The 7 Best New Movies on HBO Max in April 2022

A new month means new movies on your favorite streaming service, and HBO Max has plenty of new titles to thumb through in April. While there’s a lot to dig into, we’ve singled out seven newly added films we think are absolutely worth your time, across a wide range of genres so there’s a little something for everyone. They include ghoulish dark comedies, prestige Oscar-winning dramas, hidden gem indies and even a unique William Shakespeare adaptation.

Check out our list of the best new movies to watch on HBO Max in April below.

Beetlejuice

Tim Burton’s comedy classic is a great watch pretty much anytime. “Beetlejuice” revolves around a couple who die in a car accident (played by Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis) and become ghosts trapped inside their home, where they’re forced to witness its sale and renovation by a gauche family from the city. They enlist the help of a “bio-exorcist” named Beetlejuice (played by Michael Keaton), and all hell breaks loose (literally). The film is a colorful and inventive twist on the afterlife, offering up a darkly comic spin on the living dead.

Capote

If you’re in the mood for a true story drama, director Bennett Miller’s Oscar-winning 2005 biopic “Captote” is a terrific watch. The film follows the events of the writing of Truman Capote’s seminal 1965 book “In Cold Blood,” as he investigates the harrowing murder that inspired the “non-fiction novel.” Philip Seymour Hoffman won the Best Actor Oscar for his astounding portrayal of the iconic author, and Catherine Keener plays celebrated author Harper Lee in the film.

Chicago

For musical fans, “Chicago” is a ball. Director Rob Marshall’s Oscar-winning adaptation of the Broadway musical brilliantly brings the beloved show to the screen, with Renee Zellweger filling the role of Roxie Hart – a murderous housewife who gains notoriety for the suspicious death of her husband. The story is told through Roxie’s point of view, giving way to extravagant musical sequences that play out as if inside Roxie’s head. Catherine Zeta-Jones and Richard Gere co-star, and the film won six Oscars including Best Picture and Best Supporting Actress for Zeta-Jones.

Moon

If you’re looking for a hidden gem, check out director Duncan Jones’ 2009 sci-fi film “Moon.” This contained thriller stars Sam Rockwell as a man nearing the end of a solo three-year stint on the moon manning a mining operation. But with his return home in sight, he starts to encounter a personal crisis, and he starts to wonder whether everything he’s been told about his operation is actually true. The film’s stunning effects are all the more impressive considering it was made on an extremely low budget, and Rockwell delivers one of his best performances.

The Big Chill

Flash back to the 1980s with the comedy-drama “The Big Chill.” Released in 1983, this movie was a very big deal, largely thanks to its killer soundtrack and impressive ensemble cast. The story revolves around a group of friends reuniting for the first time in 15 years after one of their friends dies by suicide. Released in 1983, the ensemble features Glenn Close, Jeff Goldblum, William Hurt, Kevin Kline, Mary Kay Place and Tom Berenger. “Indiana Jones” and “Star Wars” screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan co-wrote and directed the film.

Tootsie

Hailed by many as one of the best screenplays ever written, “Tootsie” is a comedy classic that holds up tremendously well decades after it was first released in 1982. Dustin Hoffman plays a talented actor with a reputation for being difficult who’s struggling to find work. When he dresses as a woman and creates an actress named “Tootsie,” he suddenly lands a plum gig on a popular soap opera, and must now keep the rouse alive while Tootsie’s career takes off. Jessica Lange and Teri Garr co-star, while Sydney Pollack directs.

William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet

“Moulin Rogue!” and “The Great Gatsby” filmmaker Baz Luhrmann always has a flair for the theatrical, which made him a brilliant fit for 1996’s reimagining of William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet.” Aptly named “Romeo + Juliet,” the film retains much of Shakespeare’s dialogue but features a contemporary setting and characters, trading swords for guns and Verona for “Verona Beach.” The freshly popular duo of Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes make a firecracker pairing at the center of the film, and a a hip soundtrack pairs nicely with Luhrmann’s fast-paced visual approach.