HBO Max‘s movie selection in April is kind of all over the place in terms of genre and quality.
When there are so many films to draw upon from the last 100 years of cinema, keeping track of the mid-tier titles can be a little tricky.
That’s why the Watch With Us team has taken it upon ourselves to dive into the latest arrivals and share the three underrated HBO Max movies you should watch in April 2026.
This month’s selections include a romantic fantasy, a biopic and an action thriller that places a surprising performer in the leading role.
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‘Practical Magic’ (1998)
There’s a sequel to Practical Magic coming to theaters this fall, but the original film still has a lot of charm nearly three decades after its release. Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman play sisters Sally and Gillian Owens, both of whom are descended from a long line of witches with magical powers of their own. Sally has forsworn her magic following the death of her husband due to a family curse, while Gillian left town years ago to chase a love that the sisters were never supposed to have.
When Gillian finally comes home, it’s because her former lover, James “Jimmy” Angelov (Goran Višnjic), turns out to be dangerously violent. Not even death can slow down Jimmy’s malevolence, and he means to destroy both Gillian and Sally. To protect themselves and their family, both sisters will need to embrace their powers and exorcise the demons and heartbreak of their past.
Practical Magic is streaming on HBO Max.
‘Pride’ (2007)
Pride takes its inspiration from the true story of Jim Ellis (Terrence Howard), a coach in the ’70s who finds it difficult to land work despite a stellar educational background. With few other options, Ellis finds himself working at a rundown recreational center in Philadelphia and feuding with the janitor, Elston Johnson (Bernie Mac), who already works there.
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Ellis and Johnson eventually find some common ground and begin restoring the rec center into a more respectable state. More importantly, Ellis seizes the opportunity to help a group of local Black teenagers transform themselves into competitive swimmers, which was his sport back in college. The kids he mentors demonstrate real potential for expanding their swimming skills, but it takes more than just a pool to make a championship team. And Ellis can’t lead these kids to glory by himself, especially when it’s their own athletic prowess that will determine how far they go.
Pride is streaming on HBO Max.
‘Dead of Winter’ (2025)
Is Emma Thompson the next Hollywood star to get a late shift into an action career like Liam Neeson? It’s too soon to say whether Thompson’s action thriller Dead of Winter is a one-off or the shape of things to come for her. She plays Barb, a grieving widow who just wants to spread her late husband’s ashes so she can say goodbye. Before that can happen, Barb witnesses a young woman, Leah (Laurel Marsden), who is held captive by an unnamed couple played by Judy Greer and Marc Menchaca.
Barb didn’t come looking for trouble, but she can’t abandon Leah to her fate at the hands of these maniacs. One-on-one, Barb probably wouldn’t be able to fight them either. But she is surprisingly crafty and resourceful, which gives Barb a chance to survive when the couple begins hunting her as their next trophy.
Dead of Winter is streaming on HBO Max.
