By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man –Follow me on X.
Apple TV+ will remove 40 movies after May 31, 2024, some of which are available in 4K. Here are the 10 best to watch before they leave.
The Godfather and The Godfather, Part II (1972 and 1974 respectively)
Arguably the two greatest films ever, not just among those recently added to Paramount+. Director (and co-writer with Mario Puzo) Francis Ford Coppola paints a cinematic masterpiece in each film, chronicling the rise of the Corleone crime family from its early immigrant roots at the turn of the 20th Century to its powerful reign in 1950s and 60s America. The cast is one to die for, pun intended, with Marlon Brando somehow even eclipsing his greatest roles in the 1950s (On the Waterfront, A Streetcar Named Desire) as family head Vito Corleone and a here-to-then unknown named Al Pacino as his son, Michael Corleone, who’s corrupted by family loyalties and power. And there’s the supporting crew. James Caan. Robert Duvall. Diane Keaton. John Cazale. Sterling Hayden. Robert DeNiro (!). My goodness, I can talk about these movies all day long. But let me close here by saying that Paramount+ has also added the third in the trilogy, The Godfather Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone, and that’s enough said about that film. (Even geniuses misfire sometimes.)
American Gangster (2007)
The crime drama from director Ridley Scott stars Denzel Washington as real-life Harlem drug kingpin Frank Lucas and Russell Crowe as the cop who brings him down. Denzel is at his charismatic best as the crime boss; you can’t take his eyes off him. And Crowe is equally good as the randy but relentless detective. (And there are few directors better than Ridley Scott.) Masterful work all around.
Inception (2010)
Inception, the 2010 mind-bending sci-fi drama from director Chris Nolan (Oppenheimer) which stars Leonardo DiCaprio as a thief who steals information by entering another’s mind. Great movie, but if you’re not a chess player, prepared to get lost in the plot a few times.
The Bourne Collection
Apple TV+ is offering three Jason Bourne films (The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Ultimatum and The Bourne Supremacy) starring Matt Damon as an intelligence agent who seeks vengeance on his former government handlers for a myriad of misdeeds. Each film is well crafted and staged with Damon flawless as the troubled but tenacious Mr. Bourne.
Gone Girl (2014)
The brilliant 2014 film from director David Fincher about a wife (Rosamund Pike) who fakes her disappearance to frame her philandering husband (Ben Affleck). No one does the dark side of humanity better than David Fincher and his exceptional skills are on full display here.
Bridesmaids (2011)
Since we picked some dark crime dramas to start, let’s mix in this 2011 comedy
starring Kristen Wiig (Saturday Night Live) at the peak of her zany powers as a single woman in her 30s who turns an upcoming wedding into a series of comic misadventures. The flawless supporting cast includes Jon Hamm, Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne, Melissa McCarthy, Ellie Kemper, and for fans still nostalgic for 1970s indie films, the great Jill Clayburgh.
The Big Lebowski (1998)
The 1998 cult comedy from the Coen Bros. features an iconic Los Angeles slacker (Jeff Bridges) named ‘The Dude’ who accidentally becomes the focus of a murder investigation. Only Joel and Ethan Coen could take this farfetched plot and turn it into a cultural mainstay and masterpiece that resonates with multiple generations. The flawless supporting cast includes John Goodman, Steve Buscemi, Philip Seymour Hoffman, David Huddleston, Julianne Moore, and John Turturro as Jesus, a bowler with a strange fetish for his ball.
Complete List of Movies Leaving Apple TV+ After May 31
Transformers
The Bourne Identity
Pacific Rim
Jack Reacher
Inception
Bohemian Rhapsody
American Gangster
World War Z
The Hitman’s Bodyguard
Detroit
The Italian Job
The Gift
Blade Runner 2049
Easy A
Transformers Dark of the Moon
The Day After Tomorrow
The 40-Year-Old Virgin
Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol
Arrival
Jerry Maguire
Clueless
The Amazing Spider-Man 2
Bride of Spies
The Amazing Spider-Man
Prometheus
King Kong
Trainwreck
Pretty Woman
The Bourne Ultimatum
How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard
A Beautiful Mind
The Bourne Supremacy
War of the Worlds
Gone Girl
Bridesmaids
The Big Lebowski
The Heat
The Godfather
The Godfather Part II
Ford v Ferrari
Gladiator
Have a question about new TV technologies? Send it to The TV Answer Man at swann@tvanswerman.com Please include your first name and hometown in your message.
The TV Answer Man is veteran journalist Phillip Swann who has covered the TV technology scene for more than three decades. He will report on the latest news and answer your questions regarding new devices and services that are changing the way you watch television. See the bio for Phillip Swann here.
