This week, we have three Apple TV+ Originals that have been overlooked by viewers. One follows a father and daughter stumbling through an amateur investigation, another imagines grief solved through cloning, and the last quietly captures a teenager caught between two versions of herself. None of them made huge waves on release, but all three are well worth your time this weekend.
We also have guides to the best new movies to stream, the best movies on Netflix, the best movies on Hulu, the best free movies, and the best movies on Amazon Prime Video.
Hala (2019)
Genre: Drama, Romance
IMDb: 6.3/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 86%
Hala (Geraldine Viswanathan) is a Pakistani American teenager who is being pulled in two directions at once – her family’s religious and cultural expectations on one side, and her own growing curiosity about boys, independence, and her body on the other. A secret about her parents’ marriage comes to light right as she starts falling for a classmate named Jesse (Jack Kilmer), forcing her to confront how much of her life has been shaped by other people’s choices.
What stood out to me most is how little the film relies on big confrontations to make its point. Geraldine Viswanathan delivers an extraordinary performance that relies on subtle expressions rather than loud dramatic outbursts. It’s one of the more understated coming-of-age performances I’ve seen that avoids cultural stereotypes. I also like how it treats both Hala’s religious heritage and her personal independence with deep respect and nuance.
You can stream Hala on Apple TV+.
On the Rocks (2020)
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
IMDb: 6.4/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 86%
Laura (Rashida Jones) starts suspecting her husband Dean (Marlon Wayans) is having an affair after he keeps logging late nights with a new coworker. Instead of confronting him directly, she teams up with her charming, meddling father Felix (Bill Murray) to secretly tail him across New York City. What begins as a spy mission devolves into a hilarious father-daughter bonding trip, one that forces Laura to look at her own marriage through the lens of her parents’ failed one.
Bill Murray is doing exactly what he does best here, charming you one minute and quietly breaking your heart the next. I like how this underrated Apple TV movie captures the complex bond between an overprotective dad and his grown-up daughter with emotions and sharp humor. Director Sofia Coppola has built a whole career on exactly this kind of quiet, observational storytelling, and On the Rocks lands comfortably among her better work.
You can stream On The Rocks on Apple TV+.
Swan Song (2021)
Genre: Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi
IMDb: 6.8/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 80%
Cameron (Mahershala Ali) learns he’s dying, and instead of telling his wife Poppy (Naomie Harris) and their young son, he opts for an experimental alternative. A company can create an exact clone of him, memories and personality intact, to quietly take his place so his family never has to grieve at all. As the swap nears, Cameron wrestles with the terrifying moral weight of his choice, wondering whether erasing himself from his own story counts as love or cowardice.
Instead of leaning into flashy sci-fi action, the story focuses on the emotional aspect of humans. Mahershala Ali delivers a masterclass dual performance, playing both Cameron and his clone with remarkable subtle distinction. I also love how the film forces you to confront heartbreak, identity, and sacrifice in a surprisingly tender package.
You can stream Swan Song on Apple TV+.
