best new – From Glen Powell’s disguise-filled revenge thriller to Florence Pugh’s cult-fueled descent, HBO Max’s June slate offers a lineup that runs the gamut—just don’t bring the wrong expectations to movie night.
Movie nights on HBO Max this June come with a simple warning: the hardest part isn’t finding something good—it’s deciding what mood you can actually handle.
HBO Max is adding five standout new films to its catalog this month, spanning horror-comedy, queer romance, big adventure, and two very different kinds of dread. Here are the best ones to queue up now.
Glen Powell swaps disguises for revenge in “How to Make a Killing”
If you enjoyed Glen Powell in disguise-heavy mode in “Hit Man. ” “How to Make a Killing” feels like a follow-up you didn’t know you needed. Powell plays Beckett, a son born out of wedlock into the wealthy Redfellow family—an arrangement that costs him everything. His mother is disowned, and Beckett is cut off from the family fortune.
The catch? He only gets back into the will once he kills the seven relatives ahead of him who are next in line to inherit his grandfather’s billions.
It’s not a perfect movie. But Powell is joined by Margaret Qualley and Jessica Henwick. and both of them “steal every scene they are in.” The film also includes a “pretty funny transformation” for Topher Grace. and it comes from the director of “Emily the Criminal.” If it passed you by in theaters. June streaming is your chance.
Alexander Skarsgård brings danger (and desire) to “Pillion”
“Pillion” arrives with a very specific kind of caution: don’t put it on with family, and don’t start it with friends you don’t know particularly well. The reason is clear—this is a queer, sexually-explicit sub-dom romance, and it doesn’t fade to black.
Harry Melling plays a suburbanite who becomes quickly enamored with Alexander Skarsgård’s biker character. and the relationship turns into something unmistakably consensual and submissive. As their connection grows. they have to test their real compatibility while also working through how their loved ones fit into the picture—at least for Melling’s character.
Both leads are described as exceptionally good at what they do, and the film is framed as both “kinky and romantic.” It’s also been called “something of a miracle” for the way relationships like this are portrayed onscreen elsewhere.
Zazie Beets has to survive a cult’s death-trap in “They Will Kill You”
Some films arrive dressed as entertainment; “They Will Kill You” shows up dressed like a warning label. It’s a bloody horror-action-comedy, and the blood is part of the bargain.
Starring Zazie Beets as a young woman, the movie traps her overnight at the Virgil—a “demonic cult’s mysterious and twisted death-trap of a lair,” where survival is the price of entry. The premise builds toward a “uniquely brazen, big screen battle” packed with “epic kills and wickedly dark humor.”
If you’re the kind of viewer who liked the “Ready or Not” films, this is set up to land the same way. The film is also noted as a place where anime fans can find something to love, with TheWrap’s Zachary Lee calling “the best way” to describe it.
“They Will Kill You” hits HBO Max on June 12.
Spielberg’s 2045 VR adventure is still worth revisiting: “Ready Player One”
June has plenty of reasons to keep your eyes on streaming and theaters at the same time—“Disclosure Day” hits theaters on June 8. and a new season of “House of the Dragon” premieres later this month. But if you’re a fan of Spielberg and/or Olivia Cooke. “Ready Player One” is the kind of rewatch that feels built in.
Based on Ernest Cline’s book of the same name, the film takes place in 2045, when virtual reality has become the go-to way of living. When the creator of that VR world dies, he announces a contest. Whoever finds a golden Easter egg takes ownership of the entire place.
What follows is a competitive race and an adventure designed to move fast. Spielberg leans into what he does best here, and the recommendation is simple: you’ll likely have a solid time.
Florence Pugh descends into brutality in “Midsommar”
“ Midsommar” comes with a stronger kind of honesty. It is scarring, and it is decidedly not a feel-good film. If what you want from movie night is something light enough to let your brain switch off for a few hours, this won’t do that.
But if you’ve somehow missed this early entry into Florence Pugh’s catalog—and you’re into horror like this—it’s a film to check out.
Pugh stars alongside Jack Reynor as a deteriorating couple pulled into a violent cult in Sweden. The situation is already raw for Dani before she ever arrives: her character has to face the murder-suicide of her parents and sister. From there. the film digs into brutality that’s described as incredibly brutal. even as it’s hard to discuss without giving anything away.
The story may be devastating, but Pugh’s performance is singled out as undeniable. Fans and fellow actors have hailed it, and it’s also noted that the experience took its toll on her—so much so that she’s said she likely won’t take a role like this again.
HBO Max June new movies Glen Powell How to Make a Killing Pillion Alexander Skarsgård Harry Melling They Will Kill You Zazie Beets Ready Player One Midsommar Florence Pugh
Why is every streaming list now just horror and sex stuff lol.
I saw Glen Powell and instantly thought this is gonna be like Hit Man again. So it’s literally murder for inheritance? That’s kinda wild but also… kinda sounds like every family sitcom.
Wait “Pillion” is queer sub-dom?? I didn’t read the whole thing, just the headline vibe. Like is it gonna be super graphic or what? I might watch but also I feel like HBO is always “warning” people now like we’re all gonna accidentally see something.
June picks need your attention, sure, but I don’t even have time to pick. I thought HBO Max adds like 20 movies not 5… and then I saw Florence Pugh mentioned and I’m like ok so it’s just another cult thing? Also the “killing the seven relatives” part sounds fake, like how would they even know the order unless it’s already in the will or something, right?