Well, I must say, HBO Max, has done a devilishly clever job at creating a relationship akin to that of a possessive lover. One moment you’re signing up for a month, a mere taste of the streaming platform’s myriad delights, and before you know it, you’re hooked. Indeed, it’s almost laughable how HBO Max ensnares its subscribers, luring them into a technicolor web spun with an irresistible blend of nostalgia, creativity, and Hollywood glamour. Friends and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air make us nostalgic for a simpler time.
And then there’s Game of Thrones, ensuring we’re kept wide-eyed till the wee hours, filling our dreams with dragons and epic fights. Now, let’s not forget the brilliant ploy of rotating content. Just as we think we’re ready to say farewell, HBO Max reels us back in with the promise of fresh, captivating shows filled to the brim with A-listers — Succession, The Undoing, and Westworld. It’s a shamelessly never-ending loop of entertaining delight. It’s like having a Michelin-star chef who refuses to let you leave the table hungry. And with that, here are some of the best HBO Max shows with A-list actors that keep our hearts — and remotes — tuned in perpetually.
10. White House Plumbers (2023) — Woody Harrelson and Justin Theroux
Based on the 2007 book Integrity by Egil Krogh and Matthew Krogh, the satirical political drama television miniseries White House Plumbers was produced and written by Alex Gregory and Peter Huyck and directed by David Mandel. White House Plumbers provides background on the Watergate scandal’s historical setting. After the break-in at the Watergate building, which housed the Democratic National Committee, the Plumbers engaged in a string of unlawful operations, eventually leading to the scandal.
Woody Harrelson plays E. Howard Hunt, a CIA man who, after the Pentagon Papers were leaked in 1971, became part of the White House Plumbers and was tasked with tracking out the leakers. Hunt spent 33 months in prison after being found guilty of burglary, conspiracy, and eavesdropping. G. Gordon Liddy, played by Justin Theroux, was a White House lawyer who assisted Hunt in orchestrating the break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters in the Watergate complex. The Senate committee investigating Watergate found Liddy guilty of burglary, conspiracy, and refusal to testify. As a result of the charges, he spent over 52 months in federal prison.
9. And Just Like That — Sarah Jessica Parker
And Just Like That is a remake of the popular TV show Sex and the City. Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte, and Samantha are four women who negotiate relationships, careers, and the ups and downs of life in New York City. The reboot begins some years after the original series ended, and it looks at how the characters have grown and changed. Big, Carrie’s ex-boyfriend, dies in the remake, which becomes a significant plot point. This tragedy acts as a turning point, making the protagonists aware of their own mortality and the precariousness of life.
Carrie, in particular, suffers a period of mourning and introspection after Big dies. Miranda questions her sexuality and wonders if she and her ex-husband may form a new couple with her new love interest. Charlotte struggles with her anxieties and the problems her marriage is having. Fresh characters and plot points introduced in the reboot bring new life into the series. Fans and critics have responded differently to the revival, but the show’s unique blend of romance, drama, and humor continues to win over viewers.
8. The Last of Us (2023) — Pedro Pascal
The Last of Us is a post-apocalyptic television drama produced by HBO and written by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann. The series, based on a computer game by Naughty Dog from 2013, takes place 20 years after a pandemic caused by a widespread fungal infection that transforms its people into zombie-like monsters and wrecks society. The series centers on Joel (Pedro Pascal), a smuggler charged with transporting Ellie (Bella Ramsey), a teenage immune survivor, across the devastated United States.
Fans were ecstatic about the casting of Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey. Both performers have shown their talent in hit shows like Game of Thrones and The Mandalorian, and their performances bring the iconic characters to life with nuance and emotional impact. The Last of Us is the first HBO series based on a video game, and multiple critics have voted it the best video game adaptation. They have also praised the series’ actors, narrative, production design, and score. The show got numerous nominations, including 24 for Primetime Emmys.
7. The Undoing (2020) — Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant
Miniseries The Undoing is a riveting psychological drama that debuted on HBO in October 2020. The series was developed by David E. Kelley and directed by Susanne Bier, featuring six episodes. The show stars Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant and is based on the 2014 novel You Should Have Known by Jean Hanff Korelitz. Grace Fraser, played by Kidman, is a brilliant therapist who appears to have the perfect family life with Jonathan (Hugo Grant), her devoted husband, and their little boy.
However, their world starts to unravel when a woman with whom Jonathan has been having an affair is found dead, and he becomes the prime suspect. Grace’s struggle with her husband’s betrayal, the brutal murder, and the subsequent court case take viewers on a challenging, winding path as the series progresses. Grace struggles throughout the series to accept the notion that her husband is a killer, confront her denial, and reevaluate the people she thought she knew. The tense plot, Bier’s moody direction, and the outstanding performances (especially from Kidman and Grant) earned The Undoing high marks and many nominations, including a Golden Globe.
6. Barry (2018 – 2023) — Bill Hader and Henry Winkler
Alec Berg and Bill Hader’s Barry is an American dark comedy-drama series in which Hader stars. The story centers on Barry Berkman (Bill Hader), a former Marine turned hitman who desperately tries to leave his criminal past behind. When Barry goes to Los Angeles to eliminate a target, he becomes caught up in the city’s thriving theater community and decides to join it. However, extricating himself from his old life proves far more complicated than he anticipated.
What makes Barry so appealing is how it mixes crime, drama, and dark comedy in a wholly new and distinct way. Hader gives a brilliant performance, expertly balancing the emotional intensity of a hitman wrestling with his conscience and the humorous clumsiness of a newcomer to the acting world. Henry Winkler, who won an Emmy for his performance, shines as acting coach Gene Cousineau. The writing of Barry was also praised for its multifaceted characters and the way it balanced humor and a captivating story.
5. Big Little Lies (2017-2019) — Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, and Meryl Streep
Based on Liane Moriarty’s 2014 novel, David E. Kelley’s Big Little Lies is a captivating American drama series. The show follows a group of ladies dealing with their own issues and secrets in the lovely seaside town of Monterey, California. It delves into the seemingly ideal lives of these women and unearths a network of deceit, domestic strife, and murder.
The first season featured outstanding actresses, including Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, and Shailene Woodley, and the second season added Meryl Streep. Madeline, played by Witherspoon, is an independent, energetic lady who puts on an act to hide her flaws. Celeste, portrayed by Kidman, is a lawyer-turned-stay-at-home mom dealing with an abusive relationship, while Jane, portrayed by Woodley, is a young single mom with a troubled past. The show was highly acclaimed, winning several major awards, including Emmys and Golden Globes.
4. Fired on Mars (2023) — Luke Wilson
Nate Sherman and Nick Vokey’s Fired on Mars is an animated science fiction comedy series for adults. It’s based on their short animated film of the same name, which came out in 2016. Luke Wilson stars as graphic designer Jeff Cooper, who lives and works in the lone Martian colony for the tech startup Mars.ly.
After being laid off for being surplus to requirements, Jeff is stranded in the Mars.ly colony with no other options or a way to return to Earth. He fights to reinvent himself and find a purpose by listening to strange gurus and attempting to escape the unfriendly Mars.ly corporate structure while maintaining a long-distance relationship with his Earth girlfriend, Hannah (Chase Bernstein).
3. Westworld (2016-2022) — Anthony Hopkins, Thandie Newton, Evan Rachel Wood, and Ed Harris
Developed from Michael Crichton’s 1973 film of the same name, Westworld is an upscale science fiction series. A futuristic Western-themed amusement park staffed by artificial “hosts” is the backdrop for the show’s action in the fictional Westworld. These hosts, who can’t be told apart from real people, are designed to cater to their visitors’ every whim. However, things take a sinister turn when a few hosts develop an awareness of their own existence and begin to question it, prompting an investigation into the nature of the mind and humanity.
Among the many talented actors featured in Westworld are Anthony Hopkins, Evan Rachel Wood, Thandie Newton, Jeffrey Wright, Ed Harris, and James Marsden. Both critics and audiences have given the show excellent reviews for its acting, plot, production standards, and the ethical problems it poses. Numerous Emmy nominations and wins in technical categories have brought attention to the show’s stellar work in areas like special effects, production design, and sound editing, among others.
2. Watchmen (2019) — Regina King
Watchmen, by Damon Lindelof, is a critically acclaimed limited series about a superhero drama. It’s a “remix” of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ original graphic novel from the 1980s. The show isn’t a direct adaptation but rather an expansion of the Watchmen canon that takes place about 30 years after the events of the comics. In this alternate present-day America, superheroes and masked vigilantes are illegal due to the danger they pose to society. It depicts a community struggling with racial tension, police brutality, and the aftereffects of trauma and delves into these problems at length and with clarity.
Angela Abar (Regina King), a detective in Tulsa, Oklahoma, disguises herself and her family to evade the Seventh Kavalry, a white supremacist organization. Complex personalities and secrets are woven throughout the show’s plot, which features both original characters from the comics and newcomers. Watchmen garnered widespread praise for its storytelling, thematic depth, and innovative approach to the source material. Regina King earned an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series. With its mix of superhero mythos and real-world social commentary, the show itself was seen as an ambitious exploration of American history and racial injustice, earning 26 Emmy nominations and 11 wins.
1. Succession (2018-2023) — Brian Cox
A darkly comic and dramatic look into the lives of the ultra-rich Roy family, who oversees one of the world’s largest media and entertainment companies, Succession is a critically praised television drama series produced by Jesse Armstrong. The story sees Logan Roy (Brian Cox), the family patriarch, getting close to retirement, and no obvious heir is apparent.
As a result, his children Kendall (Jeremy Strong), Siobhan (Sarah Snook), Roman (Kieran Culkin), and Connor (Alan Ruck) are thrust into the tense, dramatic, and occasionally darkly humorous waters of power, family ties, and personal demons. Succession has received high reviews for its excellent prose, multifaceted characters, and insightful comments on the nature of riches and power.