Whether you like cinema classics, sketch comedy, or science fiction, HBO Max has something for you! Check out our top picks for diversity and representation.
City of God
This critically acclaimed Brazilian film offers an unflinching look at organized crime in the titular “city,” a suburb of Rio de Janeiro. The vast majority of the cast were unknown prior to City of God. In fact, some of them (particularly the child actors) were residents of favelas: rural slums in Brazil that date back to the expulsion of formerly enslaved African people from major cities.
Casting people from the setting that the film portrays results in a raw realism that may not have been achievable with professional actors. Douglas Silva stands out as Li’l Dice, a deeply disturbed and deeply disturbing child who grows up to be a sadistic drug lord. However, while City of God doesn’t shy away from the horrors of organized crime, it also emphasizes the systemic failures that lead people to commit crimes in the first place.
Howl’s Moving Castle
“What’s your favorite movie?” can be a challenging question for film lovers. Should we name the film that we have the deepest personal connection to, the film we get the most enjoyment out of watching, or the film that we think achieved the highest level of artistry? Nine times out of ten, though, Howl’s Moving Castle is my answer.
This masterpiece introduced my 9-year-old self to Studio Ghibli and taught me crucial lessons about self-respect. For a child raised in Disney movies, Sophie and her relationship with Howl were revelatory. Howl’s Moving Castle is a different kind of love story: Sophie and Howl learn to love themselves and fall in love with each other in the process. To this day, I regard Sophie as one of the most empowering fictional women in film. (Plus, you know that Howl was everything my little gender-non-conforming self wanted to be. Icon.)
Mad Max: Fury Road
The latest addition to the Mad Max franchise stars Charlize Theron, sparked misogynistic boycotts, and prominently features an electric guitar with a flamethrower for a neck. What more do you need? Just in case, I’ll also mention that director George Miller achieves some of the greatest non-verbal worldbuilding I’ve ever encountered in the film’s opening scenes.
Fury Road is also a (possibly accidental) feminist parable that rails against the radicalization of men and the exploitation of women. The epic chase scenes and non-stop explosions are cherries on top of the diesel-soaked cake.
Precious
Precious is one of those rare films that can shatter your heart into a million pieces and still leave you feeling hopeful. The eponymous character has endured trauma after trauma before we even meet her, and the pain only continues over the course of this emotionally grueling story. And yet, we never stop believing in Precious: her resilience and determination carry her and the audience through all of her hardships, leading to a bittersweet finale that feels realistic and deeply earned.
Precious was also a pivotal film for many Black artists: Gabourey Sidibe debuted as Precious, Mo’Nique stepped out of her comedy comfort zone as Precious’s abusive mother, and Geoffrey Fletcher became the first Black person to win an Oscar for screenwriting.
Seven Samurai
Akira Kurosawa left a lasting impact on cinema and storytelling as a whole. Pick any trope, any character arc, any genre convention from a film you love. There’s a good chance that Kurosawa did it first and did it better. That being said, Seven Samurai might be his most influential work of all. A historical epic with one of the greatest ensemble casts ever assembled, this film’s reach includes everything from Westerns to The Avengers to that “teaching the villagers to fight for themselves” episode from every TV show ever. Despite Seven Samurai‘s broad scope and large cast, every character is distinct and compelling—none more so than Kikuchiyo, an imposter who evolves from a buffoonish liar into a true hero who embodies the values of the samurai.
The World of Apu
You may not have seen Satayajit Ray’s films, but you’ve almost certainly seen his influence. Christopher Nolan, Martin Scorsese, Wes Anderson, and Francis Ford Coppola have all cited this prolific Indian filmmaker as an inspiration. Ray’s work mines the depths of human experience with a slow-and-steady directorial approach that offers a full portrait of his characters’ lives. He excels at translating the personal to the universal with a subtlety that goes beyond metaphor. The World of Apu is the perfect encapsulation of Ray’s understated but powerful style. While technically the culmination of a trilogy, The World of Apu stands excellently on its own as a portrait of a man adhering to his principles, falling in love, and enduring unimaginable loss. Most of Ray’s oeuvre is available on HBO Max, but this would be my top pick of the bunch.