Movies

Here's All The 4K Movies Streaming On Max's New Ultimate Ad-Free Subscription Tier

Lord of the Rings Frodo and Sam Warner Bros.
By Ryan Scott/

Goodbye HBO Max, hello Max. Warner Bros. Discovery announced several weeks back that the company was dropping the "HBO" from the name of its flagship streaming service, and that day has come. What does that mean for you, the subscriber? For one, it means a lot more movies and TV shows will be streaming in 4K, and the list of initial titles is pretty impressive. There are, however, a few caveats.

Those who wish to watch movies like "2001: A Space Odyssey" and "Argo" in Ultra HD will need to be subscribed to the new tier offered by Max called "Ultimate Ad-Free." This goes for $19.99 per month and includes access to the service's library of 4K movies and TV shows. There is also a plan with ads for $9.99 per month and a regular ad-free plan for $15.99 per month. Sudheer Sirivara, Global Technology Platform for Warner Bros. Discovery, had this to say:

"We understand the value of offering our users a cinematic playback experience and to that end, we've implemented more advanced technology workflows that allow us to release more 4K content in a faster, more efficient way. Max will offer more than 1,000 films and episodes in 4K at launch, and we'll be adding more every month as we move forward."

The company also notes that all future Warner Bros. movies will stream in 4K once they arrive on Max. Current subscribers will need to make a choice: upgrade to watch stuff in 4K? Or be content with standard 1080p? It is, admittedly, a little frustrating that WBD set a separate price point to watch titles in 4K, but it does take more bandwidth to stream a movie or TV show at a higher quality. Still, passing that on to the consumer feels a bit lame.

Some titles worth checking out in 4K

The Dark Knight Joker Warner Bros.

Another important thing to note is that achieving true 4K through streaming is dependent on a variety of factors. Can your internet connection reliably stream 4K movies? Do you own a 4K TV? This matters a lot in terms of actually getting the benefit of 4K. Setting that aside, let's discuss some highlights from the list of titles available at launch.

For those wanting that big, blockbuster experience from the comfort of home, the MonsterVerse films are included in this initial lineup, including 2014's "Godzilla," 2017's "Kong: Skull Island," and 2021's "Godzilla vs. Kong." All that monster carnage is made all the more glorious in Ultra HD, I assure you. Sticking with that blockbuster theme, Peter Jackson's "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, both the extended and theatrical cuts, are streaming in 4K on Max right now. This serves as a great excuse to revisit one of the greatest trilogies ever made.

Going back in time a bit, I am admittedly not the biggest musical guy, but certain classics truly benefit from the 4K experience. For that reason, "Singin' in the Rain" popped out on this list, and watching Gene Kelly do his thing in crispy HD seems like a great use of one's time. There's also "The Wizard of Oz," one of the most important and beloved movies ever made, now available in 4K at the click of a button. All of that technicolor beauty will benefit greatly from the higher resolution.

And for the comic book movie fans among you, there is no better place to start than Christopher Nolan's masterpiece "The Dark Knight," a movie that needs no introduction. And for those who just want a visual feast of a superhero movie? Zack Snyder's "Watchmen" is also streaming in 4K, and for my money, it's worth a revisit. Check out the full list of 4K titles available on Max at launch below.

Here's every 4K movie on Max at launch

2001: A Spacy Odyssey Warner Bros.

  • 2001: A Space Odyssey

  • 2nd Annual Ha Festival: The Art Of Comedy

  • 8-Bit Christmas

  • A Christmas Mystery

  • A Christmas Story Christmas

  • A Clockwork Orange

  • A Hollywood Christmas

  • Ahir Shah: Dots

  • Aida Rodriguez: Fighting Words

  • Amy

  • And Just Like That... The Documentary

  • And Just Like That...

  • Antlers

  • Aquaman

  • Argo

  • Avenue 5

  • Bad Education

  • Barbarian

  • Barry (S2, S3) *S1 & S4 will be available on June 23.

  • Batman (1989)

  • Batman & Robin

  • Batman And Harley Quinn

  • Batman Begins

  • Batman Forever

  • Batman Returns

  • Batman V Superman: Ultimate Edition

  • Betty

  • Big Little Lies

  • Birds Of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn)

  • Black Adam

  • BrenĂ© Brown: Atlas Of The Heart

  • C.B. Strike

  • Casablanca

  • Catherine The Great

  • Chernobyl

  • Chris Redd: Why Am I Like This?

  • Coastal Elites

  • Colin Quinn & Friends: A Parking Lot Comedy Show

  • Cry Macho

  • Dc League Of Super-Pets

  • Death On The Nile

  • DMZ

  • Don't Worry Darling

  • Dune

  • East Of Eden

  • Edge Of Tomorrow

  • Elvis

  • Empire Of Light

  • Euphoria

  • Euphoria: Trouble Don't Last Always

  • Expecting Amy

  • Fahrenheit 451

  • Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them

  • Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald

  • Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets Of Dumbledore

  • Father Of The Bride

  • Free Guy

  • Friends: The Reunion

  • From The Earth To The Moon

  • Game Of Thrones

  • Gaming Wall St

  • Garcia!

  • Giant

  • Godzilla

  • Godzilla vs. Kong

  • Goodfellas

  • Gossip Girl

  • Ha Festival: The Art Of Comedy

  • Hacks

  • Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return To Hogwarts

  • Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets

  • Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 1

  • Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2

  • Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire

  • Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince

  • Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix

  • Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban

  • Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone

  • Heaven's Gate: The Cult Of Cults

  • His Dark Materials

  • Holiday Harmony

  • House Of The Dragon

  • House Party

  • I Hate Suzie

  • In The Heights

  • Industry

  • Irma Vep

  • It Chapter Two

  • It's A Sin

  • Joker

  • Judas And The Black Messiah

  • Julia

  • Justice League

  • Kimi

  • King Richard

  • Kong: Skull Island

  • Landscapers

  • Lizzo: Live In Concert

  • Lord Of The Rings, The: The Fellowship Of The Ring

  • Lord Of The Rings, The: The Fellowship Of The Ring (Extended Version)

  • Lord Of The Rings, The: The Return Of The King

  • Lord Of The Rings, The: The Return Of The King (Extended Version)

  • Lord Of The Rings, The: The Two Towers

  • Lord Of The Rings, The: The Two Towers (Extended Version)

  • Love, Lizzo

  • Lovecraft Country

  • Low Country: The Murdaugh Dynasty

  • Magic Mike

  • Malcolm X

  • Malignant

  • Man Of Steel

  • Mare Of Easttown

  • Marlon Wayans Presents: The Headliners

  • Marlon Wayans: You Know What It Is

  • Matrix Reloaded

  • Matrix Resurrections

  • Matrix Revolutions

  • Menudo: Forever Young

  • Mortal Kombat

  • Mosaic

  • Moses Storm: Trash White

  • My Brilliant Friend

  • My Gift: A Christmas Special From Carrie Underwood

  • Native Son

  • No Sudden Move

  • Ocean's Eleven

  • Oslo

  • Our Flag Means Death

  • Peacemaker

  • Pennyworth: The Origin Of Batman's Butler

  • Perry Mason

  • Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin

  • Rain Dogs

  • Rap Sh!T

  • Reminiscence

  • Rio Bravo

  • Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain

  • Rose Matafeo: Horndog

  • Santa Camp

  • Scenes From A Marriage

  • Scoob!

  • See How They Run

  • Selena + Chef

  • Sex And The City

  • Sharp Objects

  • Shazam: Fury Of The Gods

  • Shazam!

  • Singin' In The Rain

  • Sort Of

  • Soul Of America

  • Space Jam: A New Legacy

  • Starstruck

  • Station Eleven

  • Succession (S1-S3) *S4 will be available on June 30.

  • Suicide Squad

  • Superman: The Movie

  • Sweet Life: Los Angeles

  • Take Out With Lisa Ling

  • That Damn Michael Che

  • The Baby

  • The Banshees Of Inisherin

  • The Batman

  • The Big Brunch

  • The Big Shot With Bethenny

  • The Bob's Burgers Movie

  • The Bridge

  • The Captive

  • The Climb

  • The Conjuring

  • The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It

  • The Dark Knight

  • The Dark Knight Rises

  • The Deuce

  • The Fallout

  • The Fastest Woman On Earth

  • The Flight Attendant

  • The Gilded Age

  • The Girl Before

  • The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

  • The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies

  • The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug

  • The King's Man

  • The Last Of Us

  • The Lego Movie

  • The Little Things

  • The Man From U.N.C.L.E.

  • The Many Saints Of Newark

  • The Matrix

  • The Menu

  • The New Pope

  • The Night House

  • The Nun

  • The Plot Against America

  • The Righteous Gemstones

  • The Sex Lives Of College Girls

  • The Soul Of America

  • The Staircase

  • The Suicide Squad

  • The Survivor

  • The Third Day

  • The Tourist

  • The Undoing

  • The Way Down: God, Greed, And The Cult Of Gwen Shamblin

  • The Weeknd: Live At Sofi Stadium

  • The White Lotus

  • The Wizard Of Oz

  • Those Who Wish Me Dead

  • Titans

  • Tom & Jerry

  • Wahl Street

  • Watchmen

  • We Are Who We Are

  • We Own This City

  • West Side Story (2021)

  • White House Plumbers

  • Winning Time: The Rise Of The Lakers Dynasty

  • Wonder Woman (2017)

  • Wonder Woman 1984

  • Zack Snyder's Justice League

  • Zack Snyder's Justice League: Justice Is Gray

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