Three overlooked films on HBO Max that you should check out this weekend (August 29-30).

      I grew weary of just a few trending new releases on my home screen. That's why I discovered three older masterpieces on HBO Max for this weekend's watchlist. Here, we feature a Swedish coming-of-age classic, a true-story drama that delves into the darkest depths of the mind, and a Soderbergh thriller that you can finish before bedtime.

      We also offer guides for the best new movies to stream, the top films on Netflix, the finest movies on Hulu, the best free films available, and the best selections on Amazon Prime Video.

      **Kimi (2022)**

      *Genre: Thriller, Crime, Mystery*

      *IMDb: 6.3/10*

      *Rotten Tomatoes: 92%*

      Angela Childs (Zoë Kravitz) works from her apartment reviewing audio flagged by a smart speaker company, and one day she hears something resembling a murder. The issue is that she suffers from agoraphobia, and reporting it requires her to leave her home for the first time in years. It’s a tense, paranoid thriller focused on what happens when doing the right thing jeopardizes your safety.

      Zoë Kravitz truly excels in this underrated film, expressing sheer panic through hyperventilating breaths and wide, frantic eyes. What captivated me was Steven Soderbergh’s uniquely stylized camera work. He employs wide angles and claustrophobic framing to make you feel as trapped and paranoid as Angela. At under 90 minutes, it’s the type of film you can start after dinner and still make it to bed on time.

      You can stream *Kimi* on HBO Max.

      **The Tale (2018)**

      *Genre: Drama, Biography, Mystery*

      *IMDb: 7.2/10*

      *Rotten Tomatoes: 99%*

      Jennifer (Laura Dern) is a documentary filmmaker who must confront her own childhood after her mother discovers an old story she wrote as a teen. What she remembers as a significant relationship with her coach begins to unravel into something much darker the deeper she examines it. As she uncovers repressed memories, the comforting narrative she constructed to protect herself starts to disintegrate.

      At its core, this film explores how memory serves as a shield, often at a devastating price. Honestly, this one lingered with me for days after watching, which I don’t say lightly. Laura Dern delivers a phenomenal performance, showcasing self-doubt and realization with heartbreaking accuracy. Knowing it’s based on the real life of director Jennifer Fox makes each scene resonate even more.

      You can stream *The Tale* on HBO Max.

      **My Life as a Dog (1985)**

      *Genre: Drama*

      *IMDb: 7.6/10*

      *Rotten Tomatoes: 100%*

      Twelve-year-old Ingemar (Anton Glanzelius) is sent to stay with his uncle Gunnar (Tomas von Bromssen) in a small Swedish village while his mother battles a terminal illness at home. He copes by likening his struggles to Laika, the Soviet space dog sent to die alone in orbit, and develops an unusual friendship with Saga (Melinda Kinnaman), a tomboy. It’s a film about finding absurd, tender ways to navigate grief that one is too young to articulate.

      What I appreciate about this film is its avoidance of cheap melodrama, employing sharp, bittersweet humor to illustrate how children process grief. Glanzelius carries the entire film with a performance that embodies raw childhood resilience without coming across as artificial or overly polished. Decades later, it's still one of the warmest yet saddest films I’ve ever watched.

      You can stream *My Life as a Dog* on HBO Max.