HBO Max spent June living large –Dragon house‘s third season ruled the charts (and continues to), and Larry David covered 250 years of American history in preparation for Independence Day. But once dragons stop breathing fire, it’s more real-life documentaries than fiction, and HBO Max stocks a deep library of them.
This weekend (July 3-5), I’ve chosen three docs about people who choose to step out of line: a group of laughable subversives fighting for religious liberty, a 1970s public-address television icon in a thong bikini, a defense of free speech that sparked a Supreme Court controversy and a brilliant sibling feud. I’ve ranked them from best to best, I think.
3
Hello Satan?
How satirical satanists took over church and state
It’s important to note right off the bat that the Satanic Temple, the activist group at the center of acclaimed filmmaker Penny Lane’s provocative, often hilarious 2019 documentary Hello Satan?-surprise- doesn’t actually worship or even believe in Satan. This is not a movie about bad people. Instead, it’s an enlightening film about a group of media-savvy members who use satanic imagery to expose hypocrisy and advocate for the separation of church and state. And surprisingly, it’s a lot of fun.
The 95-minute film traces the Temple’s rise from a rally on the steps of Florida in 2013 to the installation of a nine-foot statue of Baphomet, the goat-headed occult symbol, on the Capitol grounds in Arkansas. The film’s hosts are Temple co-founder Lucien Greaves and Jack Blackmore, the former head of the Detroit chapter who is battling “The Preacher Politician,” the group’s most vocal opponent, Arkansas state senator Jason Rapert.
Hello Satan? combines real-life footage, news clips and spoken-word interviews, making the film wildly playful, often funny and tongue-in-cheek. The film was a Sundance hit and currently holds a 96% critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Hello Satan?
2
Bang My Box: The Robin Byrd Story
The subversive cable pioneer’s fight for free speech
New on HBO Max from June 30th, to wrap up Pride Month perfectly, this thoroughly entertaining and incredible 2026 documentary celebrates New York TV’s woven bikini queen, Robin Bird, who accidentally became an icon of free speech and LGBTQ+.
In 1977-1998 The Robin Byrd Show He ran Manhattan’s public speaking, omnipotent J Channel, where Byrd welcomed adult performers of all genders and sexualities to a low-budget, sex-positive party and ended his show each week with a song of his own. Bang My Box. The film tells his story and how his religious act became a lifeline and strange beacon of hope and visibility in the age of AIDS. He also examines his First Amendment battle against Time Warner, which tried to censor his show, and his landmark Supreme Court victory.
Based on rare archival footage and intimate interviews, Bang My Box: The Robin Byrd Story It finds Byrd, nearly 70 years old, pondering her legacy as she tenderly cares for Shelley, her husband of 50 years, who now lives with dementia. Tributes to the 79-minute film include Annie Sprinkle, Sandra Bernhard and SNLCheri Oteri – once parodied her. No RT score yet, but initial reviews so far have been positive.
Bang My Box: The Robin Byrd Story
- Release date
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June 9, 2026
- Execution time
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79 minutes
- Director
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Jillian Guenther, Stephanie Schwam
1
Once We Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and The Band
The band’s rise and bitter breakup
You know them for their iconic hits Weight and on Cripple Creekbut how much do you really know about the famous rock group of the 60s and 70s, The Band? Well, put director Daniel Rohr’s 2019 documentary on your watch list and find out. Once We Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and The Band It’s a fascinating film that tells an incredible story through guitarist and chief songwriter Robbie Robertson, who sadly passed away in 2023.
Based on Robertson’s 2016 memoir, Testimony, They were once brothers It follows from the beginnings of The Hawks, a backing band for rockabilly star Ronnie Hawkins, through a legendary stint behind new electrician Bob Dylan, to his own illustrious career. It follows their close bond and brotherhood, as captured in Martin Scorsese’s epic film, before the addiction-fueled bitterness that tore them apart during their legendary farewell concert in 1976. The Last Waltz.
Roher weaves together rare archival footage, photographs and music with fresh interviews from Robertson and his ex-wife, as well as several music legends: Bruce Springsteen, Eric Clapton, Van Morrison and Hawkins himself. It’s a deeply moving portrait of five musicians who are more than the sum of their parts and has an 84% rating on RT.
Naked July
Ironically, figures who once clung to the pearls of polite society grow old and become icons. Settle in, hit play and see what all the fuss is about. If none of these are your cup of tea, dig into it Other streaming tips from How-To Geek.
- Subscription with ads
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Yes, $10.99 per month
- Synchronous streams
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2 or 4
HBO Max is a subscription-based streaming service that offers content from HBO, Warner Bros., DC and more. In 2025, the service rebranded itself as HBO Max after previously dropping “HBO” from its name.
