Best Movies to Stream this Weekend on Apple TV+, Including ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’

If you’re opening Apple TV+ this weekend, there’s a handy mix of fresh 2025 premieres, recent Apple Originals, and a few evergreen ‘Peanuts’ specials to slot into a quick watch. Pulling from this week’s most-watched roundup and the latest multi-service arrivals post, here are ten easy picks with what they’re about, who made them, and when they landed on the service. Use this to jump straight to something new, then circle back to a classic if you’ve got time left.

‘The Lost Bus’ (2025)

Paul Greengrass directs this survival thriller about a school bus trapped during one of the deadliest American wildfires, focusing on split-second choices under rapidly shifting conditions. The story follows a bus driver and a teacher—played by Matthew McConaughey and America Ferrera—who work to guide 22 children to safety. After a fall theatrical run, it debuted on Apple TV+ as part of the Apple Original Films slate. It currently tops the service’s most-watched list for the week.

‘Highest 2 Lowest’ (2025)

Spike Lee reimagines the crime classic ‘High and Low’ in a contemporary music-industry setting, with Denzel Washington as a New York mogul pulled into a kidnapping case. The film premiered at Cannes before a limited U.S. theatrical release and then moved to Apple TV+ as an Apple Original Film. The ensemble includes Jeffrey Wright, A$AP Rocky, Ice Spice, and Princess Nokia. It arrives positioned as a prestige addition to Apple’s crime-drama slate.

‘The Gorge’ (2025)

Scott Derrickson blends sci-fi, romance, action, and horror in a story about two elite operatives guarding opposite sides of a mysterious chasm. Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy lead the cast as their distant posts—and growing connection—collide with an emerging threat within the gorge. Released globally on Apple TV+ in early 2025, it set a new opening record for the platform. It’s an Apple Original backed by Skydance.

‘Stiller & Meara: Nothing Is Lost’ (2025)

Ben Stiller directs this Apple Studios documentary tracing the careers and marriage of comedy duo Anne Meara and Jerry Stiller through archival footage, performance clips, and new interviews. After a New York Film Festival bow and brief theatrical stop, it arrived worldwide on Apple TV+. The film explores their stage roots, television work, and influence on later generations, with family perspectives woven throughout. It’s one of this week’s highlighted Apple TV+ premieres.

‘All of You’ (2024)

This near-future romance from William Bridges follows best friends whose bond is tested by a technology that claims to identify a person’s true soulmate. Brett Goldstein and Imogen Poots star in a story that weighs algorithmic certainty against human history and choice. It premiered at TIFF before Apple acquired it for global streaming. Apple positioned the platform release as a high-profile fall title.

‘The Family Plan’ (2023)

Mark Wahlberg plays a suburban car salesman secretly living with a past as a government assassin, forcing a cross-country “vacation” when old enemies resurface. Michelle Monaghan co-stars, with Simon Cellan Jones directing for Apple Studios and Skydance. The film premiered globally on Apple TV+ in December 2023. Upon release it became the service’s most-watched movie to that date.

‘Greyhound’ (2020)

Tom Hanks—who also wrote the screenplay—stars as a U.S. Navy commander protecting an Allied convoy in the North Atlantic during the Battle of the Atlantic. Directed by Aaron Schneider and adapted from C. S. Forester’s ‘The Good Shepherd,’ it emphasizes radar plotting, convoy maneuvers, and tense anti-submarine tactics. Apple acquired the film for a 2020 streaming premiere. It later earned an Academy Award nomination for sound.

‘A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving’ (1973)

Peppermint Patty invites herself and friends to Charlie Brown’s house, leading Snoopy to improvise a holiday meal before the gang heads to a proper family dinner. The 25-minute special streams on Apple TV+ under the platform’s long-term ‘Peanuts’ deal. Apple has offered limited free windows in November for broader access. It remains a seasonal fixture in Apple’s holiday hub.

‘It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown’ (1966)

Linus spends Halloween night in a pumpkin patch awaiting the Great Pumpkin while the rest of the gang trick-or-treats and attends a party. The special also features Snoopy’s World War I flying-ace fantasy sequence. Now streaming exclusively on Apple TV+ as part of the Peanuts collection, it typically resurfaces in curated Halloween sections. The runtime is about 25 minutes, making it an easy seasonal watch.

‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ (1965)

Charlie Brown tries to direct the school Christmas play and searches for meaning beyond the holiday’s commercial gloss, symbolized by a small, sparse tree. The special introduced Vince Guaraldi’s now-iconic jazz score and many on-screen ‘Peanuts’ hallmarks. Apple TV+ holds exclusive streaming rights and has periodically made it free to watch during December windows. It continues to anchor Apple’s holiday programming.

Got other Apple TV+ picks for the weekend that we missed? Drop your favorites in the comments!