The best movies you need to watch on Apple TV this month

If you’ve already watched the best movies of 2025 and you’re ready to look ahead, these are greatest films on Apple TV you can watch in January. Compared to Netflix (and even Amazon Prime and Disney Plus), Apple TV doesn’t have anywhere near as many subscribers. However, it deserves to be just as popular, because it has an intense focus on quality. Whether it’s F1 or a late-career masterpiece from Martin Scorsese, the stature of its slate is undeniable. So, we’ve rounded up the 15 best films on Apple TV you can stream right now. The best films on Apple TV 15. Napoleon Joaquin Phoenix steps into the mercurial boots of Napoleon Bonaparte (Credit: Apple TV) Genre: Drama Year: 2023 Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Vanessa Kirby Director: Ridley Scott Runtime: 2 hours 37 minutes What it’s about: Historical figure Napoleon Bonaparte rises to power amid the French Revolution. Yet his tumultuous relationship with Joséphine brings him down a peg or two when he’s not orchestrating battle triumphs. Why to watch: This 2023 epic marked a welcome reunion for Gladiator’s Ridley Scott and Joaquin Phoenix; the latter coming off a career-best performance as Arthur Fleck in Joker. As we’ve come to expect from the filmmaker, Napoleon’s blistering battlefields are something to behold. 14. The Gorge Anya Taylor-Joy and Miles Teller lead one of the best movies on Apple TV (Credit: Apple TV) Genre: Sci-fi, Horror Year: 2025 Cast: Miles Teller, Anya Taylor-Joy, Sigourney Weaver Director: Scott Derrickson Runtime: 2 hours 7 minutes What it’s about: Levi and Drasa are snipers manning two separate guard towers that bracket a gorge. They’re told that the gorge is the gateway to Hell and must destroy anything that tries to climb out of it. Why to watch: Considering director Scott Derrickson’s history behind the camera, this creature feature is nowhere near as scary as it could’ve been. Instead, he hones in on the forbidden relationship between the elite marksmen played by a flirtatious Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy. 13. The Lost Bus The Lost Bus is a true story of courage unfolding during the Californian fires (Credit: Apple TV) Genre: Drama, Thriller Year: 2025 Cast: Matthew McConaughey, America Ferrera, Yul Vazquez, Ashlie Atkinson Director: Paul Greengrass Runtime: 2 hours 10 minutes What it’s about: During California’s 2018 Camp Fire, bus driver Kevin McKay navigates the swirling flames with 22 school children and their teachers onboard. Why to watch: Another real-life American hero finds himself at the centre of a star-backed drama. Good job this story is in the hands of Matthew McConaughey and the Bourne franchise’s Paul Greengrass, because The Lost Bus could’ve easily turned out to be an offensive Speed knockoff. 12. Finch Tom Hanks builds a robot for his dog in Finch (Credit: Apple TV) Genre: Sci-fi, Drama Year: 2021 Cast: Tom Hanks, Caleb Landry Jones, Skeet Ulrich Director: Miguel Sapochnik Runtime: 1 hour 55 minutes What it’s about: Post-apocalypse dweller Finch Weinberg builds an android named Jeff to take care of his beloved pooch Goodyear when he dies. Why to watch: Although there’s a lack of genre exploration on display – this scorched Earth is pretty bland – leading man Tom Hanks can do no wrong in our eyes. Round of applause for Caleb Landry Jones too, whose motion-capture job as Jeff warms the heart. 11. Tetris Tetris is one of the best Apple TV films ready to stream (Credit: Apple TV) Genre: Drama Year: 2023 Cast: Taron Egerton, Nikita Efremov, Toby Jones Director: Jon S. Baird Runtime: 1 hour 58 minutes What it’s about: Tetris follows Dutch computer game specialist Henk Rogers on his dangerous mission to the Soviet Union to acquire the rights to the titular game. Why to watch: A pulse-quickening video game origin story set during the Cold War, what’s not to get behind? The best compliment this movie ever received was praise from the real-life Henk and Tetris creator Alexey Pajitnov. 10. Highest 2 Lowest Spike Lee and his muse Denzel Washington reunite for Highest 2 Lowest (Credit: Apple TV) Genre: Crime, Thriller Year: 2025 Cast: Denzel Washington, Jeffrey Wright, Ilfenesh Hadera, A$AP Rocky Director: Spike Lee Runtime: 2 hours 13 minutes What it’s about: New York City music magnate David King has a decision to make when his son and his best friend’s son are kidnapped for ransom. Why to watch: Highest 2 Lowest is the fifth meeting of minds between Spike Lee and Denzel Washington, following their stellar and stylish work on the likes of Inside Man and Malcolm X. Come for that promise of quality, stay for the soundtrack, cinematography, and its compelling moral quandary. 9. F1: The Movie Formula One gets the Hollywood treatment (Credit: Apple TV) Genre: Drama, Sports Year: 2025 Cast: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem Director: Joseph Kosinski Runtime: 2 hours 35 minutes What it’s about: The clue is very much in the title this time around. After 30 years of obscurity, Formula One veteran Sonny Hayes agrees to mentor and race alongside Team APXGP’s prodigious star Joshua Pearce in the world’s greatest track competition. Why to watch: Top Gun: Maverick visionary Joseph Kosinski and Brad Pitt latch onto the fervent phenomenon of Netflix’s Drive to Survive, putting viewers inside the speed machines that risk the lives of their masters every weekend. This Hollywoodisation didn’t need to be so long, though. 8. The Tragedy of Macbeth Frances McDormand’s Lady Macbeth (Credit: Apple TV) Genre: Drama, Thriller Year: 2021 Cast: Denzel Washington, Frances McDormand, Alex Hassell Director: Joel Coen Runtime: 1 hour 45 minutes What it’s about: One of William Shakespeare’s most popular creations sees General Macbeth persuaded by a sorcerous prophecy and his ambitious wife to usurp King Duncan. Why to watch: It’s another Denzel Washington entry in the 30 best Apple TV movies to stream this month. Joel Coen’s idiosyncratic vision is somehow even more elevated by Kathryn Hunter as the three witches whispering in the murderer’s ear. Brendan Gleeson and Frances McDormand co-star. 7. Fingernails Fingernails is a sci-fi love story (Credit: Apple TV) Genre: Romance, Sci-fi Year: 2023 Cast: Jessie Buckley, Riz Ahmed, Jeremy Allen White Director: Christos Nikou Runtime: 1 hour 53 minutes What it’s about: Even though they’ve taken a test to prove their perfect love, Anna begins to doubt her relationship with Ryan. Getting a job at the Love Institute, she hopes to find out whether the gnarly process is flawed. Why to watch: A sweeter and more sophisticated cousin of this very list’s All of You, Fingernails contains yet another example of Jessie Buckley’s bottomless abilities. Riz Ahmed is on top form as fellow institute employee Amir, who might just put a spanner in the works for Anna and Ryan. 6. Wolfwalkers Wolfwalkers is a Cartoon Saloon classic (Credit: Apple TV) Genre: Animation, Fantasy Year: 2020 Cast: Honor Kneafsey, Eva Whittaker, Sean Bean Director: Tomm Moore, Ross Stewart Runtime: 1 hour 43 minutes What it’s about: Apprentice hunter Robyn Goodfellowe and her father journey to Ireland to bring an end to the last wolf pack. But when she befriends a werewolf named Mebh, Robyn’s allegiance is deeply challenged. Why to watch: Nominated for Best Animated Feature Film at the Oscars, Cartoon Saloon’s mesmerising Wolfwalkers is for adults and kids alike, proving that Pixar and Disney do not hold a monopoly on animated masterpieces. 5. Echo Valley Sydney Sweeney is a troubled teen in Echo Valley (Credit: Apple TV) Genre: Thriller, Drama Year: 2025 Cast: Julianne Moore, Sydney Sweeney, Domhnall Gleeson, Kyle MacLachlan, Fiona Shaw Director: Michael Pearce Runtime: 1 hour 43 minutes What it’s about: Kate, who recently lost her husband, is paid a visit by her wayward daughter with somebody else’s blood on her clothes. How far will she go to protect her child? Why to watch: Generational talents cross paths in Echo Valley as Julianne Moore and Sydney Sweeney deliver one of this year’s finest psychological thrillers. The way it unfolds is so nail-biting that you’ll be down to the lunula in no time. Plus, who knew Domhnall Gleeson could be such a [bleep]? 4. Swan Song Swan Song is one of the best Apple TV films to check out this month (Credit: Apple TV) Genre: Sci-fi, Drama Year: 2021 Cast: Mahershala Ali, Naomie Harris, Glenn Close, Awkwafina Director: Benjamin Cleary Runtime: 1 hour 52 minutes What it’s about: Husband and father Cameron is diagnosed with a terminal illness. He has two choices: leave his family forever broken, or get himself cloned so they at least have a superficial copy to hold onto. Why to watch: Cloning dramas are rarely so well executed, with filmmakers tending to get carried away in the science of it all. Mahershala Ali could well be the difference, whose CV is littered with bangers such as Moonlight and The Place Beyond the Pines. 3. CODA CODA won Best Picture at the Oscars in 2022 (Credit: Apple TV) Genre: Drama Year: 2021 Cast: Emilia Jones, Troy Kotsur, Marlee Matlin, Eugenio Derbez Director: Siân Heder Runtime: 1 hour 51 minutes What it’s about: Teenager Ruby is the only member of her family who isn’t deaf. As the tight-knit group’s interpreter, she’s struggling to balance her obligations with a dream of attending a prestigious music school. Why to watch: Together with predecessor Sound of Metal, CODA (which stands for Child of Deaf Adults) broke boundaries across the industry, putting an underrepresented community full of colourful characters on the mainstream screen. Troy Kotsur went on to win an Oscar for his patriarchal role. 2. Causeway Causeway concerns a traumatised Army soldier returning home (Credit: Apple TV) Genre: Drama Year: 2022 Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Brian Tyree Henry, Linda Emond Director: Lila Neugebauer Runtime: 1 hour 32 minutes What it’s about: US Army engineer Lynsey swaps Afghanistan for New Orleans following a traumatic brain injury. Naturally, adjusting to normal life is difficult, but she finds a kindred spirit in James, a local mechanic. Why to watch: This is a must for any self-respecting Jennifer Lawrence fan out there. We love her when she’s wild or bossing the Hunger Games, but the more introspective work is where the real juice is. 1. Killers of the Flower Moon Apple TV’s Killers of the Flower Moon is a Martin Scorsese crime epic (Credit: Apple TV) Genre: Crime, Drama Year: 2023 Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Lily Gladstone, Robert De Niro, Jesse Plemons Director: Martin Scorsese Runtime: 3 hours 26 minutes What it’s about: The Osage Nation in 1920s Oklahoma is being mysteriously obliterated after oil is discovered on their land. Why to watch: Based on the shocking nonfiction book by David Grann (The Lost City of Z), Killers of the Flower Moon proved to be fertile, blood-splashed ground for a Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese collaboration. Crime drama meets the Western. Strap in. Read more: From Blue Lights to Severance, these are the best TV shows of 2025 Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know how many you’ve seen?

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