Top 10 Must-Watch HBO Max Shows to Stream Right Now

The White Lotus has become one of HBO's biggest cultural events with a 90% average critic score on Rotten Tomatoes. Mike White's anthology satire of the ultra-wealthy on vacation delivers sharp class commentary and stunning locations, generating 16 Emmy wins across its first three seasons. Career-redefining performances from its ensemble casts ensure it remains a must-watch.

Succession delivers the most incisive portrayal of media dynastic power since Shakespeare's histories. With a 95% Rotten Tomatoes rating, the series follows Brian Cox's Logan Roy and his children—Jeremy Strong's Kendall, Sarah Snook's Shiv—in a vicious struggle for control of a Murdoch-esque empire. The show's 18 Emmy wins underscore its dominance, and its dialogue, dripping with bile and vulnerability, is quoted across pop culture. This drama outshines Industry with its broader cultural resonance and surgical character work, proving that corporate warfare can be as gripping as any thriller. The 2023 season 4 finale drew 2.9 million viewers, cementing its legacy as the defining show of the 2020s.

Hacks stands as HBO Max's finest comedy, anchored by Jean Smart's Emmy-winning tour de force as Deborah Vance, a Las Vegas legend forced to collaborate with a younger writer. Its 95% Rotten Tomatoes score matches the prestige of Succession, but the show excels in a quieter key—blending sharp generational satire with profound emotional depth. Smart's performance captures 40 years of comedy history in every withering glance, and the series' 2023 season finale earned 1.1 million live viewers. Hacks proves that a two-hander can rival any ensemble drama for heart.

The Last of Us shattered the video game adaptation curse, earning a 96% Rotten Tomatoes score. Pedro Pascal's Joel and Bella Ramsey's Ellie navigate a fungal-infested America with devastating grace, and the series became HBO's most-watched new show ever, averaging 32 million viewers per episode across platforms. The show uses its $15 million per episode budget to craft a post-apocalyptic world that feels lived-in, not spectacle-driven. This adaptation redefines what TV can do with beloved source material.

Industry delivers the most unflinching look at modern finance since Wall Street, with a 96% Rotten Tomatoes rating that ties The Last of Us for critical acclaim. Set in a London investment bank, the show follows recent graduates—like Myha'la's Harper—through 80-hour workweeks of brutal competition, sexual manipulation, and moral compromise. Its 2023 season 2 finale drew 0.8 million viewers, a testament to its cult status. The show's nihilistic energy and season 3 renewal prove that prestige TV can thrive on raw discomfort, offering a stark counterpoint to Succession's dynastic glitz.

Band of Brothers is the most immersive and emotionally complete depiction of WWII combat ever filmed, earning a 9.4 IMDb rating. Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks' 2001 miniseries follows Easy Company from D-Day to V-E Day, with 10 episodes costing $125 million to produce.

Scavengers Reign achieves a perfect 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, making it among the most original science fiction television ever produced. Max's animated series follows survivors of a spacecraft crash on a lush alien planet, with each 25-minute episode costing $2 million to animate.