11 Best Shows on HBO Max

Man of Many

20-05-2025

By Dean Blake - News
Published: 20 May 2025
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Readtime: 14 min
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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 to figured out what it brings to the table.
We've all seen the classic HBO static start-up before a fantastic show before, and that's because the company has a history of making high-quality tele. In fact, coming up with a list of 'best shows on HBO Max' was honestly pretty difficult, as there's a ton of great shows stuffed in there. Hopefully we've brought together a list of some shows near and dear to your heart, as well as a few you haven't seen yet and can experience for the first time.
So, without further ado, check out the best TV shows Max has to offer.
1. 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 hit-man 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 life-time as Berkman, channeling his already dry comedy chops with an intensity and drive usually reserved for a psychotic villain. Plus, Hader's cast-mates 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 start getting in the way of his new dream.
It's honestly great stuff. The show didn't win 44 Primetime Emmys for nothing.
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 on our history.
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 are 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 was 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 night club 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 nit picked 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.
Yeah, it's a bit raunchy, but the show has gone on to deliver a surprisingly deep story surrounding 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, following 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 that 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 one of the best shows on modern television.
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 decide you want 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.
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 likeable 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.
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 Soprano's needs little introduction. 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, and ends up dealing with increasingly bloody and traumatic events as a fight for the family's territory, as well as internal struggles with family members, heat up.
It's a classic for a reason, and swings between dark humour and pretty devastating brutality where it needs to in order to showcase the duality of the Sopranos. Yes, they're killers and extortionists, but they're also people, with families, and desires for the future. It's fascinating, and 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. McConaughey's Rust Cole, and Harrelson's Marty Hart brought a complicated, messy, human touch to what was a pretty stagnant 'police procedural' genre, taking it somewhere between a true-crime whodunnit and a quasi-supernatural mystery thriller.
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 Jodi Foster and Kali Reis, is honestly fantastic viewing until the final act, where the weight of the mysteries set up in the first half struggle 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
An anthology series dedicated to the weird shit people get up to on holidays, basically. 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 reason's 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.
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 with 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:
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