4 Best Underrated Series To Stream On HBO Max In June

More so than most streaming providers, Max currently offers a wide array of exceptional TV shows within its online catalog.

From tense crime dramas like The Sopranos and Boardwalk Empire to hit fantasy series like Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon, there’s simply no shortage of worthwhile material when it comes to Max’s digital programming.

Given how many fantastic TV shows there are within its service, however, certain series tend to fall by the wayside when compared to Max’s other, far more prominent shows. From imaginative absurdist comedies to spellbinding fantasy series, here are some of the greatest, most underrated TV series currently streaming on Max.

We Are Who We Are

He may not be as well-known as Spielberg or Tarantino, but director Luca Guadagnino has been cranking out a healthy assortment of spectacular material over the past decade, including such indelible hits as Call Me By Your Name, Suspiria, Bones and All, and 2020’s coming of age miniseries, We Are Who We Are. With the latter, Guadagnino once again hands in an impressive study of youth, identity, and teenage angst amidst significant personal hardships, conjuring up the perfect companion piece to the filmmaker’s previous work on Call Me By Your Name.

Carnivale

Despite its eventual cancellation following a mere two seasons, Carnivale continues to serve as a riveting dark fantasy horror series – the likes of which viewers rarely see anymore. Combining its Great Depression-era settings with a first rate cast of characters (many of them enigmatic carnival performers), Carnivale unfolds like a unique cross between Freaks, Nightmare Alley, AHS: Freakshow, and a lost pulp novel from Stephen King or Ray Bradbury.

Fantasmas

While there’s something positive to be said about his previous work on Los Espookys, we’d be remiss if we didn’t single out the wondrous achievements of Julio Torres’ recent HBO comedy, Fantasmas. As with most of Torres’ projects, Fantasmas offers a ceaselessly riveting surrealist story filled with nonsensical plotlines and laugh-out-loud characters. Whether focusing on a physical personification of the letter Q or an ongoing labor lawsuit by Santa’s elves, Fantasmas is quite possibly the most unique and original TV series of the 2020s yet – as well as one we can’t wait to see more of in the very near future.

High Maintenance

As with the aforementioned Fantasmas, High Maintenance doesn’t strictly follow an overarching narrative. Instead, this inventive comedy series alternates between dozens of branching storylines, each of which feature Ben Sinclair’s mild-mannered weed dealer, The Guy. Smart, funny, and unwaveringly altruistic in its portrayal of its continuously shifting main characters, it’s an astounding exploration of life in contemporary New York City, right down to its nuanced study of boredom, mental health, relationships, and the bittersweet connection between friends and family members.