10 HBO Max and Showtime Movies to Watch during Winter Break
By: Hannah Skinner ‘23
If you didn’t know already, USC students have free access to both HBO Max and Showtime! I’m a senior, so the pressure is on for me to power through as many movies as I can before it’s too late. Now that winter break is coming up it’s the perfect time to flex your free accounts and have a movie night at home with friends and family! Here are 10 movies to add to your watchlist:
HBO
See How They Run (2022)
PG-13 ‧ Mystery/Crime ‧ 1h 38m
See How They Run is a lighthearted whodunit paying tribute to the queen of murder mysteries, Agatha Christie. The characters are quirky, the costume and set design is perfection, and the jokes are funny. It’s a charming murder mystery the whole family can enjoy.
My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
G ‧ Fantasy/Animation ‧ 1h 27m
One of the many Studio Ghibli films available on HBO Max is My Neighbor Totoro. It is a seemingly simple story about family but is also deeply meaningful and incredibly imaginative – not to mention visually stunning. You can’t help but fall in love with Totoro’s charm.
The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)
R ‧ Comedy/Drama ‧ 1h 40m
The Grand Budapest Hotel is not to be missed. It’s a brilliant story of a murder and a will, a painting and a prison, and a concierge and a lobby boy. However, the cunning plot is just the beginning! The cinematography and framing perfectly enhance the world in which the characters live and together create a stylistic masterpiece.
My Cousin Vinny (1992)
R ‧ Comedy/Crime ‧ 1h 59m
My Cousin Vinny is a classic trial movie that is so fun to watch. The two main leads are crafty and full of personality, especially Marisa Tomei’s character. Plus, this film does a good job in representing legal procedure, so if you are off to law school in the future it’s a worthwhile watch.
The Card Counter (2021)
R ‧ Drama/Thriller ‧ 1h 52m
Oscar Issac plays an accomplished poker player with a traumatic military background that leads him to seek revenge. Despite the flashing casino lights, this film was dark and dreary. It felt slow-paced in the beginning, but the characters were complex and I was hooked. It will leave you feeling unsettled, but it’s a great watch.
Ingrid Goes West (2017)
R ‧ Drama/Comedy ‧ 1h 38m
Living in LA makes watching Ingrid Goes West even better. It’s about stalkers, social media, and the reality behind the glorified life of an LA influencer. There are cautionary tales behind this satire-like story, which I found relevant, and it accumulates in a brilliant ending.
Showtime
Arrival (2016)
PG-13 ‧ Sci-fi/Thriller ‧ 1h 56m
Arrival feels different from other Sci-Fi films. Yes, aliens have arrived on Earth, and yes, the military and scientists get involved, but it does not contain the typical human v. alien cliches. Arrival is thought-provoking and portrays extraterrestrial life in a beautiful and complicated way.
The Farewell (2019)
PG ‧ Drama/Comedy ‧ 1h 40m
You will laugh and you will cry as you watch this beautiful film based on director Lulu Wang’s own life. The Farewell is about a grandmother’s coming passing, but importantly her family’s choice not to tell her. It explores cultural differences and family love and forces the viewer to ask themself: what would I do?
True Grit (2010)
PG-13 ‧ Western/Drama ‧ 1h 50m
Normally I am not a fan of Westerns, but True Grit is an excellent exception. The story was powerful and gripping, and the unlikely team-up of Hailee Steinfeld’s and Jeff Bridges' characters on their quest to seek justice moved me.
Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)
R ‧ Adventure/Sci-fi ‧ 2h 19m
If you have not watched one of the most talked about movies of 2022 yet, you can on Showtime. Everything Everywhere All at Once will be the talk of award season, so I recommend you watch it to understand all the hype.
Want more from Trojans 360?
Visit Trojans 360 on Facebook & Twitter to stay up to date with more student content! You can also Ask A Trojan an anonymous question, and we’ll try to answer it in a future post. And don’t forget to follow us on Instagram!
Trojans 360 is USC’s official student-run blog. Content created by students, for students.
