New on HBO Max This Week: Top Movies & Series (Aug 17–23, 2026)
August 21, 2026 — 65Nation
Here are the best new movies and series arriving on HBO Max in the United States this week, August 17 to 23, 2026, chosen with viewers 65 and older in mind. The series shelf is the strong one this week, with a beloved sitcom and a warm travel comedy leading the way.
Highlights for the Week
What is the friendliest watch this week?
Abbott Elementary. The Emmy-winning sitcom returns for a fifth season, and it stays gentle, funny, and easy to enjoy with grandchildren.
Anything for fans of late-night comedy?
Conan O’Brien Must Go is back for a third season, with Conan visiting fans around the world for warm and slightly absurd encounters.
How are the movies this week?
Slim, and not especially cozy. Only two films arrived, and both come with cautions, so this week the series are the better bet.
Top New Movies on HBO Max This Week
Only two movies arrived this week, and neither is a natural comfort watch. Here they are, with honest cautions.
Aug 17 – Thanksgiving (2023)
Eli Roth directs a holiday horror film about a masked killer stalking a Massachusetts town after a Black Friday tragedy. Patrick Dempsey leads, with Nell Verlaque and Addison Rae.
Be warned: this is a genuine slasher, gory and violent. We would only point you to it if you actively enjoy horror. Otherwise it is an easy one to skip.
Aug 21 – Mother Mary (2026)
Director David Lowery tells the story of a fictional pop star, played by Anne Hathaway, and her bond with a visionary fashion designer played by Michaela Coel. The film comes with its own original music.
It is stylish and artful, though loud and aimed at a younger crowd. If you admire Anne Hathaway and enjoy something a little offbeat, give it a try; as background viewing it may not settle.
Top New TV Series on HBO Max This Week
Aug 20 – ER: Caught On Camera (2026)
This TLC docuseries builds each episode around real emergency-room and rescue footage, with commentary along the way. It is true-life medical television.
It will appeal if you like medical and real-life series, but here is the caveat: the footage shows genuine trauma, which some viewers find upsetting. Approach it when you are in the mood for something intense rather than relaxing.
Aug 20 – Expedition X (2026)
Investigators Phil Torres and Jessica Chobot travel the globe chasing legends, ghost stories, and unexplained mysteries. This twelfth season keeps the same curious spirit.
It is easygoing armchair travel, with nothing graphic, and it makes good company for an evening. If the grandchildren are visiting, they will happily watch along.
Aug 21 – Conan O’Brien Must Go (2026)
Conan O’Brien travels the world to surprise fans who have written to him, and the encounters turn warm and wonderfully silly. This is the third season of his HBO travel comedy.
Longtime fans of his late-night years will feel right at home. It is light and big-hearted, with only the occasional bit of grown-up humor, and it is one of the easiest watches of the week.
Aug 22 – Abbott Elementary (2025)
This mockumentary sitcom follows the dedicated teachers at an underfunded Philadelphia grade school. Quinta Brunson created it and stars, with Sheryl Lee Ralph and Tyler James Williams beside her.
Season five is the one we would hand to almost anyone. It is warm, genuinely funny, and clean enough to enjoy with the whole family, grandchildren included.
Find this week’s new movies and series
Pick a streaming service below, all hand-picked for 65Nation readers:
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