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Movie night with friends: crowd-pleasers on HBO Max

Right now the best crowd-pleasers on HBO Max in the United States are The Dark Knight (2008), The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001). This is the top 30 streaming there today, ranked by how well rated each one is, how many people have rated it, and what people are watching now.

Comedies, action, thrillers and the odd scare: big, well-loved films that work for a room full of people.

Updated November 12, 2026 · streaming in the United States

Pick three for me

  1. 1. The Dark Knight2008

    Film · 2h 32mAction, Thriller, Crime★ 8.5

    Batman raises the stakes in his war on crime. With the help of Lt. Jim Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent, Batman sets out to dismantle the remaining criminal organizations that plague the streets.

    Stream onHBO MaxYouTube TV

  2. 2. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King2003

    Film · 3h 21mAdventure, Fantasy, Action★ 8.5

    As armies mass for a final battle that will decide the fate of the world--and powerful, ancient forces of Light and Dark compete to determine the outcome--one member of the Fellowship of the Ring is revealed as the noble heir to the throne…

    Stream onHBO MaxYouTube TVTNTTBS+1

  3. 3. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring2001

    Film · 2h 59mAdventure, Fantasy, Action★ 8.5

    Young hobbit Frodo Baggins, after inheriting a mysterious ring from his uncle Bilbo, must leave his home in order to keep it from falling into the hands of its evil creator.

    Stream onHBO MaxYouTube TVTNTTBS+1

  4. 4. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers2002

    Film · 2h 59mAdventure, Fantasy, Action★ 8.4

    Frodo Baggins and the other members of the Fellowship continue on their sacred quest to destroy the One Ring--but on separate paths.

    Stream onHBO MaxYouTube TVTNTTBS+1

  5. 5. Dune: Part Two2024

    Film · 2h 47mScience Fiction, Adventure★ 8.1

    Follow the mythic journey of Paul Atreides as he unites with Chani and the Fremen while on a path of revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family.

    Stream onHBO MaxYouTube TV

  6. Which of these would you actually like?

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  7. 6. Joker2019

    Film · 2h 2mCrime, Thriller, Drama★ 8.1

    During the 1980s, a failed stand-up comedian is driven insane and turns to a life of crime and chaos in Gotham City while becoming an infamous psychopathic crime figure.

    Stream onHBO MaxCinemax

  8. 7. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 22011

    Film · 2h 10mAdventure, Fantasy★ 8.1

    Harry, Ron and Hermione continue their quest to vanquish the evil Voldemort once and for all. Just as things begin to look hopeless for the young wizards, Harry discovers a trio of magical objects that endow him with powers to rival…

    Stream onHBO MaxPeacockYouTube TV

  9. 8. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban2004

    Film · 2h 21mAdventure, Fantasy★ 8.0

    Year three at Hogwarts means new fun and new challenges as Harry learns the delicate art of approaching a Hippogriff, transforming shape-shifting Boggarts into hilarity and even turning back time.

    Stream onHBO MaxPeacock

  10. 9. A Clockwork Orange1971

    Film · 2h 17mScience Fiction, Crime★ 8.2

    In a near-future Britain, young Alexander DeLarge and his pals get their kicks beating and raping anyone they please. When not destroying the lives of others, Alex swoons to the music of Beethoven.

    Stream onHBO MaxCinemax

  11. 10. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone2001

    Film · 2h 32mAdventure, Fantasy★ 7.9

    Harry Potter has lived under the stairs at his aunt and uncle's house his whole life. But on his 11th birthday, he learns he's a powerful wizard—with a place waiting for him at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

    Stream onHBO MaxPeacock

  12. 11. The Usual Suspects1995

    Film · 1h 46mDrama, Crime, Thriller★ 8.2

    The lone survivor of an explosive heist gone wrong recounts for interrogators the events that began with five disparate criminals assembled for a police lineup - with alleged criminal mastermind Keyser Soze at the center of it all.

    Stream onHBO MaxCinemax

  13. 12. Zack Snyder's Justice League2021

    Film · 4h 2mAction, Adventure, Fantasy★ 8.1

    Determined to ensure Superman's ultimate sacrifice was not in vain, Bruce Wayne aligns forces with Diana Prince with plans to recruit a team of metahumans to protect the world from an approaching threat of catastrophic proportions.

    Stream onHBO Max

  14. 13. 2001: A Space Odyssey1968

    Film · 2h 29mScience Fiction, Mystery, Adventure★ 8.0

    Humanity finds a mysterious object buried beneath the lunar surface and sets off to find its origins with the help of HAL 9000, the world's most advanced super computer.

    Stream onHBO Max

  15. 14. Dune2021

    Film · 2h 35mScience Fiction, Adventure★ 7.8

    Paul Atreides, a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his people.

    Stream onHBO MaxYouTube TVTNTTBS+1

  16. 15. Seven Samurai1954

    Film · 3h 27mAction, Drama★ 8.5

    A samurai answers a village's request for protection after he falls on hard times. The town needs protection from bandits, so the samurai gathers six others to help him teach the people how to defend themselves, and the villagers provide…

    Stream onHBO MaxKanopy (free)Shout! Factory TV (free)Plex (free)+1

  17. 16. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire2005

    Film · 2h 37mAdventure, Fantasy★ 7.8

    After his name emerges from the Goblet of Fire, Harry Potter becomes a competitor in a grueling battle for glory among three wizarding schools in the Triwizard Tournament.

    Stream onHBO MaxPeacockYouTube TV

  18. 17. The Dark Knight Rises2012

    Film · 2h 45mAction, Crime, Thriller★ 7.8

    Following the death of District Attorney Harvey Dent, Batman assumes responsibility for Dent's crimes to protect the late attorney's reputation and is subsequently hunted by the Gotham City Police Department.

    Stream onHBO MaxYouTube TV

  19. 18. The Great Dictator1940

    Film · 2h 5mComedy, War★ 8.3

    Dictator Adenoid Hynkel tries to expand his empire while a poor Jewish barber tries to avoid persecution from Hynkel's regime.

    Stream onPrime VideofuboTVHBO MaxCriterion Channel+6

  20. 19. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets2002

    Film · 2h 41mAdventure, Fantasy★ 7.7

    Cars fly, trees fight back, and a mysterious house-elf comes to warn Harry Potter at the start of his second year at Hogwarts. Adventure and danger await when bloody writing on a wall announces: The Chamber Of Secrets Has Been Opened.

    Stream onHBO MaxPeacock

  21. 20. Lee Cronin's The Mummy2026

    Film · 2h 13mHorror, Mystery★ 7.8

    The young daughter of a journalist disappears into the desert without a trace—eight years later, the broken family is shocked when she is returned to them, as what should be a joyful reunion turns into a living nightmare.

    Stream onHBO Max

  22. 21. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 12010

    Film · 2h 26mAdventure, Fantasy★ 7.7

    Harry, Ron and Hermione walk away from their last year at Hogwarts to find and destroy the remaining Horcruxes, putting an end to Voldemort's bid for immortality.

    Stream onHBO MaxPeacockYouTube TV

  23. 22. The Batman2022

    Film · 2h 57mCrime, Mystery, Thriller★ 7.7

    In his second year of fighting crime, Batman uncovers corruption in Gotham City that connects to his own family while facing a serial killer known as the Riddler.

    Stream onHBO MaxTNTTBStru TV

  24. 23. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince2009

    Film · 2h 33mAdventure, Fantasy★ 7.7

    As Lord Voldemort tightens his grip on both the Muggle and wizarding worlds, Hogwarts is no longer a safe haven. Harry suspects perils may even lie within the castle, but Dumbledore is more intent upon preparing him for the final battle…

    Stream onHBO MaxPeacockYouTube TV

  25. 24. Room2015

    Film · 1h 58mDrama, Thriller★ 8.0

    Held captive for 7 years in an enclosed space, a woman and her young son finally gain their freedom, allowing the boy to experience the outside world for the first time.

    Stream onHBO MaxCinemax

  26. 25. Sinners2025

    Film · 2h 18mHorror, Action, Thriller★ 7.5

    Trying to leave their troubled lives behind, twin brothers return to their hometown to start again, only to discover that an even greater evil is waiting to welcome them back.

    Stream onHBO Max

  27. 26. Evil Dead Burn2026

    Film · 1h 50mHorror★ 7.6

    After her husband's abrupt death, Alice seeks solace with his remaining family — descendants of a leading researcher on demonic possession.

    Stream onHBO Max

  28. 27. Superman2025

    Film · 2h 10mScience Fiction, Adventure, Action★ 7.3

    Superman, a journalist in Metropolis, embarks on a journey to reconcile his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing as Clark Kent.

    Stream onPrime VideoHBO Max

  29. 28. The Kid1921

    Film · 1h 8mComedy, Drama★ 8.1

    A tramp cares for a boy after he's abandoned as a newborn by his mother. Later the mother has a change of heart and aches to be reunited with her son.

    Stream onfuboTVHBO MaxMGM+Philo+13

  30. 29. The Housemaid2025

    Film · 2h 11mMystery, Thriller★ 7.2

    Trying to escape her past, Millie Calloway accepts a job as a live-in housemaid for the wealthy Nina and Andrew Winchester.

    Stream onHBO MaxStarz

  31. 30. Backrooms2026

    Film · 1h 51mHorror, Mystery, Science Fiction★ 7.0

    A strange doorway appears in the basement of a furniture showroom.

    Stream onHBO Max

Questions

What are the best crowd-pleasers on HBO Max right now?
In the United States, as of November 12, 2026: The Dark Knight (2008), rated 8.5 out of 10 on TMDB, then The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.
How is this list made?
Watchwalla asks TMDB for everything of this kind that streams in your country today, ranks it by rating (pulled toward the middle until enough people have rated a title), with a nudge for what's new and what people are watching now, and refreshes the list every day. Streaming availability comes from JustWatch, through TMDB.
Can it pick something for me?
Yes. The picker at watchwalla.com/tonight asks who's watching, how much time you have and what you're in the mood for, and gives three picks streaming where you are. Sign in and every title also gets a match score for your own taste.

More to choose from