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Among all the OTT platforms that have become popular, Apple TV+ has made a unique place for itself on the list with its unique content. Unlike other streaming platforms, which host a mixture of original titles and borrowed content, Apple TV+ hosts exclusive and original content only.
While Apple TV+'s library may not be as extensive as that of other leading platforms like Netflix or Prime Videos, it does not compromise on the quality and diversity of content available.
The streaming service offers titles across genres. Be it documentaries or thrillers, period thrillers or romantic comedies, they have it all. With that in mind, we have curated a list of our top picks for movies on Apple TV+.
CODA, Boys State, and five other must-watch movies on Apple TV+
1) Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie
Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie is a biographical documentary from the house of Apple TV+. Davis Guggenheim directed the film while producing the project alongside Annetta Marion, Jonathan King, and Will Cohen. Before releasing on Apple's streaming service in May 2023, the film had its worldwide premiere at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival.
The film stars Michael J. Fox in the central role alongside members of the Fox family. The movie uses archival footage alongside scripted pieces that come together to paint an intimate picture of Michael J. Fox's personal and professional life while dealing with Parkinson's disease.
The official synopsis for the film reads as follows:
"The film, which incorporates documentary, archival and scripted elements, recounts Fox’s extraordinary story in his own words — the improbable tale of an undersized kid from a Canadian army base who rose to the heights of stardom in 1980s Hollywood. The account of Fox’s public life, full of nostalgic thrills and cinematic gloss, unspools alongside his never-before-seen private journey, including the years that followed his diagnosis, at 29, with Parkinson’s disease."
The synopsis continues:
"Intimate and honest, and produced with unprecedented access to Fox and his family, the film chronicles Fox’s personal and professional triumphs and travails, and explores what happens when an incurable optimist confronts an incurable disease. With a mix of adventure and romance, comedy and drama, watching the film feels like … well, like a Michael J. Fox movie."
2) CODA
CODA is a coming-of-age comedy drama from the house of Apple TV+. The film is developed and directed by Sian Heder and comes as an adaptation of the 2014 French-Belgian drama by Éric Lartigau, La Famille Bélier.
The cast included Emilia Jones, Marlee Matlin, Eugenio Derbez, Troy Kotsur, Daniel Durant, Ferdia Walsh-Peelo, and others in pivotal roles. The film premiered at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival, where it received widespread critical acclaim for the performances by the cast and the treatment of the script by Heder.
The official synopsis for the film reads as follows:
"Seventeen-year-old Ruby is the sole hearing member of a deaf family – a CODA, child of deaf adults. Her life revolves around acting as interpreter for her parents and working on the family's struggling fishing boat every day before school with her father and older brother. But when Ruby joins her high school’s choir club, she discovers a gift for singing and soon finds herself drawn to her duet partner Miles. Encouraged by her enthusiastic, tough-love choirmaster to apply to a prestigious music school, Ruby finds herself torn between the obligations she feels to her family and the pursuit of her own dreams."
3) Boys State
Boys State is another intriguing documentary that came from the houses of A24 Films and Apple TV+. Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine worked together to produce and direct the film. It originally premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, where it even received the Grand Jury Prize in the documentary category.
The cast featured Ben Feinstein, Robert MacDougall, Steven Garza, and René Otero in the lead roles, portraying themselves alongside other pivotal characters in the story. Boys State was a favorite among the critics, who praised the social commentary and its tone.
The official synopsis from A24 reads:
"...a wildly entertaining and continually revealing immersion into a week-long annual program in which a thousand Texas high school seniors gather for an elaborate mock exercise: building their own state government."
The synopsis continues:
"...In the process, they have created a complex portrait of contemporary American masculinity, as well as a microcosm of our often dispiriting national political divisions that nevertheless manages to plant seeds of hope."
4) Causeway
Causeway is a drama from the houses of Apple TV+ and A24 Films. Lila Neugebauer directed the film in her feature directorial debut, with a screenplay co-written by Ottessa Moshfegh, Luke Goebel, and Elizabeth Sanders. The film had its worldwide premiere at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival before getting a limited theatrical release and a consecutive streaming release.
The film stars Jennifer Lawrence, Brian Tyree Henry, and Linda Emong in pivotal roles, alongside Jayne Houdyshell, Danny Wolohan, Russell Harvard, and others in supporting roles. It was a critical success and earned praise for Henry's performance and Neugebauer's direction.
The official synopsis for the film, as available on Apple TV+, reads as follows:
"Jennifer Lawrence stars as Lynsey, a soldier struggling to adjust back home in New Orleans following a traumatic injury. When she meets local mechanic James, the pair begin to forge an unexpected bond."
5) Cha Cha Real Smooth
Cha Cha Real Smooth is a comedy-drama original from the house of Apple TV+. Written and directed by Cooper Raiff, the film premiered at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival before getting a limited theatrical release and streaming release on Apple TV+.
The cast features Cooper Raiff, Dakota Johnson, and Evan Asante in the lead roles, alongside Vanessa Burghardt, Brad Garrett, Leslie Mann, and others in pivotal supporting roles. Critics loved the film and praised Raiff's all-round talent along with the heartwarming story.
The official synopsis for Cha Cha Real Smooth, as provided by Apple TV+, reads as follows:
"Fresh out of college and without a clear life path going forward, 22-year-old Andrew is stuck back at home with his family in New Jersey. But if there’s one thing that belongs on his nonexistent résumé, it’s how to get a party started, which lands him the perfect job of motivational dancing at the bar and bat mitzvahs for his younger brother’s classmates. 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."
6) The Tragedy of Macbeth
The Tragedy of Macbeth is a mystery thriller drama from the house of Apple TV+ and A24 Films. Written and directed by Joel Coen of the Coen brothers, the film is an adaptation of William Shakespeare's classic tragedy, Macbeth. The film premiered at the 2021 New York Film Festival, followed by a limited theatrical release at the end of 2021, and a streaming release in 2022.
The film stars Denzel Washington, Frances McDormand, Brendan Gleeson, Kathryn Hunter, Alex Hassell, Bertie Carvel, Harry Melling, and others in pivotal roles. It was a favorite among the critics and earned praise for the performance by the cast as well as its striking cinematography and direction.
A short synopsis for the cinematic adaptation of Shakespeare's classic, Macbeth, reads as follows:
"...Joel Coen’s bold and fierce adaptation—a tale of murder, madness, ambition, and wrathful cunning."
7) Wolfwalkers
Wolfwalkers is an independent animated fantasy film hosted on Apple TV+ in the US. Directed by Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart, with Will Collins working on the screenplay, it was released as the final film of Moore's Irish Folklore Trilogy, following The Secret of Kells and Song of the Sea. The film was released in theatres and for streaming at the end of 2020, after premiering at TIFF in September.
The pivotal characters are voiced by Honor Kneafsey, Eva Whittaker, Sean Bean, Simon McBurney, Maria Doyle Kennedy, Tommy Tiernan, and others. Wolfwalkers was a critics' favorite and gained widespread acclaim for its cultural commentary as well as its beautiful animations. The film went on to win multiple prestigious accolades, including five Annie Awards.
The synopsis for the film, as provided by Apple TV+, reads:
"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. As they search for Mebh’s missing mother, Robyn uncovers a secret that draws her further into the enchanted world of the Wolfwalkers and risks turning into the very thing her father is tasked to destroy."
These were our top picks for movies hosted on Apple TV+. All of these titles are exclusive to the service, and you'll need a subscription to watch them. But with the quality of the content they have to offer, you have nothing to lose.
