Max might not be quite as popular as Netflix, but you shouldn't sleep on this excellent streaming service. Owned by Warner Bros., Max is home to many classic movies and fantastic modern horror films.
This May, the streaming service has licensed several notable additions to its catalog, like The Shining and The Silence of the Lambs. But among the new movies being added next month, there are also a couple of duds.
Here are the horror movies worth watching on Max in May and a couple you can skip.
The Shining (1980)
The Shining is considered one of the best Stephen King adaptations ever and a classic, timeless horror movie. Whether you've seen the movie or want to revisit it, you cannot go wrong with this title.
Jack Nicholson plays Jack Torrance, who has just been hired as a winter caretaker at the ominous Overlook Hotel, a place with a dark and haunted past. Jack and his family, including his wife Wendy (Shelley Duvall) and son Danny (Danny Lloyd), pack up to stay over the winter. But when Jack begins unraveling the hotel's many secrets, his sanity breaks, causing him to morph into a danger to his family.
Chronicle (2012)
If you enjoyed Michael B. Jordan's epic performance in Sinners, then you should check out this 2012 found-footage movie he co-starred in with Dave DeHaan and Alex Russell. Max will also be adding the director's cut.
DeHaan plays an awkward teen named Andrew, who prefers to see the world via his video camera. So he's equipped to film when he and his two friends, Steve (Jordan) and Matt (Russell), stumble upon a mysterious substance that gifts them powers. Part superhero movie and part sci-fi thriller, Chronicle follows the teenagers as they explore their new abilities and give rise to their darker desires.
Hannibal (2001)
SKIP! Hannibal is a sequel to the 1991 film The Silence of the Lambs and is also based on a Thomas Harris novel. But even though this movie was directed by Ridley Scott, one of the only positive elements is the cast. Anthony Hopkins did return to play Hannibal Lecter, and he was joined by Ray Liotta and Julianne Moore. Overall, Hannibal just falls short of its predecessor in too many ways.
The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
One of the primary reasons I suggest skipping Hannibal (2001) is because Max will also be getting this beloved 1991 psychological thriller movie starring Jodie Foster as FBI trainee Clarice Starling. Clarice's boss, Jack Crawford (Scott Glenn), assigns her to interrogate known sociopathic murderer and brilliant psychiatrist Dr. Hannibal Lector (Anthony Hopkins).
Hannibal has been imprisoned for various acts of murder and cannibalism, but Crawford thinks the young and bright Clarice might be able to bait him into answering questions about an active serial killer.
A Haunted House (2013)
SKIP! A Haunted House and A Haunted House 2 are both coming to Max in May. The films are similar to the Scary Movie franchise in that they parody popular horror movies. Marlon Wayans was also involved with producing these films, which spoof Paranormal Activity and more. Neither of the Haunted House movies were critically well-received. You'd be better off revisiting the Scary Movie franchise.
Kong: Skull Island (2017)
Kong: Skull Island is the second official entry in Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures' MonsterVerse, which also includes Gareth Edwards' Godzilla and the more recent Godzilla vs. Kong movies. Skull Island sets the stage for King Kong's entry into the franchise.
Set in the 1970s, the film follows a group of scientists, soldiers, and explorers as they venture to a mysterious island on the Pacific Ocean and become entangled in a dangerous fight between primal beasts.