Max has added a lot of great films this month. While it's definitely prioritizing horror films for Halloween, Max has some great new movies for September 2023 that won't give you nightmares.

Already reigning at the top of our list of best streaming services, there are so many fresh choices that you may have trouble deciding what to watch first. And there's nothing worse than losing precious movie-viewing time thanks to decision paralysis. That's why we're constantly rotating our list of the best Max movies, but if you want to know the highlights of the most recently added films, this is the site for you. [There are some seriously creepy horror films on this list, but there are also gorgeous star-studded romantic comedies, mind-bending sci-fi thrillers, and the inevitable tear-jerking drama in which Liam Neeson switches from action actor to doting husband. So let's get right to my picks...

A legend of the horror genre, "The Exorcist," whose fifth sequel opens next month, has haunted viewers for decades and will celebrate its 40th anniversary in December. Its appearance on Max is well-timed, both for those who want to see this spine-tingling horror again and for viewers who wish to replay it for the first time with courage.

"The Exorcist" begins with a young girl named Regan (Linda Blair) acting increasingly strange. The priest believes that Regan is possessed and calls in an exorcism expert (Max von Sydow) to exorcise the demon that is tormenting the family.

Genre: Horror Rotten Tomatoes Score: 85 Streaming on Max

"Crazy, Stupid, Love" is the perfect romantic comedy with a stellar cast. Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Julianne Moore, Emma Stone, John Carroll Lynch, and Kevin Bacon are all in fine form. The film has real heart and a very funny script. It is the perfect date movie and very rewatchable.

This sparkling romantic comedy begins when middle-aged Cal Weaver (Carell) is forced to re-enter the dating pool after his wife (Moore) reveals his affair. Cal, who is struggling with his single life, is taken in by the ultra-savvy Jacob Palmer (Gosling), who teaches him the ropes of modern love. But while Jacob is teaching him the benefits of being single, he meets Hannah (Stone) and begins to question his own repeated heartbreak.

Genre Rom-com Rotten Tomatoes Score: 79 Streaming on Max

Inspired by the true story told in the 2009 book "The Lost Child of Philomena Lee" by Martin Sick Smith, "Philomena" is a heartwarming comedy drama that was nominated for four Academy Awards at the 86th Academy Awards. Not only is the film enjoyable to watch from beginning to end, but it also balances a number of chuckle-worthy scenes with effective touching moments.

The film begins in 1952 when Irish teenager Philomena (now played by Judi Dench) becomes pregnant out of wedlock and is forced to give up her newborn baby. Decades later, unable to forget her lost child, she sets out on a journey to find her son with the help of a journalist (Steve Coogan). As they get closer to finding Philomena's child, the two bond and share their own experiences and struggles.

Genre Drama Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91 Streaming on Max

There is a strange fascination with films that celebrate the strange ordinariness of everyday life. There are no tension-filled moments or heart-pounding action scenes here. Don't expect any surprises in the third act, nor a surprise ending. What we do see in Ordinary Love, however, is a moving production anchored by two strong performances.

Ordinary Love focuses on Joan (Lesley Manville) and Tom (Liam Neeson), a married couple who have been together for many years; they lead a very normal life together and are completely comfortable with each other after a lifetime of being together. However, when Joan is unexpectedly diagnosed with cancer, her treatment forces the couple to rely on each other in new ways.

Genre Romantic Drama Rotten Tomatoes Score: 93 Stream it on Max

Stephen King's 1986 full-length novel is not the easiest novel to adapt to film, as the erratic miniseries that aired in the 1990s proved. The other half of the story is covered in "It, Chapter 2," which opens this month at the Max, but this first chapter is definitely one to add to your marathon list of Halloween movies.

Drawing clear inspiration from classic '80s films like "The Goonies" and "Stand By Me" (also based on King's novel), "It" is set in Derry, Maine, where seven outcasts who call themselves the "Losers Club" have emerged from the sewers to prey on the town They are faced with their worst nightmare by an ancient shape-shifting evil entity. Set over the course of a single summer, the friends must battle this terrifying creature in the form of a murderous clown named Pennywise (Bill Skarsgård).

Genre: Horror Rotten Tomatoes Score: 86 Jake Gyllenhaal plays helicopter pilot Colter Stevens. He is conscripted into a top-secret military operation and experiences the final minutes of a schoolteacher killed in a train explosion. Colter's mission is to learn the identity of the bomber in order to prevent further attacks.

Directed by Duncan Jones, who also directed the critically acclaimed 2009 sci-fi film "Moon," "Source Code" is a smart, gripping thrill ride that will leave you second guessing what happens next until the end credits roll. I won't spoil it, but as Colter gets closer to the truth, the relatively simple mission rapidly becomes more complex.

Genre Science fiction film Rotten Tomatoes Score: 92 Streaming on Max

Even if you've never seen the movie Friday, you've probably seen the popular reaction meme it spawned. Starring Ice Cube and Chris Tucker, this 1995 stoner comedy launched a popular franchise, but as is often the case, the sequel failed to surpass the original.

The film centers on Craig Jones (Ice Cube), a newly fired slacker living in Los Angeles. Hanging out with his best friend Smokey (Chris Tucker), what was supposed to be a normal Friday quickly devolves into a boisterous trip with shootouts, angry drug dealers, and a disgruntled girlfriend (Paula Jay Parker). All this chaos is packed into an unforgettable 24 hours for Craig and Smokey.

Genre Comedy Rotten Tomatoes Score: 76 Streaming on Max

Another horror film by Stephen King, Doctor Sleep is a sequel to Stanley Kubrick's The Shining. While it is a disappointment to release a sequel to a horror classic nearly 40 years later, "Doctor Sleep" is by no means a dull film. In fact, it is just as hair-raising as its predecessor, and that is largely due to Rebecca Ferguson's wickedly wonderful performance.

More than 30 years after the traumatic events of his childhood at the Overlook Hotel, the adult Dan Torrance (played by Ewan McGregor) has become an alcoholic, just like his father. Unable to forget his troubled past, Dan meets a teenager with the same extrasensory abilities and is forced to confront his own demons; the two confront True Knot, a cult that hunts those who can "shine."

Genre: Horror Rotten Tomatoes Score: 78 Streaming on Max

The first "Annabelle" film, a spinoff from 2013's "The Conjuring," was a tedious spin-off from the franchise's lore, relying heavily on bland genre tropes with little to no real engagement. So imagine my surprise when its sequel turned out to be the best entry in the "Conjuring" series to date. In addition, its sequel, "Annabel Comes Home," was added to the Max this month and is likewise a huge leap forward from the first "Annabel," making it a great double feature.

Back to Annabelle: The film begins with a grieving husband and wife (Anthony LaPaglia and Miranda Otto) who lose their seven-year-old daughter in a tragic accident. Later, they are delighted to welcome six orphaned girls into their farmhouse, but things take a macabre turn when one of the children sneaks into an off-limits room and finds a wooden doll that seems to have come to life.

Genre: Horror Rotten Tomatoes Score: 70 Streaming on Max