The best Apple TV Plus movies are an eclectic slate of compelling stories, mixed in with an emotional documentary, an intimate drama, a lightweight love story, and even a Best Picture Academy Award winner. It's no surprise that Apple TV Plus is one of the best streaming services and was crowned TechRadar's Streaming Service of the Year considering how hard it works at releasing high-quality content on a regular basis.
With the ever-expanding Apple TV Plus Originals movie roster, it's managed to attract stellar actors, including Mahershala Ali, Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, Jennifer Lawrence, and Tom Hanks. There's immense star power in these three Apple TV Plus movies with over 80% on Rotten Tomatoes and four new Apple TV Plus movies and shows we're excited to stream in November.
With so much content to consume, we know it can get overwhelming. So, we’ve narrowed down the choices to these 17 highly-rated movies. Read on for the best Apple TV Plus movies to stream right now.
Best comedy movies on Apple TV Plus
On the Rocks
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Runtime: 96 minutes
Age rating: R (US); 12 (UK)
Director: Sofia Coppola
Cast: Bill Murray, Rashida Jones, Marlon Wayans, and Jessica Henwick
Rotten Tomatoes score: 87% (Critics); 51% (Audience)
Reuniting for the first time since Lost in Translation, director Sofia Coppola and the ever-sardonic Bill Murray struck gold once again with an altogether more lightweight love story, and we think it's really worth your time despite the low audience score. On this occasion, the Ghostbusters star is playing the eccentric father rather than the romantic lead, and one who helps his daughter (Rashida Jones) determine whether she’s being cheated on in increasingly farcical ways. Murray deservedly picked up a Golden Globe nomination for his performance as an art dealer playboy who believes all men are programmed to be unfaithful. But he’s matched by an engaging Jones, who hopes to prove otherwise in an endearing New York caper.
Flora and Son
Runtime: 96 minutes
Age rating: R (US); 15 (UK)
Director: John Carney
Cast: Eve Hewson, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Jack Reynor
Rotten Tomatoes score: 93% (Critics); 84% (Audience)
Writer/director John Carney has built his career on Dublin-set, music-themed dramas such as Sing Street and Once, and Flora and Son explores similar territory. Eve Hewson (one of the stars of Bad Sisters, one of the best Apple TV Plus shows) headlines this story of a single mother who tries to reconnect with her wayward teenage son via a guitar that's been discarded by the side of the road. Flora ends up learning to play herself, as Joseph Gordon-Levitt's LA-based online guitar teacher helps awaken her previously untapped musical gifts, and launches her on a voyage of personal discovery. Flora and Son debuted at Sundance in 2023, and it's the sort of undemanding, heartwarming indie tale that tends to do well at the festival. Although the story doesn't represent any bold new musical direction for Carney, he guides his lead cast to some memorable and engaging performances.
Best documentaries on Apple TV Plus
Fireball: Visitors From Darker Worlds
Runtime: 97 minutes
Age rating: PG
Directors: Werner Herzog and Clive Oppenheimer
Cast: Werner Herzog, Clive Oppenheimer, Simon Schaffer
Rotten Tomatoes score: 98% (Critics); 62% (Audience)
Before watching Fireball: Visitors From Darker Worlds, I had not been familiar with the filmmaker Werner Herzog or the volcanologist Clive Oppenheimer, so naturally I've since been enthralled by the pair. Their previous critically-acclaimed projects have taken them across Antarctica (Encounters at the End of the World) and volcanoes (Into the Inferno) but in this Apple Original, they look to the skies to explore how shooting stars, meteorites and comets have impacted not just the Earth but us humans too. The movie's stunning visuals from across six continents are broken up by talking-head style interviews with captivating people. It's an eye-opening watch that will leave you fascinated to explore more.
- Watch Fireball: Visitors From Darker Worlds on Apple TV Plus
- Watch the trailer for Fireball: Visitors From Darker Worlds
Girls State
Runtime: 96 minutes
Age rating: PG-13 (US); 12 (UK)
Directors: Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine
Cast: Emily Worthmore, Nisha Murali, and Tochi Ihekona
Rotten Tomatoes score: 95% (Critics); 68% (Audience)
A companion film to the award-winning documentary Boys State, the documentary Girls State follows a group of teenage girls from all walks of life across Missouri as they navigate a week-long immersive political experiment learning how to build a government from scratch. Girls State offers a powerful look into what American democracy would look like in the hands of young girls who all have different beliefs, backgrounds, and opinions about varying topics that make this a thought-provoking watch.
The Pigeon Tunnel
Runtime: 94 minutes
Age rating: PG-13 (US); 12 (UK)
Director: Errol Morris
Cast: John le Carré, Jake Dove, Charlotte Hamblin, Garry Cooper, and Simon Harrison
Rotten Tomatoes score: 96% (Critics); 69% (Audience)
Academy Award-winning documentarian Errol Morris helms this biographical take on the life and career of former British spy David Cornwell, also known as John le Carré, the author of iconic espionage novels such as The Spy Who Came in from the Cold and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. The documentary stretches across six decades as le Carré, does his final interview accompanied by rare archival footage and dramatized sketches. Even if you haven't read le Carré's novels, The Pigeon Tunnel is still a highly engrossing and interesting insight into his extraordinary life on and off the page.
The Last of the Sea Women
Runtime: 87 minutes
Age rating: PG (US); PG (UK)
Director: Sue Kim
Rotten Tomatoes score: 97% (Critics); TBC (Audience)
The Last of the Sea Women follows a remarkable group of feisty grandmother fisherwomen who fight to save their culture from oceanic threats. The haenyeo divers of South Korea's Jeju Island are often called real-life mermaids due to their centuries-old tradition of diving to the ocean floor without oxygen to harvest seafood for their communities. Now that most of them are in their old age, their way of life is facing extinction, but these funny and fearless women refuse to give up. Helped by younger people fighting to revive their dwindling lifestyle through social media, the documentary is an uplifting tale of female empowerment, friendships and inspiring a new generation. The Last of the Sea Women desperately made me want to be a part of this tight-knit community and scavenge along the sea floor but I'm afraid I can't hold my breath for that long.
Best drama movies on Apple TV Plus
Fancy Dance
Runtime: 90 minutes
Age rating: R (US); 15 (UK)
Director: Erica Tremblay Cast: Lily Gladstone, Isabel Deroy-Olson, Shea Whigham, and Patrice Fisher
Rotten Tomatoes score: 96% (Critics); 80% (Audience)
After earning critical acclaim for her role in Killers of the Flower Moon, featured next on our list, Lily Gladstone stars as Jax in this Apple Original. It's a captivating watch too, and I think it solidifies Gladstone as a talent who is going to go far. She's already lined up to star in the drama movie Jazzy, which she's also an executive producer for. Following the mysterious disappearance of her sister, Jax fights to protect her niece, Roki, from being taken away to live with her grandparents. In a poignant depiction of life as an Indigenous woman, Jax kidnaps Roki so the pair can desperately search for her mother in hopes of finding her in time for the upcoming powwow - an important gathering for their community in Oklahoma City. Erica Tremblay, known for her documentaries, makes her feature film directorial debut with Fancy Dance and impresses by shining a light on the struggles that Indigenous women face in a modern, colonized world. The indie movie was picked up by Apple Plus following an impressive Sundance debut, enabling the social issue to be shared with a wider audience. It's not only found a place on the platform though, it's also rightfully earned a spot as one of the best Apple TV Plus movies to stream right now. So step to it!
Palmer
Runtime: 110 minutes
Age rating: R (US); 15 (UK)
Director: Fisher Stevens
Cast: Justin Timberlake, Juno Temple, Alisha Wainwright, and June Squibb
Rotten Tomatoes score: 72% (Critics); 87% (Audience)
Palmer not only boasts Timberlake's finest screen performance, but it also tackles an important LGBTQ+ issue with a much-needed sensitivity, making it an important watch as well as a critically-rated one. The singer stars as the titular felon who, on returning to his Louisiana hometown, unexpectedly finds himself becoming a father figure to a gender non-conforming seven-year-old. If you can leave your cynicism at the door, you’ll be rewarded with a surprisingly touching celebration of self-identity.
Killers of the Flower Moon
Runtime: 206 minutes
Age rating: R (US); 15 (UK)
Director: Martin Scorsese
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, Lily Gladstone, and Jesse Plemons
Rotten Tomatoes score: 93% (Critics); 84% (Audience)
Apple may have already won their first Best Picture Oscar with CODA (more on that below), but by bankrolling Martin Scorsese's latest epic, they've shown they're not done with big, awards-friendly movies yet. Just like the director's previous outing, The Irishman (one of the best Netflix movies), Killers of the Flower Moon is a lengthy affair. It's also utterly compelling, highlighting the tragic, true story of the members of the Indigenous Osage Nation brutally murdered for the oil discovered on their land in the early 20th century. Scorsese has famously worked with both Robert de Niro (GoodFellas, Raging Bull) and Leonardo DiCaprio (The Wolf of Wall Street, The Departed) on numerous occasions, but this is the first time he's put the two stars in the same movie. Unsurprisingly, both are brilliant here, but the real star of the show is Lily Gladstone, who won a Golden Globe for her performance. Find out where Killers of the Flower Moon ranks in our best Martin Scorsese movies guide.
- Watch Killers of the Flower Moon on Apple TV Plus
- Watch the Killers of the Flower Moon trailer on YouTube
CODA
Runtime: 111 minutes
Age rating: PG-13 (US); 12 (UK)
Director: Siân Heder
Cast: Emilia Jones, Eugenio Derbez, Troy Kotsur, Ferdia Walsh-Peelo, and Marlee Matlin
Rotten Tomatoes score: 94% (Critics); 91% (Audience)
CODA stars Emilia Jones as Ruby, the only hearing member of an eccentric family of fishermen. But after discovering a previously untapped singing talent, the teen – and those who've relied upon her voice – are forced to reassess their futures. Expect some tearjerking moments as well as some laugh out loud ones too. This beautiful movie makes consistent use of sign language – alongside one particularly beautiful scene that shuts off all sound – to give a rarely authentic glimpse into deaf life. It also saw actor Troy Kotsur taking home a Best Supporting Actor award at the 2022 Academy Awards, making him the first deaf actor to take home the coveted trophy. His winning speech is very heartwarming too! Not only this, but it marks Apple TV's first Best Picture award, so if my personal praise for the movie isn't enough to convince you, perhaps its impressive collection of awards will sweeten the deal.
Causeway
Runtime: 94 minutes
Age rating: R (US); 15 (UK)
Director: Lila Neugebauer
Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Brian Tyree Henry, Linda Emond, and Jayne Houdyshell
Rotten Tomatoes score: 85% (Critics); 73% (Audience)
Causeway is an intimate, contemplative drama, which puts the spotlight on Lynsey (Jennifer Lawrence), a US Army veteran who has just returned from Afghanistan with a traumatic brain injury. Initially unable to walk or talk, she is nursed back to health and is eventually well enough to head back to her mother's home in New Orleans. There she meets James (Brian Tyree Henry), who has his own darkness to contend with, as we watch Lynsey try to come to terms with everything that has happened. This is a slow and emotional entry on our list of the best Apple TV Plus movies, handling hard-hitting issues with sensitivity while giving the cast the opportunity to deliver stellar performances. Lawrence and Henry are outstanding together and this is worth a watch for their performances alone, if you're keen for a hard hitting drama that makes you think, this is definitely one to watch.
Tetris
Runtime: 117 minutes
Age rating: R (US); 15 (UK)
Director: Jon S. Baird Cast: Taron Egerton, Nikita Efremov, Toby Jones, and Roger Allam
Rotten Tomatoes score: 81% (Critics); 87% (Audience)
Just before The Super Mario Bros Movie started breaking box office records, Apple TV Plus brought another of Nintendo’s crown jewels to the screen. One thing Tetris is definitely not, however, is a literal adaptation of the game – after all, two hours watching a load of blocks slowly falling into place would be a very tricky sell. Instead, this based-on-a-true-story drama turns the origins of the Game Boy classic into a Cold War thriller, as entrepreneurial developer Henk Rogers (Taron Egerton) travels beyond the Iron Curtain to bring Tetris to the West – and finds himself battling both newspaper mogul Robert Maxwell and the might of the former Soviet Union. With biopics being popular in recent years, including Egerton's other role as Elton John in Rocketman, it's safe to say some of them aren't as good as others. Tetris, thankfully is a thoroughly entertaining watch. If you're curious about the history of the iconic video game, this one's for you.
The Tragedy of Macbeth
Runtime: 105 minutes
Age rating: R (US); 15 (UK)
Director: Joel Coen
Cast: Denzel Washington, Frances McDormand, Corey Hawkins, and Bertie Carvel
Rotten Tomatoes score: 92% (Critics); 74% (Audience)
A Shakespearean tale already adapted for the screen umpteen times might not seem like an obvious solo debut for a filmmaker as idiosyncratic as Joel Coen, the the elder half of the Coen brothers. But, while the words remain slavish to the original text, The Tragedy of Macbeth’s striking aesthetics ensure that this is the Bard adapted as you’ve never seen before. Coen frames every monologue in pure monochrome, using the light and shade of studio soundstages to accentuate the depth of sublime performances from Denzel Washington as the titular general, and Frances McDormand as his ambitious wife.
Best fantasy movies on Apple TV Plus
Wolfwalkers
Runtime: 102 minutes
Age rating: PG (US); PG (UK)
Directors: Tomm Moore, Ross Stewart
Cast: Honor Kneafsey, Eva Whittaker, Sean Bean, and Simon McBurney
Rotten Tomatoes score: 99% (Critics); 98% (Audience)
Following on from The Secret of Kells and Song of the Sea, the Oscar-nominated Wolfwalkers brings Tomm Moore’s animated Irish Folklore Trilogy to a stunning close. It has a near perfect Rotten Tomatoes score too at 99%! Even audiences weren't far behind at 98%. The charming fantasy epic sees a young girl travel with her father to Ireland on a wolfpack-hunting mission, only to befriend a member of the tribe said to have a very strong affiliation with the lupine world. As with its predecessors, the enchanting hand-drawn animation (from Cartoon Saloon, who created Star Wars short 'Screechers Reach' for the second season of Visions) instantly immerses you in Moore’s fantastical universe. Meanwhile, its profound musings on colonialism, the environment, and all-round compassion ensure there’s plenty of substance to its magical style.
The Velveteen Rabbit
Runtime: 44 minutes
Age rating: PG (US); PG (UK)
Director: Jennifer Perrott
Cast: Phoenix Laroche, Ellie Mejia, Samantha Colley, Leonard Buckley
Rotten Tomatoes score: 100% (Critics); 87% (Audience)
As the only short film on this list, it's the perfect choice if you don't have a lot of time or you're dealing with a shorter attention span! In this family-friendly fantasy movie, we follow 7-year-old William who receives a new favorite toy for Christmas, he discovers a lifelong friend and unlocks a world of magic. But beyond that, it's a lovely exploration of self-discovery, the power of your own imagination, and much of what you'd expect from a family movie about friendship. Don't think that makes it boring, though, despite it's slight predictability it's still a worthwhile watch whether you have children or not!
Best romance movies on Apple TV Plus
Cha Cha Real Smooth
Runtime: 108 minutes
Age rating: R (US); 15 (UK)
Director: Cooper Raiff
Cast: Dakota Johnson, Cooper Raiff, Leslie Mann, and Raúl Castillo
Rotten Tomatoes score: 85% (Critics); 61% (Audience)
Cha Cha Real Smooth is the brainchild of Cooper Raiff, who wrote, directed and starred in the indie comedy-drama that wowed critics and audiences alike when it screened at the Sundance Festival in 2022. So he's been very busy. Alongside Raiff, the cast features Dakota Johnson, Vanessa Burghardt and Leslie Mann. The film tells the story of a man who works as a bar mitzvah party host, and strikes up a friendship with a young woman and her teenage daughter. Many have praised the movie for the writing and Johnson's performance.
Swan Song
Runtime: 111 minutes
Age rating: R (US); 15 (UK)
Director: Benjamin Cleary
Cast: Mahershala Ali, Naomie Harris, Awkwafina, Glenn Close, and Adam Beach
Rotten Tomatoes score: 80% (Critics); 75% (Audience)
In this sci-fi romance, Mahershala Ali stars as Cameron, a terminally-ill man who is offered to spare his family from grief by having him replaced with a clone. The loving father and husband finds himself in an agonizing situation on whether to change his family's fate and duplicate himself without them knowing. Swan Song is a truly heartwrenching and stirring watch. I found myself hynoptized by Ali's powerful, emotional performance that helped me think about these thought-provoking questions of love, loss and sacrifice in a moving way.
How we choose the best Apple TV Plus movies
We could include every Apple Original film on this list, which would be about 60 movies if we weren't to consider the 50 licensed movies it added to its US library in March 2024 (not to mention the 30 more classic movies it added a month after), but there are plenty of movies that the tech giant has had a hand in developing that, frankly, aren't any good.
So, in order to secure a spot in this guide, films need to meet this criteria: hold an 80% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes (RT) and be recommended personally by either Matthew Bolton, Amelia Schwanke, Tom Power, Lucy Buglass and Grace Morris, who make up the streaming editorial team at TechRadar.
For more Apple TV Plus-based coverage, read our guides on the best Apple TV Plus shows, Foundation season 3, and Severance season 2.
