Between its ever-emerging slate of new content and its vast existing library, HBO Max continues to deliver some of the best in streaming entertainment. The month of April is no exception, and it comes fully loaded with iconic films, including recent award-winners and older classics and everything in between. Each one is a must-see and also a perfect rewatchable, revealing brilliant craftsmanship and subtle details with every subsequent viewing. (If you’re short on viewing time, these are the best 90-minutes-or-less movies you can stream right now.)
To determine the best movies to watch on HBO Max this April, 24/7 Tempo developed an index using average ratings on IMDb, an online movie database owned by Amazon, and a combination of audience scores and Tomatometer scores on Rotten Tomatoes, an online movie and TV review aggregator, as of April 2022, weighting all ratings equally. We considered only movies with at least 5,000 audience votes on either IMDb or Rotten Tomatoes, and ruled out documentaries. (Data on streaming availability, current as of this month, comes from the streaming guide Reelgood. Directorial credits are from IMDb.)
Where does one even begin? How about with Spielberg’s “Jurassic Park,” a film that helped launch the CGI revolution and yet still stands up nearly 30 years later. On the darker side of the aisle is David Fincher’s “Se7en,” in which two detectives hunt for a twisted serial killer against a grim and often rain-soaked backdrop. More than a masterpiece, its relentless tone helped inform modern-day blockbusters such as “The Batman.”
Looking for something a little more recent? Acclaimed Oscar-winners such as “12 Years a Slave” and “Judas and the Black Messiah” certainly fit the bill. Or maybe you’re in the mood for Old Hollywood classics like “The Philadelphia Story” or “Citizen Kane,” the latter of which remains steadfast in its ability to blow minds. (Here’s where to stream 50 great movies you’ve probably never seen.)
All of these titles and so many more are streaming on HBO Max in April. Get watching.
Click here for the best movies to stream on HBO Max this month
50. A Clockwork Orange (1971)
> IMDb user rating: 8.3/10 (785,984 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (437,137 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 86% (73 reviews)
> Directed by: Stanley Kubrick
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49. Gone with the Wind (1939)
> IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (301,469 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92% (293,900 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 90% (102 reviews)
> Directed by: Victor Fleming
48. The Right Stuff (1983)
> IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (59,478 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (22,982 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (51 reviews)
> Directed by: Philip Kaufman
47. What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)
> IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (52,791 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (33,947 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (50 reviews)
> Directed by: Robert Aldrich
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46. Jurassic Park (1993)
> IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (909,321 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (1,071,829 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (130 reviews)
> Directed by: Steven Spielberg
45. Se7en (1995)
> IMDb user rating: 8.6/10 (1,517,067 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95% (468,879 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 82% (82 reviews)
> Directed by: David Fincher
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44. Judas and the Black Messiah (2021)
> IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (60,720 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95% (495 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (339 reviews)
> Directed by: Shaka King
43. Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989)
> IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (133,169 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (16,920 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 98% (41 reviews)
> Directed by: Hayao Miyazaki
42. The Wrestler (2008)
> IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (296,807 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (140,629 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 98% (233 reviews)
> Directed by: Darren Aronofsky
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41. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
> IMDb user rating: 8.3/10 (629,868 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (299,429 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (113 reviews)
> Directed by: Stanley Kubrick
40. Network (1976)
> IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (152,343 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (36,416 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 91% (70 reviews)
> Directed by: Sidney Lumet
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39. The Truman Show (1998)
> IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (989,294 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (584,020 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (133 reviews)
> Directed by: Peter Weir
38. In the Heat of the Night (1967)
> IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (70,923 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92% (23,226 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (55 reviews)
> Directed by: Norman Jewison
37. All the President’s Men (1976)
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (109,442 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92% (50,360 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (65 reviews)
> Directed by: Alan J. Pakula
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36. The Iron Giant (1999)
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (180,630 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (204,968 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (142 reviews)
> Directed by: Brad Bird
35. Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (245,961 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (110,314 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (48 reviews)
> Directed by: Sidney Lumet
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34. Hotel Rwanda (2004)
> IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (343,587 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (241,507 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 91% (194 reviews)
> Directed by: Terry George
33. 12 Years a Slave (2013)
> IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (664,938 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (140,524 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (373 reviews)
> Directed by: Steve McQueen
32. Boyz n the Hood (1991)
> IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (132,951 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (144,364 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (70 reviews)
> Directed by: John Singleton
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31. Castle in the Sky (1986)
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (157,473 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (79,551 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (26 reviews)
> Directed by: Hayao Miyazaki
30. A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (104,091 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (55,195 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 98% (60 reviews)
> Directed by: Elia Kazan
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29. The Wizard of Oz (1939)
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (379,622 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (876,535 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 99% (145 reviews)
> Directed by: Victor Fleming
28. Inception (2010)
> IMDb user rating: 8.8/10 (2,171,143 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (571,783 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 87% (361 reviews)
> Directed by: Christopher Nolan
27. Reservoir Dogs (1992)
> IMDb user rating: 8.3/10 (958,136 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (446,711 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (71 reviews)
> Directed by: Quentin Tarantino
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26. The Departed (2006)
> IMDb user rating: 8.5/10 (1,241,061 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (738,191 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 90% (283 reviews)
> Directed by: Martin Scorsese
25. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
> IMDb user rating: 8.9/10 (1,710,236 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86% (34,679,773 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (275 reviews)
> Directed by: Peter Jackson
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24. Rio Bravo (1959)
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (59,080 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (23,955 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (42 reviews)
> Directed by: Howard Hawks
23. The Maltese Falcon (1941)
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (153,406 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (57,929 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (60 reviews)
> Directed by: John Huston
22. Unforgiven (1992)
> IMDb user rating: 8.2/10 (391,927 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (122,861 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (106 reviews)
> Directed by: Clint Eastwood
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21. The Philadelphia Story (1940)
> IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (66,253 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (47,240 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (101 reviews)
> Directed by: George Cukor
20. Princess Mononoke (1997)
> IMDb user rating: 8.4/10 (364,905 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (222,309 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (112 reviews)
> Directed by: Hayao Miyazaki
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19. Memento (2000)
> IMDb user rating: 8.4/10 (1,169,429 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (381,352 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (181 reviews)
> Directed by: Christopher Nolan
18. Citizen Kane (1941)
> IMDb user rating: 8.3/10 (422,500 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (159,588 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 99% (117 reviews)
> Directed by: Orson Welles
17. The Great Dictator (1940)
> IMDb user rating: 8.4/10 (213,266 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95% (43,757 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (45 reviews)
> Directed by: Charles Chaplin
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16. Chinatown (1974)
> IMDb user rating: 8.2/10 (309,557 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (78,076 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 99% (76 reviews)
> Directed by: Roman Polanski
15. North by Northwest (1959)
> IMDb user rating: 8.3/10 (312,200 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (79,896 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (109 reviews)
> Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock
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14. On the Waterfront (1954)
> IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (148,492 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95% (52,268 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 99% (105 reviews)
> Directed by: Elia Kazan
13. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
> IMDb user rating: 8.2/10 (119,669 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (26,178 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (52 reviews)
> Directed by: John Huston
12. The Gold Rush (1925)
> IMDb user rating: 8.2/10 (106,473 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (20,591 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (50 reviews)
> Directed by: Charles Chaplin
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11. Good Will Hunting (1997)
> IMDb user rating: 8.3/10 (900,884 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (365,042 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 98% (83 reviews)
> Directed by: Gus Van Sant
10. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
> IMDb user rating: 8.8/10 (1,731,527 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95% (1,355,751 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 91% (235 reviews)
> Directed by: Peter Jackson
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9. The Kid (1921)
> IMDb user rating: 8.3/10 (120,168 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95% (15,470 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (48 reviews)
> Directed by: Charles Chaplin
8. Singin’ in the Rain (1952)
> IMDb user rating: 8.3/10 (228,668 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95% (138,714 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (67 reviews)
> Directed by: Stanley Donen & Gene Kelly
7. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)
> IMDb user rating: 8.7/10 (954,220 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 96% (279,963 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (83 reviews)
> Directed by: Milos Forman
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6. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
> IMDb user rating: 8.7/10 (1,546,188 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95% (1,341,428 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (255 reviews)
> Directed by: Peter Jackson
5. Modern Times (1936)
> IMDb user rating: 8.5/10 (228,754 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95% (40,314 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 98% (108 reviews)
> Directed by: Charles Chaplin
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4. City Lights (1931)
> IMDb user rating: 8.5/10 (176,008 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 96% (27,144 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 98% (54 reviews)
> Directed by: Charles Chaplin
3. The Dark Knight (2008)
> IMDb user rating: 9.0/10 (2,419,864 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (1,831,566 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (345 reviews)
> Directed by: Christopher Nolan
2. Goodfellas (1990)
> IMDb user rating: 8.7/10 (1,070,370 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 97% (430,048 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (103 reviews)
> Directed by: Martin Scorsese
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1. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
> IMDb user rating: 9.3/10 (2,465,102 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 98% (887,061 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 91% (77 reviews)
> Directed by: Frank Darabont
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