The 7 Best Hidden Gems Streaming on HBO Max Right Now

“Priscilla” (2023)

“Priscilla,” director Sofia Coppola’s reflective film about Priscilla Presley, flew undeservedly under the radar when it was released. The film explores its eponymous heroine’s (Cailee Spaeny) complicated romantic relationship with Elvis Presley (Jacob Elordi), which began when she was just 14 years old (and he was 24) and ended with their divorce when she was 27. Working closely with Presley herself, who executive produced the film, Coppola manages to craft, much like she did in “Marie Antoinette” and “The Virgin Suicides,” a portrait of how even the most manicured life can become a prison when it does not allow you the chance to change or grow.

Spaeny won the Best Actress award at the 2023 Venice International Film Festival for her performance in the film, and deservedly so. Playing the same woman across 13 years, Spaeny beautifully conveys — with the help of Coppola’s typically subversive voice and close attention to detail — the necessary but often painful process of growing up and realizing not just what you need, but what you deserve. “Priscilla” is, in other words, a film about outgrowing one’s teenage dreams, and if you haven’t seen it yet, then you should take this as a sign to finally check it out.

“Paris, Texas” (1984)

“Paris, Texas” is one of the most stirring portraits of the American West and one of the most affecting examinations of grief and guilt that has ever been captured on film. Directed by German filmmaker Wim Wenders and co-written by playwright and actor Sam Shepard, the film follows Travis Henderson (Harry Dean Stanton), a disheveled desert wanderer who is found by his estranged brother Walt (Dean Stockwell) and brought back to civilization with him. Reunited by Walt with his young son Hunter (Hunter Carson), Stanton’s Travis finds himself reminded of the life that he and Hunter once had with his missing wife Jane (Nastassja Kinski), and he resolves to repair the familial bonds between them that were, for reasons we learn later on, painfully broken. 

Featuring gorgeous technicolor cinematography from cinematographer Robby Müller and breathtaking performances across the board, “Paris, Texas” reveals with remarkable clarity and choked-up strains of emotion how love can be both the most healing and destructive force in the world. It is a breathtaking film — each scene feels like an epiphany — and it is as deserving of your time as any other movie or TV show that HBO Max has to offer right now.

“Martha Marcy May Marlene” (2011)

She may be best known at this point for her work in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but it was her performance in 2011’s “Martha Marcy May Marlene” that caught everyone’s attention and first put Elizabeth Olsen on the map. The actress stars in the film as its eponymous heroine, a young woman suffering from PTSD after fleeing from the physically and mentally abusive mountain cult she was a member of for two years. Directed with startling control by “The Iron Claw” filmmaker Sean Durkin, “Martha Marcy May Marlene” is an unflinching exploration of trauma, how it lingers and transforms the way we view the world. 

It is not an easy film, but it is immersive and gripping. Even more importantly, it is held together at all times by a thorny, layered performance from Olsen that rightly established her as one of the most promising actresses of her generation. When you watch “Martha Marcy May Marlene,” it’s easy to see how she has managed to build the career she has off its success.

“The Woman King” (2022)

There are not many blockbusters on HBO Max’s platform that could be accurately considered “hidden gems,” but “The Woman King” is one of the select few. The film performed well at the box office when it was released in 2022, but it did not become the word-of-mouth smash success that it should have. Directed by “Love & Basketball” filmmaker Gina Prince-Bythewood, the film follows General Nanisca (Viola Davis), the leader of an army of female warriors tasked with protecting the West African Kingdom of Dahomey in the 19th century from other African kingdoms and the encroaching reach of the European slave trade. 

Anchored by Davis’ arresting, physically imposing star turn, “The Woman King” hits with the blunt force of a battering ram. Its 135-minute runtime is punctuated by several astonishingly staged battle sequences, and the whole thing is further elevated by a scene-stealing supporting performance from Lashana Lynch that will leave you wanting to watch an entire film just about her character. “The Woman King” is a proper epic, and the fact that it is not more widely known can, thankfully, be rectified by its presence on HBO Max.

“Inherent Vice” (2014)

A misty-eyed, absurdly funny neo-noir, Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Inherent Vice” remains one of the filmmaker’s most divisive movies. It’s also one of his best. Based on a novel by Thomas Pynchon, “Inherent Vice” follows Doc Sportello (Joaquin Phoenix), a bumbling stoner detective, as he is hired by the ex-girlfriend (Katherine Waterston) he still hasn’t gotten over to investigate the disappearance of her rich new boyfriend (Eric Roberts). His investigation leads Doc tumbling into the center of a sprawling, incomprehensible mystery that makes little sense in both Pynchon’s novel and Anderson’s adaptation.

That’s okay. “Inherent Vice” is a film meant to be experienced and felt, not necessarily understood. Give up on trying to follow its convoluted plot and you will find yourself wading into a film that only seems to grow thematically and emotionally deeper every time you revisit it. Like a few of Anderson’s films, it’s a comedy about heartbreak and the pull we sometimes still feel to things, people, places and times that don’t exist anymore. It is one of Anderson’s most moving films — and a perfect movie to turn on and spend 2 hours sinking into from the comfort of your own couch.

“Lost River” (2014)

Here is a film decidedly not for everyone.

Ryan Gosling‘s “Lost River” is a strange, discombobulated fever dream fantasy about a single mother (Christina Hendricks) who begins working in a perverse underground club to provide for her children, and her teenage son (Iain De Caestecker), who discovers a road that leads to a submerged underwater town. Shot and set around the crumbling outskirts of Detroit, “Lost River” crafts a mythic, striking portrait of American decay — of trying to live in a world that has been condemned. Written and directed by Gosling, “Lost River” does not tell a straightforward story so much as it creates moods, particularly those of despair, horror, love, connection and hope. 

Infused with stunning, colorful surreality by “Spring Breakers” cinematographer Benoît Debie and featuring two unforgettably villainous performances by Ben Mendelsohn and Matt Smith, “Lost River” is a modern American fairytale by way of David Lynch. “Pan’s Labyrinth” director Guillermo del Toro famously told Gosling after he read the film’s script that he would direct it if the “Barbie” star didn’t, and it is easy to see why it appealed to del Toro. It is a fantastical, nightmarish film that was largely disregarded when it was first released. While it has its flaws, though, the distinct, inspired artistic vision on display in every one of its frames is enough to make one mourn the fact that Gosling has not since returned to the director’s chair.

“My Favorite Wife” (1940)

“My Favorite Wife” is smarter than its title would have you think and more memorable than its slight reputation would lead you to believe. The film follows Ellen (Irene Dunne), a woman who, after having spent years stranded on a deserted island, returns home to America only to discover her kids do not recognize her and that her beloved husband (Cary Grant) is on the verge of marrying someone else (Gail Patrick). When she seemingly returns from the dead, both she and Grant’s Nick find themselves in a difficult position that neither is well-equipped to handle.

Gloriously convoluted and overflowing with Golden Age star-power, “My Favorite Wife” is a straight-up delight. It is a breezy 88-minute comedy of manners that gets in and gets out without wasting a minute of your time, all while casually delivering more memorable gags and one-liners than you know what to do with. It is, in many ways, a perfect example of the kind of pleasant, unfussy studio comedies that Hollywood used to regularly release.