‘Materialists’ Tops HBO Max’s Top 10 Most-Watched Movies List This Week

HBO Max’s film chart this week is a mix of fresh festival darlings, spooky franchise favorites, and comfort-watch holiday staples, giving subscribers everything from glossy New York romance to supernatural horror and snow-covered comedy. With titles like ‘Materialists’, ‘Weapons’, ‘The Substance’, and seasonal regulars such as ‘Elf’ and ‘The Polar Express’, the service is leaning hard into both new theatrical arrivals and rewatchable crowd draws across genres, studios, and eras.

10. ‘Kingsman: The Golden Circle’ (2017)

‘Kingsman: The Golden Circle’ is the second film in the ‘Kingsman’ spy-action series, directed by Matthew Vaughn and based on the ‘Kingsman’ comics by Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons. The plot sees British agents Eggsy and Merlin forced to team up with their American counterpart organization, Statesman, after the destruction of the Kingsman headquarters, leading to a global mission against drug cartel leader Poppy Adams. The ensemble cast features Taron Egerton, Colin Firth, Julianne Moore, Mark Strong, Channing Tatum, and Halle Berry, and the film blends espionage tropes with stylized action and humor. On HBO Max, ‘Kingsman: The Golden Circle’ is offered as part of a package of franchise titles and remains accessible to subscribers as an action-heavy option in the platform’s Max-branded movie rows.

9. ‘The Substance’ (2024)

‘The Substance’ is a body-horror film written and directed by Coralie Fargeat that follows Elisabeth Sparkle, an aging television fitness star who uses a clandestine procedure to create a younger version of herself. Demi Moore plays Elisabeth, while Margaret Qualley portrays her newly generated double, with Dennis Quaid as the predatory producer who pushes the younger persona into the spotlight. The film combines graphic practical effects with satirical commentary on ageism, beauty standards, and the entertainment industry, and it premiered in competition at Cannes before expanding worldwide. After becoming the highest-grossing title in the catalog of distributor Mubi and collecting multiple major awards, ‘The Substance’ moved to HBO Max, where it has risen to the top of the service’s movie charts and is also available on various transactional platforms.

8. ‘Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter’ (2012)

‘Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter’ is a historical-fantasy action film directed by Timur Bekmambetov and produced in part by Tim Burton, based on the novel by Seth Grahame-Smith. The movie imagines the life of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln as a secret crusade against vampires who are woven into the events of American history, including the Civil War. It stars Benjamin Walker as Lincoln, with Rufus Sewell portraying the vampire antagonist and Dominic Cooper appearing as mentor Henry Sturges. Recently, coverage of HBO Max’s viewing data has highlighted that ‘Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter’ has enjoyed a renewed surge in popularity on the platform, where it is currently streaming as part of the movie catalog.

7. ‘It Chapter Two’ (2019)

‘It Chapter Two’ concludes the adaptation of Stephen King’s novel by revisiting the Losers’ Club as adults who are called back to Derry 27 years after their first confrontation with Pennywise. Directed again by Andy Muschietti, the film intercuts the present-day storyline with previously unseen moments from the characters’ childhoods, tying together the two timelines. The cast includes James McAvoy, Jessica Chastain, Bill Hader, and the returning young actors, and it further develops the lore around the creature and the town’s cyclical history of disappearances. ‘It Chapter Two’ is available on HBO Max, often grouped algorithmically with ‘It’ and the series ‘It: Welcome to Derry’ so viewers can move through the entire saga in order.

6. ‘National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation’ (1989)

‘National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation’ is the third film in the ‘Vacation’ series, written by John Hughes and centered again on Chevy Chase’s character Clark Griswold. The film chronicles Clark’s attempt to host the perfect family Christmas at home, capturing mishaps with relatives, decorations, and an ill-fated bonus check as the holiday approaches. It features Beverly D’Angelo, Juliette Lewis, and Randy Quaid, expanding the running portrait of the Griswold family’s chaotic travel and holiday traditions. The movie is part of HBO Max’s seasonal catalog and is promoted in its holiday-movies row alongside ‘Elf’ and ‘The Polar Express’.

5. ‘It’ (2017)

‘It’ is the first of a two-part adaptation of Stephen King’s novel, directed by Andy Muschietti and produced by New Line Cinema. Set in the town of Derry, Maine, the film follows the self-named Losers’ Club, a group of children who are terrorized by the shape-shifting entity Pennywise the Dancing Clown, played by Bill Skarsgård. The narrative focuses on the characters’ efforts to confront both the creature and the traumas in their own lives, establishing the mythology explored further in its sequel and in the prequel series ‘It: Welcome to Derry’. ‘It’ is currently streaming on HBO Max, where it anchors a larger horror hub that also promotes related titles in the same universe.

4. ‘The Polar Express’ (2004)

‘The Polar Express’ is a computer-animated adaptation of Chris Van Allsburg’s picture book, directed by Robert Zemeckis and produced using extensive performance-capture technology. Tom Hanks portrays multiple roles, including the conductor, as the film follows a young boy who boards a mysterious train bound for the North Pole on Christmas Eve. The movie was one of the early large-scale experiments in motion-capture animation for a major studio, combining digital visuals with a full orchestral score and original songs. On HBO Max, ‘The Polar Express’ appears in the Kids & Family and holiday-movie sections and is streamable as part of the same curated holiday railcar that includes ‘Elf’ and other classics.

3. ‘Elf’ (2003)

‘Elf’ is a Christmas comedy directed by Jon Favreau that follows Buddy, a human who grows up at the North Pole believing he is one of Santa’s elves before traveling to New York City to meet his biological father. The film stars Will Ferrell alongside James Caan, Zooey Deschanel, Bob Newhart, and Edward Asner, and was produced by New Line Cinema, making it a natural fit for HBO’s library deals. Its story blends fish-out-of-water comedy with a family plot about reconciliation and holiday traditions in modern Manhattan. ‘Elf’ is currently available to stream on HBO Max and is highlighted in the service’s holiday collection that also features other seasonal mainstays.

2. ‘Weapons’ (2025)

‘Weapons’ is a supernatural mystery horror film from writer-director Zach Cregger, developed after his breakout success with ‘Barbarian’. The plot centers on the disappearance of nearly an entire class of children at 2:17 a.m., with the narrative unfolding across interconnected characters and timelines as a small community tries to understand what happened. Produced by New Line Cinema and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, the film features an ensemble cast including Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, Alden Ehrenreich, and Benedict Wong. After a strong theatrical run that made it one of the year’s highest-grossing horror releases, ‘Weapons’ rolled onto HBO Max in late October as part of the platform’s Halloween programming push.

1. ‘Materialists’ (2025)

‘Materialists’ is a romantic drama written and directed by Celine Song and set inside New York City’s ultra-wealthy dating scene. The story follows Lucy, a professional matchmaker whose carefully managed life is disrupted when she finds herself torn between a charismatic millionaire client, Harry, and her actor ex-boyfriend, John. The film stars Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans, and Pedro Pascal, and is produced by A24 alongside Killer Films and 2AM. In the U.S., it arrives on streaming through HBO Max under A24’s output deal with Warner Bros. Discovery, after a successful global theatrical run that pushed it over the hundred-million-dollar box-office mark.

Let us know in the comments which of these ‘Materialists’-to-‘Kingsman: The Golden Circle’ picks you’re planning to stream on HBO Max this week and what you think of them.