HBO Has BETTER Movies Than Netflix/Prime Combined.

[@DarrenVanDam]

20. The Survivor 19. Mimic 18. The Full Monty 17. Remember 16. What Lies Beneath 15. Michael Clayton 14. Sideways 13. Lone Survivor 12. The Wages of Fear 11. A Star is Born 10. Captain Phillips 9. Master and Commander 8. Green Room 7. Insomnia 6. The Dirty Dozen 5. Black Hawk Down 4. Little Miss Sunshine 3. Dog Day Afternoon 2. Ex Machina 1. Seven Samurai Get $1.49 per meal with code FLICK149 at bit.ly/3I2oJ2Y!

[@justaguy6100]

Man, "Remember" is VERY good and punches way above its budget, and the list is excellent. But The Green Room is one that shows us what we're missing not having Anton Yeltsin with us anymore. I've seen all of these before, and honestly am looking forward to the opportunity to see them all once again, especially The Dirty Dozen. If you don't know Lee Marvin's history in WW II and his journey into movies, well, he's pitch perfect, honestly, in this movie. It is INDEED a "prescription' for anyone who finds movies about heroism and war worth watching.

[@tiananesbitt7156]

No nazi movies.

[@justaguy6100]

@@tiananesbitt7156 ?? Movies about revenge AGAINST Nazis you mean, or Leni Riefenstahl retrospectives?

[@tiananesbitt7156]

@@justaguy6100 Sickening! Skip to the end??

[@tiananesbitt7156]

@@justaguy6100 And Anton was 😍 ❤️ and soul 🌸 💧

[@emwolf1963]

Sorcerer was no Tv movie, but a theatrical release that got blown out at the box office by a little movie called Star Wars. It's an excellent film with an incredible soundtrack by Tangerine Dream.

[@TheNecronacht]

That soundtrack by TD is both haunting and mesmerizing. Great practical effects too...

[@gman064]

I used to watch Sorcerer on HBO when i was a kid .. it is a great movie. I need to watch it again. 😊

[@damonke79]

Would love to watch Sorcerer...don't see it on there

[@jmchez]

I like it better than the original Wages of Fear.

[@robertpiekosz7470]

Was just going to say the same thing. I saw sorcerer in the theater

[@CommonCentrist82]

Ben Foster is one of the best actors in Hollywood. I've never seen him give a poor performance. He's nailed every character he's ever played.

[@chefmagneto]

Every!

[@chrishampton8842]

Have to agree

[@treytilley333]

Also giving us one of my fav sci fi horror movies, Pandorum. The lighting and production of that movie was amazing with a little twist at the ending.

[@CommonCentrist82]

@@treytilley333 I agree... great movie. I was actually going to mention that, because another of people don't know about it. I really enjoyed it.

[@Joel-StevenVoicedude]

I picked him and Chadwick Bozeman to be superstars a long time ago. Still waiting for Ben's big breakthrough...

[@sjelliott6660]

Thank you for making these videos. It's so tiring sifting thru all the horrible titles on streaming services to find something worth the time to watch. These gems get lost in the truck loads of rocks.

[@JasonHauser125]

Green Room might be my favorite movie on that whole list. The tension is amazing, the acting, the story, it all comes together into one tight little horrific package as something that "could have happened" and that makes it even scarier.

[@sjelliott6660]

I'm 8 minutes in, I heard that music, and now looking forward to seeing them get killed.

[@Fuphyter]

​@@sjelliott6660 😂😂😂

[@CIRCLEOFTONE]

Ex Machina. Green room is great but it lacks the rewatchable aspect of Ex Machina imo. The acting/characters were SO GOOD.

[@mzwww3243]

@@CIRCLEOFTONE I rewatched Green Room immediately upon finishing it the first time. And I'm not the type to do this sort of thing.

[@alvinolmedo6376]

@@sjelliott6660 hahahaha! The movie was fine. But “Near perfect” is a bit of an exaggeration for me.

[@dkpqzm]

I would never argue with you Darren but I did see *Sorcerer (by William Friedkin) in a theater. Doesn't it drive you crazy when we hang on every word you say? *The remake of "The wages of fear"

[@cstreet1824]

Sorcerer was indeed in theaters. Saw it around 1977.

[@Tartersauce101]

Amazon seems to have completely given up on being a competitor in the streaming wars. I can't believe how impoverished their offering is.

[@danielwolski873]

What Lies Beneath was a huge hit when it came out. I believe it made over 100 million at the box office, that's impressive for a horror movie today but 23 years ago even more so.

[@ashurmom2969]

Just seeing Harrison Ford as the villain is worth it, must watch

[@Vielthic]

Any movie buff knows all these movies. Honestly Tubi is best bang for your buck. Yes there are commercial breaks but man it has everything!

[@HemingwayJones]

Sorcerer was not a television series. It was in the theater and it was dark. I saw it as a kid. Great list and thanks!

[@richarddiaz1241]

Directed by William Friedkin. His film after The Exorcist. Roy Schieder. Good flick.

[@jmchez]

Sorcerer was never intended to be a TV movie. Not with Roy Scheider in the lead, right after Jaws. Also, not a TV movie if it was directed by William Friedkin right after he directed The Exorcist. Sorcerer just had the bad luck to be released on the same Friday that Star Wars came out. Also, the title, "Sorcerer" did not do it any favors. In any case, in my mind, Sorcerer is better than The Wages of Fear. Sorcerer tells you why these men are atoning for their sins in what is, essentially hell. In addition, the original has a bunch of Italians and French pretending to be Central Americans and speaking really bad Spanish. Sorcerer had much better acting and language in that regard.

[@Kevfactor]

I usually pirate my movies as I really don't feel bad about it at all as they lost any moral high ground a lot time ago. But, IDK it's a big hassle to do that. I was thinking of adding either Disney or HBO max just for some easy movies to watch.

[@bigsarge2085]

Master and Commander, Seven Samurai, Ex Machina, and Dirty Dozen are some of my favs!

[@bradymorris9074]

This list is phenomenal, although I would personally move Ex Machina from the 'near perfect' to the 'perfect' list. :) Thank you so much for these videos!

[@Bat_Boy]

My favorite movies: 1) Castaway on the Moon 2) Sideways 3) The Wickerman 4) Excalibur 5) The Matrix 6) The Haunting 7) Blade Runner 8) Romantics Anonymous 9) Pleasantville 10) Aliens

[@rollon3530]

The Wages of Fear has stuck with me over the years as a perfect example of tension, similar to the feeling I get from Night of the Hunter. Loads of great recommendations. Many thanks.

[@richardcrouthamel4397]

SO HAPPY too see Master and Commander make this list. Criminally underrated. I also fondly remember the first time I saw the Dirty Dozen at a Drive-In in 1967 with my parents.

[@mongoosemcmongoose2786]

master and commander is one of the worst movies i've ever seen.

[@scoobx007]

Love Mira Sorvino. “replacement killers”, I put that up there with “mimic”. Free on Pluto I think

[@kapaluamak]

Darren, a movie guy like you should know that John Cazale played Fredo Corleone in the Godfather. Sal Tessio was played by Abe Vigoda.

[@Tyler_W]

I spend less time on HBO Max looking for something i want to watch than I do on Netflix, and when i do soend too much time deciding, its because i can't decide between all of the movies i want to see. If it weren't for some of the Netflix originals, I'd drop Netflix and just stick with HBO Max tbh. This was a great list. Some I've seen and love, others I definitely need to check out.

[@MadsPeterIversen]

Ex Machina is really one of my favorite movies of all time - incredible!

[@mhxistenz]

John Cazale plays Fredo Corleone in The Godfather, not Sal. Sal Tessio is played by Abe Vigoda. Also, Seven Samurai is a perfect film so it shouldn't really be on this list. 😉

[@oscarthegrouch8992]

How can you even mess that up- Fredo is an iconic character in cinema history.. good catch

[@GoldenEdgedGreg]

You broke my heart, Fredo!

[@ashurmom2969]

Master and Commander is the one that I really wanted a sequel for, brilliant movie!!

[@Ana20arA]

I’m simply amazed how it’s a true cinephile’s paradise! Most streaming sites, scratch that Americans don’t do foreign films and HBOmax has the best of the best, Fellini, Kurasawa, Buñel, Kiarostami, Visconit… Plus!!! The best of our precious golden age Hollywood films. Charlie Chaplin, John Wayne, Monroe, Garbo, Judy Garland, Jean Harlow, Orson Welles, the Marx Brothers both Hepburns!!!

[@bunnybunny3536]

Mimic is really a great horror movie and it’s distinctive IMO in that the story allows for a couple of kids to get killed by the mutant insecty thing -- you don’t see that too often in movies, even done off camera as a plot device.

[@tullymunro7696]

I remember watching mimic and IT with my uncles when I was a kid. They stayed with me a while lol

[@jessegarcia6909]

Lone Survivor always hits me hard. I was a Plankowner (first crew) on the USS Michael Murphy when I was in the Navy. Absolutely my best tour.

[@32a34a]

And Seven Samurai has Toshiro Mifune which really ends the conversation as to why you should watch it.

[@obioraabiakam1604]

Holy 💩!! The Wages of Fear was remade into Sorcerer with Rob Schneider in 1977.

[@camaronshoultz6137]

Ben Foster is one of the greatest actors of his generation. No matter the movie or character he always kills it. Truly can play anything but he definitely excels in the villain/antihero roles.

[@cahlendavidson2921]

I don't know if he's one of the greatest of his generation (maybe) but he is absolutely one of the most underrated screen actors

[@chrispy725]

The rages of fear apparently became the plot to a MacGyver episode. I remember the episode was about extinguishing a flaming oil well. They needed to use dynamite and transported it a similar way as the movie. I haven't seen the movie I'm referring to the clip

[@Black_Blow_Fly]

Darren I suffer from chronic insomnia - your movie suggestions enhance my life. I will literally be up around 3 am watching your suggestions. 😊

[@doctorzombie9799]

Green Room is absolutely amazing! I watched it years ago, on your recommendation, but I haven't watched it since. I don't want nightmares.

[@joeschmo2693]

I This is why I subscribe to this channel. You do the work of finding the value in something I'm paying for, but have a hard time taking advantage of. I'll def be watching/rewatching several of these.

[@SynergistN7]

Was curious to find out why Ex-machina is near perfect to you instead of perfect. I recently watched Shaun's video about it which made me remember what a perfect movie it is.

[@patricklee7241]

Great list! I don't trust any one person's movie opinion who hasn't seen Akira Kurusawa's Seven Samurai. You my dude are spot on.

[@henchmanc]

You brought up Green Room (2015) again, which means I again have to comment that I don't recall you ever having mentioned Murder Party (2007), Jeremey Saulnier's first feature film. I'll be doing this next time you bring up Blue Ruin (2013) also.

[@mjwbulich]

One of my favorite directors. Really enjoyed 'Hold the Dark' too.

[@stanphillips7277]

Amazon Prime has "Top Gun Maverick" Incase you haven't checked in for a while! Normally Prime isn't the 1st or you can rent/buy or wait forever but, something happened for them to get exclusive rights because I just finished watching and, I just couldn't say enough good things to do it justice! It was a perfect movie if there ever was one! Okay, I just had to let people know who (like me) figure it's filled with movies that are great but, you've seen or they're average or not worth wasting your time with...it was as good as movies get! 🎬

[@awickedtribe]

The Dirty Dozen was the first movie I saw when I turned 18... Talk about feeling old.

[@45green1]

Dirty Dozen, a classic, picked it up on DVD last year from a charity shop, essentiel

[@cgirl111]

A lot of the work you attribute to the director is actually done by the cinematographer. Camera placement and lighting for example. While I agree they act as a team without a great cinematographer the director is lost. The Seven Samurai wouldn't be as nearly venerated by film makers without Asakazu Nakai. There are exceptions though. Kubrick comes to mind.

[@Maya_Pinion]

I own Mimic in my collection.....not apologizing.loved it.

[@kevinlaw6185]

Okay, one more correction - John Cazale played Fredo in The Godfather, not Sal.

[@Joel-StevenVoicedude]

Did you call 'Sorcerer', William Friedkin's follow up to 'The Exorcist', a "TV movie"?!?

[@DanHemsath]

Nice list! The Full Monty is consistently hysterical, and what a soundtrack! What Lies Beneath is always a classic, if a bit heavy on the Hitchcock. Props to Clark Gregg for his direction! (Oh, and check out Choke if you like his directing.) Sideways surprised me, not because of its popularity, but because of how sad it really is. It's one of the most convincing portrayals of how people seek enablement for their addictions that I've seen. And Insomnia is my go-to film when I want to convince people that remakes can be done right...heck, even better than the original. (Yeah, I said it, it's just such a taut thriller.) And thanks for including Ex Machina. Absolutely love Alex Garland's stuff. I'm a sucker for the whole "do robots have a soul" theme. So many good classics (especially Criterion releases) on HBOMax, it caught me off guard. Been eating those up. (Just wish the transfer of Pandora's Box was better; it's unwatchable on HBOMax the way it is. Everybody looks like their underwater! lol)

[@deelee1569]

Patrick Stewart was incredible in Green Room

[@danielkknauer4352]

So Fucking good. What a departure from His normal roles and He freaking nailed it

[@heartsparkdollar]

Sorcerer was a theatrical release, not a tv movie.

[@garyk2629]

Since when was Sorcerer a TV movie? It had a theatrical release. And it's better than The Wages of Fear, by the way.

[@robbielex]

I am NOT drinking any fucking Merlot.

[@mjwbulich]

If anyone orders merlot I'm leaving

[@philhunter8403]

When my kids were old enough, we watched Seven Samurai and The Magnificent Seven, plus a bunch of other samurai/western movie pairs. And a few other similar East/West movie pairs like Ran / King Lear and The Hidden Fortress / Star Wars. They were the only students in their film class in college who enjoyed Rashomon.

[@pelkfu]

Rashamon was on my employees picks shelf waaaaay back in my blockbuster days! Incredible film

[@andreashaynes3346]

That was a superb FLICK CONNECTION, Darren. Your NEAR PERFECT list of movies, is indeed NEAR PERFECT!!! Difficult to pick a favourite but I’d certainly say Dog Day Afternoon is a big favourite for me. Many thanks for sharing with us 👍👍👍👍👍

[@Topgunphoto]

What's cool about Lone Survivor, the person Mark Wahlberg plays (Marcus Luttrell) is in the movie back when they're at the base talking around the picnic table.

[@LotsofLisa]

I don’t consider “What lies beneath” a horror, its a straight up ghost story. It falls in the category I call, “Had you not had that damn affair!…” the same category as other classics like, “Fatal attraction” and “Unfaithful”… these movies and my golden girls reruns are the only reason why I still have an actual working DVD player. 😂😂😂 📀

[@Enigmalake]

Spotlight. The firm. Misery. The witch. Fantastic planet. Airplane. Young Frankenstein. Clockwork orange. The wrestler. Contagion. Joker. Etc etc

[@mbmurphy777]

Every time I watch Master and Commander, I like it better. It might be in my top three of all time at this point.

[@if6was929]

It was a great movie and I don't know why there wasn't a follow up. There are several books in the series, so there was plenty of material to base it on. I once read that Russel Crow enjoyed making the movie, he said he'd like to spend more time in that role.

[@treytilley333]

I went to rehab 3 times and each time people were watching what lies beneath and I always ended up arriving late catching the same scene towards the end. I started to resent the fact it was the scene over and over again lol I’m going to finally watch the whole damn thing now.

[@greatpoochini1]

Good to see you featuring classics like The Seven Samurai and Wages of Fear in these lists. More please.

[@fancimcguffin2227]

“The Dirty Dozen” is a great movie!!

[@debbiestarman4485]

I loved The Full Monty. It got me started on Robert Carlisle.

[@abfowlie]

Black Hawk Down is one of my favourite movies, amazing how there are so many famous young actors in it.

[@Bustadhed]

Yes the dirty dozen is a must see for anyone who likes classics

[@BenChanNYC]

What Lies Beneath was a good psychological thrlller, but it will forever stick in my mind for the fact that the trailer gave away EVERYTHING! It ruined the whole movie. It's a great rec now though since most people who haven't seen it have likely forgotten it by now, so seeing it with fresh, unspoiled eyes should be a great movie experience!

[@mbmurphy777]

Seven Samurai is a must watch

[@rutherfordappraisal258]

Master and Commander had horrible marketing. It was shots of Russel Crowe hanging off the riggings in some tropical location. Then some shots of ships. When I finally saw it when it hit home video, I was so let down that I hadn’t taken the chance to catch it in the theater due to trailers that looked boring as hell.

[@TheBoofhead]

I appreciate these recommendations a lot, especially some of the old cinema classics we've neglected. I'll be placing these on my watch list

[@CyberBuki]

I SO love the way that you love movies. One of my long time favorites is Wages of Fear... but who mentions movies more than 60 years old? YOU DO!

[@CyberBuki]

As to Anton Yelchin: I haven't seen you recommend his Odd Thomas (2013). I think you'll love it (if you haven't already seen it)

[@bobzani]

Cazale played Fredo in the Godfather.

[@hey_you]

What is the music bed under that Captain Phillips and Master and Commander part of your review? You use it a lot, and it's not Shazam-able, so I'm assuming it's from a royalty free music provider service.

[@sugarraybarrett2052]

Netflix have been mailing it in since the days when your DVD would arrive via the postal service.

[@stevescp9984]

NEED TO STEP UP YOUR RESEARCH GAME: 1) WAGES OF FEAR - sorry, but SORCERER was NOT a TV movie, but an R-Rated theatrical release that came out June 24, 1977 when a film that cost HALF of what it did was a box office inferno, STAR WARS. It was such a bomb ($9M theatrical vs $22M budget) that it almost ended William Friedkin's career. It's now considered a great film (not better than the original IMHO) and the soundtrack by Tangerine Dream is one of the all time classics. 2) WHAT LIES BENEATH - the reason this is Zemeckis' only horror film is because of CAST AWAY. Zemeckis needed a film he could shoot while he waited for Tom Hanks to go on a crash diet and lose over 50lbs. He used the same crew to shoot BENEATH. 3) INSOMNIA - was a fast remake of a Swedish film of the same name that is just as good if not better. Also, many of these films are owned by studios not affiliated with HBO Max and those deals are ending, so the title is going to have short shelf life. I don't disagree with it, but soon most of the Fox, Paramount and Universal content will disappear because those studios have their own streaming services now (Hulu, Paramount Plus and Peacock, respectively).

[@FinnieMc]

Your description of Remember isn't really correct. He's not working from a kill list, he's looking for one particular person, the Nazi that killed his family. I also thought it somewhat fell apart in the last act. Great job by Plummer though.

[@roberthiltz2741]

One of the best gifts I’ve ever received was the definitive collector’s edition of Seven Samurai Blueray set! I always trust your suggestions and between your number one on this list and Master and Commander, you nailed it again

[@wellnesspathforme6236]

Michae Clayton is amazing. The opening monologue is one of my all-time favorites (I lean conspiracy analyst…. Socrates and Jesus were conspiracy theorists, people!).

[@BHart777]

"Little Miss Sunshine" is mad overrated! And I think Alan Arkin won the Oscar for basically playing the same grumpy old man role he's always played over Eddie Murphy, who was more deserving for "Dreamgirls."

[@emiliomartinez1332]

The Seven Samurai is one of the greatest movies ever made and this was a great list. Yes it's 3 1/2 hours foreign film but once you start watching it you will forget all that, it's the same league as the Godfather as one those seminal films to watch at least once.

[@MrLando0]

You do the best add readings on KZbin. Like your content too: )

[@petea9379]

This is a great list. My only issue with HBO is their content seems to not be 4K, HDR, or Dolby. Unless I am missing something about their library.

[@dlodendron67]

I had the same problem. But as of recently, like probably 3 weeks now I think, it plays 4K, dolby vision and atmos now!

[@doro626]

What lies beneath, i figured out the entire movie from the trailer, so I never bothered. MICHAEL CLAYTON, That is a really good movie. watch it if you havent seen it. I forgot Insomnia was Christopher Nolan ( if I ever knew). That and One hour Photo are movies I enjoyed for the craft, but they werent box office hits at all.

[@kevinmccarty4242]

Watched "Wages of Fear" with my dad back in the day. "Sorcerer" became one of my favorites. (...but not made-for-TV. Big Friedkin fan, saw it at the theater when it was released in '77)

[@7streetoak]

Spot-on, Darren. Master and Commander is a personal fave, but any Peter Weir film qualifies in my world.

[@MuckMan_Movies]

We did White Lotus and Come Drink With Me as a double bill last year. Was great!

[@joshuachambers6782]

My issue with HBO max is it’s so hard to find things. You almost have to go in knowing what you’re looking for. However they have a ton

[@phil4208]

A couple of recent movies I enjoyed, Elvis, the batman, and of course the HBO series house of the dragon and the last of us, I paid for the year of HBO max and got 40% off , well worth it

[@Ericboy114558]

Green Room is one of my favorite movies of all time. I love the premise and execution. Very rewatchable aswell!

[@alvinolmedo6376]

I don’t know about the approach on killing the band members, though. The perpetrators, having the arsenal and manpower should have just gone “shock and awe” on their hapless prey.

[@josephkelly6681]

Green Room is great. Patrick Stewart slays it as always and the two main characters are good too.

[@Black_Blow_Fly]

Thanks Darren !! ❤❤❤

[@adt636]

If you're a Mira Sorvino fan, check out "Mighty Aphrodite" but Romi and Michelle will always be my favorite ❤️

[@tarbaby315]

Remember is a GREAT movie. Stumbled on it and enjoyed it tremendously

[@nweditor875]

Loved Insomnia I so wish Nolan picked Robin Williams for Hugo Strange in the Dark Knight Rises.

[@getsmart3701]

Gret list mate, man HBO has some fantastic movies. Seven Samurai, Green Room, Ex Machina and ,my personal favourite, Master and Commander are three of the best in their given genres. Do yourself a favor...read (or listen) to the Master and Commander books series. The books are, of course, slower than the movie but they are much more layered and far broader in scope in regards the history and experiences of the people that lived in those times. Historical fiction at its highest level.

[@blackfacebogart]

John Cazale played WHO in the Godfather movies?!

[@stevewise1656]

Dog Day Afternoon was incredible and had nuance. Ex Machina was freaking perfect. I've watched it many times.

[@Bustadhed]

Mimic is one of my all time favorite monster flicks, I have the whole set 1-3😉

[@DarrenVanDam]

How well do you think the sequels stack up to the original?

[@jordanlove4717]

Not even really going to watch this video just wanted to drop by and say that the video topic is very true! HBO max is one of the best streaming platforms out there

[@DontCome2LA]

Im terrified the price will go. Up crazy . Hbo max feels illegal to have a such a great price.

[@StanleyNunn]

Lone Survivor was Brilliant.

[@micahclawrence]

Other words instead of fantastic… awesome, wondrous, miraculous, prodigious, astonishing, amazing, astounding, phenomenal, terrific, striking, inspired, fabulous, marvelous, amazing, unreal, unbelievable, superior….

[@shannonelizabethkelley7822]

Little miss sunshine looks AMAZING. I'm so excited to see that one..thanks again for ALL your suggestions. U are the best

[@NishantSengar]

Little Miss Sunshine and Black Hawk Down are among my all time fav movies, great list though

[@brandonp.9371]

Strange Fact About Myself- I can literally watch Michael Clayton Everyday and never get tired of it. Love that movie.

[@SnarkierThan-U-R]

The Somali pirate bhad a very brief role in the Ben Affleck, Ana De Armas HULU move: Deep Water