Apple TV Plus has had a lot of good things going for it over the past year.
In March 2022, it beat Netflix to become the first streamer to pick up an Oscar Best Picture. Meanwhile, critically acclaimed shows including The Afterparty, Black Bird, Pachinko, Slow Horses, and Severance have helped Apple TV Plus gain a sizable foothold on the streaming landscape.
Even with these successes, though, Apple's streaming service still lags behind the likes of Netflix, Disney Plus, and HBO Max – especially in the movie department. Sure, Apple's first-party films, such as Causeway and Emancipation, have been fairly well received. However, aside from CODA's shock triumph with that aforementioned Academy Award for Best Picture one year ago, Apple doesn't have a blockbuster movie that's made audiences sit up and take notice.
That, though, could be about to change with Ghosted. Billed as a rom-com spy thriller, Ghosted might be the film that finally turns Apple's fortunes around in the movie department.
Before we explain why, check out the first trailer for Ghosted below:
Okay, as far as Apple TV Plus film offerings go, it looks as generic as similarly placed genre movies, such as Knight & Day and Mr and Mrs Smith. Its plot synopsis, too, doesn't make it Ghosted sound like a wholly innovative venture. “Salt-of-the-earth Cole falls head over heels for enigmatic Sadie, but then makes the shocking discovery that she’s a secret agent,” the synopsis reads. “Before they can decide on a second date, Cole and Sadie are swept away on an international adventure to save the world.”
However, considering the amount of by-the-numbers films that Netflix pumps out – You People and We Have a Ghost among many others – maybe this is the kind of easy-to-watch movie that Apple has been missing from its catalog. Apple TV Plus is often viewed as the high-brow, prestige cousin to Netflix and company, so Ghosted might be the film that entices more casual viewers to try out the service.
Then there's the obligatory star power in Ghosted‘s ranks, with former Marvel superstar Chris Evans reuniting with fellow Knives Out and The Gray Man alumni Ana de Armas. Based on the natural chemistry and charisma they exuded in Knives Out and their other projects – Lightyear, No Time to Die, and Blonde to name just three – the duo seem like a perfect fit for a movie like this.
The Multiverse Of Chris Evans & Ana de Armas pic.twitter.com/hsdrZyzmKCMarch 7, 2023
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Given the amount of money it's thrown at its streaming service, Apple hasn't struggled to land the world's biggest and most popular actors. Few are more in-demand than Evans and de Armas right now, though. If Apple really wants to grab viewers' attentions, they've certainly done so by hiring the pair for Ghosted, whose trailer has (at the time of writing) racked up over one million views in less than 15 hours. Only Tetris and Sharper – two of Apple TV Plus' other 2023 movies – have amassed more views this calendar year.
Ghosted is also stacked behind the camera, too, with the acclaimed Dexter Fletcher (Rocketman, Bohemian Rhapsody) on directorial duties. Deadpool and Spiderhead writing duo Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese have co-penned the script alongside Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers (Spider-Man: No Way Home, The Lego Batman Movie), so you know Ghosted will be full of heart, humor, and plenty of high-stakes action.
As competition between the world's best streaming services hots up, Apple TV Plus needs something more conventional to appeal to the masses. It can continue to make big-budget, reputable TV shows and films that stand out from the rest. But, if Apple really wants to make up ground on Netflix, Prime Video, and its other rivals, it needs to spread its wings, and deliver content that more easy going audience members won't want to miss.
Ghosted looks like it could be the in-house project that helps Apple revolutionize what it offers to consumers; and if it's as successful as we think it'll be, Ghosted might be the unexpectedly great Apple TV Plus movie that truly spooks the competition.
For more Apple TV Plus coverage, read up on the best Apple TV Plus shows and best Apple TV Plus movies around right now.
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