With the launch of Apple TV+ in 2019, Apple faces a daunting task. It was surprisingly easy to access for Apple device owners, but it lacked the same library depth as its OTT rivals. Fast forward to 2022 and Apple TV+ shows and movies will be all the rage!
Apple TV Plus is now one of the best streaming platforms thanks to several excellent actors connected to the OTT platform, intriguing storylines and a great script. Because there are so many options out there, it can be a little tricky to pick the best Apple TV+ shows or movies to watch in 2022.
However, despite its subjective premise, I have selected a few of my personal favorites that I feel everyone should try. Without further ado, let’s check out some of the must-see shows and movies on Apple TV+.
Top 10 Apple TV Plus Shows
1. Ted Lasso
- Genre: comedy drama
- Cast: Jason Sudeikis, Hannah Waddingham, Sarah Niles, Brett Goldstein
- Number of seasons: 2
Ted Lasso is sure to be the show that brought attention to Apple TV and Apple TV+. It has been nominated for 20 Emmy Awards and has won quite a few for good reason. The premise of the show is very interesting, mixing the cultural clash of American football and English football.
Ted, played by Jason Sudeikis, has been hired as head coach of AFC Richmond, an English Premier League club. The Premier League is the toughest football league in the world, showing the enormous burden Ted has to bear. To make matters worse, Ted has little to no understanding of European and English football culture or tactics.
Also, Ted was hired by Rebecca, the owner of the club, as an act of revenge on her ex-husband. Despite the monumental task ahead of him, Ted’s path to defeating Rebecca and the AFC Richmond fans is breathtaking.
His lack of tactical intelligence overshadows his optimism, courage and determination. While this may seem like a slight oversimplification, there’s a lot more to the show than meets the eye.
2. Black bird
- Genre: Crime drama
- Cast: Taron Egerton, Paul Walter Houser, Sepideh Moafi, Ray Liotta
- Number of seasons: 1
In terms of limited series and new Apple TV+ shows, Black Bird has cemented its place at the top. Based on a true story about a prisoner and his relationship with a serial killer, Black Bird consistently manages to achieve what real crime has to contend with: pace.
The mini-series includes six hours of thrilling drama that will keep you on your toes. With Targon Egerton showing off his superb acting skills and Dennis Lehane proving once again why he is one of the best screenwriters in cinema, The Black Bird is a show you don’t want to miss.
To add a twist, Ray Liotta shows up and puts on one of his best performances, making the show a worthy swan song of a stellar career. In addition, the show generates additional interest due to its premise.
James Keene (played by Egerton) must cooperate with investigators and befriend a personalization of pure evil to ensure he gets out of prison, keeping a serial killer behind bars through confessions and convictions.
3. Severance pay
- Genre: Sci-Fi Thriller
- Cast: Adam Scott, Britt Lower, Patricia Arquette, John Turturro
- Number of seasons: 1
What happens when you combine a sci-fi thriller with the mundane? You get the magnificence of Severance. Adam Scott plays Mark, an employee at Lumon Industries. Everything seems normal at first, employees struggle to maintain a work-life balance but often fail.
However, everything changes when Lumon Industries introduces the procedure of implanting a chip in the brains of its employees. These chips are designed to separate work life from personal life, leading employees to a double life. None of the employees can understand either their personal lives or their colleagues.
This discord in personalities causes the chip to malfunction, prompting the employees to investigate further. As they stumble upon clues and try to piece together the bigger picture, their personal and work lives merge, blurring the lines between reality and fiction.
In other words, imagine the combination of The Truman Show and a twisted version of The Office and you’re left with Severance!
4. Morning show
- Genre: Drama
- Cast: Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, Billy Crudup, Steve Carell
- Number of seasons: 2
Apple’s intentions to launch Apple TV+ were clear when they released The Morning Show. With an all-star cast like Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon, you can’t go wrong, can you? Unfortunately for Apple, The Morning Show didn’t get the praise Apple hoped it would; Firstly.
The show’s first few episodes received mixed reviews, often stating that much of the star cast was underused. However, as the season progressed, The Morning Show became one of the most popular shows on the network.
With the characters of Aniston and Witherspoon vying for top host ratings on their show, the series takes interesting twists and turns that were, to say the least, unexpected.
In addition, the series highlights some important points about sexual assault in the workplace: Steve Carell’s character was fired for allegations of sexual assault. This leaves room for the main host on the show wide open, and the two main characters will stop at nothing to be the best in the business.
5 Essex Serpent
- Genre: Historical drama
- Cast: Claire Danes, Tom Hiddleston, Haley Squires, Frank Dillane
- Number of seasons: 1
Claire Danes and Tom Hiddleston in historical drama? Subscribe us! The Essex Serpent combines excellent period commentary with a dark mystery that will keep you on your toes. As Cora Seaborn (played by Danes) tries to pursue her own interests after her husband’s death, her adventures and investigations lead her to Essex.
The townspeople of Essex are terrorized by local legends about a snake that kidnaps people. Seaborn has none of that, her scientific mind trying to rationalize the approach in a city that survives on superstition. Her troubles are doubled when the vicar (played by Hiddleston), her only acquaintance in town, doesn’t seem interested in helping her.
You may find the first season to be quite slow in terms of pace. However, the script and story are strong, and the episodes dictate the world building, which is likely to pick up speed in season two. Fans of mythological creations and the picturesque English countryside must watch!
6. Foundation
- Genre: Sci-Fi Drama
- Cast: Lou Llobell, Jared Harris, Lee Pace, Leah Harvey
- Number of seasons: 1
Rigid sci-fi premise can be hard to crack, especially when streaming straight to TV. However, based on Isaac Asimov’s novels of the same name, the Foundation seems to have found the right formula. David S. Goyer and Josh Friedman hold a goldmine in their hands, ensuring they get the most out of such fine material.
Foundation tells about the exploits and the origin of the empire, ruling in the distant future. Everything seems to be fine, the heads of the empire indulge themselves in wealth and power. However, things get even worse when a mathematician creates a mathematical model that predicts the fall of the empire.
With the death of the empire, humanity will surely come into dark times. The idea of the Foundation is intriguing, and the work done by the creative team to bring the world of the future to life is commendable. While its sci-fi elements can be quite hard to understand, if you’re a fan of the genre, you should watch this show.
7. Mythic Quest
- Genre: Comedy
- Cast: Danny Pudi, Rob McElhenney, Charlotte Nicdao, Ashly Burch
- Number of seasons: 2
Of all the shows on Apple TV Plus, Mythic Quest has been one of my most anticipated TV shows. As an avid video game fan, I’ve always been fascinated by the whole process of creating. While Mythic Quest doesn’t exactly portray video game developers in a realistic way, it does the job quite well, with a great cast and brilliant comedy.
The show follows Ian Grimm, head of Mythic Quest, a famous MMORPG that has been quite successful. Now the developers are working harder than ever to release an expansion pack for the game. However, things may not go as planned, especially with workplace comedy.
Mythic Quest offers all gamers shiny Easter eggs with pop culture references to famous games. What’s more, the question of creativity versus profit hangs over the minds of the developers of Mythic Quest as they try to envision a game that isn’t swayed by Grimm’s selfish ideas or corporate greed.
The show is a breath of fresh air when it comes to workplace comedy. After the success of The Office and Supermarket, very few workplace comedies have had the same impact on the genre. With Mythic Quest, you can witness a resurgence of witty comedy in the workplace.
8. For all mankind
- Genre: Science Fiction, Alternative History Drama
- Cast: Joel Kinnaman, Casey Johnson, Sarah Jones, Shantel VanSanten
- Number of seasons: 3
Do you like “What if?”scenarios? What about astronomy? If you answered any of these questions, you should watch For All Mankind. In this series, our entire astronomical and world history is turned upside down. The US is no longer the pioneer of change for humanity and has lost out to the Soviet Union.
The show begins with the Soviets being the first to set foot on the moon. As the US loses its race for power in the new world, the Soviets are the people the world turns to for advice. However, America is not going to give up and decides to become the first country to create a lunar base and set foot on Mars.
For All Mankind also features exceptional character development and the entire cast is beautifully written. None of the main actors feel left out, and the plot structure drags on with a nuclear war threatening to destroy the planet. Like I said before, this is a show that has to be seen to be believed!
9. Shiny girls
- Genre: Thriller
- Cast: Elisabeth Moss, Wagner Moura, Jamie Bell, Amy Brenneman
- Number of seasons: 1
For fans of the atmosphere of the early 1990s and the mysteries of serial killers mixed with a touch of science fiction, The Shining Girls is what you need. This is one of the best Apple TV+ shows in 2022 that will give you a mind-blowing adventure that will leave you thinking after every episode.
The story follows the character Elisabeth Moss, a reporter for the Chicago Sun-Times. Reporting on a serial killer terrorizing the city, Kirby is determined to find out the killer’s origins and stop him. She was also personally involved in the case, having been attacked by a serial killer in a previous attempt.
Continuing to pursue the killer, she finds herself trapped in alternate realities. Of course, Kirby can’t make sense of the situation. Moreover, in every reality, her case and the killer remain the only common denominator. Can she catch the killer before it’s too late?
10. Dickinson
- Genre: comedy drama
- Cast: Hailee Steinfeld, Ella Hunt, Wiz Khalifa, Finn Jones
- Number of seasons: 3
Emily Dickinson is one of the greatest American poets of all time. Her work on the themes of existentialism, suffering and death was ahead of its time. With all the current assessment of her work in today’s context, looking at her early years in historical drama is not a bad idea.
Dickinson, Apple TV’s foray into the life of one of America’s great poets, works great. While the Apple Originals cast is stellar and the script is definitely pretty edgy, a couple of things work well for the show.
First, his surreal and often incoherent anachronisms are a breath of fresh air. Secondly, Death is an important character in Dickinson’s poetry. Who better to play Death than rapper Wiz Khalifa? Like this!
The show is an ode to the hardships women have faced for hundreds of years. Misogyny and patriarchy have tried for centuries to weaken their spirit and stifle their talents. However, all of these tropes are ingeniously subverted by this show. In other words, what are you waiting for? Watch Dickinson today!
Top 5 movies to watch on Apple TV+
11. Luck
- Genre: fantasy comedy
- Cast: Simon Pegg, Eva Noblezada, Jane Fonda, Lil Rel Howery
At some point in our lives, we’ve all felt that our luck isn’t all that great. Whether in the professional or personal sphere, luck marks itself as an important aspect of our lives. As for Luck’s Sam Greenfield, luck isn’t something she’s known for most of her life.
Sam’s luck was, to put it mildly, not the best. So if you are the unluckiest person in the world, you will jump at the chance to change your destiny. This is the crux of Sam’s story as she tries to team up with magical creatures in a fantasy land to change her destiny.
The film has received significant publicity from Apple, and the company has spearheaded efforts to ensure that Luck, one of Apple TV+’s newest animated films, gets the credit it deserves. For the most part luck manages to animate it. This is a good carefree watch if you want to spend time with your kids.
12. Cha-cha real smooth
- Genre: comedy, drama, romance
- Cast: Dakota Johnson, Cooper Reiff, Odeya Rush, Leslie Mann
With Cha Cha Real Smooth, Cooper Reiff shows off his jack-of-all-trades talents. Honoring the lead role as well as the script and direction, Reiff does an excellent job of bringing life back to a relatively stagnant genre.
In this cute indie movie, Cooper plays Andrew, a college graduate who has a hard time getting a job. Finding nothing of note, he returns to his home in New Jersey, where he takes on the role of host of the bar mitzvah. His hosting brings him closer to Domino, Lola’s mother.
Lola’s teenage antics are beautifully shown through the sensitive lens of autism. On the other hand, the subtle dynamic of Andrew and Domino’s relationship is beautifully portrayed. Without spoiling too much, this is no ordinary indie romcom. In fact, if you are a fan of the genre, I would recommend this movie as a must see!
13. Velvet Underground
- Genre: Documentary, Music
- Cast: Lou Reed, Sterling Morrison, John Cale
The Velvet Underground was formed in New York in 1964 with the true essence of the New York spirit. Describing the rise, trials and tribulations of one of the biggest American rock bands of all time, Todd Haynes brings The Velvet Underground to life brilliantly this decade.
The band was known for diversifying into different genres, always experimenting with their sound to find the right fit. This diversification led to The Velvet Underground changing the art scene around the world, and the influence still exists today.
Todd Haynes has captured this level of innovation, culture shock and love of memory through Warhol films, live performances on tour and more. All in all, if you are a rock or music fan, you should watch this documentary at your earliest opportunity.
14. CODA
- Genre: Drama, Music, Romance
- Cast: Troy Kotzur, Emilia Jones, Marley Matlin
At the 94th Academy Awards, CODA won three awards – Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor. At the very least, this introductory statement should tell you everything you need to know about CODA. The film is, in my humble opinion, an absolute masterpiece.
As a child of deaf adults, Ruby is the only member of her family who can hear. Her older brother and her parents were deaf for a long time. As Ruby struggles to balance her high school life with her responsibilities to her family and their business, she finds herself at a crossroads.
Ruby tries to free herself from her outcast image with her newfound passion for singing. It seems rather simplistic, but the delicate moments that make up the entire film provide wonderful, wholesome, and often hilarious moments that you’ll remember long after you’ve finished watching it.
15. The tragedy of Macbeth
- Genre: historical thriller
- Cast: Denzel Washington, Bertie Carvel, Frances McDormand, Harry Melling, Corey Hawkins
We have all read the history of Macbeth. The story of a Scottish lord, aided by his ambitious wife, who commits heinous crimes under the influence of three witches, meets its rightful end. This classic story brings supernatural and mysterious elements to a tale of ambition and power.
However, with such an all-star cast and script by Joel Coen, The Tragedy of Macbeth demonstrates how you can remake something timeless to create something new and worthwhile. Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand play their roles in Macbeth and Lady Macbeth to perfection, displaying pure ambition and a relentless drive to achieve their goals.
If you’re a fan of classic literature and enjoyed a darker version of Macbeth starring Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard, you’ll love Joel Coen’s interpretation of the Shakespeare classic. As a graduate student in literature, this film was a pleasure to watch. Very few adaptations of Macbeth have succeeded in capturing the dark tone of the play, and this film did it brilliantly!
Final remarks
So, what do you think of these choices that I’ve named the best Apple TV+ shows and movies? Of course, since tastes are subjective, there’s a good chance I’ve missed your favorite shows. Let me know in the comments which series or movie you liked the most and which ones should be included in this list!