Here Are the Best Movies to Stream this Weekend on HBO Max, Including ‘Marcel the Shell with Shoes On’

Whether you’re in the mood for a new documentary, some franchise thrills, or a dip into classic Hollywood, this week’s arrivals on HBO Max cover a lot of ground. From a brand-new political profile to vintage noirs and creature features, there’s enough variety here to build a weekend queue that jumps decades and genres without missing a beat.

Below are ten films from the latest drop, ordered with the newest releases first, followed by notable originals and modern staples, and rounded out with historically important classics. Each entry includes a quick snapshot of what it’s about along with key cast and crew, so you can pick fast and press play.

‘Prime Minister’ (2025)

This HBO Original documentary follows Jacinda Ardern’s path to becoming New Zealand’s 40th prime minister, charting her leadership across major national and global crises. It uses extensive access and archival material to trace how her public decisions intersected with private life, including her partnership with Clarke Gayford.

Directed by Lindsay Utz and Michelle Walshe, ‘Prime Minister’ is produced by MWM Studios in association with Dark Doris Entertainment. The filmmaking team includes producers Cass Avery, Leon Kirkbeck, Gigi Pritzker, Rachel Shane, and Katie Peck, with Peck also credited as director of photography.

‘Uncut Gems’ (2019)

Set in New York’s Diamond District, ‘Uncut Gems’ follows jeweler Howard Ratner as he juggles a rare opal, mounting debts, and a high-risk plan that keeps drawing him deeper into trouble. The story unfolds across showrooms, pawn shops, and arenas as professional basketball and street-level hustling collide.

The film is written and directed by Josh and Benny Safdie with co-writer Ronald Bronstein. It stars Adam Sandler, Lakeith Stanfield, Julia Fox, Idina Menzel, Eric Bogosian, and Judd Hirsch, with Daniel Lopatin composing the score and A24 among the producing partners.

‘The First Monday in May’ (2016)

‘The First Monday in May’ documents the creation of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute exhibition “China: Through the Looking Glass” and the gala that launches it. The film moves from curatorial debates to behind-the-scenes logistics, capturing how fashion, art, and celebrity intersect around a major museum event.

Directed by Andrew Rossi, the documentary features Andrew Bolton and Anna Wintour alongside museum staff, designers, and invited artists. It assembles interviews and archival footage to show how the exhibition was conceived, designed, and staged from planning to opening night.

‘Insidious: Chapter 2’ (2013)

Continuing the Lambert family’s story, ‘Insidious: Chapter 2’ sends the characters deeper into The Further to confront a haunting tied to earlier events. The plot connects investigations in the home with spectral encounters, expanding on the family’s backstory and the origins of their tormentor.

The film is directed by James Wan from a screenplay by Leigh Whannell. Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Ty Simpkins, and Lin Shaye return, with Barbara Hershey and Steve Coulter among the supporting cast, and Joseph Bishara providing the score.

‘Friday the 13th’ (2009)

This modern reboot follows Clay Miller as he searches for his missing sister near the woods of Crystal Lake, where a group of friends runs into the legend of Jason Voorhees. The film reintroduces familiar elements from the series—remote cabins, a hidden lair, and an unforgiving lakefront—within a single, relentless night.

Directed by Marcus Nispel and produced by Platinum Dunes, ‘Friday the 13th’ stars Jared Padalecki, Danielle Panabaker, Amanda Righetti, and Derek Mears as Jason. Damian Shannon and Mark Swift wrote the screenplay, drawing on motifs and plot strands from earlier entries in the franchise.

’50 First Dates’ (2004)

Set in Hawaii, ’50 First Dates’ centers on Henry, a marine-life veterinarian who falls for Lucy, a woman whose short-term memory resets daily after a head injury. The story follows his attempts to build a relationship that can begin again each morning with the help—and interference—of friends and family.

Directed by Peter Segal, the film stars Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore, with Rob Schneider, Sean Astin, Dan Aykroyd, Lusia Strus, and Blake Clark in supporting roles. It was produced by Happy Madison and Anonymous Content, with on-location photography across Oahu and a soundtrack built around island-inflected pop.

‘Scooby-Doo’ (2002)

In ‘Scooby-Doo’, Mystery Inc. reunites after a falling-out to investigate strange goings-on at Spooky Island, a theme-park resort where inexplicable behavior rattles spring-break crowds. The case brings Fred, Daphne, Velma, Shaggy, and Scooby back into monster-mask territory as a larger conspiracy surfaces.

Raja Gosnell directs from a screenplay by James Gunn. The cast includes Freddie Prinze Jr., Sarah Michelle Gellar, Matthew Lillard, and Linda Cardellini as the gang, with Rowan Atkinson as the island’s owner and Neil Fanning voicing Scooby. Charles Roven and Richard Suckle produced for Warner Bros.

‘Interview with the Vampire’ (1994)

Based on Anne Rice’s novel, ‘Interview with the Vampire’ follows the centuries-long relationship between Louis and Lestat as they navigate immortality, hunger, and companionship. Framed as a present-day confession, the story moves from plantation life to European theaters as a child vampire complicates their bond.

Neil Jordan directs from a screenplay by Anne Rice. The cast features Tom Cruise as Lestat, Brad Pitt as Louis, Kirsten Dunst as Claudia, and Antonio Banderas and Stephen Rea in key roles, with production design, makeup, and costuming shaping its period settings.

‘Marcel the Shell with Shoes On’ (2022)

This hybrid live-action/stop-motion feature follows tiny shell Marcel, who lives with his grandmother Nana Connie after being separated from his extended family. When a filmmaker discovers Marcel and starts documenting daily life, the search for the missing relatives becomes a gentle quest that moves from a quiet house to an online community.

Directed by Dean Fleischer Camp, the film features Jenny Slate as the voice of Marcel, with Isabella Rossellini as Nana Connie and Thomas Mann as the documentarian. Written by Dean Fleischer Camp, Jenny Slate, and Nick Paley from characters created by Camp and Slate, it was released by A24 and produced with Cinereach, blending handcrafted animation with documentary-style camerawork.

‘Freaks’ (1932)

Set within a traveling circus, ‘Freaks’ follows a trapeze artist who schemes to marry and poison a sideshow performer for his inheritance, only to face the troupe’s collective response. The plot explores loyalty, exploitation, and community among performers who live and work outside mainstream society.

Directed by Tod Browning for MGM, the film features Olga Baclanova, Harry Earles, Wallace Ford, and Leila Hyams, alongside real circus performers such as Johnny Eck and the conjoined Hilton Sisters. Its cast and production history have made it a landmark of pre-Code cinema and an enduring point of reference in horror film history.

Share your own HBO Max picks from this week’s drop—and what you’re queuing up next—in the comments!