If you have an Apple TV+ subscription but no interest in the selection of 2023 films, including The Beanie Bubble and Ghosted, it’s time to look back at their more illustrious back catalog. Though the streamer only features recent original choices, there are a handful of excellent options you cannot miss from the past few years. Here are the best five for you to stream in August.
CODA
The Best Picture winner at the 94th Academy Awards is a great place to start on Apple TV+. Your tolerance for sappy comedy/dramas will not disguise CODA‘s honest sentiment and admirable representation of deaf actors and characters.
Following the only hearing child of a deaf family in a small fishing town, CODA lives in the two worlds of the main character, effortlessly maintaining an indie-influenced proximity to Ruby (Emilia Jones) thanks to writer/director Sian Heder’s personal touch. Though Jones is an adept young performer in the lead role, the parents, played by Oscar winners Troy Kotsur (who won for his role in this film) and Marlee Matlin, steal the show.
Cha Cha Real Smooth
Film festival darling Cooper Raiff got his second feature on Apple TV+ by embodying the role of an indie film everyman. In both of his films, Shithouse and Cha Cha Real Smooth, Raiff works as director, lead actor, editor, writer, and producer, and this level of personal attachment elevates these otherwise small films. This film follows an aimless recent college graduate working at bar mitzvahs who befriends an autistic teenage girl and her mom, played by the always reliable Dakota Johnson.
The Tragedy of Macbeth
Apple TV+ scored industry points for signing a deal with select movie rights for new A24 releases, and top on that list is the first solo Joel Coen outing, The Tragedy of Macbeth. Coen’s adaptation of the immortal Shakespeare masterpiece condenses the original text expertly while showcasing sensitive performances, oblique eye-catching sets and staging, and gorgeous black-and-white cinematography. For all the indie film lovers out there, this Apple TV+ exclusive is required viewing.
Wolfwalkers
Though this indie flew under the radar for most people, those lucky enough to happen upon Wolfwalkers quickly came to its aid, already calling it one of the greatest animated films of the 2020s. Irish animation director Tomm Moore had Wolfwalkers on his docket for six years before its release, and sadly it would be considered a massive flop without the Apple TV+ deal due to its COVID-era release. Moore’s careful work on every aspect of the film cements Wolfwalkers as a modern animation masterpiece, from its universal yet intricate themes and messages to its gorgeous swirl of classic art and moving voice performances.
Causeway
Another A24 film exclusive to Apple TV+, Causeway stars Jennifer Lawrence in an evocative attempt to further break out of big studio filmmaking. This kind of indie-level star vehicle seems to pop up less and less, but Causeway instantly recalls films like Room and Lady Bird, where top-notch actors get to show off a more subtle side to their craft. Causeway is arguably inferior to those two powerhouse films but taken for what it is, Lawrence’s performance and Lila Neugebauer’s fearless direction have an undeniable weight and power.
Each of these movies is streaming now on Apple TV+.