Max – rebranded last year from HBO or HBO Max – is part of the multi-platform Warner Bros. Discovery operation, and while rival Amazon Prime has access to much of the classic MGM Studios film library, Max counters forcefully with many cinematic treasures from the Warner Bros. vaults, as well as other sources.
To determine the best movies to stream on Max this February, 24/7 Tempo developed an index using average ratings on IMDb, an online movie database owned by Amazon, and a combination of audience scores and Tomatometer scores on Rotten Tomatoes, an online movie and TV review aggregator, as of early February 2024, weighting all ratings equally. We considered only movies with at least 5,000 audience votes on either IMDb or Rotten Tomatoes, and ruled out documentaries. Data on streaming availability, also current as of early February, comes from the streaming guide Reelgood. Directorial credits are from IMDb.
The breadth of offerings on the platform is immense, with the top movies this month spanning almost a century, from 1923 (the beloved Harold Lloyd romantic comedy “Safety Last!”) to 2019 (Makoto Shinkai’s charming animated fantasy “Weathering with You” and Korean director Bong Joon-ho’s multiple Academy Award-winning “Parasite” – the first foreign language film to take home the Best Picture Oscar, which was one of 30 famous firsts in Oscars history).
The roster of celebrated directors, past and present, represented here reads like a Hollywood (and international cinema) Who’s Who. John Ford, Ernst Lubitsch, Billy Wilder, Jean Cocteau, Stanley Kubrick, John Hughes, Peter Bogdanovich, Wim Wenders, Costa-Gavras, Sergio Leone, John Cassavetes, Oliver Stone, William Friedkin, Quentin Tarantino, Christopher Nolan, David Fincher, James Cameron, Jonathan Demme, Joel and Ethan Coen…. The list goes on and on.
Memorable films like “The Breakfast Club,” “The French Connection,” “Platoon,” “The Matrix,” “2001: A Space Odyssey,” “Babette’s Feast,” “The Wizard of Oz,” “Fargo,” “The Terminator,” “Some Like It Hot,” “The Silence of the Lambs,” and “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” are on the menu here. And speaking of cinematic history, if you’re a Chaplin fan, this is definitely the place for you, with seven of his greatest creations available within a couple of clicks.
50. Escape from Alcatraz (1979)
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (138,748 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 85% (65,419 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (27 reviews)
- Directed by: Don Siegel
49. Fallen Angels (1995)
Source: Courtesy of Koch Films
N/A
Source: Courtesy of Koch Films
- IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (41,538 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86% (10,000 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (22 reviews)
- Directed by: Wong Kar-wai
48. Star Trek: First Contact (1996)
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
N/A
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (121,411 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (100,725 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (61 reviews)
- Directed by: Jonathan Frakes
47. Brute Force (1947)
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (9,738 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (1,647 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (18 reviews)
- Directed by: Jules Dassin
46. Brooklyn (2015)
Source: Courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (146,754 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (47,004 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (279 reviews)
- Directed by: John Crowley
45. The Breakfast Club (1985)
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (372,267 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92% (556,906 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 89% (65 reviews)
- Directed by: John Hughes
44. X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)
Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
- IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (679,797 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (277,422 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 90% (330 reviews)
- Directed by: Bryan Singer
43. Batman Begins (2005)
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
N/A
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
- IMDb user rating: 8.2/10 (1,360,431 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (1,115,836 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 84% (288 reviews)
- Directed by: Christopher Nolan
42. The French Connection (1971)
Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
- IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (124,768 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (44,428 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 98% (83 reviews)
- Directed by: William Friedkin
41. Platoon (1986)
Source: Courtesy of Orion Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Orion Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (395,356 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (240,012 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 87% (69 reviews)
- Directed by: Oliver Stone
40. Weathering with You (2019)
Source: Courtesy of GKIDS
Source: Courtesy of GKIDS
- IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (30,999 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 96% (247 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (95 reviews)
- Directed by: Makoto Shinkai
39. The Matrix (1999)
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
- IMDb user rating: 8.7/10 (1,759,161 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 85% (33,324,202 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 88% (155 reviews)
- Directed by: Lana and Lilly Wachowski
38. Night of the Living Dead (1968)
Source: Courtesy of Continental Distributing
Source: Courtesy of Continental Distributing
- IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (121,700 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (130,710 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (74 reviews)
- Directed by: George A. Romero
37. Howl’s Moving Castle (2004)
Source: Courtesy of Wild Bunch
N/A
Source: Courtesy of Wild Bunch
- IMDb user rating: 8.2/10 (357,706 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (46,345 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 87% (181 reviews)
- Directed by: Hayao Miyazaki
36. A Woman Under the Influence (1974)
Source: Courtesy of Faces International
Source: Courtesy of Faces International
- IMDb user rating: 8.2/10 (23,726 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (8,243 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 90% (31 reviews)
- Directed by: John Cassavetes
35. Beauty and the Beast (1946)
Source: Courtesy of Lopert Films
N/A
Source: Courtesy of Lopert Films
- IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (27,015 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (10,000 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (66 reviews)
- Directed by: Jean Cocteau
34. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
- IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (1,042,131 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86% (129,988 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (439 reviews)
- Directed by: George Miller
33. Se7en (1995)
Source: Courtesy of New Line Cinema
Source: Courtesy of New Line Cinema
- IMDb user rating: 8.6/10 (1,517,067 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95% (468,879 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 82% (82 reviews)
- Directed by: David Fincher
32. Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989)
Source: Courtesy of Fathom Events
N/A
Source: Courtesy of Fathom Events
- IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (133,169 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (16,920 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 98% (41 reviews)
- Directed by: Hayao Miyazaki
31. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
Source: Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Source: Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
- IMDb user rating: 8.3/10 (629,868 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (299,429 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (113 reviews)
- Directed by: Stanley Kubrick
30. Stagecoach (1939)
Source: Courtesy of United Artists
Source: Courtesy of United Artists
- IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (46,215 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86% (14,658 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (45 reviews)
- Directed by: John Ford
29. Babette’s Feast (1987)
Source: Courtesy of Orion Classics
N/A
Source: Courtesy of Orion Classics
- IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (20,191 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (5,000 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (34 reviews)
- Directed by: Gabriel Axel
28. Room (2015)
Source: Courtesy of A24
Source: Courtesy of A24
- IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (392,959 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (49,823 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (317 reviews)
- Directed by: Lenny Abrahamson
27. The Wizard of Oz (1939)
Source: Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Source: Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
- IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (379,622 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (876,535 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 99% (145 reviews)
- Directed by: Victor Fleming
26. Limelight (1952)
Source: Courtesy of United Artists
Source: Courtesy of United Artists
- IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (19,395 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (7,303 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (35 reviews)
- Directed by: Charles Chaplin
25. Paris, Texas (1984)
Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
N/A
Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
- IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (112,195 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (24,479 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (51 reviews)
- Directed by: Wim Wenders
24. Paper Moon (1973)
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (44,587 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (11,421 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (41 reviews)
- Directed by: Peter Bogdanovich
23. Fargo (1996)
Source: Courtesy of Gramercy Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Gramercy Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (643,417 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (234,520 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (102 reviews)
- Directed by: Joel and Ethan Coen
22. Z (1969)
Source: Courtesy of Cinema V
Source: Courtesy of Cinema V
- IMDb user rating: 8.2/10 (30,319 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92% (6,578 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (50 reviews)
- Directed by: Costa-Gavras
21. The Terminator (1984)
Source: Courtesy of Orion Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Orion Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (820,969 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (776,923 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (65 reviews)
- Directed by: James Cameron
20. The Tale of The Princess Kaguya (2013)
Source: Courtesy of Bir Film
N/A
Source: Courtesy of Bir Film
- IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (42,434 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (14,047 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (96 reviews)
- Directed by: Isao Takahata
19. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
Source: Courtesy of New Line Cinema
Source: Courtesy of New Line Cinema
- IMDb user rating: 8.9/10 (1,710,236 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86% (34,679,773 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (275 reviews)
- Directed by: Peter Jackson
18. Safety Last! (1923)
Source: Courtesy of Pathé Exchange
Source: Courtesy of Pathé Exchange
- IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (19,650 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (3,761 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (35 reviews)
- Directed by: Fred C. Newmeyer and Sam Taylor
17. The Circus (1928)
Source: Courtesy of United Artists
Source: Courtesy of United Artists
- IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (32,235 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (6,739 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (28 reviews)
- Directed by: Charles Chaplin
16. To Be or Not to Be (1942)
Source: Courtesy of United Artists
Source: Courtesy of United Artists
- IMDb user rating: 8.2/10 (33,747 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (6,029 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (47 reviews)
- Directed by: Ernst Lubitsch
15. Some Like It Hot (1959)
Source: Courtesy of United Artists
Source: Courtesy of United Artists
- IMDb user rating: 8.2/10 (254,537 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (82,393 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (65 reviews)
- Directed by: Billy Wilder
14. The Great Dictator (1940)
Source: Courtesy of United Artists
Source: Courtesy of United Artists
- IMDb user rating: 8.4/10 (213,266 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95% (43,757 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (45 reviews)
- Directed by: Charles Chaplin
13. Aliens (1986)
Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
- IMDb user rating: 8.3/10 (678,602 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (430,019 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (77 reviews)
- Directed by: James Cameron
12. Parasite (2019)
Source: Courtesy of Neon
N/A
Source: Courtesy of Neon
- IMDb user rating: 8.5/10 (810,722 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (5,000 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 99% (475 reviews)
- Directed by: Bong Joon Ho
11. The Gold Rush (1925)
Source: Courtesy of United Artists
Source: Courtesy of United Artists
- IMDb user rating: 8.2/10 (106,473 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (20,591 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (50 reviews)
- Directed by: Charles Chaplin
10. Good Will Hunting (1997)
Source: Courtesy of Miramax
Source: Courtesy of Miramax
- IMDb user rating: 8.3/10 (900,884 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (365,042 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 98% (83 reviews)
- Directed by: Gus Van Sant
9. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
Source: Courtesy of New Line Cinema
Source: Courtesy of New Line Cinema
- IMDb user rating: 8.8/10 (1,731,527 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95% (1,355,751 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 91% (235 reviews)
- Directed by: Peter Jackson
8. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Source: Courtesy of Orion Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Orion Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 8.6/10 (1,332,128 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95% (847,443 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (104 reviews)
- Directed by: Jonathan Demme
7. The Kid (1921)
Source: Courtesy of First National Pictures
Source: Courtesy of First National Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 8.3/10 (120,168 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95% (15,470 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (48 reviews)
- Directed by: Charles Chaplin
6. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
Source: Courtesy of New Line Cinema
Source: Courtesy of New Line Cinema
- IMDb user rating: 8.7/10 (1,546,188 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95% (1,341,428 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (255 reviews)
- Directed by: Peter Jackson
5. Modern Times (1936)
Source: Courtesy of United Artists
Source: Courtesy of United Artists
- IMDb user rating: 8.5/10 (228,754 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95% (40,314 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 98% (108 reviews)
- Directed by: Charles Chaplin
4. Pulp Fiction (1994)
Source: Courtesy of Miramax
N/A
Source: Courtesy of Miramax
- IMDb user rating: 8.9/10 (1,909,111 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 96% (1,128,444 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (108 reviews)
- Directed by: Quentin Tarantino
3. City Lights (1931)
Source: Courtesy of United Artists
Source: Courtesy of United Artists
- IMDb user rating: 8.5/10 (176,008 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 96% (27,144 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 98% (54 reviews)
- Directed by: Charles Chaplin
2. The Dark Knight (2008)
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
N/A
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
- IMDb user rating: 9.0/10 (2,419,864 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (1,831,566 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (345 reviews)
- Directed by: Christopher Nolan
1. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)
Source: Courtesy of United Artists
Source: Courtesy of United Artists
- IMDb user rating: 8.8/10 (718,036 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 97% (239,989 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (77 reviews)
- Directed by: Sergio Leone