Movies on AppleTV+
Apple TV+ has quickly established itself as a destination for premium original films, offering subscribers an impressive slate of acclaimed movies that rival traditional studios in quality and ambition. Whether you're searching for the best movies on Apple TV+ to watch this weekend or looking to explore the platform's growing library of award-winning cinema, finding films worth your time can be challenging with new releases arriving regularly. Our curated selection showcases the highest-rated movies streaming on AppleTV+ right now, spanning everything from intimate character dramas and thought-provoking documentaries to big-budget thrillers and family-friendly adventures. Apple's commitment to working with visionary directors and A-list talent has resulted in a diverse catalog that appeals to all types of film enthusiasts, with several titles earning Oscar nominations and festival accolades. This regularly updated guide helps you cut through the noise and discover quality films available on Apple TV+ that are actually worth watching, whether you're in the mood for emotional storytelling, edge-of-your-seat suspense, or groundbreaking animated features that push creative boundaries.
When a young hunter-in-training befriends a wild girl with the magical ability to transform into a wolf, their bond threatens the rigid boundaries between civilization and nature in 17th-century Ireland. Directors Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart create a breathtaking hand-drawn animated film that celebrates Irish folklore through stunning visual artistry that feels like watching illuminated manuscripts come to life. Honor Kneafsey and Eva Whittaker voice the two girls whose friendship becomes the heart of the story, while Sean Bean lends gravitas as the Lord Protector determined to tame the wilderness at any cost. The animation style shifts brilliantly between the geometric rigidity of the walled city and the flowing, organic beauty of the forest, reinforcing the thematic conflict. Every frame is a work of art, yet the storytelling never gets lost in the visual splendor—this is a deeply moving tale about freedom, connection, and respecting the wild within and around us. Cartoon Saloon has created another absolute triumph.
At Harvard in 2003, director David Fincher chronicles the creation of Facebook through Mark Zuckerberg's perspective, though the film questions whether we can trust any version of events presented. Aaron Sorkin's crackling screenplay structures the story around depositions, cutting between the site's origins and the lawsuits that followed, while Jesse Eisenberg delivers a complex performance as the brilliant but socially maladroit Zuckerberg. Andrew Garfield and Justin Timberlake provide counterweights as best friend Eduardo Saverin and Napster founder Sean Parker, representing loyalty and ambition respectively. Fincher's precise direction and Trent Reznor's electronic score create an atmosphere of obsessive innovation and betrayal, capturing how quickly success can destroy relationships. The film works as both tech thriller and character study, examining ambition, friendship, class, and the desire for acceptance. Whether it's factually accurate matters less than its portrait of a cultural moment when connection became currency and a Harvard dorm room project changed human interaction forever.
When terrorists attack on September 11, 2001, American airspace closes immediately, forcing 38 international flights carrying nearly 7,000 passengers to land unexpectedly in Gander, Newfoundland. This filmed version of the Tony Award-winning musical, directed by Christopher Ashley, beautifully captures how the small Canadian town's residents opened their homes and hearts to stranded travelers during those uncertain days. The ensemble cast delivers the show's uplifting songs and interwoven stories with infectious energy and genuine emotion, celebrating human kindness in the face of tragedy without minimizing the event's gravity. The production wisely maintains the musical's stage origins rather than attempting cinematic realism, allowing the powerful performances and storytelling to take center stage. What emerges is a deeply moving tribute to compassion and community, reminding viewers that even during humanity's darkest moments, extraordinary generosity can flourish in unexpected places.
At its core, this is a devastating examination of systemic greed, racism, and the murderous corruption that enabled the exploitation of the Osage Nation in 1920s Oklahoma. Martin Scorsese directs this epic true story with the patience and craftsmanship of a master, allowing the horror to unfold gradually as white settlers systematically murdered Osage people for their oil wealth. Leonardo DiCaprio delivers one of his finest performances as Ernest Burkhart, a weak-willed man who becomes complicit in unthinkable evil, while Lily Gladstone is absolutely luminous as his Osage wife Mollie, whose quiet strength anchors the film. Robert De Niro brings chilling banality to the manipulative cattleman orchestrating the murders. At over three hours, Scorsese never rushes, instead building a meticulous portrait of how casual racism and greed enable atrocity. The film is both a crime epic and a mournful elegy for lives stolen and justice delayed. This is essential, searing cinema that confronts American history with unflinching honesty.
This psychological thriller operates like a perfectly constructed puzzle box that keeps reshaping itself just when you think you've figured it out. Director David Fincher adapts Gillian Flynn's bestseller about Amy Dunne (Rosamund Pike), who disappears on her fifth wedding anniversary, casting suspicion on her husband Nick (Ben Affleck). What begins as a straightforward mystery evolves into something far more complex and disturbing, examining marriage, media manipulation, and the personas we construct for the world. Pike delivers a tour-de-force performance that anchors the film's audacious tonal shifts, while Fincher's meticulous visual style and Trent Reznor's unsettling score maintain an atmosphere of creeping dread. The screenplay smartly preserves the novel's structure and acerbic wit, creating a thriller that's as darkly funny as it is genuinely shocking—a rare adaptation that stands alongside its source material.
Poignant, funny, and deeply moving, this documentary captures Michael J. Fox's indomitable spirit as he reflects on a life transformed by Parkinson's disease. Director Davis Guggenheim weaves together home movies, archival footage, and Fox's own narration to create something far more than a standard biographical doc—it's a meditation on resilience, acceptance, and finding joy despite devastating setbacks. Fox's trademark humor remains fully intact as he guides us through his Canadian childhood, meteoric rise to fame, diagnosis at age 29, and decades of living with a degenerative condition. The film's innovative structure mirrors the way memory itself works, jumping through time in ways that illuminate rather than confuse. What emerges is a portrait of someone who has faced unimaginable challenges with grace and an almost stubborn optimism. It's impossible not to be inspired by Fox's refusal to be defined by his illness, making this essential viewing that will leave you both tearful and uplifted.
The documentary follows several Texas high school students as they participate in a week-long program where they build a representative government from scratch. Directors Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine capture an utterly fascinating microcosm of American politics, watching as these teenagers form parties, campaign for office, and navigate the complex waters of ideology and ambition. What emerges is both inspiring and occasionally troubling—a portrait of young men grappling with leadership, persuasion, and the tension between principle and pragmatism. The filmmakers maintain remarkable access throughout, resulting in moments of genuine revelation about how political identity forms and how power dynamics play out even among peers. It's an essential watch for anyone interested in democracy, youth culture, or the future of American civic life, offering hope and caution in equal measure.
Hypnotic and richly textured, Todd Haynes' documentary employs split-screen compositions and archival experimental films to capture both the band's revolutionary sound and the avant-garde art scene that birthed them. Rather than following a conventional documentary structure with talking heads and linear biography, Haynes immerses viewers in the creative ferment of 1960s New York, where Lou Reed, John Cale, Sterling Morrison, Maureen Tucker, and later Nico converged to create music that sounded like nothing else. The film draws extensively from Andy Warhol's Factory footage and the experimental cinema of Jonas Mekas, creating a visual language that mirrors the Velvet Underground's own artistic adventurousness—you don't just learn about their influence, you experience something approximating their aesthetic approach. Interviews with surviving members and collaborators provide context, but Haynes trusts his visual strategy to convey how radical this music was in its moment and why it continues to resonate. The multi-screen technique, which could feel gimmicky, instead perfectly captures the sensory overload and creative cross-pollination of the era. This is documentary filmmaking as art object itself, a worthy tribute that understands the band deserved something more than conventional hagiography—innovative subjects demand innovative treatment, and Haynes delivers magnificently.
Powerful and deeply moving, this documentary chronicles the 1988 student protest at Gallaudet University that demanded deaf leadership for the deaf community. Directors Leslee Scallon and Nicole Opper craft a thoroughly engaging account of activism that changed both an institution and the broader disability rights movement. The filmmaking itself is accessible and thoughtful, incorporating sign language naturally while ensuring the story reaches both deaf and hearing audiences. Archival footage captures the energy and determination of student protesters who occupied campus and captured national attention, while contemporary interviews provide perspective on lasting impact. What emerges is not just a historical document but an inspiring testament to self-determination and the power of collective action. The emotional resonance builds organically rather than being manipulated, making the eventual triumph feel genuinely earned. It's essential viewing that illuminates a pivotal moment in civil rights history that deserves far wider recognition.
In this visually arresting adaptation, Joel Coen strips Shakespeare's tragedy down to its psychological essence within a stark black-and-white landscape of shadows and stone. Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand take on the Macbeths as a middle-aged couple whose ambition arrives as a last desperate grasp for power and legacy. Coen, directing solo for the first time without brother Ethan, embraces theatrical artifice and expressionist compositions, working with cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel to create images of austere beauty. The confined Academy ratio and high-contrast lighting emphasize the claustrophobia of the characters' moral descent. Washington brings weary authority to Macbeth's transformation, while McDormand makes Lady Macbeth both formidable and unexpectedly vulnerable. The supporting cast, including Brendan Gleeson and Corey Hawkins, handles the verse with clarity. Coen proves Shakespeare's language needs no embellishment when served by this level of craft and conviction.
In post-war America and throughout the Cold War era, mathematician John Nash revolutionizes game theory while battling schizophrenia in A Beautiful Mind. Russell Crowe delivers a nuanced performance as the brilliant but socially awkward Nash, whose groundbreaking work at Princeton earns him recognition even as his mental illness threatens to destroy everything. Director Ron Howard handles Nash's deteriorating grip on reality with sensitivity, while the screenplay by Akiva Goldsman adapts Sylvia Nasar's biography into a compelling narrative arc. Jennifer Connelly provides strong support as Alicia, Nash's wife who stands by him through devastating challenges. The film doesn't shy away from depicting the frightening nature of Nash's delusions, though it takes some dramatic liberties with the historical record. Ed Harris adds intensity as a possibly imaginary government agent. James Horner's score and Roger Deakins' cinematography help distinguish between reality and delusion, creating an affecting portrait of genius, illness, and resilience.
Greg Mottola directs this sharp coming-of-age comedy written by stars Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, who based it on their own teenage experiences. The film follows high school seniors Seth and Evan (Jonah Hill and Michael Cera) during one chaotic night as they attempt to procure alcohol for a party, hoping to finally connect with their crushes before heading off to different colleges. What elevates this above typical teen raunchiness is the genuine friendship at its core; beneath all the crude humor lies a surprisingly sweet story about two friends facing the inevitable changes that adulthood brings. Christopher Mintz-Plasse breaks out as the unforgettable Fogell/McLovin, while Bill Hader and Seth Rogen provide hilarious support as irresponsible cops. Mottola balances the outrageous set pieces with real emotional honesty, creating a comedy that's both legitimately funny and unexpectedly touching. It captures the anxiety and excitement of that transitional moment between adolescence and adulthood with authenticity and heart.
Caught between her responsibility to her deaf family and her own dreams of pursuing music, a high school senior must choose between two worlds that both need her. Emilia Jones delivers a breakthrough performance as Ruby, the only hearing member of her family who serves as their interpreter while harboring her own passion for singing. Director Sian Heder crafts an emotional story that never feels manipulative, giving equal weight to Ruby's aspirations and her family's genuine dependence on her assistance with their fishing business. Troy Kotsur and Marlee Matlin are exceptional as her parents, bringing humor and depth to characters who refuse to be defined by their disability. The film handles its central dilemma with nuance, avoiding easy answers about familial obligation versus personal fulfillment. The musical elements are beautifully integrated, and the authentic representation of the deaf community adds richness to this heartfelt coming-of-age story that earned well-deserved recognition.
This story explores grief, connection, and the barriers we build between ourselves and others through the lens of supernatural suspense. M. Night Shyamalan's breakout hit follows child psychologist Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis) as he attempts to help Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment), a troubled eight-year-old harboring a terrifying secret: he sees and communicates with the dead. Osment delivers a remarkably mature performance that never feels precocious, while Willis brings understated vulnerability to a man seeking redemption for past failures. Shyamalan crafts an atmosphere of quiet dread, using muted colors and careful framing to suggest unseen presences. While the film's famous twist ending has become part of pop culture, the emotional journey remains affecting even on repeat viewings. Toni Collette provides strong support as Cole's concerned mother, anchoring the film's emotional core in a realistic family dynamic.
Jack Black as Dewey Finn, a down-on-his-luck rock guitarist who poses as a substitute teacher, is an absolute force of nature in this crowd-pleasing comedy. Director Richard Linklater brings his humanistic touch to what could have been a simple formula, creating genuine connections between Dewey and his prep school students as he secretly transforms them into a rock band. Black's infectious enthusiasm never feels forced—he fully commits to both the comedy and the character's love of music. The young cast members are talented and charming, each getting moments to shine as they discover their musical identities. Joan Cusack adds comedic support as the uptight principal. The film celebrates creativity, self-expression, and the transformative power of music with such joy that it's impossible not to get swept up in its energy.
In 2019 and early 2020, director R.J. Cutler followed teenage pop sensation Billie Eilish as she navigated sudden global fame while creating her debut album with brother and collaborator Finneas O'Connell. This intimate documentary captures Eilish at a pivotal moment, still living at her parents' Los Angeles home while processing the surreal transformation from bedroom recording artist to worldwide phenomenon. Cutler's camera observes Eilish's creative process, family dynamics, and the physical toll of touring with remarkable access, avoiding the sanitized hagiography typical of celebrity documentaries. The film doesn't shy from depicting Eilish's struggles with depression, body image issues, and the pressures of maintaining artistic authenticity while meeting commercial expectations. Finneas emerges as both creative partner and protective older brother, their collaborative relationship forming the documentary's emotional center. Footage of Eilish performing to increasingly massive crowds illustrates her meteoric rise while behind-the-scenes moments reveal a thoughtful, occasionally overwhelmed young artist trying to maintain perspective. The documentary succeeds by treating its subject as a complex person rather than a pop culture commodity, creating a compelling portrait of artistic ambition and the price of early success.
Spike Jonze directs this intimate documentary capturing Mike Diamond and Adam Horovitz reflecting on their journey as the Beastie Boys, filmed during their live stage show at Brooklyn's Kings Theatre. Rather than a conventional music documentary, Jonze crafts something closer to a theatrical memoir, with the two surviving members sharing stories, photographs, and home videos that trace their evolution from teenage punks to hip-hop pioneers to elder statesmen. The format—two friends on stage, talking directly to a live audience—creates remarkable warmth and immediacy, while Jonze's visual interventions keep the presentation dynamic without overwhelming the storytelling. Diamond and Horovitz prove to be natural raconteurs, balancing humor with genuine emotion as they process their history and honor their late bandmate Adam Yauch. The film works both as a chronicle of one of music's most influential groups and as a meditation on friendship, creativity, and mortality. Even viewers unfamiliar with the Beastie Boys' catalog will find something resonant in this celebration of artistic collaboration and enduring connection.
This inventive science fiction thriller from writer-director Rian Johnson imagines a future where criminal syndicates send targets back in time for execution by hired guns called "loopers." Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays Joe, a Kansas City assassin whose routine assignment goes sideways when his older self (Bruce Willis) appears as his target and escapes. The high-concept premise becomes a meditation on fate, choice, and self-destruction as young and old Joe navigate opposing agendas. Johnson demonstrates impressive range, shifting from gritty neo-noir to telekinetic action to isolated farmhouse thriller as Joe encounters a mysterious single mother (Emily Blunt) and her powerful young son. The makeup transforming Gordon-Levitt to resemble Willis works surprisingly well, and both actors commit to their roles' strange dynamic. The time-travel logic holds together better than most attempts at the subgenre, though the film wisely avoids getting lost in paradoxes. Nathan Johnson's score and Steve Yedlin's cinematography create a believable near-future America. It's smart, stylish genre filmmaking that respects audience intelligence while delivering genuine thrills.
When a boy seeking meaning in life encounters three compassionate companions, their journey together explores themes of loneliness, kindness, and belonging through gentle conversations and shared experiences. This animated adaptation of Charlie Mackesy's beloved illustrated book brings his distinctive artwork to moving life, with the titular characters voiced by Jude Law, Tom Hollander, Idris Elba, and newcomer Gabriel Byrne. Directors Peter Baynton and Mackesy himself translate the book's simple yet profound exchanges into a surprisingly emotional short film that speaks to viewers of all ages. The hand-drawn animation style preserves the sketchy, intimate quality of the original illustrations while adding subtle movement and atmosphere. What could have felt overly sentimental instead lands with genuine warmth, offering observations about courage, love, and self-acceptance that feel earned rather than preachy. The sparse score complements rather than overwhelms the quiet conversations. At just 35 minutes, it doesn't overstay its welcome, instead offering a brief, touching meditation on connection that provides exactly what many viewers need right now.
A man wakes up with bullet wounds, no memory, and an inexplicable set of deadly skills—this is the compelling setup that launches one of the most influential action thrillers of the 2000s. Matt Damon transforms himself into Jason Bourne, a mysterious operative trying to uncover his identity while shadowy government forces hunt him across Europe. Director Doug Liman brings a visceral, handheld aesthetic to the action sequences that makes every punch and car chase feel immediate and real, revolutionizing how Hollywood would film fight scenes for the next decade. Franka Potente brings warmth and believability as Marie, the stranger who becomes Bourne's unlikely ally and emotional anchor. The film balances propulsive action with genuine mystery, never losing sight of the human story beneath the espionage. Chris Cooper and Brian Cox add gravitas as the men orchestrating the pursuit, making this smart, tightly-plotted thriller endlessly rewatchable.
When mysterious alien spacecraft appear around the globe, humanity faces a ticking clock to decode their intentions before fear triggers catastrophic conflict. Director Denis Villeneuve crafts an intelligent science fiction film that prioritizes ideas and emotion over spectacle, though the visuals—designed by Patrice Vermette—are haunting and beautiful. Amy Adams delivers a powerful performance as linguist Louise Banks, tasked with establishing communication with the visitors, while Jeremy Renner provides solid support as the physicist working alongside her. The film explores profound questions about language, time, memory, and choice, building to revelations that recontextualize everything that came before. Rather than presenting aliens as threats to be defeated, Eric Heisserer's screenplay treats first contact as an opportunity for transformation and understanding. The emotional payoff is earned and devastating, elevating the film beyond its genre trappings into something genuinely moving. This is science fiction that respects its audience's intelligence.