Finding and accessing extended versions of certain films on HBO Max is much more difficult than it needs to be.
Since its launch in May, the streaming service HBO Max has exceeded expectations by cultivating an impressive catalog, making headlines for its expansion into platforms and services and causing controversy for its Warner Bros. film release strategy. in 2021. The service also made some cuts of extended films and the director available for viewing alongside their theatrical equivalents. For a platform whose most anticipated original is a version of the director of Justice League, this is a smart decision that definitely attracts subscribers.
However, HBO Max often makes these alternative cuts difficult to find, which reveals an interface problem that needs to be resolved quickly.
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How to access director’s cuts on HBO Max
Accessing the director’s versions on HBO Max is not easy. It is logical to have a separate thumbnail for different versions of a movie, but HBO Max buries its alternate versions on the specific page for each title (after clicking “Explore” on a thumbnail). In other words, you cannot search for an extended cut, but instead, you should check the “Extras” selection for each movie, located below the “Play”, “Trailer” and “Add to my list” buttons. Since a movie’s banner / poster occupies most of the web page, you need to scroll down to see if there is an alternative version.
Why this is frustrating
The location and burial of extended cuts / directors highlights a persistent problem with the HBO Max user interface. To be fair, HBO’s “Extras” method keeps both versions of a movie on the same title page, but if someone doesn’t are paying attention or simply browsing the movie guide, an alternative cut may go unnoticed by many. This could make the audience watch a part of the film that the original director considered insufficient. For example, Kenneth Lonergan’s extended version of Margaret is making its debut on the service, but this version of the movie is not the one the user would originally click on when choosing the movie. Therefore, if a viewer simply clicks play after searching for the movie, the shortest and possibly lowest quality version of the movie will automatically be shown.
What is even more frustrating is that this rule does not apply to all alternates or directors. For example, Charlie Chaplin’s two versions of The gold rush have two separate entries and only one version of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (Theatrical edition or final edition) is available for viewing on the service at the same time. More annoyingly, certain cuts from the director were removed from service after they became available, such as Alien 3. In addition, not being able to search for director cuts or extended cuts in the search bar means that the user will not know which films have director cuts; they have to search the page for each film.
While it is wonderful that HBO Max provides certain extended cuts to its subscriber base, it needs to find a better way to promote these versions, and this requires a necessary and relatively easy change in its interface.
