The world is slowing creeping away from the thrill of theaters and is spending more and more time in front of its screens at home. Streaming services, spearheaded by Netflix, have made that switch possible, and newcomers are only sweetening the deal.
HBO Max, which went live in late May 2020, is one of the latest addition to the highly-competitive streaming space but is also promising plenty for its customers. Today, we’ll take a glance at its vast movie collection, and give you a list of 10 short movies that’d leave you wanting for more.
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Before Sunset – 80 minutes
- Genre: Romance/Drama
- Rating: IMDB – 8.0; Rotten Tomatoes – 95%
- Watch: Before Sunset
Director Richar Linklater spawned an iconic romantic franchisee in the mid-90s with the release of Before Sunrise. Not only did it freshen the genre up, but it also taught us how underrated timing is. Starring Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke, the second movie of the franchisee, Before Sunset, takes place nine years after their first encounter in Paris. This time, instead of toiling the inevitable, the “strangers” decide to let their hearts take the driver’s seat.
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Pi – 85 minutes
- Genre: Drama/Indie
- Rating: IMDB – 7.4; Rotten Tomatoes – 88%
- Watch: Pi
If you’re already confusing the two-word movie with the widely-celebrated 2012 blockbuster, Life of Pi, let us just stop you in your tracks. Because while not as celebrated as Life of Pi, Pi certainly requires a different approach — definite attention to detail. Pi revolves around a numbers whiz, who accidentally discovers a strange and powerful number. Now, after submitting his discovery, the mentally-unstable genius finds himself in the crosshairs of a Wall Street unit.
My Neighbor Totoro – 88 minutes
- Genre: Animation/Fantasy
- Rating: IMDB – 8.2; Rotten Tomatoes – 92%
- Watch: My Neighbor Totoro
Hailed as director Hayao Miyazaki’s breakthrough work, My Neighbor Totoro is a visually absurd tale of friendship, compassion, and love. The Studio Ghibli movie revolves around Mei and Satsuki, who move to a new house to be closer to their mother. Things take a pleasant yet bizarre turn when they encounter a cuddly ghost — Totoro.
Rashomon – 88 minutes
- Genre: Drama/Crime
- Rating: IMDB – 8.2; Rotten Tomatoes – 98%
- Watch: Rashomon
If you don’t mind crossing the 1-inch barrier of subtitles, be sure to give this soul-searching Akira Kurosawa classic a watch. Released in 1950, this Golden Globe-winning movie tackles a revolutionary and impossibly challenging topic — reliability of eye-witnesses. Four eye-witnesses, when called on to recount the murder of a man and rape of his wife, present four distinctive “truths,” tail-spinning the judiciary system into chaos.
Eraserhead – 89 minutes
- Genre: Horror/Indie
- Rating: IMDB – 7.4; Rotten Tomatoes – 80%
- Watch: Eraserhead
Don’t just let the weird name throw you off; Eraserhead has plenty of other bizarre things in store. The couple’s lizard-resembling baby is probably a good example. This David Lynch classic also throws in many other otherworldly elements into the mix. So, keep your eyes peeled while watching this one.
Lights Out – 81 minutes
- Genre: Horror/Supernatural
- Rating: IMDB – 6.3; Rotten Tomatoes -76%
- Watch: Lights Out
Horror movies are probably the most tricky to get right, as it’s almost impossible to sustain tangible tension for a prolonged period of time. Fortunately, David F. Sandberg gets the formula just right with Lights Out. The movie builds up the tension just long enough before delivering a satisfactory climax. Also, if you were curious, they haven’t gone overboard with the supernatural entity here and keep it understated for the most part.
Modern Times – 89 minutes
- Genre: Comedy/Romance
- Rating: IMDB – 8.5; Rotten Tomatoes – 100%
- Watch: Modern Times
Charlie Chaplin is widely revered as the true unadulterated king of comedy, and we, sincerely, have no qualms with that claim. This 1936 classic sees Charlie’s character fall in love with a homeless girl after being kicked out of the factory he worked in. A story of laughter, romance, and the genius of thought-provoking silent films — be sure to give Modern Times a go.
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