Max’s February 2026 library offers a sophisticated blend of record-breaking Oscar contenders and cinematic staples, providing subscribers with unparalleled access to the year’s most discussed narratives. From Ryan Coogler’s historic horror epic to intimate portraits of cultural icons, this curated selection represents the pinnacle of digital streaming. If you prefer long-form storytelling, explore our guide to the best shows on Max. For those expanding their horizons across platforms, we also track the best movies on Netflix, the best movies on Amazon Prime, and the best movies on Disney+.
2026 Award Season Giants and Cinematic Milestones
Sinners: A Record-Breaking Horror Masterpiece
Writer-director Ryan Coogler has redefined genre cinema with Sinners, a visually arresting vampire tale set in 1930s Mississippi. Michael B. Jordan delivers a staggering dual performance as twin brothers Smoke and Stack, World War I veterans whose attempt to run a juke joint turns into a supernatural battle for survival. The film recently made history by securing 16 Academy Award nominations—the highest count ever for a single production. For accessibility, Max offers a version of the film in Black American Sign Language (BASL), ensuring this cultural phenomenon reaches all audiences.
One Battle After Another: Paul Thomas Anderson’s Latest Triumph
Paul Thomas Anderson continues his streak of excellence with One Battle After Another, a sprawling drama that spans nearly two decades. Leonardo DiCaprio stars as Bob Ferguson, a former revolutionary who adopts a quiet life to protect his daughter, played by Chase Infiniti in a standout debut. Their peace is threatened by the relentless Colonel Steven J. Lockjaw, portrayed by Sean Penn in an Oscar-nominated supporting role. With 13 nominations, including Best Director and Best Picture, the film balances grand scope with Anderson’s signature dark humor.
The Smashing Machine: A Raw Transformation
Following the Safdie Brothers’ professional separation, Benny Safdie delivers a visceral biopic centered on MMA legend Mark Kerr. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson undergoes a total physical and emotional transformation to play Kerr, a fighter battling addiction and a turbulent personal life. Emily Blunt provides a powerful performance as his long-suffering partner, grounding this gritty sports drama that prioritizes human vulnerability over arena spectacle.
The Brutalist: An Architect’s Search for the American Dream
Adrien Brody earned his second Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of László Tóth in The Brutalist. Directed by Brady Corbet, this historical epic follows a Bauhaus-trained architect who flees Buchenwald for Philadelphia. The narrative explores the complexities of the immigrant experience as Tóth is commissioned by a wealthy industrialist (Guy Pearce) to design a monumental project. It is a devastatingly honest look at the scars of trauma and the price of artistic ambition.
Groundbreaking Documentaries and Real-Life Portraits
Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!
Judd Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio direct this two-part celebration of comedy legend Mel Brooks. Even at 99, the EGOT winner remains a comedic force. The documentary features rare interviews with industry giants like Dave Chappelle, Conan O’Brien, and Adam Sandler, alongside poignant commentary from the late Rob Reiner. It serves as a definitive archive of a career that changed the rules of humor across every medium.
33 Photos from the Ghetto: Uncovering Hidden History
This documentary centers on the 2022 discovery of photographs taken by Zbigniew Leszek Grzywaczewski, a Polish firefighter who secretly documented the 1943 Warsaw Ghetto uprising. As the only visual evidence not produced by Nazi forces, these images provide an essential, unfiltered perspective on Jewish resistance during World War II, offering a new historical lens on a pivotal act of rebellion.
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story
Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui deliver a moving tribute to the man who defined the superhero genre for a generation. This documentary explores Christopher Reeve’s life beyond the cape, focusing on his resilience following the accident that left him paralyzed. Featuring intimate stories from his children—Alexandra, Matthew, and Will—the film is a profound exploration of heroism in its most human form.
One to One: John & Yoko
Oscar-winner Kevin Macdonald provides an intimate look at John Lennon and Yoko Ono during their early years in New York City. Centered on the 1972 One to One concert, the film captures the couple navigating a post-Beatles world while raising funds for children with disabilities. It offers a rare, close-up glimpse into their creative and personal partnership during a transformative era.
Thoughts and Prayers: The Business of Preparedness
This captivating documentary investigates the multi-million dollar industry of active-shooter preparedness in American schools. The film delves into the psychological and financial implications of turning educational institutions into tactical training grounds, questioning the long-term impact on students and teachers forced to adapt to this new reality.
Genre-Defining Thrillers and Horror
Weapons: Zach Cregger’s Masterful Follow-up
After the success of Barbarian, Zach Cregger returns with Weapons, a chilling mystery set in a quiet Pennsylvania town where 17 children vanish simultaneously. Julia Garner leads an exceptional cast including Josh Brolin and Alden Ehrenreich. Garner plays a teacher under suspicion who embarks on a desperate search for the truth. The film blends savage horror with unexpected humor, earning Amy Madigan a Best Supporting Actress nomination.
Heretic: A Psychological Power Struggle
Hugh Grant delivers a career-best performance in Heretic, playing against type as a soft-spoken man who traps two Mormon missionaries (Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East) in his home. Rather than a simple thriller, the film is a dense exploration of religious philosophy and control, as Grant’s character forces the young women into increasingly deadly intellectual and physical games.
Bring Her Back: Unhinged Indie Horror
In partnership with A24, Max presents this disturbing Australian horror film starring Sally Hawkins. Hawkins delivers an intense performance as a foster mother harboring deep-seated trauma that threatens the safety of the children in her care. The film is a gruesome and unpredictable dissection of how past pain can manifest in violent, unexpected ways.
Babygirl: Power Dynamics and Desire
Nicole Kidman stars as Romy Mathis, a high-powered CEO who risks her professional and personal life in an affair with a charismatic intern (Harris Dickinson). Directed by Halina Reijn, Babygirl explores the complexities of workplace power dynamics and the blurred lines of consent and control, featuring a daring performance from Kidman that challenges traditional cinematic portrayals of female desire.
Modern Classics and Essential Cinema
Ex Machina: The AI Warning
Alex Garland’s directorial debut remains a cornerstone of modern sci-fi. Domhnall Gleeson stars as a programmer tasked with evaluating a humanoid robot named Ava (Alicia Vikander), only to realize the machine’s intelligence far exceeds his own. The film’s Oscar-winning screenplay continues to serve as a timely commentary on the ethics of artificial intelligence.
Get Out: A Cultural Phenomenon
Jordan Peele’s 2017 masterpiece remains as impactful today as it was at launch. By blending psychological horror with a sharp critique of American race relations, Peele created a new blueprint for socially conscious cinema. Daniel Kaluuya’s lead performance anchors a narrative that is as terrifying as it is intellectually stimulating.
Dune and Dune: Part Two: The Definitive Sci-Fi Epic
Denis Villeneuve has achieved what many thought impossible: a successful cinematic adaptation of Frank Herbert’s Dune. Both films are available on Max, following Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) as he navigates the treacherous politics of the desert planet Arrakis. These films represent a pinnacle of technical filmmaking and world-building.
Barbie: The Billion-Dollar Revolution
Greta Gerwig’s Barbie transcends its brand origins to deliver a vibrant, existential exploration of gender and identity. Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling lead a film that managed to dominate the global box office while sparking important cultural conversations, making it an essential entry in the Max library.
Director Debuts and Indie Highlights
Mountainhead: Jesse Armstrong’s Tech Satire
The creator of Succession makes his feature directorial debut with Mountainhead. The film follows a group of tech billionaires—and one non-billionaire played by Jason Schwartzman—at a mountain retreat. When an AI feature on a major social media platform begins spreading mass disinformation, the group’s true motives are revealed in a sharp, biting satire of the 1 percent.
Sorry, Baby: A Comedic Directorial Debut
Viral sketch creator Eva Victor makes a bold transition to filmmaking with Sorry, Baby. Produced with support from Barry Jenkins, the film stars Victor as a literature professor dealing with personal trauma. Despite the heavy subject matter, Victor maintains the brutally honest and hilarious tone that made her a social media sensation.
Materialists: Celine Song’s Modern Romance
Following the success of Past Lives, Celine Song returns with Materialists. Dakota Johnson stars as a professional matchmaker caught in a love triangle between a wealthy broker (Pedro Pascal) and her actor ex-boyfriend (Chris Evans). Song treats the romantic comedy genre with a rare level of intelligence and emotional depth.
Eddington: Ari Aster’s Neo-Western
Moving away from pure horror, Ari Aster delivers Eddington, a neo-western set during the 2020 pandemic. Joaquin Phoenix stars as a small-town sheriff whose political ambitions and attempts to maintain order lead to mounting tensions in a community fueled by misinformation. It is a tense, atmospheric study of power and paranoia.
Essential Documentaries and Cult Favorites
House: Japanese Cult Horror
This 1977 experimental horror-comedy from Nobuhiko Obayashi is a visual feast of the bizarre. Featuring disembodied heads, homicidal pianos, and possessed cats, House is a thrillingly unique cinematic experience that has earned its status as a legendary cult classic.
Gimme Shelter: The End of an Era
The Maysles brothers document the final days of the Rolling Stones’ 1969 tour, culminating in the tragic Altamont Free Concert. The film captures the moment the counterculture movement lost its innocence, providing a harrowing look at rock stardom and the chaos of the era.
Sing Sing: The Power of Art
Colman Domingo stars in this moving drama based on the real-life Rehabilitation Through the Arts program at Sing Sing prison. Playing an inmate determined to prove his innocence through theater, Domingo delivers an Oscar-nominated performance that highlights the transformative and redemptive power of the creative process.
Juror #2: Eastwood’s Ethical Drama
Clint Eastwood’s latest directorial effort stars Nicholas Hoult as a juror who realizes he may be responsible for the crime he is judging. Juror #2 is a high-stakes legal thriller that explores the gray areas of justice and personal morality, cementing Eastwood’s legacy as a master of character-driven drama.
Reality: The Whistleblower’s Story
Sydney Sweeney delivers a career-defining performance as Reality Winner, the NSA translator who leaked documents regarding Russian election interference. The film plays out in near real-time, using the actual FBI interrogation transcripts to create a claustrophobic and gripping portrait of a modern whistleblower.
All the Beauty and the Bloodshed: Activism Through Art
Laura Poitras directs this essential documentary on the life of photographer Nan Goldin. The film intertwines Goldin’s artistic legacy with her crusade against the Sackler family and the opioid epidemic. It is a powerful statement on the intersection of art, personal trauma, and political activism.
