If you’re looking for a new movie to watch on HBO Max this month, you’ve come to the right place. June brings a bevy of new titles to stream, ranging from brand new releases to excellent library titles that fit every mood. Below, we’ve assembled a curated list of the best new movies to watch on HBO Max in June, which range from big-budget fantasies to feel-good rom-coms to underseen hidden gems. There’s truly something for everyone, so pop some popcorn, grab a cozy blanket and settle in with one of these swell movies.
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore
The big new release on HBO Max in June actually hit the streaming service at the tail end of May, but “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore” serves as both something of a franchise course-correction and a conclusion to this Wizarding World prequel series. The third “Fantastic Beasts” film swaps out Johnny Depp for Mads Mikkelsen as the villainous (and fascist) wizard Gellert Grindelwald while Jude Law’s Albus Dumbledore gets to take more of a leading role as his former romance with Grindelwald makes this particular showdown tricky. The biggest lesson learned from “Fantastic Beasts 3” is maybe this should’ve been a Young Dumbledore franchise all along, but at any rate Law’s iteration of the future Hogwarts Headmaster is wildly compelling in this new film.
13 Going on 30
An absolute delight of a romantic comedy, the 2004 film “13 Going on 30” is the epitome of “feel-good movie.” The story concerns a 13-year-old girls in 1987 who, after being humiliated by her friends, wishes on her birthday that she was 30 years old. She’s then suddenly pushed forward in time to her 30-year-old self’s body (played by Jennifer Garner), and is appalled to see where life has taken her. Garner delivers a terrific performance as a teen trapped in an adult’s body, and her romantic pairing with Mark Ruffalo is swoon-worthy. There’s also a top-notch “Thriller” dance break.
A Star Is Born
Fair warning: Bradley Cooper’s 2018 take on “A Star Is Born” will make you ugly cry, but it’s worth it. The latest remake of this particular story finds Cooper co-writing, directing and starring as an alcoholic and on-his-way-out rocker who discovers a young talent in Ally (Lady Gaga), whom he shepherds through her rise to superstardom while his own star continues to fall. The soundtrack (featuring original songs written by Gaga, including the Oscar-winning “Shallow”) is incredible, and Cooper proves himself to be a tremendous talent behind the camera in addition to delivering his best onscreen performance of his career. Just make sure you have tissues handy.
Colossal
If you’re looking for something a little off the beaten path, check out the 2016 film “Colossal.” This darkly comic sci-fi film stars Anne Hathaway as a self-destructive alcoholic who realizes she controls a giant kaiju monster in Seoul. At the same time, she’s working out a relationship with her childhood friend Oscar (played by Jason Sudeikis), whose “nice guy” exterior hides a more toxic underbelly. Written and directed by Nacho Vigalondo, the film reveals itself to be a smart and impactful story of toxic masculinity and alcoholism. It’s also a ton of fun.
The Firm
If you yearn for the 1990s when a new legal thriller was in theaters every few months, it’s a great time to revisit the Tom Cruise-fronted John Grisham adaptation “The Firm.” The 1993 film follows a young Harvard law school soon-to-be-graduate who is recruited to join one of the top law firms in Tennessee. But once he’s inside, he learns more sinister works may be at play. Sydney Pollack directs an A-list cast that includes Gene Hackman, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Ed Harris, Hal Holbrook, Wilfred Brimley and Holly Hunter.
The Grand Budapest Hotel
One of Wes Anderson’s absolute best films, “The Grand Budapest Hotel” is as gorgeous as it is delightful – and it is incredibly delightful. The film boasts a Russian nesting doll-like structure as it tells a story in various time periods, each with their own aesthetic and aspect ratio. The central crux of the plot concerns Monsieur Gustave H. (played by Ralph Fiennes), the renowned concierge of the fictional Grand Budapest Hotel. Shenanigans ensue, and the incredible ensemble – which includes Tilda Swinton, Tony Revolori, Saoirse Ronan, Willem Dafoe and Edward Norton – is more than game to play along.
The Holiday
A romantic comedy classic if there ever was one, Nancy Meyers’ 2006 film “The Holiday” feels like a cozy warm blanket. The story follows two women suffering heartbreak who agree to swap houses for the holidays – one, played by Kate Winslet, living in the English countryside and another, played by Cameron Diaz, vacating her sprawling Los Angeles mansion. Diaz’s character strikes up a new romance with a character played by Jude Law, while Winslet’s character befriends a Hollywood veteran played by Eli Wallach and a composer played by Jack Black.
The Best Movies on HBO Max Right Now