If you’re looking for something new to watch on HBO Max, you’ve come to the right place. From Oscar-contending documentaries to underrated dramas to high-octane sci-fi actioners, we’ve curated a selection of the best new movies streaming on HBO Max in February. Satiate your appetite for all things “Everything Everywhere All at Once” with another idiosyncratic film from the same directors, cure your thirst for more Tom Cruise stardom with one of the best time travel movies ever made, and see one of Steven Spielberg’s earlier films in an entirely new light in the wake of “The Fabelmans.”
Check out our list of the best new movies on HBO Max in February below.
“All That Breathes”
You can watch one of the documentaries up for this year’s Best Documentary Feature Oscar on HBO Max this month, and it’s a great one. “All That Breathes” follows two brothers living in New Delhi who capture and treat birds that are dropping from the sky due to the increasing pollution. What really makes this doc soar, though, is director Shaunauk Sen’s cinematic approach to the film. Long takes, slow pans and evocative cinematography capture life in New Delhi in a transfixing way, making the emotional twists and turns all the more impactful.
“Swiss Army Man”
If you love “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” you owe it to yourself to watch the last film made by the directing duo Daniel Scheinert and Daniel Kwan, “Swiss Army Man.” Similarly unique, the film stars Paul Dano as a man stranded on an island who comes across a dead body (played by Daniel Radcliffe). He begins using the body as a utility (hence the film’s title), and the lifeless character starts to speak back to him and respond to what’s going on. This one’s really hard to explain in a way that makes it sound palatable, but it’s equal parts hilarious and emotional, with an incredible original score by Manchester Orchestra.
“Catch Me If You Can”
Low-key one of Steven Spielberg’s most personal films, 2002’s “Catch Me If You Can” finds Leonardo DiCaprio filling the role of a real-life con man who impersonated a pilot, doctor and lawyer all while still being a teenager. Tom Hanks plays the FBI agent hot on his trail, and Spielberg delights in chronicling the jet-set era of the 1960s. Like many of Spielberg’s films, divorce is a theme here, but unlike those other movies this one finds DiCaprio’s father (played by Christopher Walken) as the jilted one while his mother leaves to start a new family. If you’ve seen “The Fabelmans” you’ll recognize how this film mirrors Spielberg’s personal life, but the caper also stands as one of Spielberg’s most watchable films, and one of his best collaborations with cinematographer Janusz Kaminsky.
“Luce”
Kelvin Harrison Jr. burst onto the scene with this underrated 2019 drama that thrills and chills in equal measure. The “Waves” actor plays an all-star high school athlete and adopted son of a white couple living in the U.S., having been rescued from war-torn Eritrea. But when his history teacher (played by Octavia Spencer) brings up concerns about Luce’s behavior and possibly more sinister intentions, his parents (played by Naomi Watts and Tim Roth) don’t want to hear it. This one doesn’t provide any easy answers, but is a terrific acting showcase for all involved. Julius Onah directs.
“Goldeneye”
“Goldeneye” is one of a number of James Bond films streaming on HBO Max this month, but it’s also the best. Filmmaker Martin Campbell successfully rebooted the franchise with this 1995 film that introduced Pierce Brosnan’s new take on 007 and a more adventurous spirit than the prior two Timothy Dalton films. Sean Bean, Famke Janssen and Alan Cumming all deliver memorable performances, but perhaps the greatest legacy of “Goldeneye” is the N64 game it spawned.
“Empire of Light”
There were many BEHOLD, THE POWER OF MOVIES! movies released in 2022. At the very least, Sam Mendes’ “Empire of Light” is the most gorgeously photographed, with Mendes re-teaming with Roger Deakins for a melancholic tale of a movie theater in Thatcher-era England. (Deakins’ work was just nominated for a Best Cinematography Oscar.) The movie stars the always-wonderful Olivia Colman as the manager of a movie theater in the early-1980s in a small seaside town. She strikes up an unlikely romance with a young Black British employee (Michael Ward) that winds up transforming both of their lives. More unpredictable than you probably imagined, Mendes’ script is occasionally quite messy as it lurches between tones, styles and subject matter (including lightly touching upon the rise in white nationalism in Britain at the time). Is it a portrait of mental illness? A love letter to the power of moviegoing? A quaint, kitchen sink drama? As it turns out, it’s all of those things – and more. If you go in with the right expectations and can give over to the mood of “Empire of Light” (exemplified by the twinkly score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross), it is pretty enjoyable. Especially when you’re just staring, astounded, at Colman’s amazing performance. The movies! – Drew Taylor
“Edge of Tomorrow”
One of the best films in Tom Cruise’s career (and that’s saying something), “Edge of Tomorrow” is also low-key the best video game movie ever made. The sci-fi film takes place in a near future where an alien invasion threatens to wipe out the globe. Cruise plays a cowardly public relations officer who is thrust onto the battle front in London, where he is killed – only to wake up to relive the same day over again. And again. And again. He finds a companion in the toughest warrior on the field, played by Emily Blunt, who previously went through the same experience he did. Together, the two must find a way to win this unwinnable battle as the “Groundhog Day” clock starts running out. Doug Liman of “The Bourne Identity” fame directs.
