The streamer has built up an impressive catalog of diverse titles since debuting in 2019.

The 25 best movies on Apple TV, from charming dramedies to Oscar darlings

The streamer has built up an impressive catalog of diverse titles since debuting in 2019.

By Robert English

and Kevin Jacobsen

April 15, 2026 10:00 a.m. ET

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Emilia Jones as Ruby Rossi in 'CODA'; Lily Gladstone as Molly Burkhart in 'Killers of the Flower Moon'; Brad Pitt as Sonny Hayes in 'F1'. Credit:

Apple TV+ (2); Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures/Apple Original Films

Apple TV has been slowly but surely catching up to the big guns in the streaming world since its launch in 2019. While it is now known for its high-quality TV programming, such as *The Morning Show*, *Ted Lasso*, and *Severance*, the streamer also specializes in original films, many of which come with critical acclaim and high audience scores.

Among Apple TV's catalog of titles are Oscar winners and nominees like *CODA* (2021), *Killers of the Flower Moon* (2023), and *F1* (2025), alongside charming dramedies like *On the Rocks* (2020) and *Eternity* (2025), and illuminating documentaries like *Girls State* (2024) and *Deaf President Now!* (2025). And the best part is, you don't have to worry about these titles randomly disappearing from the platform, as Apple owns all of them.

Ahead, find our recommendations for the 25 best movies worth streaming with your Apple TV subscription.

The Banker (2020)

Samuel L. Jackson as Joe Morris and Anthony Mackie as Bernard Garrett in 'The Banker'. Courtesy of Apple

In *The Banker**,* Anthony Mackie and Samuel L. Jackson step out of their MCU superhero suits and into the shoes of Bernard Garrett and Joe Morris, two Black 1950s entrepreneurs who have to hire a white man (Nicholas Hoult) to be the face of their business. The film is carried out magnificently by the two experienced leads, who chronicle how the duo risked everything to succeed in an overtly racist society. Though its initial release was pushed back when one of the former producers, Garrett's son Bernie Jr., was accused of sexual assault, *The Banker* has since found an audience inspired by the moving true story. *—Robert English*

Where to watch *The Banker*: Apple TV

**Director:** George Nolfi

**Cast: **Anthony Mackie, Nicholas Hoult, Nia Long, Jessie T. Usher, Samuel L. Jackson

Blitz (2024)

Saoirse Ronan as Rita Hanway and Elliott Heffernan as George Hanway in 'Blitz'.

Director Steve McQueen has never shied away from delving into difficult subject matter, from his psychosexual drama *Shame* (2011) to his Oscar-winning epic *12 Years a Slave* (2013). This gripping historical drama finds McQueen tackling the Blitz — the German bombing of London during World War II — through the eyes of a boy trying to find his way home. With impressively staged set pieces and emotive performances from newcomer Elliott Heffernan and Saoirse Ronan as the boy's beleaguered mother, *Blitz* evokes the sweeping WWII dramas of yesteryear through McQueen's discerning eye for detail and complexity. —*Kevin Jacobsen*

Where to watch *Blitz*: Apple TV

**Director: **Steve McQueen

**Cast:** Saoirse Ronan, Elliott Heffernan, Harris Dickinson, Benjamin Clementine, Kathy Burke

The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse (2022)

The Mole (voice: Tom Hollander) and the Boy (voice: Jude Coward Nicoll) in 'The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse'. Apple TV+

Winner of the 2023 Oscar for Best Animated Short Film, *The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse* is a breathtaking work about the unexpected friendship between the four titular companions as they search for the child's home. Featuring the vocal talents of Idris Elba, Tom Hollander, Gabriel Byrne, and Jude Coward Nicoll, the film is based on the beloved book by Charlie Mackesy, who returns to direct with Peter Baynton. Its delicately hand-drawn characters are now translated into expressive animation, bringing the lovable gang to life in a way that is sure to charm audiences for years to come. *—R.E.*

Where to watch *The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse*: Apple TV

**Directors:** Peter Baynton, Charlie Mackesy

**Cast: **Jude Coward Nicoll, Gabriel Byrne, Idris Elba, Tom Hollander

Bread & Roses (2024)

Afghani women protesting in 'Bread & Roses'.

This sobering documentary, which boasts notable producers such as Jennifer Lawrence and Malala Yousafzai, follows an inspiring group of Afghani women fighting for their rights in the wake of the 2021 Taliban offensive. Stripped of their right to higher education, work, or the ability to walk by themselves in public, these women are spurred to activism as they protest the Taliban's restrictive policies. It's a difficult watch — particularly in witnessing the violence and repression captured firsthand by activists — but inspiring all at once, to see women of all ages taking a stand for equality. —*K.J.*

Where to watch *Bread & Roses*: Apple TV

**Director:** Sahra Mani

Causeway (2022)

Brian Tyree Henry as James Aucoin and Jennifer Lawrence as Lynsey in 'Causeway'.

Lila Neugebauer's feature directorial debut stars Jennifer Lawrence as Lynsey, a U.S. soldier who returns home to New Orleans after a traumatic head injury. There, she struggles to reconnect with her old life but strikes up an unlikely friendship with James (Bryan Tyree Henry), an auto mechanic with his own demons. This grounded drama is a subdued, poignant reflection on trauma, as Neugebauer "saturates the movie in measured silences and humid, lived-in atmosphere, letting Lawrence and Henry's low-key performances contract and expand," per EW's review. Henry is particularly exceptional, garnering his first-ever Academy Award nomination for this role. *—R.E.*

Where to watch *Causeway*: Apple TV

**EW grade: **B

**Director: **Lila Neugebauer

**Cast: **Jennifer Lawrence, Brian Tyree Henry

Cha Cha Real Smooth (2022)

Cooper Raiff as Andrew and Dakota Johnson as Domino in 'Cha Cha Real Smooth'. Apple TV+

Cooper Raiff wrote, directed, and starred in this dramedy about a young man named Andrew working on the bar mitzvah circuit who begins a friendship with a young mother (Dakota Johnson) and her autistic daughter. Though the film benefits from the talent of Johnson and Leslie Mann as Andrew's mother, it's Raiff who commands this "smartly constructed, amiably appealing coming-of-age" tale, writes EW’s critic. His performance as "a scruffy hyper-literate charmer and a self-sabotaging wreck" is utterly affecting, and *Cha Cha Real Smooth* is "a real-smooth manifesto for the anti-toxic man." *—R.E.*

Where to watch *Cha Cha Real Smooth*: Apple TV

**EW grade: **B+

**Director: **Cooper Raiff

**Cast: **Dakota Johnson, Cooper Raiff, Raúl Castillo, Brad Garrett, Leslie Mann

CODA (2021)

Emilia Jones as Ruby Rossi in 'CODA'.

Winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2022, *CODA —* which stands for "Child of Deaf Adults" — is a charming coming-of-age tale like no other. Ruby Rossi (Emilia Jones) is a quiet, musically-inclined teenager who balances her dream of being a singer with helping her family's fishing business. The cast is rounded out by the incredible talents of Troy Kotsur and Marlee Matlin as her parents and Daniel Durant as her brother, all of whom are deaf (as are the actors).

*CODA* made a huge splash when it premiered at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival, with EW's critic praising filmmaker Sian Heder's script, which "works so winningly to bring the often unseen (or just terminally under-explored) world of deafness to such joyful, ordinary life." With acclaim and awards from all corners of the industry, this film deserves to be celebrated for its landmark inclusion and deeply human story. *—R.E.*

Where to watch *CODA*: Apple TV

**EW grade: **B+

**Director: **Sian Heder

**Cast: **Emilia Jones, Troy Kotsur, Marlee Matlin, Daniel Durant, Eugenio Derbez

Deaf President Now! (2025)

Tim Rarus, Bridgetta Bourne-Firl, Greg Hlibok, and Jerry Covell in 'Deaf President Now!'.

This stirring documentary brings us back to 1988, when a group of deaf students made their voices heard and changed the world. While attending Gallaudet University — the first higher education college for the deaf and hard of hearing — these students were spurred to protest following the school board's controversial decision to install a hearing person as president. Through gripping archival footage and powerful testimonies from those who were there, *Deaf President Now!* paints a picture of strength and resilience. —*K.J.*

Where to watch *Deaf President Now!*: Apple TV

**Directors:** Nyle DiMarco, Davis Guggenheim

Eternity (2025)

Elizabeth Olsen as Joan Cutler, Miles Teller as Larry Cutler, and Callum Turner as Luke in 'Eternity'.

Love triangles are a dime a dozen in romantic comedies, but there are considerably fewer love triangles in which all three parts of the triangle are dead. Such is the case with this charming fantasy comedy, in which Elizabeth Olsen plays Joan, a woman who dies of cancer and awakens in the afterlife. There, she finds not only her second husband (with whom she's spent most of her life), but her first husband (who died young), both awaiting her. Joan must choose which of her husbands she wants to spend eternity with, and the film delves into profound themes of love and regret while still having fun with its afterlife setting. —*K.J.***

Where to watch *Eternity*: Apple TV

**Director:** David Freyne

**Cast:** Miles Teller, Elizabeth Olsen, Callum Turner, John Early, Da'Vine Joy Randolph

Damson Idris as Joshua Pearce and Brad Pitt as Sonny Hayes in 'F1'.

Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures/Apple Original Films

Joseph Kosinski found massive success with the aerial thrills of *Top Gun: Maverick* in 2022, and this next effort from the director provides similar rousing entertainment, though closer to the ground. Brad Pitt stars as a washed-up veteran of Formula One racing who gets the opportunity to return to the big leagues by joining a struggling team. There, he butts heads with a young hotshot (Damson Idris) and tries to overcome the trauma that forced him to leave the sport years ago. While Pitt and Idris bring their charismatic selves to the screen, the racing sequences are the real star of the show, with EW's critic writing, "From a strictly visual perspective, *F1 *has no peer in its dedication to speed, movement, and visceral excitement." —*K.J.*

Where to watch *F1*: Apple TV

**EW grade:** B

**Director:** Joseph Kosinski

**Cast:** Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem, Tobias Menzies

Fancy Dance (2024)

Isabel DeRoy-Olson as Roki and Lily Gladstone as Jax in 'Fancy Dance'.

This critically acclaimed indie from first-time feature director Erica Tremblay is an engrossing look into the real-life struggles of Native American communities. Lily Gladstone — an Oscar nominee for her soulful performance in 2023's *Killers of the Flower Moon* — delivers another standout turn as Jax, a hustler whose sister Tawi goes missing, and police prove to be of no help. Looking after her sister's 13-year-old daughter, Roxi (Isabel DeRoy-Olson), Jax runs into trouble when child protective services try to take Roxi away, leading Jax to drive off with her niece to find Tawi. Propulsive yet nuanced, *Fancy Dance* is a sure-footed drama with a charismatic performance at its center. —*K.J.*

Where to watch *Fancy Dance*: Apple TV

**Director:** Erica Tremblay

**Cast: **Lily Gladstone, Isabel DeRoy-Olson, Ryan Begay, Crystle Lightning, Shea Whigham

Finch (2021)

Tom Hanks as Finch Weinberg, Seamus as Goodyear, and Caleb Landry Jones as Jeff in 'Finch'. Apple TV+

Miguel Sapochnik, director of several rousing *Game of Thrones* episodes, helms this futuristic, postapocalyptic film about an older man who built a robot to protect his dog when he dies. Tom Hanks' Finch is suffering from radiation poisoning, which inspires him to teach his robot (played convincingly by the wonderful Caleb Landry Jones) about friendship in an ailing world. *Finch* finds joy in its bleak setting, utilizing Hanks' inherent charm to carry its themes of connection even in the absence of life. *—R.E.*

Where to watch *Finch*: Apple TV

**Director: **Miguel Sapochnik

**Cast: **Tom Hanks, Caleb Landry Jones

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Girls State (2024)

Faith Glasgow, Cecilia Bartin, and additional Girls State participants in 'Girls State'.

This illuminating documentary follows a group of teenage girls in Missouri participating in a weeklong program in which they are tasked with building a mock government. Designing policy, electing leaders, and whipping votes, the girls try to work within each other's competing values to form a more perfect union. While engaging in and of itself, *Girls State* is all the more fascinating when paired with its 2020 companion film, *Boys State*, which follows a similar all-boys program. The differences in leadership style and priorities are apparent, but *Girls State* also examines how the boys' program is treated more seriously by the Missouri governor. —*K.J.*

Where to watch *Girls State*: Apple TV

**Directors: **Jesse Moss, Amanda McBaine

**Cast:** Emily Worthmore, Nisha Murali, Tochi Ihekona

The Gorge (2025)

Miles Teller as Levi Kane and Anya Taylor-Joy as Drasa in 'The Gorge'.

Director Scott Derrickson has proved his adeptness as a genre storyteller with films like *Doctor Strange* (2016) and *The Black Phone* (2021), and he continues to do so with this gripping sci-fi action romance. Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy star as snipers tasked with guarding opposite sides of a massive gorge. Unaware of what lies within, the lonely pair seek comfort in each other and make contact, though things take a dramatic turn after one ventures out to meet the other. An Emmy nominee for Outstanding Television Movie, *The Gorge* has a little bit of something for everyone, and Teller and Taylor-Joy's sizzling chemistry helps to ground the film through each wild twist and turn. —*K.J.*

Where to watch *The Gorge*: Apple TV

**Director:** Scott Derrickson

**Cast: **Miles Teller, Anya Taylor-Joy, Sigourney Weaver

Greyhound (2020)

Tom Hanks as Commander Ernie Krause in 'Greyhound'. Niko Tavernise/TriStar Pictures

We're used to seeing Tom Hanks in starring roles, but in *Greyhound*, he also steps into the writers' room, adapting this true story of a naval officer who leads an Allied convoy across the Atlantic Ocean while being pursued by German U-boats. Released during the height of the pandemic, it's a shame that a war film as grandiose as this one couldn't be enjoyed on the big screen. What EW’s writer calls a "terse, breathless thriller" — taking place almost entirely at sea — brims with danger, claustrophobia, and the patriotic sheen of WWII. Hanks is as good as ever in this role (bringing to mind his character in *Saving Private Ryan*) as the captain who is the only one standing between his crew and certain death. *—R.E.*

Where to watch *Greyhound*: Apple TV

**EW grade: **B+

**Director: **Aaron Schneider

**Cast: **Tom Hanks, Stephen Graham, Rob Morgan, Elisabeth Shue

Hala (2019)

Geraldine Viswanathan as Hala Masood in 'Hala'. Apple TV+

Minhal Baig wrote and directed this powerful coming-of-age story about Hala (Geraldine Viswanathan), a Muslim Pakistani American teen who loves skateboarding and has a crush on a non-Muslim boy despite her family's traditional values. Viswanathan is mesmerizing as the lead in *Hala*, commanding the screen and adding resonance to what Baig calls a "universal story" that's much more than a rehash of teen tropes. "I didn't have those stories growing up, for myself, and so I really wanted that for, like, the teenage me," she told EW. "I really wanted to normalize that experience; I didn't want it to feel like you can't relate to it if you're not from that background." *—R.E.*

Where to watch *Hala*: Apple TV

**Director: **Minhal Baig

**Cast: **Geraldine Viswanathan, Jack Kilmer, Gabriel Luna, Anna Chlumsky

Highest 2 Lowest (2025)

Denzel Washington as David King in 'Highest 2 Lowest'.

Spike Lee's reimagining of Akira Kurosawa's 1963 classic *High and Low* finds him teaming up with frequent collaborator Denzel Washington to tell a dynamic story of family legacy and one's relationship to career ambitions. Washington plays David King, a high-powered New York City music executive who faces a moral quandary when a kidnapper holds his driver's son for ransom — having mistaken the son for David's own. As with many of Lee's films, the writer-director has a lot on his mind here, exploring celebrity culture and the state of the music industry, on top of delivering a propulsive thriller. —*K.J.*

Where to watch *Highest 2 Lowest*: Apple TV

**Director:** Spike Lee

**Cast:** Denzel Washington, Jeffrey Wright, Ilfenesh Hadera, A$AP Rocky

Killers of the Flower Moon (2023)

Leonardo DiCaprio as Ernest Burkhart and Lily Gladstone as Mollie Burkhart in 'Killers of the Flower Moon'. Apple TV+

Martin Scorsese's epic saga centered on the systematic murder of Osage Nation is made all the more tragic knowing it's based on true events. Adapted from the best-selling nonfiction book of the same name, *Killers of the Flower Moon* follows the white men who married Osage women in Oklahoma who possessed valuable oil headrights and subsequently orchestrated their murders. The heart of the story is Mollie Burkhart (Lily Gladstone), who finds the women of her family being picked off one by one, and fears she may be next, even while loving her husband, Ernest (Leonardo DiCaprio).

The elegiac epic is a powerful document about the insidious nature of complicity and the unspeakable crimes of the past, with striking performances by Gladstone, DiCaprio, and a menacing Robert De Niro. —*K.J.*

Where to watch *Killers of the Flower Moon*: Apple TV

**Director: **Martin Scorsese

**Cast: **Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, Lily Gladstone, Jesse Plemons, Tantoo Cardinal

On the Rocks (2020)

Rashida Jones as Laura Keane and Bill Murray as Felix Keane in 'On the Rocks'. Apple TV+

Bill Murray reunites with his *Lost in Translation* (2003) director Sofia Coppola for the lighthearted, family-focused comedy *On the Rocks*. The comedian stars as Felix, a playboy bachelor who reconnects with his daughter, Laura (Rashida Jones), a successful author and mother struggling with writer's block. When Laura begins to doubt her husband Dean's (Marlon Wayans) fidelity, she and her father start an investigation while dredging up their own past together. Murray is the standout of the film, playing Felix with, as EW's critic writes, "shades of mortality and regret pulling at the corners of that puckish, here's-looking-at-you-kiddo grin." *—R.E.*

Where to watch *On the Rocks*: Apple TV

**EW grade: **B

**Director: **Sofia Coppola

**Cast: **Bill Murray, Rashida Jones, Marlon Wayans

Palmer (2021)

Justin Timberlake as Eddie Palmer and Ryder Allen as Sam Burdette in 'Palmer'. Apple TV+

In this moving examination of masculinity, Justin Timberlake is Palmer, an ex-con who returns to his small town and befriends a young boy from a troubled home. Ryder Allen, in his feature-length debut, plays Sam, the child who helps open Palmer's heart to a fuller idea of what it means to be a man. *Palmer* works so well in part thanks to the collaboration between the director and his lead.

*Succession*'s Fisher Stevens (an actor himself) provides a compelling character study for Timberlake, who in turn generates additional depth for this touching story. As EW's critic writes, *Palmer* is an effective drama and "a lovely meditation on the unexpected bonds we form and the healing they can provide." *—R.E.*

Where to watch *Palmer*: Apple TV

**EW grade: **B

**Director: **Fisher Stevens

**Cast: **Justin Timberlake, Juno Temple, Alisha Wainwright, June Squibb, Ryder Allen

Stiller & Meara: Nothing Is Lost (2025)

Ben Stiller and Amy Stiller in 'Stiller & Meara: Nothing Is Lost'.

Some of the most revealing documentaries in recent years have focused on artists examining their parents' lives, from Sarah Polley's *Stories We Tell* (2012) to Mariska Hargitay's *My Mom Jayne* (2025). Ben Stiller's heartfelt documentary about his comedy powerhouse parents, Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara, is a worthy inclusion in this subgenre: a personal essay about growing up with famous parents that also delves into comedy as an art form.* —K.J.*

Where to watch *Stiller & Meara: Nothing Is Lost*: Apple TV

**Director:** Ben Stiller

**Cast:** Ben Stiller, Amy Stiller, Christine Taylor, Dawn Eaton

Swan Song (2021)

Glenn Close as Dr. Scott in 'Swan Song'.

Kimberley French/Apple TV+

Two-time Oscar winner Mahershala Ali sees double in *Swan Song*, a sci-fi romance about a terminally ill man who duplicates himself to help his grieving wife and son cope with his eventual death. Ali acts alongside his *Moonlight* costar, Naomie Harris — plus Glenn Close, Awkwafina, and child actor Dax Rey — as he weaves in and out of his memories trying to discover the best way to ensure a better future for his family. As our present world edges closer to a sci-fi dystopia with each passing day, director Benjamin Cleary does his best to touch on the undeniable bleakness of the situation while also lending the story plenty of heart. *—R.E.*

Where to watch *Swan Song*: Apple TV

**Director: **Benjamin Cleary

**Cast: **Mahershala Ali, Naomie Harris, Awkwafina, Glenn Close

Tetris (2023)

Taron Egerton as Henk Rogers and Nikita Efremov as Alexey Pajitnov in 'Tetris'. Apple TV+

Given that video game movies often lack in character and plot, the retro puzzle game *Tetris* didn't seem like an obvious contender for an adaptation. That's why Apple TV's biographical Cold War thriller focuses on Henk Rogers (Taron Egerton), a Dutch entrepreneur who falls in love with the game during the Consumer Electronics Show in the mid-'80s, and his race to acquire the rights from the Russians. Based on the real-life story of the game's licensing, the film involves some surprising names (see: media tycoon Robert Maxwell, the father of convicted sexual predator Ghislaine Maxwell).

*Tetris *was originally titled *Falling Blocs*, a nod to the game's premise and a reference to the clash of cultures and political theories during the time period. A complicated thriller based on one of the world's simplest — but most beloved — computer and Game Boy games, *Tetris *will show you how the pieces for the original game fell into place. *—R.E.*

Where to watch *Tetris*: Apple TV

**Director: **Jon S. Baird

**Cast: **Taron Egerton, Nikita Efremov, Sofia Lebedeva, Anthony Boyle

The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021)

Denzel Washington as Lord Macbeth in 'The Tragedy of Macbeth'. Apple TV+

Joel Coen worked without his usual collaborator and brother, Ethan, to direct this outstanding adaptation of William Shakespeare's classic tragedy, *Macbeth*. Denzel Washington plays the titular Lord, who, along with his wife (Frances McDormand), plans to seize the crown of Scotland from his father (Brendan Gleeson).

With hundreds of rehashings since the play surfaced in the 17th century, it's a daunting task to make a new film that stands out, but Coen absolutely succeeds. The monochrome cinematography and inventive production design combine for a unique aesthetic treatment rarely lent to Shakespeare, as each frame brims with art and mood that reflects the original prose. Certainly one of Washington's best roles in recent years — and one of the best films that Apple TV has to offer — *The Tragedy of Macbeth* is, as EW's review calls it, "a stark, sumptuous retelling helmed by two titanic stars and shot in startling black and white." *—R.E.*

Where to watch *The Tragedy of Macbeth*: Apple TV

**EW grade: **B+

**Director: **Joel Coen

**Cast: **Denzel Washington, Frances McDormand, Corey Hawkins, Harry Melling, Brendan Gleeson

Wolfwalkers (2020)

Robyn Goodfellowe (voice: Honor Kneafsey) in 'Wolfwalkers'. GKIDS

Nominated for Best Animated Feature Film at the 2021 Oscars, *Wolfwalkers* is a visually captivating tale about an ancient society that shares parallels to our modern one. The story follows two girls, one a hunter who travels to Ireland to kill the last of the wolves, the other a "Wolfwalker" who transforms into the animal by night and is seeking a safe haven for her mother and their pack. What transpires next is a stunning exploration of mankind's connection to nature set against gorgeous art from the Irish animation studio, Cartoon Saloon. *—R.E.*

Where to watch *Wolfwalkers*: Apple TV

**EW grade: **B+

**Directors: **Tomm Moore, Ross Stewart

**Cast: **Honor Kneafsey, Eva Whittaker, Sean Bean, Simon McBurney, Maria Doyle Kennedy

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Source: “EW Movie”