12 Best Shows on HBO Max

Is it Max? Or HBO Max? Honestly, who cares: when the programming is as good as it is, what does it matter? Either way, the streaming service formerly known as Max dropped in Australia early in 2024, bringing with it a slew of fantastic original content, as well as classic older shows you’d love to revisit. As one of the newest streaming services to hit our shores Down Under, it’s about time we take a look at the best shows on HBO Max.

We’ve all seen the classic HBO static start-up before a fantastic show and that’s because the company has a history of making high-quality television. In truth, coming up with a list of the best HBO Max series is no mean feat; whether it’s an old favourite like The Sopranos or a new hit such as The Last of Us, the streamer has a laundry of great TV shows to offer, as well as a few you haven’t seen yet and can experience for the first time.

Best TV Shows on HBO Max

• Best HBO Max show overall: The Sopranos
• For drama: Chernobyl
• For action: The Last of Us
• For adventure: Game of Thrones
• For crime: The Penguin
• For comedy: Curb Your Enthusiasm

So, without further ado, check out the best TV shows Max has to offer.

1. The Wire

• IMDB rating: 9.3
• Rotten Tomatoes rating: 95%
• Created by: David Simon
• Starring: Michael Kenneth Williams, Dominic West, Idris Elba, Lance Reddick
• Number of seasons: 5
• Release date: June 2, 2002

When it comes to shows of great cultural significance, The Wire stands alone. A brooding and bloody portrayal of law enforcement in the city of Baltimore, the five-season-long series paints a desolate picture of the criminal drug trade and the undercover police officers tasked with bringing them to justice. The stories are unique, the characters feel intensely realistic, and the action throughout will leave you on the edge of your seat.

Written by American author and former police reporter David Simon, The Wire explores Baltimore as a living entity, unpacking its relationship to law enforcement through five distinct instalments. Every season chronicles a familiar story, complete with the same characters and issues, albeit from a different lens each time. In season one, we follow the illegal drug trade before moving on to the port system in season two. The third instalment covers the city government and bureaucracy, with season four focused on education and schools. Finally, The Wire concludes its comprehensive overview of the troubled city by detailing Baltimore’s relationship with the print news medium.

The entire series is expertly crafted, delicately depicting the fragile ecosystem that underpins the criminal network. We learn more about characters as they interact with different communities, with each season helping to paint a more exhaustive picture of Baltimore’s social and political landscape. Despite this, the series has only really gained traction since going off the air in 2009.

Across its incredible five-season run, The Wire was never a major hit and failed to secure any major television awards. Watching the series in full and noting the remarkable performances of actors like Andre Royo as the recovering heroin addict Reginald ‘Bubbles’ Cousins or the late Michael Kenneth Williams as notorious Baltimore stick-up man Omar Little, it seems almost implausible that the film and television industry didn’t see its value. Raw, real and brutally honest, David Simon’s series remains one of the great productions ever created. It simply wouldn’t be a list of the best TV shows on HBO Max without a serious acknowledgment of The Wire.

2. Chernobyl

• IMDB rating: 9.3
• Rotten Tomatoes rating: 95%
• Created by: Craig Mazin
• Starring: Jessie Buckley, Jared Harris, Stellan Skarsgård
• Number of seasons: 1
• Release date: 7 May, 2019

A historical drama outlining the explosion of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in 1986—the worst nuclear disaster in history, as well as the costliest disaster of all time—Chernobyl takes a few artistic liberties to make what is an awful moment into fantastic television.

Rather than taking a purely objective, eagle-eyed view of the disaster from a historical perspective, outlining the facts the way documentary would, Chernobyl focuses instead on the people left to deal with what was a very unknown situation and showcases their bravery in a moment of international crisis. It’s a sombre story of humanity’s willingness to do incredible things in the face of horror, and shouldn’t be overlooked by anyone with even a passing interest in our history.

As The Guardian‘s Rebecca Nicholson wrote in her review, Chernobyl should not be as enjoyable as it is. Describing the Max TV series as ‘horrifying, masterly television’, she exclaimed that: “As a drama, it is unremittingly grim…But what a thrill it is to see it all playing out so brilliantly. This is television that sears itself onto your brain. In spite of the horrors, five episodes do not feel like nearly enough.”

3. Curb Your Enthusiasm

• IMDB rating: 8.8
• Rotten Tomatoes rating: 92%
• Created by: Larry David
• Starring: Larry David, Cheryl Hines, Jeff Garlin, Susie Essman, J.B. Smoove, Richard Lewis, Ted Danson
• Number of seasons: 12
• Release date: 15 October, 2000

What happens when you take the basic framework of one of the funniest shows ever made, Seinfeld, remove the ‘family-friendly’ guard rails, and make George the main character? You get Curb Your Enthusiasm: Larry David’s other television masterpiece.

What makes Curb so good—apart from how it has no issues in pushing social taboos in a way reminiscent of South Park—is the fact that so much of it is improvised by the actors involved. David comes up with an outline for how an episode will function, as well as directions for each scene, and then the actors figure out how to get there live. It makes every interaction in the show feel strangely honest, as if the characters really are reacting to what one another is saying rather than simply waiting for their cue.

I love Curb, but I also recognise it isn’t for everyone. If you liked Seinfeld, but wished it were a bit more modern and risky, I’d highly recommend it.

4. Game of Thrones

• IMDB rating: 9.2
• Rotten Tomatoes rating: 89%
• Created by: David Benioff, D.B. Weiss, based on work by George R.R. Martin
• Starring: Emilia Clarke, Kit Harington, Peter Dinklage, Sean Bean
• Number of seasons: 8
• Release date: 18 April, 2011

If you try to forget about what ended up being a pretty average ending, Game of Thrones is one of the most influential TV shows of the past decade. From the first episode it’ll hook even the most jaded viewers, and it’ll suck you into a deep and enthralling world of swords and bone.

As it goes on, the show opens new mysteries and closes older ones, but the key focus—the White Walkers—feels as though it’s always on the horizon. At any point, the living dead could breach the southern border, and everything would turn to shit. Unfortunately, the show sits on this tension a bit too long, in our opinion, which definitely makes the final season(s) come off as rushed and incomplete. Storylines that have literally been building from episode 1 are suddenly thrust into their endgame, and there’s a sense of whiplash in having a titanic conclusion appear out of nowhere.

It’s well known that the show outran its source material, with George R.R. Martin yet to release The Winds of Winter, or A Dream of Spring. Here’s hoping he can stick the landing, because although Game of Thrones revitalised fantasy television, it’s also a bit of a cautionary tale.

5. I May Destroy You

• IMDB rating: 8.1
• Rotten Tomatoes rating: 98%
• Created by: Michaela Coel
• Starring: Michaela Coel, Weruche Opia, Paapa Essiedu
• Number of seasons: 1
• Release date: 8 June, 2020

A shocking true-story-turned-black-comedy, I May Destroy You tells the story of Arabella (Coel), a young writer who, after trying to blow off some steam at a nightclub with friends, wakes up the next morning with little idea of what happened. She eventually realises that she had been drugged and sexually assaulted, and begins to withdraw from the world around her.

It’s a deeply troubling story of something that happens all too often, but told in a way that shines a light on the realities often faced by survivors of sexual assault: having their stories nitpicked and questioned, constantly reliving their trauma. The show deeply unpacks the different ways someone can be assaulted, from the harmless to the incredibly harmful. It’s a sobering watch, while still being funny in that ‘how fucked up this this’ kind of way.

6. Industry

• IMDB rating: 7.5
• Rotten Tomatoes rating: 90%
• Created by: Mickey Down, Konrad Kay
• Starring: Myha’la, Marisa Abela, Ken Leung
• Number of seasons: 3
• Release date: 10 November, 2020

If you’re looking for something a bit raunchier, Industry shifts between financial drama and soapy while still delivering well-told stories and characters. The main cast are young graduates who come to work at London-based investment, Pierpoint & Co., and are essentially given six months to prove themselves or be cut loose.

The show is both a look at the harsh reality facing new hires in what is a very intense line of work, as well as a shaming of corporate overwork tactics: with a worker dying of a heart attack in the bathroom within the first episode, and the bank immediately going into damage control to soften the narrative. Gross.

While Industry is a bit raunchy, the show has gone on to deliver a surprisingly deep story about the financial industry so far, with Vanity Fair describing the series as the “missing link” between Succession and Euphoria.

7. The Last of Us

• IMDB rating: 8.6
• Rotten Tomatoes rating: 95%
• Created by: Craig Mazin, Neil Druckmann
• Starring: Pedro Pascal, Bella Ramsey, Gabriel Luna, Isabela Merced, Young Mazino
• Number of seasons: 2
• Release date: 15 January, 2023

We all know the story by now: based on the award-winning video game, it follows two survivors as they make their way across a post-apocalyptic United States. It’s a fantastic story, though, and still has one of the most unique and interesting renditions of ‘Infected’ this side of 28 Days Later.

Here, rather than mindless zombies or rage-filled infected, the creatures of The Last of Us are living people who have been taken over by cordyceps—a real-world parasitic fungus that typically affects insects, but in this world, has made the leap to humans. It leads to a very unique breed of ecohorror, with dead zombies releasing spores into the air that can easily infect anyone that comes close, meaning even in death the creatures can keep causing harm. Add to that amazing characters, and fantastic performances from leads Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, and you have not only one of the best shows on Max, but also on modern television.

Despite only being two seasons in, The Last of Us has already proven to be a breakout smash. In 2023, HBO revealed that the post-apocalyptic series’ premiere was the streamer’s second-biggest launch ever, coming in after House of the Dragon‘s debut. The series even witnessed its viewers grow by more than 20 per cent for the second episode.

In the release, Neil Druckmann, the show’s executive producer and writer/creative director of the game, said, “I’m humbled, honoured, and frankly overwhelmed that so many people have tuned in and connected with our retelling of Joel and Ellie’s journey. The collaboration with Craig Mazin, our incredible cast & crew, and HBO exceeded my already high expectations. Now we have the absolute pleasure of being able to do it again with season two! On behalf of everyone at Naughty Dog & PlayStation, thank you!”

8. The Penguin

• IMDB rating: 8.6
• Rotten Tomatoes rating: 95%
• Created by: Lauren LeFranc
• Starring: Colin Farrell, Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz
• Number of seasons: 1
• Release date: 20 September, 2024

If you watched Robert Pattinson’s The Batman and decided you wanted more of this particular rendition of Gotham City, The Penguin will slake your thirst until the sequel lands sometime in 2027. Here, rather than focus on the world’s greatest detective, we focus on Oswald Cobb: an up-and-coming criminal kingpin with designs on Gotham’s underworld.

The Max series carries over the grim tone and aesthetic from the 2022 film, including the incredible lighting and camera work that made The Batman such an impressive visual feat. That darkness appears to run through the deeds of the new series’ characters as well, with flashes of violence interspersed with Cobblepot telling a story about the local gangster in the neighbourhood where he grew up.

With Carmine Falcone now out of the picture, Gotham’s underworld finds itself in a power struggle, providing the perfect avenue for the Penguin to rise. Standing in his way, however, is Sofia Gigante, daughter of Carmine and former heiress to the crime syndicate.

Played expertly by How I Met Your Mother‘s Cristin Milioti, Sofia is fresh off a 10-year stint in Arkham Asylum for a string of murders and out for fresh blood. Impressively, Sofia provides the tentative link between Cobb and the criminal underworld; however, fractures in their relationship begin to emerge when accusations arise.

It’s effectively a crime drama set within a world with superheroes, which is pretty fascinating and unique, really. Plus, Colin Farrell’s depiction of the titular Penguin is near perfect. He’s not a likable character, but god-damn do you root for him regardless.

And, despite the fact that Farrell has previously said that he “never wants to put on that fucking suit and fucking head again”, he’ll be returning in said sequel to The Batman, as well as a potential second season of The Penguin. Sorry Colin, it looks like you’ll be back in the fat suit once again, which is good news for us. The Penguin topped our list of best TV shows for 2024, with more instalments set to shake this unique Batman lore to its very foundations.

9. The Sopranos

• IMDB rating: 9.2
• Rotten Tomatoes rating: 92%
• Created by: David Chase
• Starring: James Gandolfini, Lorraine Bracco, Edie Falco
• Number of seasons: 6
• Release date: 15 July, 1999

Easily one of the most highly regarded television shows of all time, The Sopranos needs little introduction. David Chase‘s stellar mob epic recounts the story of Tony Soprano, a mafia boss based in New Jersey who begins suffering panic attacks and, reluctantly, starts seeing a psychologist to unpack the impact his life of crime has had on his mental state.

As the head of a crime family, though, Soprano can’t exactly step back from his work. He ends up dealing with increasingly bloody and traumatic events as a fight for the family’s territory heats up, as well as internal struggles with family members.

It’s a classic for a reason. It swings between dark humour and devastating brutality to showcase the duality of the family business. Yes, they’re killers and extortionists, but they’re also people, with families and desires for the future. It’s fascinating, and it leads up to one of the most talked-about endings in TV histo-.

10. True Detective

• IMDB rating: 8.9
• Rotten Tomatoes rating: 79%
• Created by: Nic Pizzolatto, Issa López
• Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Woody Harrelson, Vince Vaughn, Colin Farrell, Jodie Foster, Kali Reis
• Number of seasons: 4
• Release date: 22 February, 2014

True Detective dropped one of the finest first seasons of any television show, ever, back in 2014, and has largely struggled to reach the same level of relevancy since. Led by Matthew McConaughey’s irrepressible Rust Cole and Woody Harrelson’s Marty Hart, the HBO series brought a complicated, messy, human touch to what was a pretty stagnant ‘police procedural’ genre. Through unique mysteries and expert performances, True Detective season one transformed the tired format into a captivating true-crime whodunnit and a quasi-supernatural mystery thriller.

In the years that have passed, the first season has become the subject of much discussion, with fans quick to point out the series’ impressive start. In fact, in his review, Time Magazine entertainment critic James Poniewozik described the series as the ‘greatest thing since The Wire, or maybe since the electrical wire’.

“True Detective was an artfully written, remarkably acted, stunningly visualised portrait of Marty and Rust trying to find the path in an overgrown world of decay,” Poniewozik wrote. “(From Carcosa to the last montage of Louisiana landscapes, Cary Fukunaga made the setting look dead and teeming with life at the same time.) But everyone else around them was a Yellow King, a story device drawn with the minimum amount of pen strokes–the women, the other cops, the bayou big shots, the good ole boys and the bad ole boys. They threw off only enough light to illuminate the two stars.”

Of course, the following seasons are good in their own respect, but fail to meet the incredibly high bar set by season one. The most recent season, headlined by Jodie Foster and Kali Reis, is honestly fantastic viewing until the final act, when the weight of the mysteries set up in the first half struggles to be resolved in any meaningful way. True Detective‘s new showrunner, Issa López, is working on a fifth season now set in New York, and we’re keen to see the show hit the highs it deserves!

11. The White Lotus

• IMDB rating: 8.0
• Rotten Tomatoes rating: 90%
• Created by: Mike White
• Starring: Natasha Rothwell, Jennifer Coolidge, Walton Goggins, Sydney Sweeney, Patrick Schwarzenegger
• Number of seasons: 3
• Release date: 16 August, 2021

Who would have thought that an anthology series dedicated to the weird shit people get up to on holidays would wind up being one of the best shows on Max? The White Lotus is a unique statement pf the wealthy elite and the hospitality industry that serves them, painting an interesting picture of the often unseen power struggle behind luxury. Each season is focused on a different location within the fictional ‘White Lotus’ resort chain and follows the trials and tribulations of its staff and guests as they interact, clash, and slowly unravel.

At the beginning of each season, we see someone’s death, and are then transported back in time to see the days leading up to whatever event led someone to lose their life. It’s a black comedy, so you can expect some fairly dark jokes and socio-political prodding, but the best part of this series is that every season has essentially reinvented itself.

That’s one of the reasons White has said The White Lotus is his dream gig: every season the show ends up being a completely different mystery, in a completely different place, impacting completely different people, and touching on completely different themes. I give points for effort, if nothing else.

12. Barry

• IMDB rating: 8.3
• Rotten Tomatoes rating: 98%
• Created by: Alec Berg, Bill Hader
• Starring: Bill Hader, Stephen Root, Sarah Goldberg, Anthony Carrigan, Henry Winkler, D’Arcy Carden
• Number of seasons: 4
• Release date: 26 April, 2018

What happens when a hitman decides to take up acting? Barry happens. After years of service in the US Marines, Afghanistan veteran Barry Berkman (Hader) takes to a new life of violence in contract killing, but after following a target to an acting class, he learns he honestly wants to escape the life he’s built and start a new one on the stage.

If that doesn’t sound fascinating enough, keep in mind that Hader gives the performance of a lifetime as Berkman, channelling his already dry comedy chops with an intensity and drive usually reserved for a psychotic villain. Plus, Hader’s castmates are equally as fantastic, with Henry Winkler playing the acting coach, unwittingly helping a murderer get his life together. Obviously, though, things start getting complicated when the reality of Berkman’s life starts getting in the way of his new dream. It’s honestly great stuff and that’s not just us saying that. The show didn’t win 44 Primetime Emmys for nothing, so make no mistake, Barry is among the best TV shows Max has to offer.

Things to Consider for HBO Max

With a catalogue of shows, movies and lifestyle documentaries to envy, HBO Max has some top-tier programming, but you’ll also be paying on the high end to access it. You’ll be able to download shows for offline viewing if you pay for one of the ‘ad free’ tiers, and can view content in up to 4K resolution if you pay up for Max’s Premium tier.

Compared to some of the other services out there, though, HBO Max’s newer content might feel a bit thin if you’re not all that keen on HBO’s shows, but there are plenty of classics to fall back on.

How Much Does HBO Max Cost in Australia?

HBO Max subscriptions start at $11.99 per month (with ads) in Australia. The ad-free HBO Max Premium subscription is priced at $21.99 per month, and this is comparable to Netflix Premium ($25.99/month) as it offers the ability to stream on four devices at once, stream in 4K UHD, Dolby Atmos, Dolby Vision, and HDR 10 on select titles. Finally, you can make 100 downloads to watch when internet access isn’t possible.

Here’s how HBO Max compares to other streaming services available in Australia:

Service	Monthly Price	Trial Period	Category
HBO Max	$11.99 (w/ ads) – $21.99 (Premium)	None	Movies & TV
Netflix	$7.99/month — ad-supported, limited features. $18.99/month — two streams, HD quality. $25.99/month — four streams, Ultra HD.	None	Movies & TV
Prime Video	$9.99	30-day free trial	Movies & TV
Apple TV+	$12.99	7-day free trial	Movies & TV
Disney+	$15.99 – $20.99	None	Movies & TV
Kayo Sports	$25 – $40	7-day free trial	Sports
Hayu	$7.99	7-day free trial	Reality TV
Britbox	$9.99	7-day free trial	British Movies & TV
Paramount+	$6.99	7-day free trial	Movies & TV
BINGE	$10 (Basic) – $22 (Premium)	7-day free trial	Movies & TV
Stan	$12 (Basic) – $22 (Premium)	None	Movies & TV
DocPlay	$8.99	14-day free trial	Documentaries

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