Apple TV+ is known for some blockbuster-worthy original films, but so far in 2025 none of its new movies have managed to reach the same heights as its TV show releases.
We’ve only seen three new Apple TV+ original films released this year, none of which would be considered to be among the best Apple TV+ movies, as they all have low-scoring reviews from critics and audiences alike.
The worst-rated movie is adventure-action flick Fountain of Youth, which currently has a Rotten Tomatoes critical score of just 36%. The mystery drama Echo Valley fares better with a 52% rating, while romantic thriller The Gorge scores an only slightly better 63%.
Granted, audiences appear to give slightly more positive reviews than the critics (aside from Echo Valley; it seems we’re all in agreement that it’s a middle-of-the-road type movie), but none of the trio can hold a candle to the best Apple TV+ shows that have been released this year.
Just to name a few, we’ve had the biggest Apple TV+ returning series of 2025 so far, Severance season 2, rack up an almost flawless 95% on Rotten Tomatoes from the critics for, while The Studio, Mythic Quest, Carême, Dope Thief and Your Friends and Neighbors have all received scores of above 80% from the critics on the review aggregate site.
Is this a sign that Apple TV+ can’t quite make movies that match the success of its TV shows? Definitely not (and I’ll get into why below). Instead, I think it’s more of an indication that Apple Studios is better suited to making TV shows. After all, it’s a young studio that’s still finding its way among the established names of Hollywood.
What sets Apple TV+ shows apart from their movie counterparts?
I’m not alone in naming Severance season 2 as one of my top TV shows of 2025. It’s got intrigue, mystery, excellent pacing, satisfying reveals, phenomenal acting, stylish cinematography, and mesmerizing dance scenes (Milchick’s boogie numbers are a highlight).
Since signing up for a rare Apple TV+ deal in April, I’ve continued to be hooked by new shows on the platform, from the satirical comedy series The Studio, which has a timely, smartly written script, to Jon Hamm’s return to TV in the drama Your Friends and Neighbors.
Apple TV+ has a weighty TV catalog of gems that it’s been adding to in 2025. Can I say the same for Apple TV+ Original movies? Unfortunately, none of the aforementioned three have come anywhere close to the series I’ve watched in terms of quality, and that’s not because I’ve personally not been interested in the stories they tell.
As a big National Treasure fan, I’d been looking forward to Guy Ricthie’s treasure-hunting film Fountain of Youth – but like many others, I felt the story became too predictable, which took away much of the excitement. Not even the star power of Natalie Portman (Leon; V for Vendetta) or Domhnall Gleeson (Ex Machina; About Time) could help rescue it.
As for The Gorge, I will say that it had some playful scenes – like the one where Anya Taylor Joy (Queen’s Gambit) and Miles Teller (Whiplash) act out their most popular characters – but the payoff was not at all what it should have been. Funnily enough, it was essentially the opposite with Echo Valley; the mystery thriller had an intriguing plot twist, but the film was let down by Sydney Sweeney’s exaggerated performance.
Apple TV+ movies walked so its TV shows could run
It wasn’t always like this. When Apple Studios and Apple TV+ launched in 2019, they made a splash in the film industry by picking up the distribution rights of CODA: the first movie by a streaming service to ever win the Academy Award for Best Picture.
Of course, an Oscar win can be taken with a pinch of salt, especially considering that the Academy has only recently started to insist that judges actually watch the nominations before casting a vote, but the coveted prize is still a good barometer of what’s successful.
The win was a shock to the industry in 2022, mostly because rival streaming services that had been producing content for a lot longer had only ever received nominations. But it sent out a big signal to everyone that Apple TV+ had an eye for good stories, and crucially a big purse to get them.
It reportedly spent $22 million at the Sundance Film Festival to acquire CODA, and looked to replicate its success by pursuing similar projects that fit the bill for big theatrical runs, such as Killers of the Flower Moon, Napoleon and Argylle. Variety reports that those three films combined cost the company at least $700 million to make, but a source told the publication that only Killers of the Flower Moon and Napoleon were profitable.
Apple has similarly splurged on its TV productions, which undoubtedly helped them to win critical acclaim. Bloomberg reported that the first two seasons of The Morning Show cost an eye-watering $300 million to make, making them among the most expensive TV shows ever made – and Apple has its name behind a lot of those, including See, Foundation, Pachinko and most recently Severance season 2, each episode of which cost $20 million to make.
Apple’s TV bets have paid off much more than its film projects, looking at the number of positive reviews each has received, and it seems that those movie misses have made big holes in the company’s pockets that are starting to take their toll, because Apple has decided to pull back massively on its budgets.
According to anonymous claims reported in The New York Times earlier this year, Apple Studios will, going forward, only make one or two “event-size films a year, with big budgets and expansive theatrical releases”.
The report added that Apple would set a limit of $80 million or less for the budgets of its films, which indicates to me that it’s focusing on prestige TV over the box office – and that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s spending less, considering that some series rival the costs of big box office productions already.
Upcoming Apple TV+ movies to be excited about
Apple TV+ still has a chance to turn its losing movie streak around with the upcoming release of the new F1 movie, though. It’s arguably one of its biggest releases of 2025 and with it coming out in the summer (for those in the northern hemisphere at least), a lot is riding on this being a big pull for audiences.
With Joseph Kosinski (Top Gun: Maverick) in the director’s chair, I don’t doubt that this is going to be spectacle, especially considering the way it’s been filmed. A lot of the scenes involving the fictional F1 team that includes Brad Pitt and co-star Damson Idris have been shot on real-life F1 racetracks, so the big-screen action is set to be thrilling.
I’ve also got my money on Spike Lee’s new crime movie Highest 2 Lowest being a surefire hit on Apple TV+. Denzel Washington (Training Day) sounds like he’s been perfectly cast in the lead role of a music mogul targeted by a ransom – anyone else getting Man on Fire vibes?
Both F1 and Highest 2 Lowest are getting theatrical releases before eventually streaming on Apple TV+, which is another sign that the studio is backing these two titles as its potential “event-sized” blockbuster winners of the year.
I wouldn’t write off Apple TV+ movies just yet, then. Indeed, I’m hopeful that both films will be the redeeming movie releases I’ve been waiting for.
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amelia.schwanke@futurenet.com (Amelia Schwanke)
