This weekend, Apple TV+ is free.
It’s a brilliant marketing move and reminds us of the time when, back when Disney Channel was a premium cable channel, they would do special free weekends, complete with cutaways to a fake call center to see people signing up in real time.
And while there might not be hosted segments previewing the channel’s upcoming programs, you have free reign over all of Apple TV+ – including their original film library.
To that end, we chose nine movies that you should definitely check out during the free preview weekend, everything from documentaries about the Beastie Boys to new classics from Martin Scorsese and Ridley Scott to a movie about the formation of “Tetris” (yes really).
“Beastie Boys Story”
Apple TV+ has a robust lineup of music documentaries, with Todd Haynes’ “The Velvet Underground,” plus docs dedicated to Billie Eilish, Bruce Springsteen, Louis Armstrong and Selena Gomez. But the very best, and certainly the oddest, is “Beastie Boys Story.” Directed by Spike Jonze (his first feature since 2013’s “Her”) and featuring original Beasties Michael Diamond and Adam Horovitz, “Beastie Boys Story” adapts Diamond and Horovitz’s “Beastie Boys Book” as a live theatrical experience (it was filmed at the Kings Theatre in Brooklyn). The story that they weave is refreshing and frank, with much love being dedicated to Adam Yauch, who sadly passed away in 2012. Even if you have only a passing interest in the seminal rap band, “Beastie Boys Story” is essential viewing – touching, funny and exceptionally told.
“Napoleon”
Ridley Scott’s passion project, which depicts the French military strategist-turned-emperor as a brilliant leader with the emotional depth of a petulant teenager, is the kind of muscular, oversized filmmaking that only Scott is capable of. And what’s more, there are actually two versions of the movie you can watch on Apple TV+ – the 157-minute theatrical version and a director’s cut that runs a whopping 205 minutes. Newcomers should probably stick with the shorter version but those who saw (and, rightfully, loved) the original are encouraged to try the more indulgent edition.
Joaquin Phoenix plays Napoleon and Vanessa Kirby is Empress Joséphine (in a role originally earmarked for Jodie Comer), with both delivering terrific performances. (Behind-the-scenes, Paul Thomas Anderson was recruited to rewrite much of the movie, in an effort to appease a skittish Phoenix.) But the real star of “Napoleon” is, perhaps unsurprisingly, Scott, who stages grandiose battles on land and sea and makes history come to life with a verisimilitude and scale that would cause other, lesser filmmakers to melt under the pressure. While not quite the triumph of Scott’s recent “The Last Duel,” “Napoleon” is still a must-see historical epic and one of the filmmaker’s most assured, oddly hilarious works. Viva “Napoleon!”
“The Instigators”
One of Apple TV+’s biggest movies of 2024, “The Instigators” hails from director Doug Liman (“The Bourne Identity”) and producers Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. (How’s that for a pedigree?) Damon stars alongside Casey Affleck (who also co-wrote the script) as a couple of dimwitted hoods who are recruited to rob a crooked politician candidate (Ron Perlman) on election night. Of course, nothing goes according to plan and much of the joy of “The Instigators” is watching the plot spin out, while Affleck and Damon attempt to keep their heads above water. The supporting cast of “The Instigators” is insane, with Ving Rhames, Hong Chau, Paul Walter Hauser, Alfred Molina and Toby Jones all turning in terrific performances that give the world life and depth and add to the rich, working-class milieu. And Liman, who also directed “Road House” last year, keeps the action lively, engrossing and constantly surprising. This movie is an absolute blast. And the fun doesn’t necessarily have to end, as a sequel has already been announced.
Only Apple could bring Martin Scorsese’s 206-minute, $200 million+ historical epic to life. Based on the nonfiction book by David Grann, “Killers of the Flower Moon” tells the tragic story of the Osage Nation, an indigenous people who found themselves the wealthiest landowners in America after the crummy reservation where they were relocated was found rich with oil. That’s when a conspiracy was hatched, orchestrated by William King Hale (Robert De Niro), a local crime boss, where white men would marry into indigenous families and murder their spouse, to gain access to the lands. It was an insidious plot and one that was largely successful, until an investigation by a nascent FBI, uncovered the plot.
Leonardo DiCaprio plays Ernest Burkhart, Hale’s nephew, who becomes embroiled in the conspiracy, despite his legitimate romantic feelings for his wife (an unstoppable Lily Gladstone). Scorsese and writer Eric Roth (with an assist, supposedly, from Paul Thomas Anderson), wisely tell the story from the inside, as you watch every stomach-churning element of the conspiracy unfold with clockwork precision. A late-era Scorsese masterpiece, “Killers of the Flower Moon” was nominated for 10 Academy Awards (including Best Picture and Best Director). It’s gripping and unforgettable.
“Tetris”
Recently, there was a spat of movies about the creation of iconic products – things like “Blackberry” and “Air.” But the very best of them was “Tetris,” which charted the creation of the famous video game (initially packaged with Nintendo’s handheld device the Game Boy). Taron Egerton plays Henk Rogers, a software salesman who plays “Tetris” and makes it his goal to get it out of Soviet Russia, which is where its designer Alexey Pajitnov (Nikita Yefremov) is living with his family. Writer Noah Pink, producer Matthew Vaughn and director Jon S. Baird wisely stage the action as a Cold War thriller, with Rogers traveling to Russia and avoiding Soviet forces, in an effort to liberate one of the greatest video games of all time. (And, yes, the soundtrack is full of era-appropriate jams and Lorne Balfe’s crispy electronic score is worthy of the game itself.) Even if you’ve never played “Tetris,” you should definitely watch “Tetris.” And then probably play “Tetris.”
“The Tragedy of Macbeth”
For his first directorial effort without his brother, Joel Coen adapted the classic Shakespeare play. And he teamed with A24 and Apple to do it. Denzel Washington plays Macbeth, with Frances McDormand as Lady Macbeth and a supporting cast that includes Brendan Gleeson, Corey Hawkins, Moses Ingram and as truly chilling Kathryn Hunter (as the three witches). Shot in velvety black-and-white by Bruno Delbonnel and featuring a haunting score by regular Coen collaborator Carter Burwell, “The Tragedy of Macbeth” is an outstanding reinvention – you’ve never seen the material presented quite like this. And while we wish the brothers would get back together, this is some stellar solo material. All hail the king.
“Wolfwalkers”
One of the best animated features of the past few years, “Wolfwalkers” hails from Irish studio Cartoon Saloon and serves as the third film in their Irish folklore trilogy. The story follows a young girl named Robyn who is training to be a hunter, following in the footsteps of her father (Sean Bean). They are tasked with eliminating a wolf pack, but Robyn soon befriends a girl named Mebh, who has the power to transform into a wolf at night. “Wolfwalkers,” directed by Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart, is lovingly handcrafted in 2D, hand-drawn animation, with Mebh’s animation intentionally sketchier and rawer – because she is a wild creature, after all. Full of charm, humor and genuine emotion, “Wolfwalkers” is a gem.
“Wolfs”
In “Wolfs,” George Clooney and Brad Pitt play fixers who show up to the same crime scene – a Manhattan District Attorney (Amy Ryan) picks up a young man at a bar. That young man winds up dead in her hotel room. Now it’s up to Clooney and Pitt, as unnamed operators, to have to work together, get her out of trouble and solve a much larger mystery. “Wolfs” was written and directed by Jon Watts, who helmed the three most recent “Spider-Man” movies for Sony and Marvel Studios, and there is a liberated looseness to the storytelling. You can feel that Watts is loving the newfound freedom; this movie is shaggy and R-rated and so much fun, with Clooney and Pitt in full-on movie star mode as they bicker and fight with each other. Watts had a very public falling out with Apple over their decision to scuttle a theatrical rollout for the movie. And you can’t help but get the feeling that Watts was right – the movie is very good and would have played well with an audience. Now is your chance to catch up with “Wolfs.” It’s a howling good time.
“Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie”
“Still,” as the title suggests, follows the life of Michael J. Fox and, in particular, his battle with Parkinson’s disease. It’s the kind of thing that could be really schmaltzy and self-serving, but in the hands of filmmaker Davis Guggenheim, director of “An Inconvenient Truth” and “It Might Get Loud,” there’s a plainspoken artistry to the movie. Guggenheim is often content just hanging out with Fox and getting his perspective on life, which is occasionally quite sad (Fox, because of his tremors, frequently falls and breaks bones) but is often funny and moving. The movie also features Fox reading from his memoirs, which recounts his days as one of Hollywood’s most beloved entertainers to his current position, speaking out about his condition and his fight to cure it. It’s heartbreaking, for sure, but also hopeful.
