HBO has long been the home for a specific brand of comedy. Distinct from the sitcoms of networks like NBC and ABC, HBO comedy programming was primarily aimed at adult audiences, featuring coarse language and mature themes, and sometimes graphic violence and nudity.Curb Your Enthusiasm, which first aired in 2000, is among the most well-known HBO comedies, but the network has since released a number of popular and acclaimed titles in the genre.
Shows likeEntourage,Extras,Flight of the Concords, andEastbound and Downare among the most beloved HBO comedies. The 2010s went on to deliver shows likeVeep,Silicon Valley,Succession,The Righteous Gemstones, andBarry, all of which have been critically well-received and successful in terms of viewership. HBO doesn’t just produce original shows, however, and has also been behind some notable movies, including titles likeEntourage(2015),Deadwood: The Movie(2019),Bad Education(2019),The Many Saints of Newark(2021), andReality(2023). Now, a new HBO film is finding success.
But The HBO Original Movie Has Divided Critics & Audiences
Mountainheadhas become a big streaming success, despite its mixed response on Rotten Tomatoes. Written and directed by Jesse Armstrong, who is best known as the creator ofSuccession, the film follows four billionaire friends who reunite for a secluded getaway as the world experiences significant economic turmoil. Steve Carell leads theMountainheadcastwith Jason Schwartzman, Cory Michael Smith, and Ramy Youssef. Though the critical response to the movie has been generally positive, audiences have been less praiseworthy.
Still, according to HBO Max’s daily top 10 movies list for June 15, 2025,Mountainheadranks as the most popular film on the streamer. The comedy has occupied the number one spot since its release on May 31, and is currently followed byImplosion: The Titanic Sub Disaster(2025) andMickey 17(2025). Check out the top 5 movies on HBO Max, as of writing, below:
HBO Max Top 5 Movies (July 14, 2025)
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The HBO Film’s Rotten Tomatoes Response Explained
Image via Max
Generally, the critical response toMountainheadhas been quite positive.OnRotten Tomatoes, the film enjoys an 80% critics' score, with praise aimed at the impressive performances from the cast and Armstrong’s clever dialogue. Alex Harrison’sMountainheadreviewforScreenRantwas less positive at only five out of 10, but even this is more complementary than the general audience response. In contrast to the critics' score, the Popcornmeter score on Rotten Tomatoes is a lackluster 30%.
On top of the eye-catching cast,Mountainheadis still a new film and is, therefore, likely succeeding in part simply because of its novelty and promotion on HBO Max.
When any streamer releases a new original movie, it’s not unexpected to see that movie appear on the streamer’s top 10 list. On top of the eye-catching cast,Mountainheadis still a new film and is, therefore, likely succeeding in part simply because of its novelty and promotion on HBO Max. The Rotten Tomatoes audience score, however, suggeststhe film won’t benefit from word-of-mouth from viewers, and the negative response could see the film fall down the top 10 list over the coming weeks.
