HBO Max: quick links
HBO Max: new this week
The Hitman’s Bodyguard (26 July)
Film (2017). A protection agent is tasked with protecting one of the world’s most famous assassins. Action comedy starring Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L Jackson and Gary Oldman. Watch the trailer.
The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard (26 July)
Film (2021). In this action comedy sequel to The Hitman’s Bodyguard, bodyguard Michael and assassin Darius attempt to save Darius’s wife Sonia.
Starring Ryan Reynolds, Salma Hayek, Morgan Freeman, Antonio Banderas, and Samuel L. Jackson.
HBO Max: recently added
Billy Joel: And So It Goes (19 July)
Two-part documentary. An expansive portrait of the life and music of Billy Joel, exploring the love, loss and personal struggles that fuel his songwriting. With unprecedented access to never-before-seen performances, home movies, and personal photographs, along with extensive, in-depth one-on-one interviews, the documentary intimately explores the life and work of Joel, whose music has endured across generations.
Bookish (16 July)
Series. In post-war London, Gabriel Book, a literary enthusiast and bookseller, combines his day job with his favourite hobby – helping solve knotty murder cases. Although happily married to his best friend Trottie, Book is a gay man at a time when homosexuality was illegal. When a new assistant, Jack, arrives at the book shop, it soon becomes clear his appointment wasn’t as random as it at first seems. Created by and starring Mark Gatiss. Watch the trailer.
Back to the Frontier (10 July)
Reality series. Can three modern families survive life on the frontier? From Wall to Wall, pioneers of immersive, living history programming, comes a bold new series that transports three very different families back in time to the 1880s American prairie.
Leaving behind the comforts of the 21st century, they arrive by wagon train, ready to take on every aspect of frontier life: building homesteads, raising animals, growing crops, and even celebrating like it’s 1889. Watch the Max trailer.
Superman Through the Years (8 July)
Documentary. Revisit the legacy of the original superhero before he soars onto the big screen once again. From Christopher Reeve’s legendary portrayal in Superman: The Movie and Superman II, to animated favourites like Superman/Batman: Public Enemies, there’s something for every fan.
For more on Superman, check out the ScreenHub review of James Gunn’s 2025 Superman film reboot: ‘So here we are, with a new Superman film in the year 2025, that grapples with US involvement in foreign wars, immigration, techno-fascism and the mythos of divine purpose. No, it’s not a perfect film, and it often handles these complex themes clumsily, but at the very least I have to applaud James Gunn for being so ballsy with what is such a well-known, beloved IP – and one that is often used to represent the fascist ideal of the Übermensch.’
Read: Superman review: ambitious, imperfect and charming
‘This Superman says ‘you know this story already’ (which is true, unless you’re new to Earth, in which case: welcome! Might I suggest turning back?), and begins in media res after a big battle that culminates in an astonishing loss for the man in cape and tights. From there, it tells the tale of a disillusioned space himbo reckoning with his divine purpose – a purpose which is now at odds with his clean poster-boy image.’
