If you find yourself routinely thumbing through HBO Max, unable to decide on which movie to watch, let us help you prioritize some solid films that are poised to depart the streaming service this month. Below, we’ve assembled a list of some great movies that are expiring from HBO Max in August 2021. They range from comic book movies to romantic comedies to Oscar dramas, so there’s surely something on this list that will strike your fancy.
Peruse our list of the best HBO Max movies to watch before they expire in August below.
Joker
Leaving HBO Max on August 15th
Director: Todd Phillips
Writers: Todd Phillips and Scott Silver
The 2019 film Joker was a bolt of lightning to the entire realm of comic book adaptations, as Todd Phillips’ R-rated standalone DC film offered up a more dramatic, more gritty, more violent spin on a supervillain than we’d ever seen before. In truth, Joker has more in common with Taxi Driver than something like Justice League, as Phillips’ film crafts an origin story for the iconic DC villain that is entirely grounded in reality. Joaquin Phoenix deservedly won a Best Actor Oscar for his transformative performance, but the film also won an Oscar for its incredible score. Divisive? For sure. Perfect? Far from it. But Joker is at the very least an interesting and compelling twist on the “comic book movie” genre.
Serendipity
Leaving August 30th
Director: Peter Chelsom
Writer: Marc Klein
Cast: John Cusack, Kate Beckinsale, Molly Shannon, Jeremy Piven, Bridget Moynahan, and Eugene Levy
If you’re in the mood for a romantic comedy that serves as comfort food, 2001’s Serendipity will do the trick. Set in New York City, the film stars Kate Beckinsale and John Cusack as strangers who meet by accident and have one magical night together. Rather than exchanging numbers, Beckinsale’s character writes her phone number in a used book and Cusack’s character writes his on a $5 bill, and they go their separate ways. The film then flash forwards several years into the future, when both characters are on the cusp of settling for another romantic partner even though they can’t stop thinking about each other. This one has charm to spare.
Beverly Hills Cop
Leaving August 31st
Director: Martin Brest
Writer: Daniel Petrie Jr.
Cast: Eddie Murphy, Judge Reinhold, Josh Ashton, Lisa Ellbacher, Ronny Cox, and Steven Berkoff
Talk about a comedy that holds up. If you’re in the mood to laugh really, really hard, watch Beverly Hills Cop before it leaves HBO Max at the end of the month. Released in 1984, the film stars Murphy as a young detective from Detroit who travels to Beverly Hills to investigate the murder of his childhood friend. The film has a great detective story, but what sets Beverly Hills Cop apart is the comedy mined from Murphy’s “fish out of water” cop who refuses to fit the Beverly Hills mold. The entire Beverly Hills Cop trilogy is streaming on HBO Max, but the first film remains the best.
Blade
Leaving August 31st
Director: Stephen Norrington
Writer: David S. Goyer
Cast: Wesley Snipes, Kris Kristofferson, Stephen Dorff, N’Bushe Wright, and Donal Logue
If a more classic superhero movie is your speed, Blade is slightly more in that vein than the drama-tinged Joker. Released in 1998, Blade was one of the comic book adaptations that gave birth to the explosion throughout the 2000s, as this R-rated twist on the vampire with powers eschewed colorful suits and cheesy heroics for a more grounded aesthetic, relatively speaking. The movie is super violent, and Wesley Snipes makes for a terrific daywalker. And if you find yourself thirsty for more, the excellent Blade II and the, uh, not-excellent Blade: Trinity are also streaming on HBO Max.
Black Hawk Down
Leaving August 31st
Director: Ridley Scott
Writer: Ken Nolan
Cast: Josh Hartnett, Eric Bana, Ewan McGregor, Tom Sizemore, William Fichtner, and Sam Shepard
If you’re looking to watch a great war movie made by one of the best directors alive, prioritize Black Hawk Down. The 2001 film chronicles the U.S. military’s 1993 raid in Mogadishu, when U.S. soldiers found themselves stuck behind enemy lines when their helicopter crashed. The movie tells the story from multiple points of view, with Scott – the filmmaker behind movies ranging from Gladiator to Alien – commands the narrative with ease. The ensemble cast is incredible, and the film won the Oscar for Best Film Editing.
Closer
Leaving August 31st
Director: Mike Nichols
Writer: Patrick Marber
Cast: Julia Roberts, Jude Law, Natalie Portman, and Clive Owen
If it’s relationship dramas that get you going, then 2004’s Closer has drama and relationships galore. Based on the stage play of the same name, the film follows four individuals whose lives are intertwined by the ups and downs of their relationships with one another. The movie’s directed by Mike Nichols, a master of human behavior, and boasts a quartet of excellent performances packed with emotion.
Wedding Crashers
Leaving August 31st
Director: David Dobkin
Writers: Steve Faber and Bob Fisher
Cast: Vince Vaughn, Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Isla Fischer, Christopher Walken, and Bradley Cooper
Sometimes you just want to watch something that makes you laugh, and 2005’s Wedding Crashers will do the trick. Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson play two party-loving bachelors who make a habit of crashing weddings, only to get sucked into their latest endeavor during which they both fall for members of the bridal party. The film is loaded with 2000s-era comedy, with Vaughn and Wilson complimenting one another well as a comedic duo, but it’s also got a pretty nice love story at its center.