Justice League Snyder Cut is bad — but HBO Max is still beating Netflix

Justice League Snyder Cutting is bad — but HBO Max is still chirapsia Netflix

(Image credit: HBO Max)

Having seen The Snyder Cut, aka Zack Snyder's Justice League, I tin can confidently say it'south a bad movie. I even watched it twice: in one case to review it, a second time to laugh at information technology with friends. Simply my stance isn't the whole story — and I still call back the picture show is proficient... for HBO Max, that is.

Insiders who spoke to Deadline claim it was the streamer's biggest movie behind Wonder Woman 1984. And that makes it exactly the kind of motion-picture show that HBO Max needs for today, and the future. Information technology's considering of movies like Snyder Cut that HBO Max feels more essential than Netflix. Hither'due south why.

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Streaming services demand to be known for something

Allow'south look at the situation HBO Max is in, and how it sets the streaming service upward to need big movies — no thing how bad or long some are. The past three years have seen a huge influx of new (and relaunched) streaming services. Apple Tv Plus arrived in Nov 2019, followed by Disney Plus that same month.

And then, in 2020, nosotros saw Quibi, Peacock and HBO Max all arrive in a iv-calendar month window. And while 1 could have theorized that pandemic boredom would have bestowed upon audiences unlimited time for any streaming service to succeed, Quibi didn't brand it to 2021. After that, we didn't get a new streaming service until Paramount Plus in February 2022. And of all of those streaming services, but Disney Plus feels similar it'south been a big hitting so far. None of the others have an equivalent to Mandalorian, WandaVision or even a Hamilton.

The Justice League Snyder Cut sucks, but HBO Max is still beating Netflix — Wonder Woman 1984 — (Paradigm credit: Warner Bros.)

At best, Apple Goggle box is the place that has fun, quirky comedies that people politely recommend you lookout, such equally Ted Lasso and Dickinson. Peacock was supposed to exist the domicile of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, and we may nonetheless get the games this year, if reports are to be believed. And while HBO Max launched with Friends (and Peacock later got The Part), one testify does not a streaming service make.

Then on Christmas Twenty-four hour period, HBO Max became the service you needed for Wonder Woman 1984, as the world was hankering for a large blockbuster action moving-picture show. Netflix countered by dropping the Mank, a tribute to the history of movie theatre. Unfortunately, information technology didn't own the conversation in the aforementioned fashion that 'WW84' did.

HBO Max's winning strategy owns 2021 builds to 2022

Netflix is the established big house of streaming media. But these days, many of us are thinking about cancelling Netflix. We'll probably be back for Stranger Things flavor 4, merely Netflix has earned no good will with all of its cancellations, including calling off Glow season 4, which I'1000 nonetheless smarting over.

Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore, agrees that HBO Max is doing the reverse of that: creating a foundation for the time to come.

"They're putting in identify the building blocks to take a long-term subscriber base that is going to be attracted by these large movies," said Dergarabedian in a phone interview with Tom's Guide.

The Justice League Snyder Cut sucks — but HBO Max is still beating Netflix — Dune movie — (Paradigm credit: Chiabella James/Warner Bros. Amusement)

And 2022'southward change in Warner Bros. Pictures post-pandemic release schedules, where HBO Max won't have big Warner Bros. Pictures movies on day one, may non exist a large problem.

"Then if the initial subscriber base of operations becomes bigger and bigger because of these blockbuster titles that are drawing people like a moth to a flame, to get them to sign upwards, and then down the road, even when they go back to the 45 day or go to a 45 day theatrical window, I don't see people only leaving because they can say 'I tin go encounter the Batman,'" said Dergarabedian

Given the size and cultural cachet of these movies, Dergarabedian believes that "ping-ponging consumers or movie fans" will move back and along, between "that small screen that's in their business firm," and theaters. This way, HBO Max will maintain its acronymized namesake as the Habitation Box Function.

The good news for HBO Max is that its large movies aren't all worn out comic book films. Both Judas and The Black Messiah were excellent. The upcoming Dune and The Suicide Squad await fantastic. And the list of popcorn-worthy titles goes on with The Matrix 4, Godzilla vs Kong, Mortal Kombat, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Practice It, and Space Jam 2.

Outlook

While we're able to pay for Netflix and HBO Max at the aforementioned time, these days the latter is taking ownership of the streaming chat away from the former. Aye, Disney Plus is sucking up a lot of the oxygen with it's deep back catalog and affordable pricing, just its big tent-pole shows are spaced a bit too far wide to make its annual package experience like a smart investment.

While a new generation of streaming services search for identity, HBO Max is carving out a space to exist 1 of the biggest threats to Netflix's dominance. HBO Max's year of big budget movies at home may not be Christopher Nolan's favorite thought, but it's going to be a winner with audiences. And unless yous need soccer or pro wrestling, it's hard to see every bit compelling a reason to pay for Paramount Plus or Peacock.

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Henry is a senior editor at Tom's Guide covering streaming media, laptops and all things Apple, reviewing devices and services for the by six-plus years. Prior to joining Tom's Guide, he reviewed software and hardware for TechRadar Pro, and interviewed artists for Patek Philippe International Mag. He'south also covered the wild world of professional wrestling for Cageside Seats, interviewing athletes and other industry veterans.