Zack Snyder’s Justice League and the 9 best HBO Max shows and movies of 2021

If there has been a silver lining throughout the pandemic, it’s been the arrival of HBO Max. The streaming service combines the proud legacy of prestige television with blockbuster movies.

HBO Max launched in the United States back in May 2020. At first, the launch left users with many questions about the various HBO platforms. Is HBO Max the same as HBO Now? Is HBO Go still a service? If you have HBO, do you also have HBO Max?

After a confusing start, Warner Bros. finally went with one platform for streaming, HBO Max. The rest is history.

2021 was a landmark year for HBO Max. The network released successful shows such as Succession, Hacks, and Mare of Easttown. However, the biggest change happened when Warner Bros. decided to controversially release their 2021 slate of films in theaters and HBO Max on the same day.

Audience members now had the decision to see films in the theater or for 30 days on HBO Max. In a year with a lot of unknown variables, it wasn’t a bad decision after all. At the end of the day, fans were able to see these movies in 2021 instead of 2022 or even 2023.

The best HBO Max shows and movies of 2021

So what was released on HBO Max in 2021? For starters, a huge blockbuster from Denis Villeneuve. There was also a fresh take on a romantic comedy, a heist film from a genius, and a potential Oscar-winning performance from Will Smith.

Out of all the top releases in 2021, we somehow narrowed down our selections to nine shows and movies. For these rankings, we will include shows and movies that premiered on HBO in addition to programs exclusive to HBO Max. The list is also in no particular order.

Let’s get right to it!