The 27 Best Movies on Apple TV, WIRED’s Picks (November 2025)

2 days ago7 min read3 comments

Navigating the sprawling digital library of a streaming service can feel like a cinematic odyssey in itself, a quest for quality amidst an overwhelming sea of content. For November 2025, Apple TV+ has curated a selection that is less a simple list and more a statement of artistic intent, a portfolio of films that demand to be seen in the right context—on a proper screen, with the distractions muted.The titles leading the charge, 'Come See Me in the Good Light,' 'Highest 2 Lowest,' and 'The Lost Bus,' are not merely algorithmically suggested; they are carefully chosen pieces that represent the platform's ambitious foray into auteur-driven storytelling that challenges the homogeny of the modern blockbuster. 'Come See Me in the Good Light,' for instance, is a masterclass in visual composition, its director of photography using light not just to illuminate but to articulate the unspoken tensions between characters, a technique that harkens back to the golden age of cinematographers like Gordon Willis.It’s a film that doesn’t just tell a story; it paints it, with each frame constructed with the meticulous care of a Renaissance painting, demanding a viewer’s full attention to appreciate its layered symbolism and nuanced performances. Then there's the raw, kinetic energy of 'Highest 2 Lowest,' a crime thriller that operates with the relentless pace of a ticking time bomb.Its narrative structure—a non-linear descent from luxury to ruin—isn't just a stylistic gimmick; it's the central metaphor for its protagonist's fractured psyche. The film cleverly subverts genre expectations, much like 'Goodfellas' did in its day, by making the audience complicit in the glamour before forcing a confrontation with the brutal consequences.It’s a difficult, morally complex watch that lingers long after the credits roll. Completing this trifecta is 'The Lost Bus,' a quiet, humanistic drama that finds profound depth in a seemingly simple premise.Its power lies in its restraint, in the spaces between dialogue where the actors convey lifetimes of regret and hope. The director employs long, unbroken takes not for showmanship, but to create an intimate, almost uncomfortable proximity to the characters, inviting a deep emotional investment that more frenetically edited films often lack.This focus on character over plot is a brave choice in an era dominated by spectacle, echoing the quiet power of early indie darlings that prioritized human connection over narrative fireworks. Beyond these three, the full list of twenty-seven represents a diverse cinematic ecosystem, from sharp-witted comedies that dissect modern relationships with surgical precision to ambitious sci-fi that uses its futuristic setting to explore timeless questions of identity and ethics.What unites them is a commitment to a directorial vision, a refusal to sand down the edges of creativity for mass consumption. In an entertainment landscape often criticized for its risk-aversion, Apple TV's November slate feels like a deliberate and welcome counter-programming—a collection of films that trust the intelligence and emotional capacity of their audience, offering not just escape, but illumination.

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