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November is here, and with it comes a fresh rotation of suggested movies to watch on HBO Max. Right now, the streamer has a solid selection of choices in their ever-evolving queue—so many, in fact, that it’s hard to know where to start.

So, I’m kicking off this week with a groundbreaking, fully immersive documentary from an award-winning filmmaker before diving into some of this year’s recent, most talked-about titles. And just for fun, there’s even a smidge of Tom Cruise action in there—yep, he’s still running clean across the earth, this time atop thick desert sand.

Let’s dive into the five movies to watch this week on HBO Max.

5 The Jinx: The Life and Death of Robert Durst (2015)

We all love a gripping true-crime documentary, and few top the list as the crème de la crème like The Jinx: The Life and Death of Robert Durst does. I’m pretty sure everyone who’s seen it has had the same reaction: shock ... and, most likely, profanity. It is, single-handedly, the most entertaining, fascinating serial killer documentary on the planet, simply because we’re watching a serial killer in denial unravel in real time, without so much as an inkling of what he’s even doing. In attaching to ego, this killer fully jinxed himself.

The hit documentary film dives into the strange history of real estate heir Robert Durst, who was long suspected in the still-unsolved 1982 disappearance of his wife, as well as in the subsequent murders of family friend Susan Berman and neighbor Morris Black. It features a decade of research by the filmmakers, who, in addition to unexpectedly capturing Durst’s confession on tape, expose police files, never-before-seen footage, private prison recordings, key witnesses, and thousands of pages of formerly hidden documents.

The Jinx is a jaw-dropping must-see, and not just because director Andrew Jarecki made history by capturing on tape just a few years later the confession of the very man he made a movie about in 2010 called All Good Things. The documentary is a must-see because of Durst himself—the reality he has constructed is utterly dumbfounding.

The Jinx was nominated for six and won two Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards in 2015: Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series and Outstanding Picture Editing for Nonfiction Programming. It was also awarded a 2015 Peabody Award, along with the Television Critics Association Award for Outstanding Achievement in Movies, Miniseries and Specials.

Cast Andrew Jarecki, Robert Durst

Directors Andrew Jarecki

Writers Andrew Jarecki, Marc Smerling, Zac Stuart-Pontier

Main Genre Documentary

Seasons 2

Streaming Service(s) MAX

4 Bring Her Back (2025)

Bring Her Back is a new horror movie on the tip of everyone’s tongue this year. The nerve-shredding film follows siblings Andy (Invasion’s Billy Barratt) and Piper, played by Sora Wong in her debut performance, as they’re moved into a foster home after the death of their father.

At the secluded home of their new foster mother, Laura (Sally Hawkins, of The Shape of Water), the brother and sister become suspicious of her strange behavior after they realize she’s also dealing with her own grief and prolonged guilt. When Andy meets Laura’s son Oliver (Jonah Wren Phillips), a chilling past is exposed, and a terrifying ritual is uncovered.

Don’t expect a lot of jump scares with this one. Bring Her Back is more of an emotionally resonant experience wrapped in a psychologically horrific disturbance. It moves at a bit of a slow pace, but that helps build and enhance the atmospheric tension while also forcing you to focus on all the visceral, unsettling imagery. When horror and violence do occur, they do so with very well-executed impact.

Bring Her Back

Release Date May 30, 2025

Cast Sally Hawkins, Billy Barratt, Mischa Heywood, Jonah Wren Phillips, Stephen Phillips, Sally-Anne Upton, Sora Wong, Kathryn Adams, Olga Miller, Luana Pohe, Vicky Liao

Runtime 99 minutes

Director Michael Philippou, Danny Philippou

Writers Bill Hinzman, Danny Philippou

Producers Kristina Ceyton

Main Genre Horror

Studio(s) Causeway Films, A24, South Australian Film Corporation

IMDb ID tt32246771

TMDB User Rating 0 .0

3 Superman (2025)

In case you missed it at the theater, now is your chance to see what all the hubbub is about with director James Gunn’s attempt at the eponymous DC Comics character. It takes quite a different narrative approach to the tale that has left some audiences divided.

When Superman (David Corenswet, of Twisters) is drawn into conflicts at home and abroad, his actions are called into question, and his reputation is tainted after ruthless tech billionaire Lex Luthor frames him for an international incident, hoping to get rid of the Man of Steel once and for all. If Kal-El/Clark Kent/Superman wants to restore his virtue, the hero will need to fully embrace his Kryptonian heritage and stop Luthor before it’s too late. Will Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan, of The Amateur) and Krypto be able to help?

Is Gunn’s new Superman a little goofy? Yes. Is it a fresh, hopeful start for the DC Universe? Also, yes. Though different in tone, seeing more optimism and hope, the movie does a solid job of balancing all the cinematic action with heart while exploring the titular character’s humanity and weaknesses. The good news is, you don’t need to watch anything Superman-related before diving into the director’s first feature-length outing of his new DCU Chapter One: Gods and Monsters. This means the previous Superman movies featuring Henry Cavill’s Man of Steel in the DCEU are no longer canon.

Superman

Release Date July 11, 2025

Cast David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult, Edi Gathegi, Anthony Carrigan, Nathan Fillion, Isabela Merced, María Gabriela de Faría, Skyler Gisondo, Sara Sampaio, Mikaela Hoover, Zlatko Burić, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Neva Howell, Christopher McDonald, Wendell Pierce, Alan Tudyk, Beck Bennett, Bradley Cooper, Angela Sarafyan, Pom Klementieff, Michael Rooker, Tatiana Piper, Stephen Blackehart, Giovannie Cruz

Runtime 130 minutes

Director James Gunn

Writers James Gunn, Joe Shuster, Jerry Siegel

Producers Peter Safran

Franchise(s) DCU

Main Genre Action

Distributor(s) Warner Bros. Pictures

Executive Producer(s) Lars P. Winther, Nik Korda

2 The Mummy (2017)

It’s no secret that Tom Cruise is a running fool. He’s been running in movies for over 30 years and has the chops to prove it. If he had his own school of running, the first rule would most certainly be cardio. In 2017’s The Mummy, he runs clean across the Middle Eastern desert, then straight into London as he chases a malevolent force.

U.S. Army Sergeant Nick Morton (Cruise) is a soldier of fortune who plunders ancient archaeological sites for historical artifacts, then sells them to the highest bidder. When he and his partner come under attack in the Middle East, the ensuing war accidentally unearths the ancient tomb of entrapped Egyptian princess Ahmanet, seductive and viciously played by Rebel Moon’s Sofia Boutella. After thousands of years under the sand, her powers have evolved, and they continue to do so as she embarks on a furious rampage through London, with Cruise in tow trying to stop her.

Look, a good Tom Cruise movie is full of action, entertainment, and, if done right, so much high-speed running that it leaves you feeling you’ve just had the workout. While it may suffer from a weak plot, The Mummy does have its fair share of entertainment in this straightforward adventure that Tom Cruise and action fans will enjoy.

The Mummy

Release Date June 6, 2017

Cast Tom Cruise, Annabelle Wallis, Sofia Boutella, Jake Johnson, Courtney B. Vance, Russell Crowe, Marwan Kenzari, Neil Maskell, Javier Botet, Andrew Brooke, Selva Rasalingam, Shanina Shaik, Dylan Smith, Hadrian Howard, Rez Kempton, Bella Ava Georgiou, David Burnett, Stephen Thompson, James Arama, Vera Chok, Sean Cameron Michael, Martin Bishop, Simon Atherton, Matthew Wilkas, Sohm Kapila

Runtime 110 minutes

Director Alex Kurtzman

Writers Christopher McQuarrie, David Koepp

Producers Chris Morgan, Roberto Orci, Sarah Bradshaw, Sean Daniel

1 Warfare (2025)

Head’s up, entertainment consumers: Alex Garland (28 Days Later, 28 Years Later) writes about more than just zombies, and he’s just as phenomenal at it where other genres are concerned, as is evidenced in 2025’s Warfare.

A visceral, boots-on-the-ground story of modern warfare and brotherhood, the film is based on co-writer and co-director Ray Mendoza’s experiences during the Iraq War as a U.S. Navy SEAL. Told in real time and based in truth from the memories of those involved, the film follows a SEALs platoon who, in offering Overwatch for a U.S. Marine operation in Ramadi, Iraq, find themselves in a brutal fight for survival after their mission goes dangerously wrong.

Warfare is a realistic film that’s sparking interest for its efforts in realistically capturing the intensity of combat, as well as for its anxiety- and claustrophobia-inducing measures, which together offer a fresh perspective on the horrors of war. It really is a masterpiece forged in heroism and courage deserving of every ounce of acknowledgment, emotion, and praise it has earned.

The cast includes Will Poulter (The Bear), Cosmo Jarvis (Shōgun), Kit Connor (Heartstopper), Taylor John Smith (Where the Crawdads Sing), Michael Gandolfini (Daredevil: Born Again), Joseph Quinn (Gladiator II), and D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai (Reservation Dogs) as Ray Mendoza.

Warfare

Release Date April 11, 2025

Cast D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Will Poulter, Joseph Quinn, Charles Melton, Cosmo Jarvis, Kit Connor, Noah Centineo, Taylor John Smith, Michael Gandolfini, Finn Bennett, Henry Zaga, Adain Bradley, Alex Brock, Evan Holtzman, Aaron Mackenzie, Joe Macaulay, Laurie Duncan, Jake Lampert, Heider Ali, Nathan Altai, Aso Sherabayani

Runtime 96 minutes

Director Ray Mendoza, Alex Garland

Writers Ray Mendoza, Alex Garland

Producers Allon Reich, Andrew Macdonald, Matthew Penry-Davey

Main Genre War

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After you finish checking out these movies, stick around on the platform because so much more awaits you. HBO Max has a wide catalog, and it offers some handy collections to help make choosing what to watch more convenient.

Also, remember that the beginning of the month means that there’s a new list of titles being added to the streamer’s growing library. Don’t forget to take a sec and peruse through the list of everything coming to HBO Max in November.