Summary
recent Max films .. March has here, and with it some fantastic new Max films. Every month, a ton of new episodes and films are added to our top streaming service selection, and March 2024 is no exception.
However, not all films are made equal, and the whole lineup of films that will be shown at Max this month is a lot to sort through. As a result, we’ve searched through and selected a selection of the greatest. This month’s selections include the well acclaimed “The Farewell” and the enduring 1933 version of “King Kong.” Additionally, you can see Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga in the amazing “A Star Is Born” adaptation beginning on March 8.
recent Max films
Each film on this list has received almost unanimous praise, with a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating of 90% fresh or above. You can be sure a movie is a must-watch if it’s on this list. Without further ado, here are the top five recently released Max films that have received a Rotten Tomatoes score of 90% or better.
King Kong (1933)
- enre: Horror monster
- Rotten Tomatoes score: 97%
- Stream it now on Max
Although it seems outdated today, “King Kong”‘s special effects were revolutionary at the time. Though the stop-motion Kong looks a little off-putting to the contemporary eye, it’s still amazing that a monster of this magnitude could be created using a mix of live-action and stop-motion animation.
Even those who haven’t watched the movie “King Kong” will likely be acquainted with its narrative by now, since it stars Robert Armstrong as explorer Carl Denham and Fay Wray as femme fatale Ann Darrow. Denham brings Darrow to the prehistoric island of Skull Island. There they apprehend King Kong, who resembles a massive gorilla, and return him to New York. You’ll have to wait to find out who survives this classic horror story, but in the end, it’s a choice that proves deadly.
The Farewell (2017)
- Genre: Comedy drama
- Rotten Tomatoes score: 97%
- Stream it now on Max
Most likely, “The Farewell” is most recognized for being a breakthrough film for a number of the participants. The film is loosely based on the life of filmmaker Lulu Wang, who was nominated for several awards for both the film and the writing.
Awkwafina plays Chinese-American Billi Wang in the film, who finds out at the start of the film that her grandma Nai Nai (Zhao Shu-zhen) is dying. However, her family chooses not to inform Nai Nai about her deadly disease, preventing her from telling her or allowing her to grieve as she sees proper. The film offers a perceptive depiction of both the distinctions between Chinese and Western family values and the mourning process. Aside from Wang’s script, “The Farewell” was praised for Shu-zhen’s American film debut and Awkwafina’s breakthrough performance, which won a prize, as Billi.
Fruitvale Station (2013)
- Genre: Biographical drama
- Rotten Tomatoes score: 94%
- Stream it now on Max
Oscar Grant III was shot and killed in 2009 at the Fruitvale station in Oakland by the Bay Area Rapid Transit Police. BART Police apprehended Grant and three others in response to claims of a brawl. BART officer Anthony Pirone struck Grant in the head as he was being held, and officer Johannes Mehserle subsequently shot Grant in the head. Many onlookers recorded the event on their cellphones, and when Mehserle was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter but not murder, it sparked rioting and demonstrations.
However, “Fruitvale Station” is not only about that. Rather, filmmaker Ryan Coogler presents a more comprehensive portrait of a guy in the last 24 hours of his life before it is abruptly taken away. For both Coogler, who was making his feature-length directing debut, and fellow USC graduate Ludwig Göransson, who was making his feature-length scoring debut, the film was a breakthrough moment. Starring as Grant, it also brought back the acting career of Michael B. Jordan. The three would reunite for “Black Panther,” thus “Fruitvale Station” offers a crucial window into the dynamic between these three partners in filmmaking.
Cabaret (1972)
- Genre: Musical period drama
- Rotten Tomatoes score: 92%
- Stream it now on Max
I can assure you that despite being based on a musical that was based on a play that was based on a book, this film is a fantastic adaptation. It received ten extraordinary Academy Award nominations and won eight of them, including Best Supporting Actor for Joel Grey’s master of ceremonies role and Best Actress for Liza Minelli’s portrayal of Sally Bowles.
The film, which stars Minnelli as Bowles, tells the tale of a young, promiscuous American girl who performs in the Kit Kat Klub nightclub in Berlin in 1931 after her arrival. However, “Cabaret” portrays the story of Berlin life in the latter days of the Weimar Republic prior to the Nazi Party seizing power in Germany, and that is maybe even more significant.
Although the film does leave the Kit Kat Klub, the most of the musical sequences are set at the nightclub. When watching this classic musical on Max, be sure not to miss it.
A Star is Born (2018)
- Genre: Musical romantic drama
- Rotten Tomatoes score: 90%
- Stream it on Max starting March 8
The 2018 musical “A Star is Born” is another example of a musical that draws inspiration from many adaptations. It is the third iteration of the 1937 romantic drama. You would be incorrect to assume that means no one has yet gotten it correctly. Out of eight nominations, the original film won two Oscars; the 1954 remake received six nominations but didn’t win any; and the 1976 film won one of its four nominations.
With the now-iconic “Shallow” winning an Oscar for Best Original Song and the film receiving eight nominations overall, it should come as no surprise.
Bradley Cooper plays Jackson “Jack” Maine in this retelling of the tale. Jackson Maine is a well-known country music artist who struggles with addiction. After seeing Ally (Lady Gaga), a 31-year-old waitress, perform, he meets her at a bar and inspires her to follow her dream of becoming a singer and songwriter. They pursue a love connection as her career progresses, and what transpires is a tragic romantic tale.
The top 5 Max programs that you should be watching right now