Best Shows on HBO Max Right Now (April 2021)

HBO's streaming service has a mix of original programming and long-running series exclusive to HBO Max. Like the now-discontinued HBO Go service, HBO Max gives users access to everything available on the premium channel plus other exclusive content. Here's what to watch on HBO Max this month.

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The Lady and the Dale (2021): Most Scandalous Corporate Corruption Story

Elizabeth Carmichael in the Lady and the Dale — HBO

IMDb Rating: 6.8

Genre: Documentary, Biography, Crime

Starring: Elizabeth Carmichael, Gerry McGuinness, Candi Michael

Created By: Nick Cammilleri, Zackary Drucker

TV Rating: TV-14

Number of Seasons: 1

At the peak of the 1970's fuel crisis, Elizabeth Carmichael offered Americans a bold solution: a three-wheeled, energy-efficient car called the Dale. Investors showered her with money, but the vehicle never materialized. Facing dozens of fraud charges, Carmichael went into hiding, kicking off one of the wildest FBI investigations in history.

Exposés about corporate scams are in high demand right now, with dueling documentaries about the Fyre festival on Hulu and Netflix and The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicone Valley available on both Hulu and HBO Max. This four-part docuseries pays homage to the original grifter, whose story would be inspiring if it wasn't criminal.

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Raised by Wolves (2020): Best Post-Apocalyptic Space Drama

IMDb Rating: 7.6

Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Sci-Fi

Starring: Travis Fimmel, Amanda Collin, Abubakar Salim

Created By: Aaron Guzikowski

TV Rating: TV-MA

Number of Seasons: 1

On the distant exoplanet Kepler-22B, androids Mother (Amanda Collin) and Father (Abubakar Salim) try to create a new home for humans after religious wars ravage Earth. Unfortunately, the habits of humans die hard, so their experiment eventually goes awry.

Raised by Wolves is produced by legendary Alien series director Ridley Scott, and Scott directed the first two episodes. The show heavily resembles Scott's other sci-fi projects, most notably Prometheus, but it's an original story set in a separate universe. If you don't mind convoluted plots, give it a shot.

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Watchmen (2019): Best Modern Superhero Reboot

IMDb Rating: 8.1

Genre: Action, Drama, Mystery

Starring: Regina King, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Tom Mison

Created By: Damon Lindelof

TV Rating: TV-MA

Number of Seasons: 1

This latest reimaging of the popular DC series begins three decades after the original Watchmen comics. Following a violent attack on the police by white supremacists, detective Angela Abar (Regina King) and police chief Judd Crawford (Don Johnson) adopt secret aliases to restore order in their Oklahoma community.

Despite its modern setting, the show matches the comics' aesthetic, and the new characters fit perfectly in the Watchmen universe. Although the show caused controversy for its themes of vigilantism, it earned a record-breaking 26 primetime Emmy nominations in 2020.

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Westworld (2016): Best Dystopian Sci-Fi Western

IMDb Rating: 8.6

Genre: Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi

Starring: Evan Rachel Wood, Jeffrey Wright, Ed Harris

Created By: Lisa Joy, Jonathan Nolan

TV Rating: TV-MA

Number of Seasons: 3

Welcome to Westworld, an artificial recreation of the American Wild West where wealthy visitors can do anything they want in a village of defenseless androids. It's a great place to indulge your basest desires until the robots become sentient and start fighting back.

Inspired by Michael Crichton's 1973 movie of the same title, Westworld is as thought-provoking as it is beautiful. Judging by the cast alone, it should be no surprise that the show has won nine Emmys and counting. That said, Westworld is also extremely violent, so stay away if you have an aversion to gore.

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Selena + Chef (2020): Most Intimate Cooking Show With a Celebrity Chef

IMDb Rating: 8.1

Genre: Reality-TV

Starring: Selena Gomez, Aarti Sequeira, Jordan Andino

Created By: Aaron Saidman

TV Rating: TV-PG

Number of Seasons: 2

What did you do with your extra free time in 2020? Selena Gomez learned how to cook, and now she can help you become a self-taught chef too! Unlike most cooking shows, Selena+Chef is entirely unrehearsed. In every episode, you get to see Gomez attempt a new dish for the first time, often with a guest chef's help.

It's rare for a reality-TV show to receive unanimous praise, yet Selena+Chef has entranced audiences with its uniquely intimate concept. Gomez films the entire show in her home while all editing and production take place remotely. It goes to show that you're never too talented to learn a new talent.

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Close Enough (2020): Best Animated Sitcom for Millennials

IMDb Rating: 7.8

Genre: Animation, Comedy, Drama

Starring: J.G. Quintel, Gabrielle Walsh, Jason Mantzoukas

Created By: Matt Price, J.G. Quintel, Ryan Slater

TV Rating: TV-14

Number of Seasons: 2

Close Enough is about a married couple of millennials adapting to the trappings of adulthood. Like series creator J.G. Quintel's Regular Show, Close Enough's comedy is lighthearted and highly relatable, especially if you're in the same age group as the main characters.

Although the show contains adult language and humor, it's much tamer than cartoons like South Park. Each episode has two short vignettes, so the plot never gets too complicated, which makes it perfect for watching when you need a mindless laugh before bedtime.

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At Home With Amy Sedaris (2017): Best Parody Home Decorating Show With an Unlikely Host

Amy Sedaris in At Home with Amy Sedaris — Amazon

IMDb Rating: 7.6

Genre: Comedy

Starring: Amy Sedaris, Cole Escola, Ana Fabrega

Created By: Amy Sedaris, Paul Dinello

TV Rating: TV-14

Number of Seasons: 3

In this unlikely parody of Martha Stewart, Amy Sedaris shares her love of cooking, homemade crafts, and entertaining guests. Viewers who remember Amy Sedaris from Strangers With Candy will be surprised to see the comedian's softer side, but this show is just as quirky as her earlier work.

Despite being satire, At Home with Amy Sedaris is highly original and easily digested in small bits. Sadly, the latest season was its last, so be sure to savor this show and not binge it all in one sitting.

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Gomorrah (2014): Best International Crime Drama

IMDb Rating: 8.7

Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller

Starring: Salvatore Esposito, Marco D'Amore, Cristiana Dell'Anna

Created By: Leonardo Fasoli, Stefano Bises, Roberto Saviano

TV Rating: TV-MA

Number of Seasons: 4

An adaptation of Roberto Saviano's book series about a war between crime families, Gomorrah has been a hit worldwide. After a high-ranking member of a criminal operation gets put in jail, Ciro Di Marzio (Marco D'Amore) becomes a key player in the battle over Naples' shady underbelly.

Gomorrah consistently holds a rating of over 90 percent on the notoriously cynical Rotten Tomatoes, which is quite a feat. All seasons are now available to stream on HBO Max, with one last season scheduled to drop in 2021. There's also an Italian film, L'immortale, based on the series starring Marco D'Amore.

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Looney Tunes Cartoons (2020): Best Comeback for Classic Characters

The Looney Tunes in Looney Tunes Cartoons — HBO Max

IMDb Rating: 8.2

Genre: Animation, Short, Adventure

Starring: Eric Bauza, Jeff Bergman, Bob Bergen

Created By: Hugh Harman

TV Rating: TV-Y7

Number of Seasons: 1

Just like Mickey Mouse and the Animaniacs, the Looney Tunes are now making a comeback. Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and Wiley E. Coyote may be living in the 21st century, but their antics haven't changed. Looney Tunes Cartoons is an excellent reintroduction, or introduction, to classic childhood characters.

Everything from the animation to the voice acting to the musical scores matches the classic shorts from the 1930s and 1940s. Based on that track record, Looney Tunes Cartoons will likely stand the test of time.

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The Flight Attendant (2020): Best One Night Stand Gone Very Wrong Book Adaptation

Kaley Cuoco in The Flight Attendant (2020) — HBO

IMDb Rating: 7.2

Genre: Comedy, Drama, Mystery

Starring: Kaley Cuoco, Michiel Huisman, Zosia Mamet

Created By: Steve Yockey

TV Rating: TV-14

Number of Seasons: 1

A drunken layover in Bangkok ends horribly when flight attendant Cassie Bowden (Kaley Cuoco) wakes up in a strange bed next to a dead passenger. Unable to recall the previous evening events, she decides not to tell anyone, including the federal agents who greet her when she returns home.

Kaley Cuoco, who also serves as a producer, sympathetically portrays a flawed character who you want to root for, even if she might have done horrible things. The Flight Attendant is an adaptation of a 2018 book by Chris Bohjalian, which you should check out if you like the show.

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Doom Patrol (2019): Best DC Superhero Team Up

IMDb Rating: 7.9

Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy

Starring: Diane Guerrero, April Bowlby, Matt Bomer

Created By: Jeremy Carver

TV Rating: TV-MA

Number of Seasons: 2

Doom Patrol comes from the DC Universe and features characters from the 2018 series Titans. Chief (Timothy Dalton), a wealthy doctor who takes in social rejects with supernatural powers and trains them to fight evil, leads the titular team. It's kind of like The Umbrella Academy, which means it's awesome.

The first season of Doom Patrol received several award nominations, including Best Streaming Superhero Television Series at the Saturn Awards. The series originally debuted on the DC Universe streaming service, but future episodes will stream exclusively on HBO Max. They announced the third season for 2021.

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Heaven’s Gate: The Cult of Cults (2020): Best Documentary About a Creepy Cult

IMDb Rating: 7.4

Genre: Documentary, Crime

Starring: Robert Balch, Janja Lalich, Benjamin Zeller

Created By: Clay Tweel

TV Rating: TV-MA

Number of Seasons: 1

In 1997, 39 members of the Heaven's Gate cult committed ritual suicide in San Diego, California. This four-part miniseries offers an unprecedented look inside the mad world of the cult's enigmatic leader Marshall Applewhite through a mix of never-before-seen archival footage and original interviews.

Produced by CNN, this docuseries meets the rigorous standards of investigative journalism. Some of the interviews with surviving family members and ex-cult members are heartbreaking, so have a box of tissues nearby.

Watch Heaven’s Gate: The Cult of Cults Now

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Equal (2020): Best Pre-Stonestall LGBT History Docuseries

IMDb Rating: 6.5

Genre: Documentary, History

Starring: Billy Porter, Anne Ramsay, Cheyenne Jackson

Created By: Diane Becker, Melanie Miller

TV Rating: TV-MA

Number of Seasons: 1

You've probably heard of Stonewall, but have you heard of the Daughters of Bilitis? What about the 1966 Compton Cafeteria riots? Equal celebrates the history of LGBTQ civil rights activism before 1969. Even if you consider yourself well-versed in the subject, you'll probably learn something you didn't know.

Each hour-long episode focuses on various individuals, organizations, and movements that played a role in expanding the rights of LGBTQ+ people. This docuseries brings historical events to life through a combination of archival footage and dramatic reenactments by LGBT actors.

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Haute Dog (2020): Best Gameshow for Dog Lovers

IMDb Rating: 6.1

Genre: Game Show, Reality TV

Starring: Matt Rogers, Jess Rona, Robin Thede

Created By: Abi McCarthy

TV Rating: TV-PG

Number of Seasons: 1

You may think you know some fashionable pooches, but you've probably never seen dogs like these. Through various themed challenges, contestants showcase their professional canine-grooming skills in hopes of winning a $10,000 grand prize. Only one can be the top dog groomer.

Of course, the key to any successful game show is an entertaining host and comedian Matt Rogers delivers as “Matt C.” The chemistry between Rogers and the two judges, dog groomer-to-the-stars Jess Rona and actor Robin Thede, make Haute Dog an easy show on which to binge.

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House of Ho (2020): Best HBO Original Reality TV Show

IMDb Rating: 6.5

Genre: Reality TV

Starring: Binh Ho, Hue Ho, Judy Ho

Created By: Beau Willimon

TV Rating: TV-MA

Number of Seasons: 1

Binh and Hue Ho are the embodiment of the American dream. Decades after coming to the US with little more than the clothes on their backs, the Hos today own multiple million-dollar businesses, and now they have a reality TV show.

The Hos are well known in their Texas community thanks to their extravagant way of life, but House of Ho peels back the shiny veneer and shows that they're just like any other family, only a lot richer. Like any multi-generational household (and any family reality show), there's a good bit of drama, but conflicts usually resolve by the end of the episode.

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South Park (1997): Longest Running Cartoon for Adults Only

IMDb Rating: 8.7

Genre: Animation, Comedy

Starring: Trey Parker, Matt Stone, Isaac Hayes

Created By: Trey Parker, Matt Stone

TV Rating: TV-MA

Number of Seasons: 23

Second only to The Simpsons in terms of longevity, South Park has kept its finger on the pulse of American politics and culture for more than two decades. Join Cartman and the gang as they navigate the challenges of being a kid with help from their school cafeteria chef and Mr. Hankey, the Christmas Poo.

South Park moved to HBO Max in 2020, so you won't find it streaming anywhere else. The 24th season kicked off with the appropriately named "Pandemic Special," with new episodes coming in 2021. In case you didn't know, this cartoon isn't for kids, so watch it after they've gone to bed.

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Frayed (2019): Best Comedy About Coming Home

IMDb Rating: 7.4
Genre: Comedy, Drama

Starring: Sarah Kendall, Kerry Armstrong, Trystan Go

Created By: Sarah Kendall

TV Rating: TV-MA

Number of Seasons: 1

Sammy Cooper (Sarah Kendall), a high-street housemaker in London, is devastated by her husband's death. With no place to go, she moves with her children back to her hometown in Australia. Reconnecting with old faces reminds Sammy why she left in the first place.

The show was a hit in the U.K. and Australia when it debuted in 2019, thanks mainly to Kendall's comedic performance. Now an exclusive to HBO Max in the US, Frayed strikes a healthy balance of humor and high-stakes moments.

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The Plot Against America (2020): Best WWII Alternate History Thriller

IMDb Rating: 7.3

Genre: Drama, Thriller

Starring: Winona Ryder, Anthony Boyle, Zoe Kazan

Created By: Ed Burns, David Simon

TV Rating: TV-MA

Number of Seasons: 1

What if Franklin Delano Roosevelt, one of America's most beloved presidents, lost the 1940 election to fascist sympathizer Charles Lindbergh? What would that mean for Jews and other minorities in America? The Plot Against America answers that question from the perspective of a Jewish family in New Jersey.

It's very similar in concept to The Man in the High Castle, which is also based on a novel. While one could certainly argue that the World War II alternate history genre has worn out its welcome, The Plot Against America features strong enough performances and enough twists to keep casual viewers engaged.

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Succession (2018): Most Critically Acclaimed Show on HBO Max

IMDb Rating: 8.6

Genre: Drama

Starring: Brian Cox, Kieran Culkin, Sarah Snook

Created By: Jesse Armstrong

TV Rating: TV-MA

Number of Seasons: 1

As entrepreneur Logan Roy (Brian Cox) nears the end of his life and career, his four kids are already beginning to fight over the family business. However, on his 80th birthday, Logan announces that he has no plans of stepping down anytime soon.

While this family drama may sound similar in premise to the Netflix series Empire, the series has enough refreshingly humorous moments sprinkled throughout to keep things from getting too tense. A massive hit with critics, Succession has won numerous accolades, including Golden Globe Awards for Best Television Series and Best Actor (for Cox).

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Chernobyl (2019): Best Historical Drama About the Cold War

IMDb Rating: 9.4

Genre: Drama, History, Thriller

Starring: Jessie Buckley, Jared Harris, Stellan Skarsgård

Created By: Craig Mazin

TV Rating: TV-MA

Number of Seasons: 1

In April 1986, a nuclear energy plant exploded in Ukraine, causing a cloud of radiation to cover the nearby city of Pripyat. This HBO exclusive, presented in five-parts, tells the story of the Chernobyl disaster from the perspective of the bureaucrats who oversaw it and the first responders who orchestrated the evacuation.

The creators did painstaking research, including reading first-hand accounts from survivors, but they took some liberties with the plot for dramatic effect. Nonetheless, Chernobyl earned a whopping 19 Primetime Emmy nominations and the Golden Globe for Best Miniseries.

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Who We Are (2020): Best Coming-of-Age Teen Drama

Jack Dylan Grazer and Jordan Kristine Seamón in Who We Are (2020) — HBO

IMDb Rating: 7.0

Genre: Drama

Starring: Jack Dylan Grazer, Jordan Kristine Seamón, Chloë Sevigny

Created By: Luca Guadagnino, Sean Conway, Paolo Giordano

TV Rating: TV-MA

Number of Seasons: 1

Fraser (Jack Dylan Grazer) and Caitlin (Jordan Kristine Seamón) are two American teens growing up on a military base in Italy. As they bond over being outsiders, they help each other discover who they are. We Are Who We Are is a pretty standard teen drama, but the chemistry between the lead actors more than makes up for deficiencies in the plot.

Series creator Luca Guadagnino is well known for his critically acclaimed film Call Me by Your Name, which is also about a teenage romance set in Italy, so the parallels are pretty obvious. That said, although We Are Who We Are is about teenagers, it's meant for mature audiences.

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Adventure Time (2010): Best Cartoon Series Kids and Adults Can Enjoy Together

IMDb Rating: 8.6

Genre: Animation, Comedy

Starring: John DiMaggio, Jeremy Shada, Tom Kenny

Created By: Pendleton Ward

TV Rating: TV-PG

Number of Seasons: 10

Even if you've never seen an episode of Adventure Time, you can probably recognize its characters. What began as a series of Nicktoons shorts in 2007 about a boy and his dog traversing a surreal post-apocalyptic world has evolved into a big franchise that includes numerous spin-off comics and games.

If you didn't watch Adventure Time during its first run, now is a perfect time to get acquainted with Finn, Jake, and the rest of the crew. HBO is releasing a limited reboot series called Adventure Time: Distant Lands that will continue into 2021.

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Lovecraft Country (2020): Most Horrific Show About American History

Jonathan Majors and Jurnee Smollett in Lovecraft Country — HBO

IMDb Rating: 7.1

Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Horror

Starring: Jonathan Majors, Jurnee Smollett, Courtney B. Vance

Created By: Misha Green

TV Rating: TV-MA

Number of Seasons: 1

In the 1950s, an African American man named Atticus Freeman (Jonathan Majors) travels to the segregated American south to find his missing father. On top of discrimination from locals, Atticus must also deal with the ghosts of slave owners and monsters from H.P Lovecraft's twisted imagination.

Lovecraft Country is based on a book of the same name, inspired by fantasy-horror author H.P Lovecraft, the show's namesake. Some scenes are brutally violent, and it doesn't pull punches when addressing America's racist past, so viewer discretion is highly encouraged.

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Last Week Tonight (2014): Best Late Night Parody News Show

IMDb Rating: 8.9

Genre: Comedy, News, Talk Show

Starring: John Oliver, David Kaye, Ryan Barger

Created By: John Oliver

TV Rating: TV-MA

Number of Seasons: 8

Last Week Tonight With John Oliver is HBO's flagship late-night talk show, and the number of awards it has won goes well into the double digits. There are rarely any guests or musical performances. Instead, it follows the format of a satirical news program, much like The Daily Show, where Oliver got his start as a correspondent.

Oliver has complete control over his show's content, and he doesn't shy away from political topics. The show introduced “the John Oliver effect,” or instances where the show's fans influenced public policy, such as when viewers flooded the FCC with public comments following proposed changes to net neutrality protections.

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