The 18 Best Movies to Watch on Apple TV+ Tonight When You’re Done With Work
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A byproduct of the streaming wars, our favorite films and series continue to appear and disappear from streaming services, being traded like baseball cards. Apple TV+, however, doesn’t play the game. The small but mighty streamer has left its mark through strictly original content. They aren’t entering bidding wars for The Office or Glee; instead, they are working on new seasons of Ted Lasso and Mythic Quest. Beyond the streamer’s beloved original series, Apple TV+ is also home to a curated collection of films, documentaries, and even Broadway performances. Here’s a guide to the best movies to watch on Apple TV+.
Boys State
This 2020 documentary follows a group of 1,000 teenage boys in Texas attending Boys State, a summer leadership program focused on exploring the systems of American politics. The film focuses on four kids in the program who are building a representative government from the ground up. The doc is an interesting thought experiment into the world of politics and government, from the purview of the younger generation.
Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry
This documentary gives an intimate look at one of the most successful young performers of our generation: Billie Eilish, of course. It's less of a commemorative career-spanning reflection and more of a stream of consciousness, slice of life. The doc follows Billie through various performances and recording sessions, as well as moments of her “real life” including a breakup, health issues, and getting her learner’s permit.
Causeway
Starring Jennifer Lawrence and Brian Tyree Henry, Causeway is a 2022 drama that follows a discharged soldier struggling to adjust to life at home in New Orleans after suffering a traumatic brain injury. It’s a character study from two of our best working actors right now, and Brian's supporting performance was celebrated with an Oscar nomination.
Cha Cha Real Smooth
This comedy-drama comes from wunderkind director Cooper Raiff–and he stars in the film alongside Dakota Johnson. The indie follows a 22-year-old kid who gets a job as a bar and bat mitzvah party starter after graduating from college. Dakota plays a young mom to an autistic daughter, and when she meets Cooper's character, sparks fly.
Cherry
If you want to see Tom Holland in a crime-drama sans-Spidey suit, try Cherry. In this 2021 film, Tom plays a college student-turned-PTSD-afflicted veteran who begins robbing banks to pay for his and his wife’s addictions. The film is based on a novel about the life of Nico Walker, a U.S. Army veteran who served prison time for bank robbery.
CODA
The reigning Best Picture winner from the 94th Academy Awards, CODA is a coming-of-age film that follows the only hearing member of a deaf family as she struggles to follow her own dreams while attempting to keep her family’s fishing business afloat. The film features deaf actors and served as a vessel for actor Troy Kotsur’s Best Supporting Actor Oscar, making him the first deaf actor to win an Academy Award.
Come From Away
Broadway fans, listen up! Apple TV+ is the only place you can watch the filmed-version of the Tony-winning musical, Come From Away. The show is based on the true story of the Newfoundland of Gander, which welcomed 38 planes and 7,000 passengers from the sky directly following the September 11 attacks. The story is one of kindness and compassion, plus the music is catchy. What more can you ask for?
Emancipation
This 2022 historical drama flew a bit under the radar following “The Slap,” but it's high time to revisit it. Emancipation stars Will Smith as an enslaved Black man in the 1860s who escapes from Louisiana and survives by hiding in swamps.
The Greatest Beer Run Ever
This comedy, based on an incredible true story, stars Zac Efron and Russell Crowe. It follows the story of a young war veteran who sneaks into the frontlines of the Vietnam War to deliver beer to his friends on active duty.
My Mind & Me
The Selenators’ movie of the year, My Mind & Me is a 2022 documentary that follows six years of Selena Gomez's life, from her music career to her health struggles, and everything in between. One thing that is not up for discussion here: Jelena. The relationship is barely mentioned in the documentary, and for that, we are grateful.
On The Rocks
This film stars Rashida Jones as a woman following a suspicion that her husband is cheating, joined by her father (Bill Murray). The comedy comes from the mind of a legacy auteur Sofia Coppola. On The Rocks is quite the departure from Sofia's previous works, meaning it's not the darkest movie you’ll see this year.
Raymond and Ray
This comedy-drama stars Ewan McGregor and Ethan Hawke as a pair of half-brothers attending their abusive father’s funeral. The film has its funny moments but remains emotionally heavy, following the brothers’ individual processing of childhood trauma, leading them down dark paths—think drug addiction and lady problems.
Sharper
Starring Julianne Moore, Sebastian Stan, and Justice Smith, Sharper is a psychological thriller presented through nonlinear vignettes, jumping from character to character to tell a story of a con artist among the billionaires of Manhattan.
Sidney
Produced by Oprah Winfrey, this documentary follows the life of one of the most talented actors of all time, Sidney Poitier. Poitier, who died in 2022, was the first Black actor to win the Academy Award for Best Actor.
Spirited
Who says you can’t watch a Christmas movie in March? Spirited stars Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds in a musical version of Charles Dickens’ classic A Christmas Story.
Swan Song
This science fiction drama stars Mahershala Ali as a terminally ill man who is presented the opportunity to be replaced by a clone, sparing his loved ones the grief and pain of losing him. The film also stars Naomie Harris, Glenn Close, and Awkwafina.
The Tragedy of Macbeth
One of our greatest stories, revived by two of our greatest working actors. From A24 and Apple, this 2021 rendition of The Tragedy of Macbeth stars Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand.
The Velvet Underground
This 2021 documentary follows the rise and influence of legendary rock band, the Velvet Underground. Despite never finding mass commercial success in their time, the band is remembered now as pioneers in alt-music history, lending to the rise of punk and new wave music.
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