There’s not much time left in December, and that means Max subscribers only have a short time to catch some of their favorite movies before they depart at the end of the month. The holidays may be keeping you busy, but if you’re a Max subscriber, you really should check out our complete list of what’s new on Max and what’s leaving, so you have the full picture.
To help you get started, we’ve shared our picks for the five movies leaving Max in December that you have to watch right now. There’s romance and adventure ahead, as well as a terrifying horror film from the mind of Stephen King. And our first pick is one of the best films of the 21st century.
The Artist (2011)
The 2011 Oscar winner for Best Picture, The Artist takes audiences back nearly 100 years to a turning point in the history of cinema. Jean Dujardin headlines the film as George Valentin, a titan of silent pictures who helps make an unknown actress, Peppy Miller (Bérénice Bejo), into a star.
As motion pictures shift from silent films to sound, George places a large bet on himself by financing his own silent movie, which bombs hard against Peppy’s new “talkie.” With his career on the rocks, George is drawn back to Peppy, but can he pull off an improbable comeback and find love at the same time? This is Hollywood, so of course he can.
Watch The Artist on Max.
Garden State (2004)
Garden State is Zach Braff’s crowning achievement as an actor and a filmmaker, and nothing he’s done since has come close to having the same impact as this movie. Braff wrote, directed, and starred in the film as Andrew Largeman, an emotionally stunted actor who returns to his hometown in New Jersey following the death of his mother.
At his mother’s funeral, Andrew reconnects with his old friend, Mark (Peter Sarsgaard), and shortly thereafter, Andrew also meets and befriends Sam (Natalie Portman), an admitted pathological liar who seems drawn to him. Through his new and old friends, Andrew tries to find the strength to move beyond his past and express all of the emotions that have been bundled up inside of him for years.
Watch Garden State on Max.
The Lego Movie (2014)
One of the most brilliant parts of The Lego Movie is that with all of the crossover characters at its disposal, including Lego Batman (Will Arnett), the film’s main character is just a regular Lego guy, Emmet Brickowski (Chris Pratt). Due to a misunderstanding, a Master Builder named Wyldstyle (Elizabeth Banks) believes that Emmet is “The Special,” a prophesized hero who can save the Lego creations from Lord Business (Will Ferrell). Liam Neeson also has an absolutely hilarious turn as the voice of Bad Cop/Good Cop.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse producers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller wrote and directed The Lego Movie, and they successfully captured the spirit and creativity that makes Legos so much fun. This is a terrific film for fans of all ages.
Watch The LEGO Movie on Max.
Looney Tunes: Back in Action (2003)
Director Joe Dante positioned Looney Tunes: Back in Action as the anti-Space Jam, and it was severely underappreciated at the time of its release. It remains a hidden gem in the Warner Bros. library. It’s also a rare adventure story featuring the two most popular Looney Tunes, Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, both of whom were voiced by Joe Alaskey.
After Daffy gets fired by Warner Bros. executive Kate Houghton (Jenna Elfman), he accidentally gets a security guard named Damian “D. J.” Drake, Jr. (The Whale‘s Brendan Fraser) fired as well. Bugs is quick to realize that his act doesn’t work without Daffy as his foil, and Kate’s own job is on the line if she can’t rehire Daffy. But by the time that Bugs and Kate catch up to Daffy and D.J., they’re already searching for the powerful blue monkey diamond, as well as D.J.’s missing father, Damian Drake (Timothy Dalton).
Watch Looney Tunes: Back in Action on Max.
Misery (1990)
What better way is there to spend the holidays than with Misery‘s iconic villain Annie Wilkes? Leave it to Stephen King and director Rob Reiner to make the self-professed “biggest fan” of novelist Paul Sheldon (James Caan) into his greatest nightmare. After coming across Paul after he’s injured from a car accident, Annie takes him to her remote home to recuperate.
Although Paul is initially grateful for Annie’s help, he soon realizes that she is completely crazy, and extremely angry that his new novel killed off her favorite Victorian romance heroine, Misery Chastain. Now, Annie won’t let Paul leave her cabin unless he writes another novel that brings Misery back to life. But even if Paul complies, he’s still completely unprepared for how brutal Annie can be.
Watch Misery on Max.
