Apple TV+Before you spend an hour scrolling through every streaming library trying to find a film to watch, make it easier for yourself: pick one of the best movies on Apple TV+.
I wouldn’t be surprised if you haven’t paid much attention to what the platform has to offer; perhaps you log in once a week to watch the new season of Severance or Slow Horses and leave without looking around.
We’re spoiled for choice with streaming services and all the new movies you can stream each month (just look at all the amazing films on the 2025 movies calendar), but you should dig into the movies available on Apple TV+.
There are war movies, nail-biting thrillers, and even some Oscar nominees, so what are you waiting for? You’re missing out on some of the best movies of all time.
11. Greyhound
Apple TV+- Genre: War
- Release date: July 10, 2020
- Director: Aaron Schneider
- Cast: Tom Hanks, Stephen Graham, Rob Morgan, Elisabeth Shue
- Regions: Everywhere
- How long is it? 1 hour 31 minutes
What it’s about: In his first post as a captain, a longtime Navy veteran is tasked with protecting a convoy of 37 ships carrying thousands of soldiers and supplies during World War II – leading him into the Battle of the Atlantic.
Why we like it: This dramatization of the longest naval battle in history is fitted with all the nuts and bolts you’d expect from a mature entry in Hanks’ filmography. Viewers praised its efficient approach to the story upon release and how Hanks does a lot with little on paper. Though it doesn’t have the most memorable characters, Greyhound’s craftsmanship and sense of scale go a long way. Your dad will probably love it, and who can blame him?
Words by Trudie Graham
10. Blitz
AppleTV+- Genre: Historical drama
- Release date: November 1, 2024
- Director: Steve McQueen
- Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Elliott Heffernan, Harris Dickinson, Benjamin Clementine, Stephen Graham
- Regions: Everywhere
- How long is it? 2 hours
What it’s about: Set in London during the Blitz, nine-year-old George has been evacuated to the countryside, but he rebels, hopping off the train to make a dangerous journey home. Meanwhile, his mother, Rita, learns he’s missing and frantically searches for him.
Why we like it: Blitz could have easily been an action-packed rollercoaster ride through chaos and destruction, but instead, McQueen has crafted an extremely human story that avoids the rose-tinted perspective of wartime life you might expect – and it’s for the better.
George is mixed-race, and we see how that plays into every interaction without being cynical, while Saoirse Ronan delivers an understatedly powerful performance as his working-class single mother. Exciting and scary but often gentle, it’s a well-made adventure perfect for a Sunday afternoon.
Words by Liam Mackay
9. Tetris
Apple TV+- Genre: Biopic/Thriller
- Release date: March 31, 2023
- Director: Jon S. Baird
- Cast: Taron Egerton, Nikita Efremov, Sofia Lebedeva, Anthony Boyle
- Regions: Everywhere
- How long is it? 1 hour 58 minutes
What it’s about: Henk Rogers discovers Tetris in 1988, and then risks everything by traveling to the Soviet Union, where he joins forces with inventor Alexey Pajitnov to bring the game to the masses.
Why we like it: This is a fizzy, f**k-the-rules thriller, chronicling the unbelievable story of the brass neck who dared to throw open the Iron Curtain in aid of the “perfect game.” Egerton is on superb form, and this may sound strange, but it’s somewhere between Netflix’s brilliant High Score docu-series… and Argo.
Words by Cameron Frew
8. CODA
Apple TV+- Genre: Comedy-drama
- Release date: August 13, 2021
- Director: Sian Heder
- Cast: Emilia Jones, Troy Kotsur, Marlee Matlin, Ferdia Walsh-Peelo, Daniel Durant
- Regions: Everywhere
- How long is it? 1 hour 51 minutes
What it’s about: Ruby is the only hearing member of her deaf family. When the family business is in dire straits, she’s torn between pursuing her love of music and being present.
Why we like it: It’s a sweet, strangely by-the-book coming-of-age story – aside from the clear hook. The characters are endearing, and it ends with a wholesome third act that makes the ups and downs satisfying. CODA will forever go down as one of the most divisive movies on Apple’s service, with its historic Oscar win drawing praise and scrutiny in equal measure.
Words by Trudie Graham
7. Boys State
Apple TV+- Genre: Documentary
- Release date: August 14, 2020
- Director: Jesse Moss, Amanda McBaine
- Cast: Ben Feinstein, Robert MacDougall, Steven Garza, René Otero
- Regions: Everywhere
- How long is it? 1 hour 49 minutes
What it’s about: In Texas, around 1,000 teenage boys attend Boys State – and in a fascinating and sometimes unsettling social experiment, they’re tasked with creating and running a fictional democracy.
Why we like it: Boys State is one of those lightning-in-a-bottle think-tank documentaries deeply buried in a streaming service’s corners. Documentary filmmaking is not glamorous, but projects like this prove how much innovation is still untapped, and it’s one of the most important movies on Apple TV+.
The documentary doesn’t prematurely condemn anyone. Instead, it showcases inherent kindness, the open-minded qualities of youth, and, yes, also how negative reinforcement and socialization can drum those things out of boys. The non-judgmental approach makes it an insightful watch for adult viewers that explores topical issues with a glass-half-full outlook.
Words by Trudie Graham
6. Girls State
Apple TV- Genre: Documentary
- Release date: April 5, 2024
- Director: Jesse Moss, Amanda McBaine
- Cast: Emily Worthmore, Nisha Murali, Tochi Ihekona
- Regions: Everywhere
- How long is it? 1 hour 36 minutes
What it’s about: In a week-long experiment, a large group of teenage girls attend Girls State, where they’re tasked with building a government from the ground up.
Why we like it: Taking the same experiment but flipping it to put the fabricated power structures in the hands of girls is more of a good thing. That being said, it’s also remarkably different because of that change. Girls face different social issues, and the threat to bodily autonomy in the US is on their minds. This made Girls State tenser than its predecessor, but it’s nonetheless hopeful and generous to its young subjects.
Words by Trudie Graham
5. Fancy Dance
Apple TV+- Genre: Drama
- Release date: June 21, 2024
- Director: Erica Tremblay
- Cast: Lily Gladstone, Isabel DeRoy-Olson, Ryan Begay, Shea Whigham
- Regions: Everywhere
- How long is it? 1 hour 30 minutes
What it’s about: Since her sister’s disappearance, Jax has cared for her niece Roki by scraping by on the Seneca-Cayuga reservation in Oklahoma. However, there’s a chance she could lose custody to her grandfather, so they hit the road and scour the backcountry to track down Roki’s mother.
Why we like it: Fancy Dance is the kind of drama that you don’t often see funded. Gladstone’s commitment to Native American stories in the wake of her Killers of the Flower Moon fame is on display; it’s an authentic film grounded by the characters’ lives as much as it’s ‘about’ something.
Carolina Costa’s understated cinematography instills a strong sense of place. Her lens observes reservation life and social drama while finding beauty in Jax and Roki’s surroundings. It’s a genre mash that doesn’t always get the gear shifts right, but it hits hard when it does.
Words by Trudie Graham
4. Cha Cha Real Smooth
Apple TV+- Genre: Romantic Comedy
- Release date: June 17, 2022
- Director: Cooper Raiff
- Cast: Dakota Johnson, Cooper Raiff, Raúl Castillo, Odeya Rush
- Regions: Everywhere
- How long is it? 1 hour 47 minutes
What it’s about: Fresh out of college and without a clear life path going forward, 22-year-old Andrew lands a job as a party starter. When Andrew befriends a local mom, Domino, and her daughter, Lola, he finally discovers a future he wants – even if it might not be his own.
Why we like it: You’ll find a bunch of romantic comedy movies on Apple’s platform. You won’t find Ghosted on our recommendations because it’s terrible (and not in the fun, camp way), but Cha Cha Real Smooth is a filling slice of life. It’s also earned praise for autistic actor Vanessa Burghardt’s performance, who said she’d “never seen a script like that where the autistic person was treated as a character rather than something being used to move the plot forward.”
Words by Trudie Graham
3. Causeway
Apple TV+- Genre: Drama
- Release date: October 28, 2022
- Director: Lila Neugebauer
- Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Brian Tyree Henry, Linda Emond, Jayne Houdyshell, Stephen McKinley Henderson
- Regions: Everywhere
- How long is it? 1 hour 2 minutes
What it’s about: Lynsey, a US soldier who suffered a traumatic brain injury in Afghanistan, returns home to New Orleans but struggles to adjust to normality.
Why we like it: Messy in nature but deftly executed, it was refreshing to see Lawrence play against type opposite an endearing but equally flawed Brian Tyree Henry.
It explores her struggles to adjust to civilian life without condescending or sanding down edges. And the drama lies in Sharon’s small wins and defeats – learning how to drive again, coming out to her new friend, and making mistakes she’s not sure she can squarely blame on her injury.
Words by Trudie Graham
2. Wolfwalkers
Apple TV+- Genre: Animation/Fantasy
- Release date: December 11, 2020
- Director: Tomm Moore, Ross Stewart
- Cast: Honor Kneafsey, Eva Whittaker, Sean Bean, Simon McBurney, Maria Doyle Kennedy
- Regions: Everywhere
- How long is it? 1 hour 42 minutes
What it’s about: In a time of superstition and magic, a young apprentice hunter, Robyn Goodfellowe, journeys to Ireland with her father to wipe out the last wolf pack. While exploring the forbidden lands outside the city walls, Robyn befriends a free-spirited girl, Mebh, a member of a mysterious tribe rumored to have the ability to transform into wolves by night.
Why we like it: Irish 2D animation house Cartoon Saloon is known for its lush stories and gorgeous hand-drawn scenery; Wolfwalkers is the best of the pack. It’s vividly presented and narratively clever, and it keeps things simple enough for a young audience but doesn’t pull its punches in the heavy themes or intense execution.
Words by Trudie Graham
1. Killers of the Flower Moon
Apple TV+- Genre: Crime Drama
- Release date: October 20, 2023
- Director: Martin Scorsese
- Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Lily Gladstone, Robert De Niro, Jesse Plemons, Brendan Fraser
- Regions: Everywhere
- How long is it? 3 hours 26 minutes
What it’s about: The extortion, theft, and grave violence against the Osage Nation in the 1920s unfolds via the unlikely relationship between Ernest Burkhart and Mollie Kyle, where real love crosses paths with unspeakable betrayal.
Why we like it: Killers of the Flower Moon is a Martin Scorsese picture — we could end the discussion there. But we won’t, because this stands out as one of his most experimental ventures in his storied filmography.
This is a moving and brutal depiction of Native American displacement and the violence enacted against the communities. While Leonardo DiCaprio received top billing, Gladstone’s Mollie Burkhart runs away with it. Her blood-curdling cries as her family drops like flies is the story’s DNA. We watch deplorable, stupid people steal and deceive. Scorsese imbues the movie with romance and humor to stop it from being one-note, but it’s a sordid and eye-opening tale.
The editing, cinematography, and emphasis on the score make it a stylistically different experience from Scorsese’s other movies. You get the sense that the subject matter challenged him as a filmmaker. For someone who has been directing for so long and has made countless brilliant things, that tells you how important this was.
Words by Trudie Graham
If you’d rather find a new series to binge, make sure you check out our list of the best TV shows on Apple TV+ and the best new TV shows to watch this month. We’ve also rounded up the best binge-worthy series you can stream right now across every platform. And if that’s not enough, bookmark our 2025 TV show calendar so you don’t miss anything.
