HBO Max best new shows – quick links
HBO Max: new this week
Heated Rivalry – 28 November
Series. Two-episode premiere, followed by weekly episodes, same day as the US (6 episodes). Created by award-winning Canadian writer-director-producer Jacob Tierney (Letterkenny, Shoresy) and adapted from Rachel Reid’s best-selling Game Changers book series, Heated Rivalry chronicles the story of rival hockey players Shane and Ilya.
What starts as a secret fling ignites into an all-consuming blaze, culminating in a powerful love story. Watch the trailer.
Picnic at Hanging Rock (Director’s Cut) – 1 December
Film. To mark its 50th anniversary in 2025, HBO Max presents an exclusive new remaster of Picnic at Hanging Rock, Peter Weir’s seminal 1975 mystery adapted from Joan Lindsay’s acclaimed novel.
Set in 1900, the film follows the students and staff of Appleyard College during a summer excursion to Victoria’s Hanging Rock, where a seemingly idyllic picnic unravels after several girls and a teacher mysteriously disappear.
A landmark of the Australian New Wave, the film earned both commercial and critical acclaim, becoming one of Australia’s most iconic and influential works. It was later voted the greatest Australian film of all time by the Victorian Centenary of Cinema Committee and the NFSA.
The Family McMullen – 5 December
Film. Written and directed by Edward Burns, the film takes place 30 years after the original indie hit The Brothers McMullen premiered in 1995. The Family McMullen stars Connie Britton and Michael McGlone, reprising their roles from The Brothers McMullen, alongside Tracee Ellis Ross, Juliana Canfield, Pico Alexander, Brian d’Arcy James and Halston Sage.
The sequel tracks the romantic entanglements of a now 50-something Barry McMullen (Burns) and his 20-something kids, as well as his brother Patrick (McGlone) and widowed sister-in-law Molly (Britton), who are also facing unexpected romantic hurdles. Watch the trailer.
HBO Max: recently added
Love, Lizzo
Film. Follows Lizzo’s life from her humble beginnings to her meteoric rise. Having an intimate look into the moments that shaped her hard-earned rise to fame, success, love and international stardom. Watch the trailer.
Low Country: The Murdaugh Dynasty – 27 November
Mini series. Follows the investigation of Alex Murdaugh, a lawyer accused of murdering his wife and his son Paul on the night of 7 June 2021. Watch the trailer.
Holiday Harmony – 29 November
Film. A likeable and talented underdog gets momentarily sidelined from chasing her musical dreams when her van breaks down in a welcoming small town just before Christmas. Watch the trailer.
Wild Cherry
Series. Created and written by BAFTA-award winning Nicôle Lecky, Wild Cherry is a coming-of-age drama for both mothers and daughters as they navigate privilege, power and social media.
Starring Eve Best, Carmen Ejogo, Imogen Faires and newcomer Amelia May, in addition to Nicôle Lecky, Sophie Winkleman, James Murray, Nathaniel Martello-White, Jason York, Isabelle Allen, Catriona Chandler and Tara Webb.
Thoughts and Prayers
This arresting yet sobering feature documentary captures the current landscape of America’s school safety rituals: where classrooms double as tactical training grounds, bullet-proof backpacks become armour, and conferences showcase the latest survival gadgets for a nation where mass shootings have become a part of everyday life.
Equal parts absurd and unsettlingly real, the film traces the $3 billion active shooter preparedness industry and its effect on students and educators, raising important questions – what are the unintended consequences of intense preparations? How does a focus on combatting violence potentially obscure efforts to treat the causes of gun violence and seek prevention? Watch the trailer.
