Apple has made several older Apple TV+ original movies available to purchase or rent within the built-in TV app, including “CODA” and “Greyhound.”
Reddit forums indicate Apple has made some of its original movies available for purchase for the first time. The change has happened in the past two weeks, and the movies can be bought through the Store section in the built-in TV app.
Several older Apple Original movies are available to purchase or rent in 4K resolution, with more likely to come later. Unfortunately, none of the Apple TV+ shows such as “Slow Horses” or “Severance” are purchasable as of now.
Apple now lets you buy or rent older Apple TV+ movies
The Store section within the TV app lacks a search function, so you need to browse the listings manually to find these movies. But there’s an easier way. Simply type in the desired title in the TV app’s search field, then choose the movie from search results to land on its page. Now scroll down and you should see the new purchase ($15) and rental ($4) options in the “How to Watch” section.
As of this writing, you can purchase or rent the following movies in 4K HDR:
- “CODA”
- “On the Rocks”
- “Greyhound”
“CODA” is a 2021 Sofia Coppola movie that follows Ruby, the only hearing member of her deaf family, as she balances her love for music with her responsibilities at home. This heartfelt coming-of-age drama blends humor and emotion while exploring themes of family, identity and following your dreams.
“On the Rocks” is Sian Heder’s Academy Award-winning 2021 comedy-drama about a young mother who teams up with her charismatic, playboy father to investigate her husband’s suspicious behavior. Set against the backdrop of New York City, it’s a witty and heartfelt exploration of marriage, trust and father-daughter bonds.
“Greyhound” was the first major Apple Original movie to debut exclusively on Apple TV+ after theaters shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic. It premiered in July 2020 and quickly became one of the platform’s biggest early hits. Directed by Aaron Schneider, this flick stars Tom Hanks as a US Navy captain leading an Allied convoy through dangerous, U-boat-infested waters.
If you haven’t watched “Greyhound” yet, I highly recommend it. This tense World War II naval thriller is packed with relentless action and suspense, coupled with a gripping story of leadership, courage and survival at sea.
A new distribution model
Hopefully, this starts a trend so that people who are not subscribed to Apple TV+ can enjoy some of the platform’s original movies. Besides, some people want to actually buy movies to own forever, as opposed to having the subscription model, where you have access to the whole library but don’t own anything.
Perhaps the company will offer some of the Apple Original movies available for sale on Blu-ray discs for those who want the best audio and video quality. Apple is wise to experiment with new distribution modes as it continues to build out a library of original movies and TV shows.
The streaming platform also offers a limited-time selection of older licensed movies from Hollywood majors to stream for free. These movies are only available for a month before they’re removed from the service, but Bloomberg said Apple was talking to Hollywood studios about licensing their films to add to the Apple TV+ catalog.
iTunes Store no longer sells movies
Apple used to sell movies in the iTunes Store app. But as of iOS 17.2, the app only offers music and ringtones. It has since displayed a message instructing users to buy or rent movies and TV shows through the TV app instead.
The message is displayed after selecting the Movies or TV Shows tab in the iTunes Store app, and includes two buttons to take the user to the Store section of the TV app or their purchases in the Library section in the sidebar