18 Best HBO Max Original Series

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Though HBO Max is full of great HBO original series and a combination of all WarnerMedia properties that deliver an excellent TV roster on their own, there are also HBO Max original series. Totally not confusing at all!

The list of HBO Max originals is growing larger every day, and below we’ve ranked the 18 best that you can watch right now. We’ve mostly stuck to English language, scripted, live-action series—with one or two docuseries exceptions. But after a string of recent successes, we predict there will be plenty more great Max Originals to come.

18. The Sex Lives of College Girls

Created by: Mindy Kaling & Justin Noble
Stars: Amrit Kaur, Pauline Chalamet, Renee Rapp, Alyah Chanelle Scott, Gavin Leatherwood, Chris Meyer, Ilia Isorelýs Paulino, Renika Williams, Lolo Spencer, Midori Francis

Watch on HBO Max

For many years, television has avoided college campuses. Teen dramas historically contain themselves to high school, and if the characters are allowed to escape that purgatory and graduate, the show often struggles to either let them go or find realistic storylines for them. On the flip side, young adult series often skip the intermediary college step and plunge directly into post-grad life, missing the significant amount of growth that occurs while teenagers are away from their parents for the first time. Luckily, The Sex Lives of College Girls pes directly into the deep end of the partying, hook-ups, and self-realization that happens at college.

The series centers on four girls from extremely different backgrounds who have been grouped together as roommates at the esteemed and picturesque Essex College in the Northeast. Bela (Amrit Kaur) fancies college as a place to finally explore sex after being raised in a conservative household; Kimberly (Pauline Chalamet) comes from a small town and lacks street smarts; Leighton (Renee Rapp) is a legacy student who seemingly has everything going for her but is hiding a big secret; and Whitney (Alyah Chanelle Scott) is a star soccer player who has to balance the expectations that come with being a senator’s daughter. The show isn’t exactly breaking new ground in terms of its romantic and identity-based storylines, but it approaches each girl’s predicaments with a tangible amount of love and understanding. More importantly, The Sex Lives of College Girls makes the case that college is messy, and that’s precisely why we need to see more of it. —Radhika Menon

17. Heaven’s Gate: The Cult of Cults

Directed by: Clay Tweel

Watch on HBO Max

Based on the formation, recruitment, and ultimate mass suicide of the prominent 1970s cult Heaven’s Gate, the four-part docuseries on HBO Max is a careful, honest, and ultimately heartbreaking depiction of the organization. Heaven’s Gate consists of historic footage as well as interviews with participants—or those related to them who are able to paint a picture of the cult in its early days, and how things changed as the organization grew bigger. Similar to Netflix’s smash hit Wild Wild Country, this miniseries shines a light on the eccentric leaders who cultivated a following and spread their illogical beliefs. But with the tragic end for many of the cult members, Heaven’s Gate offers an attempt at a real understanding of how the members were attracted to the group and why they were searching for salvation in such dim corners. For anyone who is interested in or fascinated by the humanistic drive to join a group like this, Heaven’s Gate seeks to find those answers. —Radhika Menon

16. Tokyo Vice

Created by: J.T. Rogers
Stars: Ansel Elgort, Ken Watanabe, Rachel Keller, Hideaki Ito, Sho Kasamatsu, Ella Rumpf, Rinko Kikuchi, Tomohisa Yamashita

Watch on HBO Max

Tokyo Vice is a story that honors both halves of its title: This is an ode to Tokyo, from the brightest, glitziest karaoke bars to the dimly lit back alleys, and a fascination with the city that feels like love comes through each episode. As for the “vice,” this is a brooding crime story in which Jake Adelstein, played ably by Ansel Elgort, becomes the first gaijin reporter at Tokyo’s major newspaper, and begins to investigate the Yakuza, Japan’s organized crime syndicate. The rhythms are unlike what we’ve come to expect from crime shows, but with a strong supporting cast highlighted by Ken Watanabe as a police detective who finds an unlikely ally in Adelstein, the deliberate pace is ultimately satisfying. —Shane Ryan

15. South Side

Created by: Bashir Salahuddin and Diallo Riddle
Stars: Sultan Salahuddin, Kareme Young, Quincy Young, Chandra Russell, Bashir Salahuddin, Diallo Riddle, Lil Rel Howery, Zuri Salahuddin

Watch on HBO Max

Creators and writers Bashir Salahuddin and Diallo Riddle tap into their Chicago locale and unleash just a little of its comic potential to hilarious results. It helps that they’re walking the walk. They show up in their own locally-shot series as a cop and a lawyer, respectively, in addition to their behind-the-scenes duties. Their heavy involvement is just one sign of the close-knit production that makes South Side one of the year’s most exciting and accessible comedies. Bashir’s brother Sultan Salahuddin (also a co-creator) stars as Simon who, along with K (Kareme Young), recently graduated Kennedy-King College and works as a rental furniture repo man for K’s twin Q (Quincy Young) at Rent-T-Own. The store and the cops have a tenuous relationship as both sides try to make their money and keep shenanigans to a minimum. The pairs of brothers are exceptional, and Chandra Russell, who plays Bashir’s partner and also serves as a writer, is another breakout. Come to think of it, there are few in the cast who don’t stand out as funny, energetic voices that should’ve been dominating comedy a long time ago. —Jacob Oller

14. Doom Patrol

Created by: Jeremy Carver
Stars: Diane Guerrero, April Bowlby, Alan Tudyk, Matt Bomer, Brendan Fraser, Timothy Dalton, Joivan Wade

Watch on HBO Max

The third-tier answer to Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, Doom Patrol has learned plenty from its scrappy counterpart, taking as much away from that franchise’s ragtag group of space pirates/superheroes as it does the DC series with a sense of humor. The CW’s Legends of Tomorrow and Cartoon Network’s hyper, strange, and hyper-strange Teen Titans Go! have been dark horse TV success stories, with the latter earning its own (very fun!) movie and the former improving consistently over the course of its four seasons. Doom Patrol carves its own tonal niche, balancing the self-referentiality of Go!, the tragedy of Titans, and the ridiculousness of Legends.

Bolstered by Fraser’s easy charm and some knockout acting by Dalton, Doom Patrol stakes its claim as DC’s best live-action streaming option—simply because it understands and subverts expectations with its unique mix: It’s not just funny, it’s not just sweet, and it isn’t afraid to push the boundaries on either.

Elasti-Woman has gross-out slapstick thanks to her malleable physiology and at the expense of her vanity. Negative Man can stop functioning any time the mysterious force within him decides, leading to plenty of limp, full-body flops. Robotman can’t even move his mouth as profane reactions stream from his stoic face. Robotman and Negative Man’s physical actors—Riley Shanahan and Matthew Zuk, respectively—do plenty of fun pantomime to help out the famous voices behind the tragic bodies. And it’s all funny—even funny at the expense of its characters’ tragedies, which are handled so well that the show may even squeeze out a few unexpected tears. —Jacob Oller

13. Search Party

Created by: Sarah-Violet Bliss, Charles Rogers, Michael Showalter
Stars: Alia Shawkat, John Reynolds, John Early, Meredith Hagner

Watch on HBO Max

Search Party initially captivated us when TBS aired the entire first season in five days. It’s the story of a New Yorker named Dory (Alia Shawkat) who becomes obsessed with a missing college classmate because she herself is feeling so lost and floundering in her own life. Her support system—a kind of a wet rag boyfriend and two very self-centered friends—isn’t terribly interested in indulging Dory’s quest to find the missing Chantal, but they get unwittingly sucked in (along with the audience). It’s a weird combination of comedy, drama and mystery, but it is definitely worth a watch.

Search Party carries its charm into its subsequent seasons through a scintillating evolution from mystery to horror. From a neon sign that reads “slay” and an eerie synth jingle to a painting of a dead man and a play about Charles Manson, it’s littered with half-frightful, half-funny details; the episode titles (“Murder!” “Suspicion” “Obsession,” etc.) might’ve been culled from the poster for one of Hitchcock’s classics. Indeed, if the first season’s search for Chantal Witherbottom (Clare McNulty) once reminded me of Vertigo, the second completes the connection: Dory (Alia Shawkat) and Co. are the series’ Scottie Fergusons, unraveled not by the chase, but the capture. Though I want to put on my Stefon voice and say, this show has everything—the relentlessly funny John Early, as the fast-unraveling Elliott Goss; a Marge Gunderson figure on the characters’ trail; a guest arc for J. Smith-Cameron; scatological humor, awful pseudonyms, primal screams—the fact is, that everything is working in felicitous harmony to underscore Search Party’s most elemental fear: Seeking, and ultimately locating, the thing we thought would make us happy, only to discover that it’s not what we’d hoped. —Matt Brennan

12. Ravi Patel’s Pursuit of Happiness

Created by: Ravi Patel

Watch on HBO Max

Amidst the pandemic, seemingly every streaming service released a travel show that tried to provide some sort of escapism while most people were stuck indoors. For many shows, the execution was shallow. But one found a way to deliver the gifts of travel with a reminder that the world is a vast place filled with people and cultures that we can always learn from. Hosted by Ravi Patel, a comedian and actor most known for his documentary Meet the Patels, the four-episode docuseries takes him to different corners of the world—from Mexico to Japan, South Korea to Denmark—and focuses on a different societal issue that the country at hand has either mastered or is still grappling with. In each episode Patel is joined by a friend or family member who relates closely to the episode’s topic, whether it’s his parents joining him to discover how to retire well in Mexico, or a business-minded friend joining his South Korea journey for a chat about workaholism. The optimistic, open, and investigatory nature of the show allows us to recognize shared flaws that cross geographical lines, and learn from places that seem to have figured out the keys to success. Though the show hasn’t officially been renewed for a second season, the four episodes that have been released are worth a stream. —Radhika Menon

11. Our Flag Means Death

Created by: David Jenkins
Stars: Rhys Darby, Taika Waititi, Rory Kinnear, Nat Faxon, Ewen Bremner, Joel Fry, Samson Kayo, Con O’Neill, Nathan Foad, Vico Ortiz, Kristian Nairn, Matthew Maher, Guz Khan, David Fane, Samba Schutte

Watch on HBO Max

Midlife crises manifest as many things, and in Our Flag Means Death, Stede Bonnet (Rhys Darby) checks off all the usual criteria. A flashy new vehicle? Yep. A flashy new relationship? Of sorts. A drastic career change? Well, that’s an understatement. Inspired by the stranger-than-fiction true story, the 10-episode historical adventure comedy follows the aftermath of Bonnet leaving his cushy aristocratic life to become a pirate during the Golden Age of Piracy. “Pirate workplace comedy” provides an entertaining entry point, and Darby serves as the show’s hapless but well-meaning boss, bringing a Ted Lasso-esque mentality to the captain who wants his crew to grow as people, not just pirates. Taika Waititi co-stars as the legendary Blackbeard who’s having a midlife crisis of his own, and poses a perfect foil to Bonnet’s antics. While the first few episodes are uneven, creator David Jenkins ultimately strikes a satisfying balance between exploring Blackbeard and Bonnet’s supercharged friendship and adding dimension to supporting players. The season doesn’t quite unearth buried treasure, but by the affecting finale, Our Flag Means Death charts its course in the right direction. —Annie Lyons

10. Raised by Wolves

Created by: Aaron Guzikowski
Stars: Amanda Collin, Abubakar Salim, Winta McGrath, Niamh Algar, Travis Fimmel

Watch on HBO Max

There are no wolves in Raised by Wolves, but the ambitious HBO Max series from writer/creator Aaron Guzikowski (Prisoners) raises a handful of kids, plenty of hell, and the bar for meaty sci-fi TV. Starting simply enough—with two factions of survivors, whose religious war has demolished Earth, landing on the only other inhabitable planet the species knows about—Raised by Wolves builds out an in-depth sci-fi world through the language of a survival story and the inherently human question of the soul. Even if Ridley Scott (Alien, Blade Runner) only directed the first two episodes, his maverick touch is felt throughout the confident show.

There might not be a bloody battle or alien confrontation in each episode, but the drama is compelling and built of character-driven moments. That makes the action, when it does happen, intensely exciting and anxiety-ridden. With such finite scope, each moment of possible loss is heavily weighted and gorgeous to look at. While rustic and detailed in its production design, the variety of visuals go from Tatooine’s desert starkness to hyper-glitchy simulation interfaces to war-torn Earth cities in flashbacks. Each new development, nicely metered-out in doses of mystery, plotting, and payoff, is a natural occurrence cropping up as we run our hands through the series’ dense texture. Don’t worry, that’s all part of the Scott/Guzikowski vibe: honestly-performed, slow-burn devotion to themes nestled into a pulpy shell.

Smart and crunchy rather than sleek and slick, Raised by Wolves won’t be for everyone. It’s tragic, thought-provoking sci-fi that works through its problems rather than relying on big flashy twists. But for those itching for something unabashedly weird and devoted to its own rules, the show won’t disappoint. Deceptively intimate, the story of repopulation—and the war for humanity’s future—is a family drama living inside a honed genre universe. It’s a world built to last and a show built for fans of Scott’s particular brand of imperfect, muscly fence-swings. —Jacob Oller

9. Julia

Created by: Daniel Goldfarb
Stars: Sarah Lancashire, David Hyde Pierce, Bebe Neuwirth, Fran Kranz, Judith Light, Fiona Glascott, Brittany Bradford, Jefferson Mays, Robert Joy

Watch on HBO Max

Every night when my family and I sit down to dinner, the last thing I say before we start to eat is “Bon appétit!” But it wasn’t until I watched HBO Max’s Julia that I realized Julia Child is the reason. She ended every episode of her pioneering PBS series The French Chef with that French phrase encouraging her viewers to enjoy their meal.

HBO Max’s eight-episode series tells the origin story of Child’s rise to fame as one of television’s first celebrity chefs. But just as Child (as so deftly played by Sarah Lancashire) was much more than just a chef, the series is about much more, too. It’s about her marriage, which was rooted in devotion, love, and equality. It’s about a very specific moment in time when fewer women worked and even fewer had positions of power. Julia explores not just how pioneering Child was in showing cooking on TV, but how pioneering she was for television production in general.

The series hinges on Lancashire’s transformative performance, from her very specific accent and the cadence of her speech to the absolute infectious joie de vivre in her interactions with others. Lancashire is never impersonating Child; she is inhabiting her. Child’s enthusiasm for everything was pervasive.

Each episode of the show is named after one of Child’s signature dishes, from “Coq Au Vin,” to “Boeuf Bourguignon,” to “Chocolate Souffle.” And like any good meal, even if you don’t enjoy every single seasoning, you’ll still be savoring Julia long after the final bite. —Amy Amatangelo

8. The Flight Attendant

Created by: Steve Yockey
Stars: Kaley Cuoco, Michiel Huisman, Zosia Mamet, T. R. Knight, Michelle Gomez

Watch on HBO Max

The Flight Attendant, based on Chris Bohjalian’s 2018 novel of the same name, is a taut, crisp whodunit, darkly comedic and wildly suspenseful. The eight-episode series is also a true star turn for Kaley Cuoco (The Big Bang Theory), who shows off a much broader range than she ever had the opportunity to on her long-running CBS comedy. A bubbling, popcorn thriller, the cliff-hanger ending to each episode entices you to keep going; it’s HBO Max’s best reason yet for subscribing to the streaming platform.

Cuoco stars as Cassie Bowden, who jet sets from international destination to international destination. When she’s not in the sky for Imperial Airlines, she’s flying high as a party girl who drinks to the point of blacking out, is fond of one-night stands, has a gold lamé dress at the ready in her carry-on luggage, and sustains herself on a breakfast of Diet Coke and pickles. She’s a train wreck, but a train wreck who gets to work on time, is kind to children and animals, and loved by her friends. And after a whirlwind encounter with the dashing Alex Sokolov (Michiel Huisman) on a trip to Bangkok, might be on the hook for murder.

The entire story truly rests in Cuoco’s capable hands. Her knack for comic relief is securely intact, but she also easily pes into the depths of Cassie’s terror and uncertainty. Her journey is our journey. Her terror is our terror. She may be an unreliable narrator, but she’s a highly entertaining one. —Amy Amatangelo

7. Starstruck

Created by: Rose Matafeo and Alice Snedden
Stars: Rose Matafeo, Nikesh Patel, Minnie Driver, Emma Sidi, Sindhu Vee

Watch on HBO Max

“He’s a famous actor, and you’re a little rat nobody.” It’s a tried-and-true fanfiction scenario, the inverse plot of Notting Hill, and now, the premise of HBO Max’s truly delightful Starstruck. Premiering first on BBC Three, the London-based romantic comedy follows Jessie (New Zealander comedian Rose Matafeo) after she has a drunken New Year’s Eve one-night stand with Tom (Nikesh Patel), only to learn the next day that he is a famous actor. Anyone who’s seen a rom-com can probably guess what happens next: a will-they-or-won’t-they flirtation, a disastrous fight, an eventual reconciliation. But while Starstruck riffs off a familiar fantasy, it stays grounded in its approach, playing with genre tropes with great aplomb.

Starstruck is clearly the product of people who unabashedly love rom-coms. Inspired by the genre’s classics, the two short six-episode seasons provides a light-hearted modern update with a protagonist who toys with expectations. I’ll keep it vague, but the first season’s final moments are so lovely and understated that the tenderness took my breath away. With such a short running time, Starstruck makes for a quick watch that leaves you wanting to linger in the escapist joy for a little longer. Just like a good rom-com should. —Annie Lyons

6. Peacemaker

Created by: James Gunn
Stars: John Cena, Danielle Brooks, Freddie Stroma, Chukwudi Iwuji, Jennifer Holland, Steve Agee, Robert Patrick

Watch on HBO Max

Chris Smith, aka Peacemaker, is a ridiculous character. The red, white, and blue-clad superhero/supervillain is a walking, dudebro-talking contradiction. Peacemaker is arrogant, socially unaware, misogynistic, and culturally insensitive. His ridiculousness extends not just to his costume (that’s not a toilet seat he’s wearing on his head, that’s a beacon of freedom) or to his pet bald eagle named Eagly, but also to his most commonly used catchphrase. “I cherish peace with all my heart,” says Peacemaker in The Suicide Squad. “I don’t care how many men, women, and children I need to kill to get it.”

While Peacemaker carries some darkness, this is a James Gunn production, so it’s also filled with humor and music. The script is rich with witty banter, action scenes are destructive and wacky, and star John Cena will clearly say or do anything for a laugh. “This is my jam,” says Peacemaker while flipping through a stack of ‘80s hair metal albums from the likes of Cinderella and Faster Pussycat. “This is back when men were real men because they weren’t afraid to be women.” A few moments later he’s singing along to the Quireboys song “I Don’t Love You Anymore,” using a vibrator as a mic while wearing only tighty whities and dancing around like Axl Rose. It’s embarrassing and hilarious at the same time. This series luxuriates in its own ridiculousness, which it manages to balance with a compelling story. Bottom line, Peacemaker is just flat-out fun to watch. — Terry Terrones

5. Minx

Created by: Ellen Rapoport
Stars: Ophelia Lovibond, Jake Johnson, Idara Victor, Lennon Parham, Jessica Lowe, Oscar Montoya, Michael Angarano

Watch on HBO Max

HBO Max is turning into the home of TV’s best comedies. The 1970s-set comedy Minx chronicles the burgeoning partnership between an idealistic feminist (Ophelia Lovibond) and a sleazy but empathetic magazine publisher specializing in pornography (Jake Johnson, with the perfect amount of chest hair) as they team up to launch the first erotic magazine for women. The show is easy and breezy and full of infectious energy as it mines the topics of equality and women’s rights from engrossing but hilarious stories involving everything from the Catholic roots of mob wives to the rampant misogyny of country clubs. With its focus on the female gaze, a winning performance from Johnson (he’s a porn magnate with a heart of gold!), and an excellent supporting cast (Lennon Parham steals every scene she’s in), Minx is a good time in more ways than one. —Kaitlin Thomas

4. Station Eleven

Created by: Patrick Somerville
Stars: Mackenzie Davis, Himesh Patel, Gael García Bernal, Caitlin FitzGerald, Matilda Lawler, David Wilmot, Nabhaan Rizwan, Daniel Zovatto, Julian Obradors, Philippine Velge, Lori Petty,

Watch on HBO Max

The past few years have really pushed us to consider what the end of the world might look like. And in that sense, HBO Max’s new series Station Eleven, an adaptation of the apocalyptic 2014 novel by Emily St. John Mandel, has unfortunate (or perhaps auspicious) timing. Who wants to watch a show where the world’s population has been ravaged by a pandemic, where characters suffer through what they have lost and debate if hope is a worthy investment? Who wants to inhabit a dark universe that feels just a branch away from our own?

And yet, the 10-episode miniseries pulls off an incredible feat: it is a masterpiece. The timing of our own pandemic escalates the horror and doom of the show, but also makes every emotional beat even stronger. Station Eleven’s pandemic is very different from our own: it is quick. In only a few days the world is forever changed, very few get to say goodbye. The series pes into this pain, and asks if parting is something one can learn to endure in a world that takes each character on their own path. For a series so inspired by the legacy of Shakespeare, it seems fittingly impacted by “parting is such sweet sorrow.” Station Eleven ventures to dwell on both the sweet and sorrow, that both can exist at once all the time.

While COVID-19 remains a fresh wound and Station Eleven is not for the faint of heart, it rewards the viewer by finding the artful beauty in a painful world. —Leila Jordan

3. It’s a Sin

Created by: Russell T Davies
Stars: Olly Alexander, Omari Douglas, Callum Scott Howells, Lydia West, Nathaniel Curtis

Watch on HBO Max

From the beginning of It’s a Sin, the show’s ending is foreseeable. And yet it’s impossible to resist hoping for a different outcome: in a 1980s London plagued by AIDS, maybe these gay men we’ve come to know and love can make it out of the epidemic unscathed. Maybe government officials—and, inherently, the rest of the world—will take notice of the crisis as it unfolds and try to do something to help these men. But, no; Russell T. Davies’ limited series is a tragic, albeit masterful, retelling of the AIDS epidemic.

The main group—including the fashionable Roscoe (Omari Douglas), sweet Colin (Callum Scott Howells), guardian angel Jill (Lydia West), and lanky Ritchie (Olly Alexander) at the forefront—forms in and around London, at clubs, bars, apartment parties, becoming a larger and larger group of friends as they do. Then they’re crashing in an apartment together, tossing around witty nicknames and cups of tea.

It’s a Sin explores the HIV/AIDS illness as it unfurls in gay clubs and communities around the city—though it never villainizes or blames them for the crisis. Despite being a series almost entirely about the HIV/AIDS epidemic, It’s a Sin does not dawdle in statistics or tragedy. By energizing the show with a spirited cast, a storyline about growing up, and plenty of scenes that follow the joy of their kinship, Davies has created a tale that can entertain while still spotlighting an imperative point of discussion. —Fletcher Peters

2. The Other Two

Created by: Chriss Kelly and Sarah Schneider
Stars: Heléne Yorke, Drew Tarver, Case Walker, Ken Marino, Molly Shannon

Watch on HBO Max

Comedy Central’s (now HBO Max’s) charming, hilarious series The Other Two follows adult siblings Brooke (Heléne York) and Cary (Drew Tarver) as they try to figure out their own lives in the wake of their 13-year-old brother Chase (Case Walker) becoming an overnight YouTube sensation. Though Brooke and Cary support Chase (who is not, yet, an obnoxious internet star) they want to have careers that stand on their own. But they can’t help but get pulled into Chase’s orbit, making sure others aren’t taking advantage of Chase for their own gain while acknowledging they might be doing that very thing. The Other Two is darkly funny and real, as Brooke and Cary struggle to find success and exist on the outskirts of the vapid world that wants to make Chase an industry unto himself. It is one of the funniest series on TV as well as one of the smartest. Creators Chris Kelly and Sarah Schneider understand the modern fame machine better than most, exposing truths in some of its most hilariously audacious scenes. It also has coined one of the best and most useful catchphrase: “In this climate??” —Allison Keene

1. Hacks

Created by: Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, Jen Statsky
Stars: Jean Smart, Hannah Einbinder

Watch on HBO Max

Hacks follows 25-year-old writer Ava (Hannah Einbinder) as she tries to get her comedy career back on track after losing her job due to a bad tweet. Her journey takes her to Las Vegas, where she reluctantly starts writing material for Deborah Vance (Jean Smart), a comedy veteran whose life is much like the china she collects: beautiful to behold, but cold and empty within. Deborah fills her life with work due to the absence of a personal life, which she’s eschewed ever since her husband left her for her own sister decades ago.

The show is a traditional odd couple pairing. Ava is bisexual, a Bernie supporter, and a chronic oversharer—in essence, your classic media depiction of a Millennial. Deborah is brash, saying whatever she likes regardless of how others feel, and surrounds herself with gaudy opulence. Over the course of the series, they realize just how similar they are. Both of them are career-obsessed, more than a little self-centered, lack a personal life and, in the words of one side character, they’re “both psychotic bitches.”

Smart and Einbinder deftly pull off this two-hander thanks to their respective talent and excellent chemistry. Smart is at her peak here, moving from hilarious in one scene to quietly heartbreaking in the next. Deborah can be truly unlikable at certain moments, but the sensational Smart plays her with such subtlety and warmth that you still care about her—even though she has live fish pumped into her man-made lake.

With a strong cast and some stellar directorial choices, Hacks is a necessary addition to your watch list. —Clare Martin

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