As award season 2024 heats up, conversation is abuzz about Martin Scorsese’s three-and-a-half hour epic Western crime drama. Based on David Grann’s non-fiction book of the same name, the film makes it impossible to ignore the violent, systemic discrimination that white Americans inflicted on the people of the Osage Nation. The result is a masterful, haunting, and often gruelling film that’s anchored by powerhouse performances from Robert De Niro, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Lily Gladstone.
In fact, Gladstone has already kicked off her year with a Golden Globe win for Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama.
Watch: Lily Gladstone Accepts Her Golden Globe
Gladstone began her acceptance speech in the Blackfeet language — an Algonquian language spoken by the Blackfoot or Niitsitapi people.
“I just spoke a bit of Blackfeet language, a beautiful community nation that raised me, that encouraged me to keep going, keep doing this here with my mum, who, even though she’s not Blackfeet, worked tirelessly to get our language into our classroom so I had a Blackfeet language teacher growing up,” Gladstone said.
“This [win] is a historic one,” she added. “It doesn’t belong to just me. I’m holding it right now. I’m holding it with all my beautiful sisters in the film at this table over here and my mother, Tantoo Cardinal, standing on all of your shoulders. Thank you.”
It’s not the first time an Apple film has gone on to receive historic award wins. In 2022, CODA made history as the first Academy Award Best Picture winner to feature a predominantly Deaf cast. Troy Kotsur, who starred in the film, also made history as the first Deaf man to win an acting award at the Academy Awards.
With so many streaming services and more choice than ever before, it can be hard to just find a good movie to watch. That’s why we’ve rounded up the best films on Apple TV+ in one place. From Oscar winners to sleeper hits, from dramas to animations, the list below has something for everyone.
The Best Movies Streaming on Apple TV+
Causeway
Directed by: Lila Neugebauer
Written by: Ottessa Moshfegh, Luke Goebel, and Elizabeth Sanders
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Brian Tyree Henry, Linda Emond
Synopsis: A US soldier suffers a traumatic brain injury while fighting in Afghanistan and struggles to adjust to life back home.
Where to watch: Streaming on AppleTV+
With the film adaptation of Ottessa Moshfegh’s Eileen set to hit Australian cinemas in 2024, what better time to check out Causeway, which Moshfegh co-wrote with Luke Goebel, and Elizabeth Sanders. The film is a quietly powerful drama about trauma, connection, and resilience, and features stellar performances from Jennifer Lawrence and Brian Tyree Henry, the latter of whom was nominated for Best Supporting Actor in 2023.
Cha Cha Real Smooth
Directed by: Cooper Raif
Written by: Cooper Raif
Starring: Cooper Raiff, Dakota Johnson, Evan Assante
Synopsis: A young man who works as a Bar Mitzvah party host strikes up a friendship with a mother and her autistic daughter.
Where to watch: Streaming on AppleTV+
A charming film with a great script and a killer soundtrack, Cha Cha Real Smooth is the kind of coming-of-age film that will linger with you long after the credits have wrapped.
CODA
Directed by: Siân Heder
Written by: Siân Heder, based on the film La Famille Belier, written by Victoria Bedos,
Stanislas Carré de Malberg, Éric Lartigau, and Thomas Bidegain
Starring: Emilia Jones, Marlee Matlin, Troy Kotsur
Synopsis: As a CODA (Child of Deaf Adults) Ruby is the only hearing person in her deaf family. When the family’s fishing business is threatened, Ruby finds herself torn between pursuing her passion at Berklee College of Music and her fear of abandoning her parents.
Where to watch: Streaming on AppleTV+
The surprise Best Picture winner of the 2022 Academy Awards, CODA is the little film (backed by the giant tech company) that could. The film is a heartfelt, earnest, feel-good drama that charmed its way into the hearts of Academy voters, and snuck up on frontrunner The Power of the Dog to snatch its historic victory as the first film with a predominantly Deaf cast to win Best Picture.
Emancipation
Directed by: Antoine Fuqua
Written by: Bill Collage
Starring: Will Smith, Ben Foster, Charmaine Bingwa
Synopsis: A runaway slave forges through the swamps of Louisiana on a tortuous journey to escape plantation owners that nearly killed him.
Where to watch: Streaming on AppleTV+
If Will Smith hadn’t slapped Chris Rock at the 2022 Academy Awards, it’s likely Emancipation would have been given a major award season campaign in 2023. Instead, most of Smith’s year was overshadowed by the scandal, and given that he was banned from attending the Academy Awards for 10 years, Apple quietly released the film in December 2022 to mixed reviews. Were its detractors too influenced by The Slap? You be the judge.
Fingernails
Directed by: Christos Nikou
Written by: Christos Nikou, Sam Steiner, and Stavros Raptis
Starring: Jessie Buckley, Riz Ahmed, Jeremy Allen White
Synopsis: Anna and Ryan have found true love, and it’s proven by a controversial new technology. There’s just one problem, as Anna still isn’t sure. Then she takes a position at a love testing institute and meets Amir.
Where to watch: Streaming on AppleTV+
With the powerhouse trio of Jessie Buckley, Riz Ahmed and Jeremy Allen White front and centre, this sci-fi romance features great performances from some of the buzziest actors around right now.
Flora and Son
Directed by: John Carney
Written by: John Carney
Starring: Eve Hewson, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Orén Kinlan
Synopsis: A single mother at war with her son is trying to find a hobby for him. One day, she rescues a guitar from a dumpster.
Where to watch: Streaming on AppleTV+
A charming and lovely film, Flora and Son is an easy watch about how music has the power to heal, and it’s bound to be a crowdpleaser no matter the audience.
Killers of the Flower Moon
Directed by: Martin Scorsese
Written by: Eric Roth and Martin Scorsese, based on the book by David Grann
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, Lily Gladstone
Synopsis: When oil is discovered in 1920s Oklahoma under Osage Nation land, the Osage people are murdered one by one — until the FBI steps in to unravel the mystery.
Where to watch: Streaming on AppleTV+
Martin Scorsese is back with a film of epic proportions in every sense of the word. Along for the ride in Killers of the Flower Moon are Scorsese’s two most frequent collaborators, Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio. They deliver stellar performances, along with relative newcomer Lily Gladstone, who has been catapulted to the top of Hollywood’s A-list with her star-making performance.
On the Rocks
Directed by: Sofia Coppola
Written by: Sofia Coppola
Starring: Bill Murray, Rashida Jones, Marlon Wayans
Synopsis: A young mother reconnects with her larger-than-life playboy father on an adventure through New York.
Where to watch: Streaming on AppleTV+
With Priscilla now in cinemas, what better time is there to go back and watch Sofia Coppola’s On the Rocks. The film marks the reunion of Coppola with her Lost in Translation star Bill Murray in a subtle, dry comedy that’s worth a watch.
Tetris
Directed by: Jon S. Baird
Written by: Noah Pink
Starring: Taron Egerton, Mara Huf, Miles Barrow
Synopsis: The story of how one of the world’s most popular video games found its way to players around the globe. Businessman Henk Rogers and Tetris inventor Alexey Pazhitnov join forces in the USSR, risking it all to bring it to the masses.
Where to watch: Streaming on AppleTV+
If you were a fan of films like Air, BlackBerry and Dumb Money in 2023, Tetris is one to add to your watchlist. Not only does it tell the fascinating story of how Tetris came to be one of the world’s most popular games, it tackles political issues that are relevant to this day, while remaining a fun, engaging watch throughout.
The Tragedy of Macbeth
Directed by: Joel Coen
Written by: Joel Coen, based on the play by William Shakespeare
Starring: Denzel Washington, Frances McDormand, Alex Hassell
Synopsis: A Scottish lord becomes convinced by a trio of witches that he will become the next King of Scotland, and his ambitious wife supports him in his plans of seizing power.
Where to watch: Streaming on AppleTV+
Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand deliver pitch perfect performances in The Tragedy of Macbeth, which, when combined with director Joel Coen’s technical mastery, makes for a sleek, elevated take on the story you likely already know.
Wolfwalkers
Directed by: Tomm Moore, Ross Stewart
Written by: Screenplay by Will Collins, with story by Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart, and story and script consulting by Jericca Cleland
Starring: Voices of Honor Kneafsey, Eva Whittaker, Sean Bean
Synopsis: A young apprentice hunter and her father journey to Ireland to help wipe out the last wolf pack. But everything changes when she befriends a free-spirited girl from a mysterious tribe rumoured to transform into wolves by night.
Where to watch: Streaming on AppleTV+
A gorgeously animated and heartfelt film, Wolfwalkers is a magical, unmissable experience. Nominated for Best Animated Feature at the 2021 Academy Awards, Wolfwalkers has enough depth and appeal that it can be enjoyed by people of all ages.
Want more entertainment news? Click here to read all our content, and check out the stories below:
- Barbenheimer and Beyond: The Best Movies of 2023
- ‘Past Lives’: Inyeon Is a Korean Philosophy of How Relationships Form Over Many Lifetimes
- “We Can Text Ari Aster!”: Danny and Michael Philippou on ‘Talk to Me’ Success
- Director Kitty Green Says That on Rewatch, ‘The Royal Hotel’ Is a Comedy
- “The Glam and the Grit”: The Duality of Fame and Power in ‘Paper Dolls’
- Australia at the Cinema: The Best Australian Films of 2023
- Retirement, Representation & Regrets: The Wiggles Reflect on 25 Years in the Spotlight
- “Football, Factories or Prison”: How ONEFOUR Is Shifting Australian Stories
- Politics, Music, and the Depths of the Ocean: The Best Documentaries of 2023
Read more stories from The Latch and subscribe to our email newsletter.