12 Movies With a 100% Rotten Tomatoes Score on Max Right Now (August 2024) (2024)

For most viewers these days, a good Rotten Tomatoes score is the first thing they look for when trying to find something new to watch. The score, which is calculated based on the number of positive reviews a movie or show has received from recognized critics, has faced its share of criticisms, but it is still a widely used tool that’s usually quite reliable. A 100% Rotten Tomatoes score is, therefore, a mark of honor equivalent to any major award. The streaming service Max is home to some of the best films made around the world, and, appropriately, they have a sizable collection of movies with that coveted 100% fresh rating. These movies range from epic cinematic masterpieces to cutting-edge documentaries to beautiful works of animation and everything in between. Read on to discover our list of the best movies with a 100% Rotten Tomatoes score that you can stream now on Max.

For more recommendations, check out our lists of the best movies on Max, the best shows on Max, and the best classic movies on Max.

‘Seven Samurai’ (1954)

Rotten Tomatoes: 100% | IMDb: 8.6/10

Seven Samurai

Drama

Action

Release Date

April 26, 1954

Director

Akira Kurosawa

Cast

Toshiro Mifune , Takashi Shimura

Runtime

207 minutes

Co-written, directed, and edited by Akira Kurosawa, Seven Samurai is a 1954 Japanese epic samurai action film. Set in 1586 in the Sengoku period of Japanese history, the movie follows a group of samurai who are hired by a village of desperate farmers to protect their crops from dangerous bandits. The film stars Takashi Shimura, Yoshio Inaba, Daisuke Katō, Seiji Miyaguchi, Minoru Chiaki, Isao Kimura, and Toshiro Mifune as the titular warriors. Seven Samurai is a landmark film both in terms of its production and its impact. At the time, it was the most expensive film made in Japan, and it went on to become a massive box-office success. In the decades since its release, the movie has been remade, referenced, and reworked by filmmakers around the world, especially in the Western genre. Now hailed as one of the greatest films ever made, Seven Samurai is widely regarded as Akira Kurosawa’s masterpiece. It’s an epic, entertaining adventure with brilliant action, well-crafted characters, and a thoroughly engaging story that may seem familiar to modern audiences, but only because it’s inspired so many other films over the years.

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‘Singin’ in the Rain’ (1952)

Rotten Tomatoes: 100% | IMDb: 8.3/10

Singin' in the Rain

Musical

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Romance

Comedy

Release Date

April 10, 1952

Director

Stanley Donen , Gene Kelly

Cast

Gene Kelly , Donald O'Connor , Debbie Reynolds , Jean Hagen

Runtime

103 minutes

Directed and choreographed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen, Singin' in the Rain is a 1952 musical romantic produced by Arthur Freed, who came up with the film based on songs written by himself and Nacio Herb Brown during the transition from silent movies to the talkies. The film is set in the same period, following the production of a movie in late 1920s Hollywood that faces challenges when the producers decide to make it a musical. Besides co-directing, Gene Kelly also stars in the film, appearing alongside Donald O'Connor, Debbie Reynolds, Jean Hagen, Millard Mitchell, Rita Moreno, and Cyd Charisse. At the time of its release, Singin’ in the Rain received critical acclaim but only modest success at the box office. Over time, however, the movie has been hailed as one of the greatest films of all time and arguably the best musical produced in the Golden Age of Hollywood. Decades after its initial release, the movie continues to entertain audiences with its smart humor, satirical narrative, and, of course, great music.

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‘The Tale of the Princess Kaguya’ (2013)

Rotten Tomatoes: 100% | IMDb: 8.0/10

The Tale of the Princess Kaguya

Animation

Drama

Fantasy

Release Date

November 23, 2013

Director

Isao Takahata

Cast

Aki Asakura , Takeo Chii , Nobuko Miyamoto , Kengo Kora , Atsuko Takahata

Runtime

137 Minutes

Adapted from the 10th-century Japanese story The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, The Tale of the Princess Kaguya was the final film directed and co-written by Isao Takahata before his death in 2018. Produced by Studio Ghibli, this Japanese animated historical fantasy film follows the story of Kaguya-Hime, a divine child discovered inside a bamboo stalk by a farmer and his wife who raise her to become a beautiful princess courted by five noblemen, who compete to win her hand. The Tale of the Princess Kaguya features an ensemble voice cast starring Aki Asakura, Kengo Kora, Takeo Chii, Nobuko Miyamoto, and Atsuko Takahata, with Chloë Grace Moretz, Darren Criss, James Caan, Mary Steenburgen, and Lucy Liu providing the voices for the English dub. At the time of its premiere, The Tale of the Princess Kaguya was the most expensive Japanese film made until that time. The film received universal critical acclaim and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. With its emotionally deep and rich narrative, combined with stunning visual art, The Tale of the Princess Kaguya is a timeless movie that’s moving, evocative, and undeniably beautiful.

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‘Honeyland’ (2019)

Rotten Tomatoes: 100% | IMDb: 8.0/10

Honeyland

Documentary

Release Date

January 28, 2019

Director

Tamara Kotevska , Ljubomir Stefanov

Cast

Hatidže Muratova

Runtime

1 hr 27 min

Directed by Tamara Kotevska and Ljubomir Stefanov, Honeyland is a Macedonian documentary film that documents the life of Hatidže Muratova, one of the last keepers of wild bees in Europe. A Macedonian beekeeper of Turkish descent living in the village of Bekirlija, Hatidže tends to the wild bees from the surrounding mountains while navigating her relationship with her ailing mother and neighbors. Honeyland is a conservationist film that explores pressing environmental topics like climate change, loss of biodiversity, and exploitation of natural resources, focusing on the deteriorating ecosystem of bees and its impact on the ecological balance through Hatidže’s story. Honeyland also explores various filmmaking styles and has earned universal critical acclaim for its timely message and attention to detail on the part of the filmmakers. The documentary has earned several awards and nominations, including two nominations at the 92nd Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film and Best Documentary Feature, becoming the first documentary film to receive nominations in both categories.

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‘Welcome to Chechnya’ (2020)

Rotten Tomatoes: 100% | IMDb: 7.9/10

Welcome to Chechnya

Run Time

1 hr 47 min

Director

David France

Release Date

January 26, 2020

Welcome to Chechnya is a 2020 documentary film by American reporter, author, and documentarian David France. The film documents the anti-gay purges in Chechnya in the late 2010s, following activists rescuing survivors of torture from the region. The documentary includes footage captured by LGBTQ+ Chechen refugees using hidden cameras, cell phones, GoPros, and handycams. Welcome to Chechnya had its world premiere at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Editing and was nominated for the U.S. Documentary Competition Grand Jury Prize. The movie went on to receive several more awards and universal critical acclaim. A moving and illuminating call to action, Welcome to Chechnya’s production was as groundbreaking as its content is eye-opening. To protect the identities of interviewees, advanced AI-based techniques and visual effects technology were used in the film so that viewers could see real faces and real emotions without revealing the actual faces of the speakers. The film is a technical triumph that effectively documents the horrifying and all-too-recent atrocities committed against the LGBTQ+ community in Chechnya.

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‘M’ (1931)

Rotten Tomatoes: 100% | IMDb: 8.3/10

M (1931)

Thriller

Crime

Mystery

Release Date

May 11, 1931

Director

Fritz Lang

Cast

Peter Lorre , Ellen Widmann , Inge Landgut , Otto Wernicke , Theodor Loos

Runtime

99 Minutes

Directed and co-written by Fritz Lang with Thea von Harbou, M is a 1931 German mystery thriller that was Lang’s first sound film. Set in Berlin, the film tells the story of Hans Beckert, an insane serial killer who targets children, exploring how the city’s criminals join hands with the police to catch him. Following a manhunt for a wanted killer, the mystery thriller is also considered an early example of what we know as procedural dramas. The movie features the first major starring role of Peter Lorre, who would go on to star in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Lorre plays the role of the killer protagonist, appearing alongside legendary German actors like Otto Wernicke and Gustaf Gründgens. M features several cinematic innovations, including unique camera angles and sound techniques, like using theme music throughout the film, which became major influences in crime, mystery, and thriller genres in the following decades. A classic mystery thriller and a landmark film, M was regarded by Lang himself as his magnum opus and it is widely considered one of the greatest films of the German Expressionist movement.

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‘Only Yesterday’ (1999)

Rotten Tomatoes: 100% | IMDb: 7.6/10

only yesterday

Animation

Drama

Romance

Release Date

July 20, 1991

Director

Isao Takahata

Cast

Daisy Ridley , Dev Patel , Ashley Eckstein , Alison Fernandez , Miki Imai , Toshirô Yanagiba

Runtime

118 minutes

Directed by Isao Takahata, Only Yesterday was the filmmaker’s second Studio Ghibli directorial after Grave of the Fireflies. The animated film is based on the 1982 manga of the same title by Hotaru Okamoto and Yuko Tone and tells the story of a 27-year-old woman living in Tokyo, Taeko Okajima, who takes a vacation outside the city in order to visit her sister’s relatives in the countryside. The journey and the vacation make Taeko reminisce about her childhood, making her question her choices in life. The original Japanese voice cast includes Yōko Honna, Miki Imai, and Toshirō Yanagiba. An English dub version, voiced by Daisy Ridley, Dev Patel, Alison Fernandez, Laura Bailey, and Ashley Eckstein, was released in 2016. A nostalgic film about self-discovery and finding your inner child, Only Yesterday is a fun, simple, and sensitive movie. The film received praise for its empathetic reflection of women in Japanese society at the time. Featuring brilliant artwork, animation, and music, Only Yesterday was a huge success on its release, both critically and commercially, becoming the highest-grossing Japanese film of 1991.

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‘Three Colors: Red’ (1994)

Rotten Tomatoes: 100% | IMDb: 8.1/10

Three Colors: Red

Release Date

May 12, 1994

Director

Krzysztof Kieślowski

Cast

Irène Jacob , Jean-Louis Trintignant , Jean-Pierre Lorit , Frédérique Feder

Runtime

99 Minutes

Co-written, produced, and directed by Polish filmmaker Krzysztof Kieślowski, Three Colors: Red is the third and final installment in the popular Three Colors Trilogy, a film series that examines French Revolutionary ideals. The drama film follows part-time model and student Valentine, who meets Joseph Kern, a retired judge, after she runs over his dog. Valentine ends up forming an unlikely bond with Joseph when she finds out he spies on his neighbors. Irène Jacob and Jean-Louis Trintignant star as Valentine and Joseph, respectively, and earned Cesar Award nominations for their stellar performances. Three Colors: Red explores themes of human connection, fraternity, and the interconnectedness of human lives, where two characters form a connection despite little in common. On its release, the drama film earned universal acclaim and was nominated for three Academy Awards, including Best Director for Kieślowski. It is considered the best film of the trilogy and one of the greatest French-language films of all time.

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‘Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds’ (2016)

Rotten Tomatoes: 100% | IMDb: 7.9/10

Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds

Release Date

January 7, 2017

Director

Alexis Bloom, Fisher Stevens

Run Time

1 hr 35 min

Actors

Carrie Fisher, Debbie Reynolds, Todd Fisher, Griffin Dunne

Directed by Alexis Bloom and Fisher Stevens, Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds is a documentary film that explores the relationship between actor-singer Debbie Reynolds and her daughter, the equally iconic actor-writer Carrie Fisher. The film is an intimate portrait of the mother-daughter relationship between the Star Wars star and the legendary entertainer in what would be their final years together. Reynolds’ son Todd Fisher and actor-filmmaker Griffin Dunne also appear in the film. Bright Lights marks the final film appearances of both Reynolds and Fisher before their deaths in 2016. The documentary features candid moments with both the actors, exploring stories of their family lives and respective careers through archival footage, home videos, and interviews with family and friends, all of it culminating at the 2015 Screen Actors Guild Awards, where Fisher presented her mother with the Life Achievement Award. Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds has been greatly praised for its funny, charming, and poignant narrative on one of Hollywood’s most beloved families.

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‘Tampopo’ (1985)

Rotten Tomatoes: 100% | IMDb: 7.9/10

Tampopo

Release Date

November 23, 1985

Director

Juzo Itami

Actors

Tsutomu Yamazaki, Nobuko Miyamoto, Kōji Yakusho, Ken Watanabe, Rikiya Yasuoka

Run Time

1 hr 45 min

Written and directed by Juzo Itami, Tampopo is a 1985 Japanese comedy film that celebrates the love of food. Marketed as a “Ramen Western," the film follows a truck driver and his sidekick who stop at a roadside ramen shop, where they decide to help the proprietor improve her business. The movie stars Tsutomu Yamazaki, Nobuko Miyamoto, Kōji Yakusho, and Ken Watanabe. Tampopo received universal acclaim from critics around the world at the time of its release. The movie won two Japanese Academy Awards in the Best Editing and Best Sound categories. It also received nominations for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Foreign Film and the National Society of Film Critics Awards for Best Screenplay and Best Director. An offbeat, satirical film with the style of a Western but the content of a food comedy, Tampopo has had a lasting impact on Japanese culture and the wider global appreciation of Japanese cinema. It’s also a deliciously great time.

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‘The Gold Rush’ (1925)

Rotten Tomatoes: 100% | IMDb: 8.1/10

The Gold Rush

Comedy

Adventure

Drama

Release Date

June 26, 1926

Director

Charles Chaplin

Cast

Charles Chaplin , Mack Swain , Tom Murray , Georgia Hale

Runtime

95 minutes

Written, produced, and directed by Charlie Chaplin, The Gold Rush is a 1925 American silent comedy film. Set during the Klondike Gold Rush of the 1890s, the film follows Chaplin in his Tramp persona as an unfortunate prospector who gets caught in a snowstorm, forms an uneasy alliance with a fugitive and a fellow gold-seeker, and eventually falls for a girl. Besides Chaplin in the lead role, the film also stars Georgia Hale, Mack Swain, Tom Murray, Henry Bergman, and Malcolm Waite. The Gold Rush was a critical darling when it was first released, with Chaplin himself calling it the film he most wanted to be remembered for. With a deft combination of slapstick comedy and real emotion, the movie is widely regarded as one of Chaplin’s best. Chaplin also released a sound version in 1942 (available on Max), which earned Academy Award nominations for Best Music Score and Best Sound Recording. The Gold Rush is a true masterpiece of Old Hollywood and one of the greatest comedies ever made.

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