F1 the movie streaming hits Apple TV this week after a blockbuster theatrical run that turned Apple’s Formula 1 drama into one of the biggest sports films ever made. The racing epic, directed by Joseph Kosinski and led by Brad Pitt as veteran driver Sonny Hayes, earned about $631.5 million worldwide on a budget reported between $200 million and $300 million, making it the highest-grossing auto racing film to date and the top box office performer in Apple Studios history. With the movie now available at home on Apple TV, it anchors a crowded week of new arrivals across Netflix, Prime Video, HBO Max and premium digital platforms.
F1 The Movie Streaming On Apple TV
In F1: The Movie, Pitt’s character returns to the grid decades after leaving Formula One, joining a struggling team and mentoring a younger driver while chasing one last shot at redemption. The production leaned heavily into realism, filming around real Grand Prix weekends and using track-side photography and on-car camera setups to capture the speed and physicality of the sport. Apple positioned the film as a centerpiece of its theatrical strategy, pairing Apple Studios with Warner Bros. for cinema distribution before the exclusive streaming window on Apple’s own service.
The box office performance established F1: The Movie as an outlier for a sports drama. It opened at number one in North America and quickly crossed several key milestones, ultimately becoming the eighth-highest-grossing film of the year and the highest-grossing film of Brad Pitt’s career. For Apple, that success gives the streaming release added weight: the film arrives on Apple TV with strong name recognition, glowing word of mouth around its racing sequences and ongoing chatter about potential sequel plans discussed by director Joseph Kosinski and Apple executives.
On streaming, F1 the movie streaming in Dolby Vision and immersive sound gives home viewers much of the theatrical impact, especially on large TVs paired with sound systems or Apple’s own devices. For racing fans and Apple TV subscribers, its debut sets the tone for the rest of the winter slate on the service and reinforces Apple’s push into big-budget tentpole films built to travel from theaters to streaming with equal attention.
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
Netflix’s headline release this week is Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, the third entry in Rian Johnson’s Benoit Blanc series. Daniel Craig returns as the Southern detective, this time investigating a seemingly impossible death tied to a church and a small-town congregation. After a short awards-qualifying theatrical run, the film now moves to Netflix, where the previous Knives Out entries found large streaming audiences.
The new mystery leans into a darker tone than earlier films while still relying on an ensemble cast that includes Josh O’Connor, Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott and others. For viewers browsing Netflix this week, Wake Up Dead Man offers a different kind of event movie than F1: The Movie: less spectacle, more dialogue and puzzle-box structure, but similarly designed to be a centerpiece title in the service’s December lineup.
Merv
On Prime Video, Merv brings a holiday-flavored romantic comedy anchored by Zooey Deschanel and Charlie Cox. The film follows an estranged couple who share custody of their dog, only to discover the animal has sunk into depression after their breakup. Their attempt to lift his spirits — including a getaway that forces them back into close contact — sets up both emotional and comedic beats built around pet custody and second chances.
Merv fits neatly into Prime Video’s seasonal programming strategy, offering an easygoing option for viewers who want something lighter than the week’s psychological dramas and thrillers. Early reactions have highlighted the film’s mix of holiday settings, relationship tension and a central canine performance that often steals scenes.
Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc
For anime fans, Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc continues the story of Denji in a new feature-length chapter that shifts the focus to his relationship with the mysterious Reze. The movie drops digitally worldwide and is available through services such as Prime Video and anime platforms, giving viewers a way to catch up on the Reze storyline without waiting for regional theatrical runs.
Reze Arc blends the franchise’s trademark ultra-violent action with a more emotionally charged arc for its central characters, deepening the world introduced in the original series. For chainsaw-wielding antihero fans and newcomers curious about one of the most talked-about anime properties of the moment, it stands out as the key genre release of the week outside the big live-action titles.
Christy
Christy, a biopic about pioneering boxer Christy Martin, arrives on premium digital platforms after a limited theatrical release. Sydney Sweeney plays Martin, tracing her rise from small-town fighter to pay-per-view mainstay while also confronting the long history of abuse she endured from her husband and trainer. The film leans heavily into its true-story roots, balancing training and fight sequences with an unflinching portrayal of Martin’s personal life.
While Christy has generated modest box office revenue compared to the week’s tentpole titles, it has drawn attention for Sweeney’s transformation and Martin’s ongoing advocacy work around domestic violence. For streaming audiences, the movie adds a grounded, character-driven option alongside more stylized genre releases.
Die My Love
Die My Love expands its reach this week with wider digital availability after festival and theatrical runs. Directed by Lynne Ramsay and starring Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson, the film adapts Ariana Harwicz’s novel into a psychological portrait of a new mother grappling with postpartum depression and psychosis in rural Montana.
Lawrence’s performance has been singled out for its intensity, anchoring a story that intentionally avoids easy catharsis. While not a conventional crowd-pleaser, Die My Love arrives on platforms such as Apple TV and other digital stores for rental and purchase, and is slated to join Mubi’s curated streaming lineup later in the month, which should help it find an audience that seeks out arthouse fare at home.
Spinal Tap 2
On HBO Max, Spinal Tap 2 reunites the fictional rock band from the original mockumentary for a new chapter that leans into nostalgia, aging rock stardom and the absurdities of reunion culture. The sequel brings back key cast members in character while updating the setting for a modern streaming audience, making it a natural curiosity for fans who grew up quoting the original film.
Critical reaction so far has framed Spinal Tap 2 as an affectionate return more than a reinvention, but for viewers looking for something familiar yet new amid the week’s thrillers, biopics and prestige dramas, it rounds out a lineup that touches nearly every major streaming taste.
The variety means there’s something for every mood — whether you want adrenaline, mystery, horror, love, or a laugh.
