Of all the streaming services, HBO Max has gone through some of the biggest changes since it launched Whatever you call it, it delivers a serious selection of shows and movies from all of its partner networks in 2025, including HBO, Discovery, Food Network, and more. New shows and movies are constantly being added, so here are my three top picks for this weekend and the week ahead, plus everything being added below.
This Week on Max: PCMag’s Picks
Sinners (July 4)
What better way to celebrate America’s birthday than with one of the absolute best films of the year? Ryan Coogler’s Sinners walks the tightrope between blood-soaked vampire action, Deep South racial drama, and a celebration of the Blues in all its forms. Michael B. Jordan is magnetic in the dual lead roles, and the debuting Miles Caton is stellar. This is definitely a flick that improves with multiple viewings, so we’re psyched it’s finally streaming. (HBO Max is also offering a Black American Sign Language (BASL) version.)
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Director: Ryan Coogler
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Cast: Michael B. Williams, Miles Caton, Wunmi Mosaku, Hailee Steinfeld
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Genre: Horror
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Rating: R
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IMDb Rating: 7.8/10
On Becoming A Guinea Fowl (July 4)
A24 has a passel of recent movies coming to Max in July, and the first one to the plate is On Becoming A Guinea Fowl, from Zambian-Welsh director Rungano Nyoni. Set in Zambia, the movie starts with a young woman named Shula discovering her uncle’s dead body on a deserted road in the middle of the night. It has a 100% positive rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, and that doesn’t happen often, so check it out.
Back to the Frontier: Season 1 (July 3)
A lot of people are expressing a desire to return to traditional ways of life these days, and the new reality show Back to the Frontier is letting them put their money where their mouth is. Three American families are given the opportunity to live the way they did in the 1800s, spending eight weeks in frontier times, building shelter, raising livestock, and fending for themselves in a smartphone-free world.
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Director: James Tyndall
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Genre: Reality TV
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Rating: PG-13
HBO Max New Releases This Week
July 4
On Becoming a Guinea Fowl
Sinners (2025)
Recommended by Our Editors
July 7
90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After? – Season 9
Wardens of the North – Season 4
July 10
Back to the Frontier – Season 1
Celebrity IOU – Season 10
Isadora Moon – Season 1B
Did Ryan Coogler tease a ‘Sinners’ trilogy?
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About K. Thor Jensen
Contributing Writer
