Autumn is here, and HBO Max is ready for it. From A24’s most terrifying film yet to Sharon Horgan’s sharpest comedy in years, September brings the kind of lineup that makes cancelling plans feel like a reasonable life choice. Here are 10 confirmed picks, all on HBO Max right this month.
1. Backrooms (A24/Horror)
A24’s highest-grossing film of all time is now on Max, and it absolutely lives up to the hype. Kane Parsons directs this psychological horror built around the viral internet mythology of the Backrooms, the liminal, fluorescent-lit spaces that feel both infinite and suffocatingly wrong. The film went wide after a record-breaking limited run and shattered A24’s box office records. Going in knowing as little as possible is strongly recommended.
Best for- horror fans who want something genuinely unlike anything else, unsettling, original, and impossible to shake.
2. Youth (HBO Original/Comedy Drama)
Sharon Horgan’s new HBO comedy series is already one of the month’s most talked-about premieres. Set in Dublin, it follows a group of friends navigating their late thirties with the same sharp wit and emotional honesty that made Bad Sisters a phenomenon. Horgan writes and stars, and the ensemble cast around her is outstanding.
Best for- fans of Bad Sisters and anyone who wants a comedy that is genuinely funny and genuinely moving in equal measure.
3. Fuze (Action/Thriller)
David Mackenzie (Hell or High Water, Outlaw King) directs this adrenaline-fuelled action thriller starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Theo James, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, and Sam Worthington. A team of operatives races against time to defuse a catastrophic threat, and nothing goes according to plan. Mackenzie brings the same grounded, propulsive energy that made Hell or High Water a modern classic.
Best for- action thriller fans who want something with real filmmaking craft behind it, not just explosions.
4. JAY-Z in 8 (Music Documentary)
To mark the 30th anniversary of Reasonable Doubt and the 25th anniversary of The Blueprint, JAY-Z sits down for one of the most candid and wide-ranging conversations of his career across eight episodes. The series covers his music, his business empire, his marriage, and his legacy with remarkable openness. It’s the definitive document of one of the most influential artists of the last three decades.
Best for- hip-hop fans, music documentary lovers, and anyone curious about the mind behind the myth.
5. Supergirl (DC/Action)
Milly Alcock takes on the iconic role of Kara Zor-El in this adaptation of Tom King’s celebrated Woman of Tomorrow comic storyline. Jason Momoa plays alien bounty hunter Lobo as the film’s antagonist, and he’s clearly having the time of his life. While the film underperformed at the box office, critics and comic fans have warmed to it considerably on streaming.
Best for- DC fans, Milly Alcock fans from House of the Dragon, and anyone who wants a superhero film with a genuinely different tone.
6. 4 Blocks Zero (Crime Drama Series)
The prequel to 4 Block, one of Europe’s most acclaimed crime dramas, arrives on Max this month. Set in Berlin’s Neukölln district, it explores how the Hamady criminal empire first rose to power a generation before the events of the original series. It’s available in both German and Arabic, reflecting the community it depicts.
Best for- fans of European crime drama and anyone who wants something with real cultural specificity and weight.
7. Pearl (Horror)
Ti West’s stunning prequel to X is now on Max, and it’s arguably the stronger film of the two. Mia Goth gives one of the most fearless performances of recent years as a young woman in 1918 Texas whose desperate dreams of stardom curdle into something deeply disturbing. Furthermore, MaXXXine also arrived on Max this month, making it the perfect time to watch all three films in West’s trilogy back to back.
Best for- horror fans and anyone who wants a genuinely great performance inside a genre film.
8. A Killer Story (True Crime Documentary Series)
This three-part documentary series covers the case of Dana Chandler, accused of killing her ex-husband and his new girlfriend in 2002, across three trials spanning two decades. The case involves family conflict, betrayal, and serious questions about misconduct that make it one of the most complicated true crime stories in recent memory.
Best for- true crime fans who want something genuinely complex rather than a straightforward whodunit.
9. Zombieland + Zombieland: Double Tap (Horror Comedy)
Both Zombieland films landed on Max at the start of the month, making this the perfect double bill for early Halloween season. The original remains one of the sharpest horror comedies ever made, and the sequel delivers more of exactly what fans wanted. The cameo in the first film is still one of cinema’s great surprise moments.
Best for- horror comedy fans, Halloween warm-up viewing, and anyone who wants something fun that doesn’t take itself seriously.
10. William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet (Romance/Drama)
Baz Luhrmann’s visually electric 1996 adaptation, with Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes, is now on Max. It remains one of the most inventive Shakespeare adaptations ever made, transplanting the play into a gun-toting, neon-drenched modern cityscape. Moreover, the soundtrack is a genuine classic of 90s cinema.
Best for- a stylish, emotional rewatch, or a first-time watch for anyone who dismissed it as a school assignment.
