead. Studio craftsmanship and pastoral cinematography frame the family’s year while small-town rituals provide the film’s structure.

Share your own weekend picks on Max in the comments!