Apple’s New R Rated Movie Dominates Streaming (So Why Is No One Talking About It?!)

by

Apple’s film division has had a very successful year, releasing the year’s biggest original movie, F1, starring Brad Pitt, and several other well-received original films on its streaming service, including The Gorge. This positive momentum has continued with their newest project, but it’s surprisingly not getting much attention. Despite positive reviews, good audience response, and quickly becoming the most-watched title on streaming platforms, it’s unclear why it isn’t generating more buzz.

Apple’s newest release is the R-rated movie The Lost Bus, a film inspired by the amazing real-life events surrounding a bus driver and a teacher. They bravely drove 22 children to safety amidst the devastating 2018 fire that destroyed Paradise, California. Directed by Paul Greengrass, the film features Matthew McConaughey as Kevin McKay, America Ferrera as Mary Ludwig, and Ashlie Atkinson as Ruby Hartwig. Jamie Lee Curtis not only produced the film but was also a driving force behind it. Now, this moving story is beginning to resonate with viewers and climb the streaming charts.

Apple’s New Hit

The film quickly rose to the #1 spot on Apple’s Top Movies chart for the week (according to FlixPatrol), surpassing titles like Highest 2 Lowest, All of You, The Gorge, and Fountain of Youth. Beyond its streaming performance, the movie boasts an excellent 87% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes. Reviewers have highlighted director Greengrass’ skill in portraying the frightening reality of the true story, as well as the moving narrative of two unlikely heroes facing a tragedy.

Viewers loved the film even more, giving it a fantastic 92% audience score. Critics praised its gripping intensity, the strong acting by the main cast, its skillful building of suspense, and the surprisingly emotional story at its core.

Making a Real Impact

The film also deeply affected those who made it. In an interview, Curtis explained what inspired her to turn Lizzie Johnson’s book Paradise: One Town’s Struggle to Survive an American Wildfire into a film, and shared how she was so moved that she immediately stopped the car to start making it happen.

Curtis shared with RadioTimes that he first learned about Kevin McKay through a Washington Post review of Lizzie Johnson’s book Paradise: One Town’s Struggle to Survive an American Wildfire. He recalled that the review brought McKay’s story to his attention, and he jokingly told his husband, ‘Well, there’s the movie.’ He explained that the intensely personal and human element of the story, set against the backdrop of such a devastating wildfire, felt like something that would be incredibly difficult – almost impossible – to capture on film.

“That day, I was completely idle, but the following day I was driving in the mountains,” Curtin explained. “I happened to be listening to an NPR interview with Scott Simon talking to Lizzie Johnson, who wrote the book. He mentioned… ‘Lizzie, the story that really struck me was about Kevin McKay and Mary Ludwig.’ I immediately pulled over to the side of the road. I called Jason Blum, my business partner, and told him I wanted to acquire the rights to the book, sending him the relevant links. I emphasized that it would be a costly purchase, but I was convinced it would be the most significant project either of us would ever undertake in the film industry,” Curtis said.

The incredible true story of what McKay and Ludwig accomplished during that time is truly unforgettable, and the film is clearly being well-received by both critics and audiences. So, it begs the question: why isn’t anyone discussing it?

That’s a tricky question, and it might be because people simply aren’t aware of the film. Unless you were already planning to see it, you probably wouldn’t know it came out this past week. There hasn’t been much advertising for it; I actually saw more promotion for The Gorge before its release than I’ve seen for The Lost Bus.

Even though Apple TV has a smaller audience and isn’t as well-known as streaming services like Netflix and Prime Video, that didn’t prevent the film F1 from becoming a huge international success in cinemas, and The Lost Bus actually did have a limited theatrical release. It’s possible the film simply got lost amongst all the other content available, but now that you’ve heard about it, you should definitely check it out – and you can watch it right now on Apple TV.

What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!

https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/best-10-tv-shows-you-need-watch-apple-tv-plus/embed/#

Read More

2025-10-05 16:18