Because Apple doesn’t release as many originals as its competitors, nor does it host films from other studios on its streaming platform, its viewership charts tend to remain rather static. But the long-reigning champion Highest 2 Lowest was dethroned for good on Friday by The Lost Bus. Starring Matthew McConaughey as a driver who must navigate a deadly wildfire and protect a bus full of children, the movie opened to excellent reviews and has become an instant hit on the Apple TV+ streaming service. According to FlixPatrol, it was the platform’s number one film on October 4, overtaking Spike Lee’s latest “joint” with star Denzel Washington, which had been dominating the charts for the last few weeks. Before Highest 2 Lowest, Guy Ritchie’s Fountain of Youth, and the February release The Gorge had delivered stupendously. The Gorge featured Anya Taylor-Joy and Miles Teller in the lead roles, and is still outperforming older Apple releases. Similarly, the well-reviewed Highest 2 Lowest held its own for quite some time. But the crime thriller first lost its crown to the rather low-key science-fiction film All of You last week; don’t be surprised if it overtakes that movie in the next few days. However, The Lost Bus seems to be in it for the long run. Directed by the Oscar-nominated Paul Greengrass, who remains best remembered for having directed The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum, the survival drama has been written by Brad Inglesby, who is currently experiencing similar success with his HBO show Task. He broke out with the acclaimed mystery series Mare of Easttown, which was also released on HBO.
Matthew McConaughey Has Been Relatively Inactive In Recent Years

Also starring the recently Oscar-nominated America Ferrera, The Lost Bus is currently sitting at a “certified fresh” 87% score on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, where the critics’ consensus reads, “Recreating a real-life disaster with terrifying authenticity, The Lost Bus ratchets up the tension while maintaining a humanist core thanks to Matthew McConaughey and America Ferrera’s effective performances.” The Lost Bus is only the second live-action film that McConaughey has starred in since 2019’s The Gentlemen. This year, he also headlined The Rivals of Amziah King. You can watch The Lost Bus on Apple TV+ and stay tuned to Collider for more updates.

Release Date

October 3, 2025

Runtime

130 minutes

Director

Paul Greengrass

Writers

Paul Greengrass, Brad Ingelsby, Lizzie Johnson

Producers

Gregory Goodman, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jason Blum, Brad Ingelsby