‘The Lost Bus’ Tops Apple TV+’s Top 10 Most-Watched Movies List This Week

Apple TV+ viewers this week are splitting their time between brand-new thrillers, heartfelt romances, documentary storytelling, action-packed originals, and timeless ‘Peanuts’ holiday specials that keep coming back into heavy rotation every season. From recent Apple Original Films that just landed on the service to animated classics that now stream exclusively on the platform under Apple’s extended deal for the ‘Peanuts’ franchise, the lineup reflects how varied the catalog has become for families, cinephiles, and nostalgia-driven viewers alike.

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

‘It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown’ is a ‘Peanuts’ Halloween special centered on Linus’s unwavering belief in the Great Pumpkin, a mythical figure he expects to rise from the most sincere pumpkin patch. While Linus waits in the patch with his blanket and a dwindling group of supporters, the rest of the gang participates in trick-or-treating and a school Halloween party, and Snoopy imagines himself as a World War I flying ace. The special became an annual broadcast tradition in the United States and played a major role in establishing the Halloween television special as its own format. Today it streams exclusively on Apple TV+ as part of the broader ‘Peanuts’ deal, with seasonal promotional windows that periodically make it available at no additional cost to viewers.

9. ‘Greyhound’ (2020)

‘Greyhound’ is a World War II naval drama starring Tom Hanks as a first-time convoy commander leading a multinational group of warships across the North Atlantic. The film focuses on a tense period in which the escort group must protect merchant vessels from German U-boat attacks while crossing a stretch of ocean beyond air cover. Drawing from the novel ‘The Good Shepherd’ by C. S. Forester, the script emphasizes procedural details such as sonar tracking, coded communications, and rapid tactical course changes under fire. Originally planned for theatrical release, it shifted to Apple TV+ and became one of the platform’s early high-profile feature films, where it remains available to stream.

8. ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ (1965)

‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ is the first animated television special based on the ‘Peanuts’ comic and remains a foundational holiday program for the franchise. The story follows Charlie Brown as he struggles with the commercialism of the season and searches for a more meaningful understanding of Christmas, guided in part by Linus’s recitation from the Nativity story. The special introduced musical themes by Vince Guaraldi, including ‘Christmas Time Is Here’, that have since become closely associated with holiday television and jazz soundtracks. Initially a network broadcast, it is now part of the classic ‘Peanuts’ collection that Apple TV+ streams under its long-term content partnership.

7. ‘The Family Plan’ (2023)

‘The Family Plan’ is an action-comedy about Dan Morgan, a seemingly ordinary suburban car salesman and father whose secret past as a government assassin resurfaces. When former enemies track him down, he bundles his unsuspecting family into a cross-country road trip that doubles as both cover and an improvised escape plan. The film pairs large-scale set pieces with family-road-trip scenarios, as his spouse and children gradually encounter clues that his life is not what it appears. Produced by Apple Studios and Skydance Media, it launched directly on Apple TV+ and became one of the service’s most-viewed films, later spawning a planned sequel.

6. ‘The Gorge’ (2025)

‘The Gorge’ is a genre-blending Apple Original Film that combines action, science fiction, romance, and horror elements around a remote military outpost above a mysterious chasm. The story follows two elite operatives stationed on opposite sides of the gorge whose long-distance surveillance duties gradually evolve into a relationship maintained through radio contact and signal exchanges. When a threat emerges from within the gorge, the pair must coordinate their defenses and make tactical choices that test both their training and their bond. Distributed by Apple TV+ after its premiere, the film features Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy in the lead roles and quickly became one of the platform’s most-viewed movie launches.

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

‘Stiller & Meara: Nothing Is Lost’ is a documentary feature directed by Ben Stiller that profiles the professional and personal lives of his parents, comedy duo Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara. The film traces their rise from early club work and appearances on programs like ‘The Ed Sullivan Show’ through later television roles and their influence on American comedy. Drawing heavily on archival footage, interviews, and family materials, it presents both their public performances and their long marriage. After premiering at a major film festival and a limited theatrical run, the documentary received a global release on Apple TV+ as part of the service’s nonfiction catalog.

4. ‘All of You’ (2024)

‘All of You’ is a science-fiction romantic drama directed by William Bridges that explores the impact of a futuristic compatibility test on a long-standing friendship. The film follows Simon and Laura, best friends since college, as Laura takes a test that points to a soulmate who is not Simon, forcing both of them to confront feelings that have been quietly building for years. Co-written and co-produced by Brett Goldstein, who also stars alongside Imogen Poots, the story blends speculative technology with grounded relationship drama. After premiering at a major international film festival, it joined the Apple TV+ lineup as an Apple Original Film release for global streaming.

3. ‘Highest 2 Lowest’ (2025)

‘Highest 2 Lowest’ is a crime thriller from director Spike Lee that reunites him with Denzel Washington for their first collaboration in nearly two decades. Washington plays a powerful New York music mogul whose family is targeted in a kidnapping and ransom plot that forces him into a series of high-stakes moral choices. The film is a contemporary American reimagining of Akira Kurosawa’s ‘High and Low’, shifting the story into the modern music industry while preserving the core structure of its investigation and ethical dilemmas. After a theatrical run with festival premieres, the movie became available for streaming worldwide on Apple TV+ as part of the Apple Original Films slate.

2. ‘A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving’ (1973)

‘A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving’ is an animated television special based on Charles M. Schulz’s ‘Peanuts’ comic strip and was the third major holiday program created for the franchise. The story centers on Charlie Brown attempting to host an improvised holiday meal after Peppermint Patty invites herself and several friends to his house, leading to the now-famous menu of toast, popcorn, and candy. The special originally aired on CBS and then moved through multiple broadcasters before Apple TV+ acquired exclusive streaming rights for the classic ‘Peanuts’ library in recent years. Today it appears on Apple TV+ as part of a curated collection of seasonal specials that often receive limited free-viewing windows around the Thanksgiving period.

1. ‘The Lost Bus’ (2025)

‘The Lost Bus’ follows a wayward school bus driver and a dedicated teacher who fight to protect 22 children as a massive wildfire cuts off every safe route out of danger. Directed by Paul Greengrass and led by Matthew McConaughey and America Ferrera, the film is inspired by real events and focuses on the minute-by-minute decisions required to keep the students alive. It emphasizes the coordination between local authorities, panicked parents, and the trapped bus as conditions worsen around them. After a theatrical run, it became available as an Apple Original Film on Apple TV+, giving subscribers access to the full feature at home.

Share which of these ‘Apple TV+’ favorites you have queued up or already watched this week in the comments so other viewers can discover something new.