These are just some of the best movies on HBO Max leaving the streaming service in January 2023.
Despite a tumultuous 2022 for HBO Max, between purged content and canceled originals, there's still been a plethora of fantastic films to watch on the powerhouse streaming service. However, it's around that time of the month when we, unfortunately, have to say goodbye to a handful of them. As we bid farewell to our favorite movies and shows, we can hopefully embrace a whole new suite of content to tide us over for the next month.
HBO Max remains one of the best options available for dozens of legacy films and contemporary blockbusters. Thankfully, there's still ample time to enjoy some of its fleeting offerings. Here are some of the movies you need to watch before they vanish from the service at the end of January 2023.
"Forget it, Jake. It's Chinatown." 1974's Chinatown is unfortunately set to leave HBO Max on January 31. It's a neo-noir film that encapsulates just about everything that makes the genre so compelling, featuring what is likely one of the best screenplays ever written, on top of brilliant performances by Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway. Ignoring Roman Polanski's controversial personal life, he managed to craft what is a legitimate mystery film, leading the viewer through a conflict set in the 1930s that manages to ramp up the intensity across its meaty two-hour runtime.
It's practically essential viewing for anyone who enjoys the noir genre, and one of the great film classics that still hold up today. It's a film that you really ought to see at least once before you die, as not a single minute is wasted on filler.
The Life of Pi, the adventure-drama film by acclaimed director Ang Lee, will be leaving HBO Max on January 31. The film follows Pi Patel, an Indian boy whose life is thrown into absolute turmoil after his family perishes on a freighter ship. Alone, stranded in the middle of the ocean, Pi finds a new friend in a place you wouldn't expect: a ferocious tiger named Richard Parker.
It's a strange setup for a film that works surprisingly well, as the audience forges a genuine relationship with the duo just as Pi does for Richard Parker. But that's just the setup — it's an interesting story with more than just a handful of surprising twists and turns, combined with breathtaking special effects. To say anything more would be too much. Let's just say that there's a reason the film has been lauded so much since its initial release.
Fans of the Harry Potter films will be disappointed: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and its sequel Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald will be gone from HBO Max on January 31. This prequel series follows the adventures of Newt Scamander, a former student of Albus Dumbledore, as he embarks on a variety of magical adventures, ranging from capturing a series of the titular fantastic beasts to defeating the villainous wizard Gellert Grindelwald.
While critical reception to the spin-off prequel series has been mixed, most tend to agree that another visit to the wizarding world is worth the risk. Much like how The Hobbit films expand upon The Lord of the Rings, the Fantastic Beasts films explore more of the world of Harry Potter that may not have been given the limelight in the mainline films.
The special effects masterpiece Jurassic Park, alongside The Lost World: Jurassic Park and Jurassic Park III, will be removed from HBO Max on January 31. A harrowing tale of whether you should meddle with the balance of nature, Jurassic Park follows the eponymous facility where dinosaurs are revived through man's arrogance and technology in tandem. While we may think of dinosaurs as having feathers now, it's hard to deny just how impactful the film's Velociraptors and Tyrannosaurus Rex were in scaring the heck out of us.
The first film remains a highlight of director Stephen Spielberg's filmography, with a top-notch cast that includes Sam Neill, Wayne Knight, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Samuel L. Jackson, and Richard Attenborough among others. While the sequels to Jurassic Park aren't as well received, they're still a fun time if you're looking for cold-blooded creatures causing chaos.
All three John Wick films (John Wick, John Wick: Chapter 2, John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum) will be removed from HBO Max at the end of January. It's a shame, really. The trilogy has cemented Keanu Reeves as one of the great modern-day action stars. Alongside Reeves, you can also find Laurence Fishburne, Ian McShane, and Lance Reddick as regular cast members.
What starts as a simple mob-revenge story slowly escalates into a globetrotting action series featuring betrayals, secret organizations, and networks of assassins. The series has seen universal praise for its intricate choreography, compelling storylines, and fantastic action sequences. A fourth film, John Wick: Chapter 4, is currently slated to release this year, with martial arts master Donnie Yen set to face off against Keanu Reeves in what will likely be an amazing brawl.
The award-winning period piece 12 Years a Slave won't be available on HBO Max after January 31. Being named one of the best films of 2013, 12 Years a Slave follows the biographical story of Solomon Northrup, an African American in 1841 who, after being kidnapped from New York and sold to a plantation owner, must find a way to escape captivity and return to his former life. The film is an unflinching examination of the brutality and callousness that systemic slavery emboldened, and the performance given by esteemed actor Chiwetel Ejiofor has to be seen to be believed.
It's a powerful film that sought to be as authentic as possible, with most if not all the film's most gut-wrenching moments being true to life. It remains a staple of director Steve McQueen's filmography, one that shouldn't be missed by those interested in historical dramas.
Sean Shuman graduated from Northern Virginia Community College with an Applied Associate’s Degree in Information Systems Technology. His true passion, however, has always been writing.
When he’s not contributing to Movieweb, Sean can be found playing video games, cooking, or listening to NoMeansNo — the greatest Canadian cultural export next to Rush.
