Two of those films were horror projects, making them perfect for the Halloween season. At the time of writing, none of them are trending on HBO Max in the United States. Instead, that list is currently led by another horror movie, with Backrooms, one of the biggest theatrical releases of 2026, at 1st on HBO Max's nationwide chart.
Instead of making the majority of the list of horror entries like was the case last week, I decided to keep it to a single genre movie for this weekend's HBO Max recommendations. This way, those who want to make the most of the Halloween month can do so, while other HBO Max subscribers can find movies that are better suited to their personal taste.
ChronoLogic
Rearrange the movies into the correct US release order.
All three of the recommendations are movies that arrived on HBO Max in October. One of those is a horror classic that is just one of the best movies of all time. The other is a rom-com franchise starter that just became very timely. Finally, the movie on HBO Max not to miss this weekend is a major star's psychological thriller. These are the best movies to watch on HBO Max this weekend:
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Crazy Rich Asians (2018)
First up is Crazy Rich Asians, the film that is the lightest in tone compared to the other two entries on the list. Crazy Rich Asians arrived on HBO Max on October 6, and the rom-com has become even more timely for another announcement. After all, HBO has confirmed that it is developing a Crazy Rich Asians sequel series.
That show will bring back original stars Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Ronny Chieng, and Michelle Yeoh. So, what better way to prepare for the upcoming rom-com series, which will enter production in 2027, than to watch the original movie? Crazy Rich Asians follows Wu's Rachel, an NYU professor, who travels to Singapore to discover just how unbelievably wealthy her boyfriend Nick's family is.
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The Shining (1980)
Upping the tension on our list of movies on HBO Max is the Stephen King adaptation The Shining. The horror movie was directed by one of the best directors of all time, Stanley Kubrick, starring Jack Nicholson as Jack Torrance, and with a cast that included actors like Shelley Duvall. The Shining follows Jack as he moves into the Overlook Hotel with his wife and son to serve as its winter caretaker. However, he descends into madness.
Kubrick's The Shining holds a strong 84% critics' score based on 114 reviews. The horror movie fares even better with viewers, as The Shining is currently at a near-perfect 93% audience score. The Shining arrived on HBO Max on October 1, with the film currently standing as the 9th most-watched movie on HBO Max in the United States. With Mike Flanagan's new King adaptation, Prime Video's Carrie series, having been released this week, this is the perfect alternative or follow-up on HBO Max.
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The Housemaid (2025)
Ending our list is the first of two R-rated Sydney Sweeney movies set to arrive on the streaming service this month, with the other being the Glen Powell rom-com Anyone but You on October 20. Sweeney's The Housemaid, which came to HBO Max on Friday, October 9, is a star-studded psychological thriller based on the Freida McFadden novel of the same name.
The Housemaid stars Sweeney as Millie Calloway, the title housemaid, who starts working for the Winchesters, with 1923's Brandon Sklenar as Andrew and Amanda Seyfried as Nina. However, once Millie starts living with the couple, she finds out that what seemed like the perfect family on the outside, was actually the stuff of nightmares. Adding to that, Millie is also harboring some secrets of her own. The Housemaid grossed $400.5 million worldwide and holds a 92% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. With The Housemaid's Secret set for a December 17, 2027, theatrical release, it is better to catch up on HBO Max.
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Release Date
June 13, 1980
Runtime
144 minutes
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Release Date
December 19, 2025
Runtime
131 Minutes
Image via MovieStillsDB
English (US) ·