Although most of Max‘s monthly programming is devoted to endless reality shows, it still has a movie lineup that’s worthy of the HBO name that it used to have. The Warner Bros. Pictures catalog is more than enough for almost any cinema lover, but Max has also brought in a few films that are on loan from other studios.
This month’s picks for the three underrated movies that you have to watch on Max in April are all from the ’90s. And while they captured the attention of moviegoers during their initial release, they’ve fallen by the wayside in the ensuing decades. Let’s change that, shall we?
Ronin (1998)
For his penultimate feature film, director John Frankenheimer made a very old-school action thriller in Ronin. Robert De Niro stars as Sam, a former CIA operative turned mercenary. Sam, Vincent (Jean Reno), Gregor (Stellan Skarsgård), and Spence (Sean Bean) are hired by their contact in the IRA, Deirdre (Natascha McElhone), to retrieve a briefcase from a heavily armored convoy.
Deirdre intentionally keeps the team in the dark about what they’re stealing, and that’s just the prelude to multiple betrayals before the end of the job. This forces Sam to decide who he’s going to trust when his life is on the line and his back is against the wall.
Watch Ronin on Max.
The Thomas Crown Affair (1999)
Pierce Brosnan brought his James Bond swagger to this remake of The Thomas Crown Affair, and it’s one of the best roles of his career. Thomas Crown (Brosnan) is a billionaire who just can’t resist pulling off elaborate heists that only he can fully appreciate. Insurance investigator Catherine Banning (Rene Russo) doesn’t take long to figure out that Thomas is the one who stole a valuable painting, but even she isn’t immune from his charms.
Thomas is so sure of his grand plans that he seduces Catherine while continuing his cat-and-mouse games. But ultimately this game will end, and even the great Thomas Crown may not be able to elude the law forever.
Watch The Thomas Crown Affair on Max.
Internal Affairs (1990)
Richard Gere rarely had as villainous a role during the peak years of his career, but he ventured into some truly dark territory in Internal Affairs. On the surface, LAPD officer Dennis Peck (Gere) is a model cop and a shining example for the force. But Peck is secretly one of the most corrupt cops in the city, and he’s bringing other officers down to his level.
Internal Affairs investigator Raymond Avilla (Andy García) soon discovers that Peck and his partner, Van Stretch (William Baldwin), are dirty. However, Avilla isn’t prepared for how far Peck is willing to go to keep his secrets safe. And murdering a friend who crossed him is just the beginning for Peck.
Watch Internal Affairs on Max.
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