If you need the perfect movie to watch this weekend, you can almost definitely find it on HBO Max.
This March, this streamer added a fantastic selection of new movies. From old classics like All the President’s Men to modern masterpieces like the Oscar-winning epic Everything Everywhere All at Once, there are plenty of options for cinephiles both seasoned and casual.
Watch With Us wants to highlight three movies in particular that are new to that platform and would make excellent movie nights this weekend.
Our first pick is the seminal horror movie The Blair Witch Project, the famous found footage flick that terrified the world.
‘The Blair Witch Project’ (1999)
Three film students named Heather (Rei Hance), Josh (Joshua Leonard) and Mike (Michael Williams) venture to a small town in Maryland to make a film about a local legend known as the “Blair Witch.” After interviewing residents about the grisly details of the myth, the trio makes their way into the nearby woods and gathers clues. But as they spend more time in this supposedly cursed wilderness, strange things begin happening, and they lose their map. The young people start to get the crazy feeling like they’re being hunted by someone — or some thing beyond their comprehension.
The Blair Witch Project is notable for being one of the first movies whose marketing came primarily from the internet, and the promotional tactics — which included fake “missing” posters, police reports and “newsreel-style” interviews — led to public speculation over whether the film was real or staged. Ultimately, this uncertainty only played further into how terrifying the film came across to audiences at the time, yet even savvy viewers of 2026 may find themselves unnerved. The sparse, low-budget production and found footage filmmaking give The Blair Witch Project an undeniably grounded atmosphere that makes its scares feel more real.
‘Spider-Man 2’ (2004)
Following the events of Spider-Man, this sequel sees Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) losing his confidence after compounding stressors take a toll on his psyche. Trying to balance his crime-fighting with overdue rent, multiple jobs, schoolwork and the potential eviction of his beloved Aunt May (Rosemary Harris), his powers begin to fade, no longer able to shoot webs from his wrists or scale buildings. But Peter will have to find a way to get his mojo back and fast, as his former mentor, nuclear scientist Dr. Otto Octavius (Alfred Molina), begins wreaking havoc after a deadly accident fuses his body to four robotic arms.
Spider-Man 2 is easily the best installment of Sam Raimi’s trilogy, with a richer emotional focus and a better developed, more compelling villain in Otto Octavius, aka Doc Ock. The film succeeds as a touching romance drama, an exciting superhero adventure and a devastating tragedy. Raimi does a masterful job of spending special effects spectacle with ingenious filmmaking and a moving human story. At the end of the day, Spider-Man 2 is about the best you could ask for in a superhero film.
‘Little Miss Sunshine’ (2006)
The dysfunctional Hoover family sets out on a road trip to Redondo Beach, California, where their youngest member, Olive (Abigail Breslin), has recently qualified for the “Little Miss Sunshine” beauty pageant. On the drive includes Olive’s stressed mom Sheryl (Toni Collette), her motivational speaker father Richard (Greg Kinnear), depressed, suicidal uncle Frank (Steve Carell), heroin-addicted grandfather Frank (Alan Arkin), and withdrawn, fighter pilot-hopeful brother Dwayne (Paul Dano). As the Hoovers make their way to Redondo Beach in their VW bus, the patience of the group is pushed to its limits.
Warm-hearted, tender and life-affirming, Little Miss Sunshine is one to watch with a tissue box at the ready. The fantastic characterization of the ensemble cast gives the film life, and the humor may be dark, but it is often laugh-out-loud funny. The movie is about learning to embrace life’s middle-ground; how there will always be someone prettier than you, better than you, smarter than you or stronger than you, but what’s important is embracing being yourself. If you’re looking for a feel-good movie that will also tug at your heartstrings, be sure to check out Little Miss Sunshine.
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