HBO Max will lose its identity and merge with Paramount+ later this year, but until that happens we’ll be spotlighting the best new content that hits the service every week. There’s not a lot of volume this week, but quality is high, with the final season premiere of Hacks, a compelling Japanese music drama, and some very watchable movies. We’ve got a rundown of everything new streaming below.
This Week on HBO Max: PCMag’s Picks
Alien: Romulus (April 3)
Stepping into the director’s chair on the Alien franchise is a risky proposition, and while I wouldn’t rank Romulus in the upper echelon of the movies, Fede Alvarez does hit many of his marks. The atmosphere is perfect, with rusty metal, hanging chains, and dripping water providing a backdrop for a bunch of tense chase scenes and gory chest explosions. The characters don’t quite rise to the occasion, but it’s a good watch nonetheless, especially with a bunch of other Alien movies hitting HBO Max earlier in the month.
Dream Stage (April 3)
The machinations behind the music industry often make for fascinating television, and that’s the premise behind Japanese drama Dream Stage. Jun Azuma’s career as a producer was meteoric, creating hits for all of Japan’s top acts. But when an indiscretion destroyed his life, he abandoned his musical dreams forever. Now, K-pop band Naze finds itself under his wing as he teaches them about the harsh realities of stardom. This has been a huge hit overseas for Korean music fans as well.
Hacks: Season 5 (April 9)
I’m pretty bummed that Hacks is coming to an end after this season, but it’ll stand as one of the best comedies HBO has ever produced. The relationship between legendary comedienne Deborah Vance and millennial writer Ava Daniels has gone through ups, downs, fantastic successes, and nightmarish lawsuits. Going into Season 5, Deborah has lost her talk show and needs to rebuild after she’s mistakenly declared dead.
HBO Max New Releases This Week
April 3
Alien: Romulus
Dream Stage – Season 1
April 4
Game Night
April 5
Teen Titans Go! – Season 9G
Recommended by Our Editors
April 7
Tropic Like It’s Hot – Season 1
April 9
Hacks – Season 5
The World’s Tallest Man – Season 1
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About Our Expert
K. Thor Jensen
Contributing Writer
Experience
K. Thor Jensen is a writer and cartoonist living in the Pacific Northwest. He has contributed to dozens of prestigious outlets, including PCMag, Tested, Clickhole, and Newsweek. His second graphic novel, Cloud Stories, was released in 2017.
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