While you can rent your favorite movies on Apple TV, the streaming service has so much to offer those with an Apple TV+ subscription. From amazing documentaries that talk about hit pop singers like Selena Gomez to the Academy Award-winning movie, CODA, there are plenty of options to suit your tastes. While the best Apple TV+ shows are just as fun to watch, the movies are great too. Here are the best Apple TV+ original movies you can check out now.
CODA
First up on this list, we have the 2022 Academy Award Best Picture winner, CODA. This movie tells the inspiring story of a young woman who is the only hearing person within her deaf family, and discovers that she has a passion for singing. However, she must choose between pursuing this passion and staying at home to help her family with their fishing business.
CODA is phenomenal. From the outstanding CODA cast (one of which, Troy Kotsur, won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor) to its inspiring story, this movie is one that you won't forget. It's a simple coming of age tale that somehow speaks so many volumes and encourages you to chase your dreams, no matter what obstacles might be in your way. It's no wonder it won the Academy Award for Best Picture.
Beastie Boys Story
Have you ever been curious about the lives of one of the most famous musical groups of all time? That’s exactly what Beastie Boys Story is all about. Band members Mike Diamond and Adam Horovitz came together to share the story of their band and the forty-year friendship that came along with it through every up and down they could have imagined.PLAY SOUND
For people like us who never really get to understand what’s on the inside of the music industry, it’s certainly one of my absolute favorite pieces of work that I have watched regarding it. For a band that has been around as long as the Beastie Boys, hearing about everything they have been through is inspiring, and will make anyone want to get up and achieve their dreams with their buddies by their side.
Stream Beastie Boys Story on Apple TV+.
Tetris
Did you ever wonder how one of the most famous games in the world came into existence and revolutionized the video game industry? This is the story of Tetris, in the appropriately titled film, Tetris. The movie recaps the true events of how the United States was able to get the patent for the video game Tetris, from Russia, during a time of conflict – the Cold War in the 1980s.
Out of many movies that have been released on the platform, Tetris was one of my favorites, mainly because of both my love for video games and Taron Egerton. I got a lot out of watching this film – a fantastic performance from Egerton, and a really well-told story that kept me on the edge of my seat, even informing me of things I did not know about the famous game. It’s certainly a great movie to watch.
Flora And Son
Released in 2023, Flora and Son is the musical comedy that you have to check out. Starring Eve Hewson, Jack Reynor, Orén Kinlan and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Flora and Son is a film about a young mother who is struggling to deal with her teenage son, who is going through a rebellious phase. She decides that maybe, all he needs is a hobby, and she finds a guitar to gift to the boy that changes their lives forever.
I think what I like the most about this movie is that it’s awfully realistic and has a lot of heart. It is a comedy, for sure, but I also love the music that is played, and the relationship between Flora and Max, her son, really speaks to me on a personal level. It almost reminds me of when I was a kid and I’d be rebellious to my mother – and also made me want to call my mom to apologize for my behavior as a teenager.
Stream Flora and Son on Apple TV+.
Spirited
Are you spirited yet when it comes to holidays? That’s what this musical comedy intends to do. Spirited, starring Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds, tells the story of the Ghost of Christmas Present trying to do the unthinkable – redeem an unredeemable person, for the second time in centuries. However, as he gets to know this man, he goes on his own adventure of self-reflection.
Spirited is such a great movie. To some, it might not be everyone’s favorite jolly film, but I loved it from start to finish and the music is so much fun. And don’t even get me started on the comedic talent of both Reynolds and Ferrell in the same room. These two need to be in more movies now. I demand it – and make sure music is included next time too.
Causeway
If you’re looking for a brilliant drama, then you need to check out the quiet but powerful Causeway. This film, starring Jennifer Lawrence in the lead role, tells the story of a young woman who experiences a brain injury while she is overseas in Afghanistan during a tour for the U.S. Army. But as she waits at home to go back out into the field, she struggles to adapt to normal everyday life after the trauma she went through.
Causeway is an experience that I think everyone needs to see. The main character tries to learn to adapt to new settings and circumstances that she isn’t used to after going through such a harrowing experience like war. It’s about perseverance and bravery and so much more, and I personally think it’s a movie everyone should watch. Also, Jennifer Lawrence’s performance in it is great, as well as Brian Tyree Henry (who earned an Academy Award nomination for his role).
Finch
Tom Hanks is a fantastic actor, and Finch is another great pick on this list. Finch tells the story of a robot, whose main goal is to protect his creator’s dog, owned by Finch himself, and this team of apocalypse survivors go on quite the adventure that teaches them about the world and everyone around them, one amazing moment at a time.
Finch feels more like a movie you want to watch to escape the world thanks to the wonderful performance from Hanks, mixed in with some really cool effects. I also personally love the robots in this movie. They’re cool-looking, charming in all the right ways, and make the movie that much more fun.
Billie Eilish: The World’s A Little Blurry
2019 was a big year in music, namely for one young star named Billie Eilish. And in Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry, we got a first-hand look into her life as she was just starting to rise to fame, and how her life differs from being at home to on stage and writing her debut album “WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?”
If you don’t know the story of this amazing singer and want to learn, this is your best bet. Not only is it captivating and motivating to listen to Eilish’s story and hear what she has gone through, but the documentary again gives a look into the music industry from a different point of view. Billie Eilish has many more years ahead of her in her career, but even getting this slight glimpse into her life at the beginning is interesting enough to keep you watching.
Stream Billie Eilish: The World’s A Little Blurry on Apple TV+.
The Tragedy Of Macbeth
Starring the talented Denzel Washington, The Tragedy of Macbeth is another adaptation story of William Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth, telling the tale of a young man who is told by three witches that he will be the next King of Scotland, but this blind belief it what ultimately leads to his downfall.
I mean, you can’t get more classic than Macbeth, and this movie tells the story wonderfully. Denzel Washington is killer in his role as Macbeth, and deserves all the awards, but honestly the whole entire Tragedy of Macbeth cast is talented and really gave this movie their all, creating another awesome addition to Apple TV+’s repertoire.
Stream The Tragedy of Macbeth on Apple TV+.
Bruce Springsteen’s Letter To You
If you want a film that covers one of the most known singers and performers of all time, Bruce Springsteen, then this is the movie for you. In Bruce Springsteen’s Letter to You, Springsteen opens up about everything in his life to his fans as a tribute to the E Street Band, rock ‘n’ roll in general, and how music has shaped his life.
What’s even cooler about this awesome documentary is that we get to see Bruce Springsteen record with his full band live in the studio for the first time since Born in the U.S.A., one of his most famous songs. As someone who grew up listening to all different kinds of genres, it warms my heart to see Springsteen so affected by music and understanding where it has taken him in life.
Stream Bruce Springsteen’s Letter to You on Apple TV+.
Fingernails
If you want a great sci-fi romantic drama, then Fingernails is the movie for you. This Apple TV+ film, directed by Christos Nikou, is unlike any movie out there. It mainly follows Anna, a young woman who begins to work at an institute where couples are tested if they truly love each other or not, all by using a fingernail.
Yes, this premise sounds off the walls weird, but I promise you, this movie is genuinely worth the time. It is such an interesting concept, and one that impressed me with how this sci-fi world delivered the information that we take in. Fingernails is really one of the best sci-fi films of the year, and it deserves more hype.
Stream Fingernails on Apple TV+.
Wolfwalkers
Okay, I’m going to be honest, animation is one of my favorite genres, and I hope that if it is for you, then you will surely check out Wolfwalkers. In this Academy-Award nominated film, we follow the story of Robyn Goodfellowe, a young hunter who goes to Ireland with her father in an attempt to wipe out the last wolf pack during a time where magic and superstition run wild.
I hope I can scream this to the heavens because oh my God, this is one of the most beautifully animated films I have ever had the privilege to witness. It’s such different animation from the typical CGI-madness that we get on a daily basis and I believe that it’s something everyone should see, even if animated films have never been your thing. It’s euphoric to see a film like Wolfwalkers streaming that is so vividly pleasing as this one.
Stream Wolfwalkers on Apple TV+.
Swan Song
Starring Academy Award-winner Mahershala Ali, Swan Song is beautiful in all the right ways. Swan Song starts off with a common issue that many people face - a family member who is diagnosed with a terminal illness. However, in this world, he is given the ultimate opportunity for his family to thrive after he’s gone – the ability to replace himself with a clone.
I bet that premise already has you hooked in some way, and it should. This movie isn’t the flashiest piece of sci-fi, but it’s certainly one that has so much heart and will probably make you cry in some way. Mahershala Ali, however, is who truly shines. Playing dual roles is hard, but literally trying to play yourself in two different ways seems like it would be even harder, and he does a fantastic job. The movie is worth watching just for his excellent performance.
Stream Swan Song on Apple TV+.
Selena Gomez: My Mind And Me
When I first found out that Selena Gomez, an actress and singer, was releasing a documentary on Apple TV+ about some of her tougher years, I was intrigued at first, but only when I watched Selena Gomez: My Mind And Me did I realize just how much fans didn’t know what was going on with her behind the scenes. The film gives us a personal look into her life, and how she dealt with her personal and professional issues.
As a fan of hers, I felt many feelings while watching this documentary. It was a great insight into the mindset of a former Disney kid, and showed just how much she truly tried to break out as her own individual person and not be associated with someone else. If you’re a fan of the actress, I’d truly suggest watching this movie – it’ll change your perspective on her, in a good way.
Stream Selena Gomez: My Mind and Me on Apple TV+.
Hala
I’ll preface this by saying that I grew up Catholic, and because of that, I was never exposed to how other religions were practiced for a long time. That’s why a movie like Hala was so necessary for me to be properly informed. In Hala, we look into the life of Hala Masood, played by Geraldine Viswanathan, and her becoming a teenager with her own values and life that are in conflict with the views of her Muslim family.
Again, I never got to experience anything as a younger child because it wasn’t what I grew up around, so having a chance to really get to explore what it’s like in other religions opened my eyes to things I never thought I’d see. Conversations I never thought I’d hear. For Hala, it’s the classic self-discovery story of a young teenage girl, mixed in with some serious themes that anyone from today could understand, and how family and your own life sometimes don’t always mix so well. It’s truly a movie of the times, and a great one at that.
Honorable Mention: Killers Of The Flower Moon
Okay, so it’s technically not streaming on the platform at the time of updating this in December 2023, but Killers Of The Flower Moon deserves to be on here. The film, which was made by Apple TV but was put in theaters first, stars Leonardo DiCaprio and is about how several murders took place in the Osage Nation of Native Americans when oil was discovered on their land.
This movie is deep. It’s dark, it’s gritty, and it will hammer you down into your seat for hours on end – and trust me, you will be there for hours because the film is 3+ hours long. Either way, the cast all deliver exceptional performances, with Lily Gladstone being the standout. It’s only available to rent/buy right now, but sooner or later, it’ll make its way over to Apple TV+. We just have to be patient.
Rent/Buy Killers of the Flower Moon on Apple
With all these options to choose from, you’ll surely be entertained for some time now. I can’t wait to see what new 2024 movies are going to get added to this list. Time for more movie marathons.
