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3 underrated HBO Max movies you should watch this weekend (September 5-7)

Veronica Mars is one of our picks for the weekend

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Weekend Watchlist: HBO Max A blonde woman stands with a camera.
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This story is part of Weekend Watchlist, a series that showcases hidden gems and underrated films tucked away in your favorite streaming libraries.

It’s a fresh month on HBO Max, which means new movies are now on the service. Two 2025 releases, Friendship and Warfare, are hitting the streamer in the coming weeks, and they will undoubtedly find spots in the top 10.

The service has more to offer besides the new releases. The movies below are underrated in their own way. For example, Veronica Mars became a movie because of its passionate fanbase. Learn more about Veronica Mars and two more films below.

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We also have guides to the best new movies to stream, the best movies on Netflix, the best movies on Hulu, the best movies on Amazon Prime Video, and the best movies on HBO Max.

The 33 (2015)

Biographical dramas face an intriguing dilemma. Should the real facts be sacrificed to make a better movie? I’m typically OK with a Hollywood production taking some liberties as long as the central event remains the same.

The 33 is a dramatization of the 2010 Chilean mining disaster, when 33 workers were trapped after a mine collapsed. There are clearly some differences between the movie and the real-life facts. As a Hollywood melodrama, The 33 works when it’s an intense and emotional tale about human resilience.

Stream The 33 on HBO Max.

Veronica Mars (2014)

For cult shows, Veronica Mars has an argument for the most dedicated fanbase. After a three-season run, the show was canceled in 2007. In 2013, series creator Rob Thomas started a Kickstarter fund to raise $2 million for a Veronica Mars movie. The fund made over $5 million.

One year later, fans could see the finished product, Veronica Mars. Nine years after the events of the show, Veronica Mars (Kristen Bell) has left the P.I. world behind to work at a New York City law firm. You know what they say, old habits are hard to break, and after her ex-boyfriend Logan Echolls (Jason Dohring) is accused of murder, Veronica grabs her camera and heads back to Neptune to solve the case.

Stream Veronica Mars on HBO Max.

Safe Haven (2013)

Every Nicholas Sparks movie can’t be The Notebook or A Walk to Remember. Most of his works are much more predictable, ridiculous, and sappy. Safe Haven definitely dips into the melodrama a little too much. It also utilizes its picturesque beach town to its advantage.

After escaping an abusive relationship, Erin Tierney (Julianne Hough) flees to North Carolina to start a new life. Changing her name to Katie, she finds work as a waitress and befriends Alex Wheatley (Josh Duhamel) and his two children. The twist ending might upset some, but it’s not worth getting upset about. Enjoy the sights and sounds of small-town life.

Stream Safe Haven on HBO Max.

Dan Girolamo
Former Entertainment Writer
Dan is a passionate and multitalented content creator with experience in pop culture, entertainment, and sports. Throughout…
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