New on HBO Max This Week: Top Movies & Series (Oct 12–18, 2026)

Here is what is new on HBO Max in the US for the week of October 12 to 18, 2026, chosen for viewers 65 and older. It is a lighter week for movies, but there is a gripping true-story drama about the hunt for Saddam Hussein.

Highlights for the Week

What is the standout new series on HBO Max this week?

High Value Target: The Hunt for Saddam, arriving October 14. Joel Kinnaman plays the CIA analyst who was the first to question Saddam Hussein after his capture, with Tom Berenger in the cast. If you followed the Iraq war news, it is a strong watch.

Which new movie is best for a thriller night?

The Amateur (2025) arrives October 17. Rami Malek plays a quiet CIA code expert who goes after the people who killed his wife. It is a PG-13 spy story with Laurence Fishburne, and it is easier to sit through than this week’s other movie.

Is The Death of Robin Hood a family film?

No. It arrives October 16 and stars Hugh Jackman as an aging, wounded Robin Hood. It is dark and violent, so save it for adults who like serious drama.

Top New Movies on HBO Max This Week

Only two new movies arrived on HBO Max this week, so both are listed below.

Oct 16 – The Death of Robin Hood (2026)

Hugh Jackman plays an older, badly wounded Robin Hood who is taken in by a mysterious woman (Jodie Comer) who may offer him a way to redemption. Bill Skarsgård and Murray Bartlett also star. It comes from A24.

This is not the Errol Flynn version. It is a brooding, violent drama about a man facing his past. Jackman fans who like serious films should give it a look, but it is not one for the grandkids.

Oct 17 – The Amateur (2025)

Rami Malek plays Charlie Heller, a mild-mannered CIA code breaker who takes matters into his own hands after his wife is killed in a terrorist attack. Laurence Fishburne and Rachel Brosnahan co-star.

It is a classic revenge thriller with a brainy hero, rated PG-13. There is action and some violence, but nothing over the top. A solid weekend movie.

Top New TV Series on HBO Max This Week

Oct 13 – 120 Hours Behind Bars Season 2 (2026)

This Discovery series spends five days inside a different tough American jail each episode, following the staff, the inmates and the people in charge.

If you like real-life documentaries, it is eye-opening. It deals with gangs, drugs and violence, though, so it is more for curious viewers than for relaxing.

Oct 14 – High Value Target: The Hunt for Saddam (2026)

An eight-part TNT limited series based on CIA analyst John Nixon’s memoir. Joel Kinnaman plays Nixon, the first CIA officer to question Saddam Hussein after his capture in 2003. Waleed Zuaiter plays Saddam, and Tom Berenger and Christopher McDonald co-star.

For readers who lived through the Iraq war headlines, this will feel very familiar. It is a tense, talky political drama with some war violence. All eight episodes are ready to binge.

Oct 15 – Corregidora: The Darkest Night in Mexican Soccer (2026)

An HBO Original docuseries about the 2022 riot at the Corregidora stadium in Querétaro, Mexico, where a match between Querétaro and Atlas turned into a violent brawl in the stands.

Soccer fans and true-story fans may find it gripping, but the footage of the violence is hard to watch. Some of it is in Spanish with subtitles.

Oct 15 – Untold Stories of the ER Season 14 (2026)

The long-running TLC series is back. Real emergency room doctors recall their strangest and most stressful cases, which are acted out on screen.