Published May 8, 2026, 11:45 AM EDT
Dalton is a freelance writer, novelist, and filmmaker from Orlando Florida. He currently lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, and pursues writing full-time. He is an avid reader, film buff, and amateur historian who also publishes novels on the side. Dalton graduated from the University of Central Florida with a BFA in Film and he often applies his industry-specific knowledge when writing about film and television. Along with his blog, Dalton's critical essays on film have been published in various places online.
When trying to decide what movies to watch this weekend on HBO Max, why not watch these three films that all have sequels on the horizon? Though it isn't as famous as Netflix or Prime Video, HBO Max is quietly one of the best streamers on the market today. It's mostly known for hosting groundbreaking shows like The Pitt, but its movie catalog is excellent as well.
Though there is less to sort through, it still isn't easy to pick a movie to watch on HBO Max. New things hit the platform every month, and it can be overwhelming scrolling through pages of possible choices. New releases are enticing, but so too are the classics. When looking for the perfect weekend movie binge-watch, it's best to stick to a theme if possible.
The movie picks for this weekend are all relatively new, and all three have sequels coming in the near future. One film actually has a sequel in theaters right now, meaning time is of the essence. The other two have sequels coming in the next year, both of which are highly anticipated follow-ups.
3 Evil Dead Rise (2023)
The Evil Dead franchise is one of the few horror series to never stumble, and every film is good or even great. Evil Dead Rise continues that trend, and concerns a young woman who visits her estranged sister in LA at the same time that an ancient force is unleashed. Pushing the terror to the limit, Evil Dead Rise pulls no punches.
The zombified Ellie is one of the scariest modern horror villains, and certainly the scariest deadite in the franchise. The mother/child relationship is the focus of the horror, making Rise a cruel and nightmarish subversion of traditional values. It isn't for the faint of heart, but HBO Max subscribers will want to watch it before Evil Dead Burn hits theaters in July.
2 Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse (2023)
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is the critically-acclaimed follow-up to Into the Spider-Verse, and continues Sony's deft handling of the animation franchise. Mile Morales once again traverses the Spider-Verse and must team with other Spider-People to save the universe. The gorgeous and fluid animation makes it arguably the most watchable Spider-Man flick.
A third film, Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, is coming in 2027.
On top of its aesthetics, Across the Spider-Verse is also a well-written continuation of the Miles Morales version of the character. Touches of introspection hearken back to Spider-Man's comic origins, and the writers support the action with legitimate reasons to care about the characters. The movie appeals to animation fans, comic fans, and anyone who likes a good film in general.
1 Mortal Kombat (2021)
With video game adaptations entering a golden age, films like Mortal Kombat are much better than they have any right to be. The popular fighting game franchise splashes across the screen and follows a washed-up fighter named Cole Young as he trains to take on supernatural threats. With just the right amount of cheese, Mortal Kombat embraces the appeal of the games.
The recognizable characters are brought to life with accuracy and a sense of fun, and it never pretends to be anything other than a bombastic action flick. Even non-gamers will get a kick out of Mortal Kombat, especially HBO Max subscribers who love a good popcorn movie. Mortal Kombat II is in theaters now, so there's time to catch up on the series.
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