It’s finally time for “The Odyssey,” and HBO Max has plenty of movies that can help you celebrate the occasion. Whether you’re looking for more movies from Christopher Nolan, a companion to one of his best films or just another fantasy epic, there’s a lot you can stream to help you stay in the “Odyssey” mood — or that those who didn’t get opening weekend tickets can watch instead.
Here are the three best movies streaming on HBO Max this week.
“Barbie”
The last time a Nolan film came to theaters, it went head to head with Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” at the box office. Rather than one detracting from the other, the two films became simpatico in one of the summer’s cultural events, “Barbenheimer.”
As Nolan comes to theaters once again, now is a great time to circle back to “Barbie,” a film bursting with creativity and artistic vision despite its highly commercial roots. Through one of the most iconic toys of all time, Gerwig tells a meaningful and personal story about womanhood (and masculinity) in a way that’s funny, approachable and endlessly creative. It’s a cinematic triumph.
“The Dark Knight”
If you want to rewatch something from Nolan himself ahead of “The Odyssey,” you can always circle back to “The Dark Knight,” a film that remains one of the greatest superhero movies of all time. In his “Batman Begins” follow-up, Nolan depicts the Caped Crusader going against his arch-enemy the Joker for the first time in a battle of justice versus anarchy. In a career filled with a few masterpieces, “The Dark Knight” is one of Nolan’s best.
“The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring”
Finally, if “The Odyssey” has you wanting to watch another fantasy epic, there are few more sweeping and high-quality than “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy. In “The Fellowship of the Ring,” Peter Jackson introduces audiences to the sprawling world of Middle Earth, setting the gold standard for fantasy filmmaking from that point forward. Each element of the film — every performance, every location, every costume, every piece of score — works toward creating a cohesive version of a fantastical world beyond our own. It’s magic.
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