As May comes along, Max is ready to add some new titles to their vast catalog and release new seasons of their original shows. Although Hacks Season 3 and Pretty Little Liars: Summer School will come out this month, there are a lot of films arriving on the streaming platform that deserve some love.
A24 might've achieved a box office record with the premiere of Civil War, but there are more films by the beloved production company that will surely captivate at-home viewers with their sensitive storylines and scene-stealing performances. From The Iron Claw to The Lighthouse, this list is packed with A24 favorites and other recommendations worth watching.
RelatedAll the Movies and Shows Coming to Max in May 2024
Jean Smart, Zac Efron, and Pim & Charlie populate Max's exciting May slate.
The Florida Project (2017)
Available: | May 1, 2024 |
Run Time: | 1 hr 51 min |
Director: | Sean Baker |
Starring: | Brooklyn Prince, Bria Vinaite, Willem Dafoe, Christopher Rivera |
With Mother's Day right around the corner, it is an ideal time to watch this A24 gem that depicts an emotional mother-daughter dynamic. In The Florida Project, Monee (Brooklyn Prince) is a six-year-old who lives with her single mom (Bria Vinaite) in a hotel close to one of the most magical vacation spots in the US, Disney World. Although every kids' paradise is only a few kilometers away, Monee spends her days alongside friends, romanticizing her life in the motel. Yet, her rose-colored outlook of the place she inhabits is far from the truth. Throughout the film, viewers get to see how this little girl's childhood is sheltered at all costs by her rebellious but caring mother, and the motel manager (Willem Dafoe).
The Florida Project
RSet over one summer, the film follows precocious six-year-old Moonee as she courts mischief and adventure with her ragtag playmates and bonds with her rebellious but caring mother, all while living in the shadows of Walt Disney World.
Release Date October 6, 2017 Director Sean Baker Cast Brooklynn Prince , Christopher Rivera , Aiden Malik , Josie Olivo , Valeria Cotto , Edward Pagan Main Genre Drama Writers Sean Baker , Chris BergochThe Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017)
Available: | May 1, 2024 |
Run Time: | 2 hr 1 min |
Director: | Yorgos Lanthimos |
Starring: | Barry Keoghan, Colin Farrell, Nicole Kidman, Raffey Cassidy |
Before Emma Stone became a frequent Yorgos Lanthimos collaborator, the director partnered with Colin Farell in two remarkable films. One of them, The Killing of a Sacred Deer, will land on Max in early May, and it is a must-see for psychological thriller enthusiasts. In it, Farrell plays Dr. Steven Murphy, a doctor who loses a patient in the ER and is then haunted by the patient's son, Martin (Barry Keoghan). After grieving his father's passing, Martin is determined to make Steven and his family feel the same level of pain that he did, resorting to gruesome lengths to do so.
The Killing of a Sacred Deer
RDrama HorrorMysterySteven, a charismatic surgeon, is forced to make an unthinkable sacrifice after his life starts to fall apart, when the behavior of a teenage boy he has taken under his wing turns sinister.
Release Date November 3, 2017 Director Yorgos Lanthimos Cast Colin Farrell , Nicole Kidman , Barry Keoghan , Sunny Suljic , Denise Dal Vera Main Genre Drama Writers Yorgos Lanthimos , Efthymis FilippouThe Lighthouse (2019)
Available: | May 1, 2024 |
Run Time: | 1 hr 49 min |
Director: | Robert Eggers |
Starring: | Robert Pattinson, Willem Dafoe, Valeriia Karaman, Logan Hawkes |
Living in a secluded place can be lonely and mentally taxing, and The Lighthouse depicts this state of mind very well. Directed by Robert Eggers, this A24 project is based on an unfinished short story by gothic author Edgar Allan Poe. Shot in black-and-white and set in the 1890s, the film follows two lighthouse keepers (played by Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe) experiencing isolation after being sent to a remote island in New England. With no other company other than each other, the protagonists get on the verge of insanity as they begin to feel hunger, agony, and resentment.
The Lighthouse
RFantasy HorrorPsychologicalHorrorTwo lighthouse keepers try to maintain their sanity while living on a remote and mysterious New England island in the 1890s.
Release Date October 18, 2019 Director Robert Eggers Cast Willem Dafoe , Robert Pattinson , Valeriia Karaman Writers Max Eggers , Robert EggersSilver Linings Playbook (2012)
Available: | May 1, 2024 |
Run Time: | 2 hr 2 min |
Director: | David O. Russell |
Starring: | Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, Jacki Weaver |
Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence might've shared the screen multiple times, but their first collaboration remains their best. Silver Linings Playbook is an unconventional rom-com focused on two characters living with a mental illness. Pat, a divorced man with bipolar, leaves a psychiatric hospital determined to win his ex-wife back. As he meets and befriends Tiffany, a young widow with an unnamed disorder, he finds a way to accomplish his goal by signing up to be her dance partner in a competition. Filled with hilarious dialogue and spot-on chemistry between the two leads, this film is a go-to for anyone looking for a laid-back watch.
Silver Linings Playbook
RComedyDocumentaryDramaRomanceAfter a stint in a mental institution, former teacher Pat Solitano moves back in with his parents and tries to reconcile with his ex-wife. Things get more challenging when Pat meets Tiffany, a mysterious girl with problems of her own.
Release Date September 8, 2012 Director David O. Russell Cast Jennifer Lawrence , Robert De Niro , Bradley Cooper , Julia Stiles , Chris Tucker , Shea Whigham Main Genre Comedy Writers Matthew Quick , David O. RussellTurtles All the Way Down (2024)
Available: | May 2, 2024 |
Director: | Hannah Marks |
Starring: | Isabella Merced, Hannah Marks, J. Smith-Cameron, Judy Reyes |
After The Fault in Our Stars and Paper Towns, YA bestseller John Green will see another one of his novels come to life in Max's latest original movie. Turtles All the Way Down focuses on Aza Holmes (Isabella Merced), a teenager trying not to let her anxiety define her. As she reconnects with a former crush, the protagonist feels like it is nearly impossible for her to fall in love without her OCD getting in the way. Yet, with the help of her best friend and an attentive love interest, she begins to see past the intrusive thoughts that often prevent her from being joyful and carefree.
Turtles All The Way Down
PG-13DramaRomanceA teenager tries to solve a mystery surrounding a fugitive billionaire.
Director Hannah Marks Cast Isabela Merced , J. Smith-Cameron , Judy Reyes , Hannah Marks Main Genre Drama Writers Elizabeth Berger , Isaac Aptaker , John GreenStop Making Sense (1984)
Available: | May 3, 2024 |
Run Time: | 1 hr 28 min |
Director: | Jonathan Demme |
Starring: | David Byrne, Bernie Worell, Alex Weir, Steven Scales |
Considered one of the greatest concert films of all time, Stop Making Sense follows the Talking Heads in their prime. Directed by Jonathan Demme, this documentary features a compilation of footage from three nights that the band performed live from the Pantages Theater in December 1983. Throughout the show, the rock group's energetic stage presence and anthemic music fills the room with excitement and continues to connect with viewers more than 40 years later. Now that A24 restored the film to 4K quality, Max subscribers will be able to watch the concert in high resolution from their homes.
Stop Making Sense
Considered by critics as the greatest concert film of all time, the live performance was shot over the course of three nights at Hollywood's Pantages Theater in December of 1983 and features Talking Heads' most memorable songs.
Release Date October 19, 1984 Director Jonathan Demme Run Time 88 minutes Actors Talking HeadsThe Iron Claw (2023)
CloseAvailable: | May 10, 2024 |
Run Time: | 2 hr 12 min |
Director: | Sean Durkin |
Starring: | Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson, Maura Tierney |
Zac Efron is no stranger to playing characters with their "heads in the game." After all, his breakout role was playing the captain of the basketball team in High School Musical. Years later, he leaves the court and enters the ring as Kevin Von Erich in The Iron Claw. Based on true events, the film follows the Von Enrich siblings as they become wrestling champions in the early 1980s. As the brothers endure the high and lows of their demanding careers, they always manage to be there for each other.
The Iron Claw (2023)
RThe true story of the inseparable Von Erich brothers, who made history in the intensely competitive world of professional wrestling in the early 1980s. Through tragedy and triumph, under the shadow of their domineering father and coach, the brothers seek larger-than-life immortality on the biggest stage in sports.
Release Date December 22, 2023 Director Sean Durkin Cast Zac Efron , Jeremy Allen White , Harris Dickinson , Maura Tierney Main Genre Drama Writers Sean DurkinncG1vNJzZmibn6G5qrDEq2Wcp51kr6a%2F02alnq9dory3tcSsZKaZqGK6osWMa2drbF8%3D