4 Gripping Apple Movies and Documentaries You Can Binge in Quarantine

ashton kutcher as steve jobs Credit: Jobs (2013)
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For many people around the world, isolation is now what defines the day. With the ongoing pandemic, it has become more important than ever to spend time at home and away from public spaces.

For some, this means learning new hobbies. But for most of us, it means binge-watching our favorite movies and shows.

One thing that bingers can do to fill their time is to seek out educational content. There are free audiobooks on Audible. There are even free opera concerts available for streaming. And there’s also a variety of fantastic films and documentaries about Apple for your consideration. So here is our essential list of Apple movies (and where you can watch them)!

Jobs (2013)

Jobs caught the eye of audiences with its unique choice to have Ashton Kutcher (Dude, Where’s My Car, Two and a Half Men), a younger actor take on the role of Steve Jobs in the early part of his career. Jobs focuses on the earlier stages of Apple’s lifespan, beginning in 1974 in the first years of Silicon Valley before covering over 20 years of Jobs’ life in the short film, ending in 2001, with his announcement of the iPod. 

The film was directed by Joshua Michael Stern, a lesser-known Hollywood director whose previous work included directing Swing Vote and writing the Wesley Snipes action movie The Contractor. Steve Wozniak was played by not-yet-famous Josh Gad (Frozen, 21Beauty and the Beast) alongside mostly unknown actors. The film was received by critics with a 29% Rotten score on Rotten Tomatoes. But for those who wish to give this film a try, it’s available for streaming on HBO Now, or rental on the platform of preference.

Steve Jobs: One Last Thing (2011)

If you prefer documentaries over fictional renditions of CEOs, there are numerous documentaries out there about Steve Jobs and his closest companions.

One of the very first documentaries released about Jobs was less than a month after his death, with the PBS special One Last Thing.

The film was an ode to Jobs, permeated with quotations and comments from all the people who had been in his life, including coworkers, family and competitors. What made it stand out was the interviews with Bill Gates and with Steve Jobs after the CEO was informed of his developing cancer.

The documentary is currently streaming on Amazon Prime, as well as Kanopy.

Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine (2015)

The Man in the Machine came out around the same time as Steve Jobs. It received little in the way of viewership due to a limited theatre run, but the film offered a thorough, cursory glimpse at the life of Jobs in itself. The film offers a far more critical lens of Jobs, prodding at his obsessiveness as well as his questionable conduct as a leader.

But at the end of the film, the author offers an insightful and conclusive approach to the story of Jobs, most notably how the man brought the personable aspect to the personal computer.

The Man in the Machine is currently available for streaming on Hulu and Magnolia Selects.

Steve Jobs (2015)

Steve Jobs Netflix

Ever since Steve Jobs’ passing in 2011, filmmakers and storytellers have made strides to capture the energy of Jobs in cinematic form. This has lead to documentaries, films and all sorts of projects about him. One of the most notable renditions is Steve Jobs, a biopic starring Michael Fassbender.

The film focuses on the backstage part of Jobs’ life, most notably his presence and influence over the creation of select products as well as his eventual departure from Apple. The book claims to be based on interviews with primary sources, as well as the Walter Isaacson biography.

Steve Jobs was directed by Danny Boyle (an Oscar-winning director known for Slumdog Millionaire and Sunshine) and written by Aaron Sorkin. (The Social Network, The West Wing, The Newsroom) It also featured the talents of Seth Rogen playing Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, Kate Winslet playing Joanna Hoffman and Jeff Daniels as John Sculley, Apple CEO from 1983 to 1993. The film only had a limited release schedule in 2015, but received an 86% Fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes.

The film is currently available for streaming on Netflix, or purchase/rent from Amazon.

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