The Best Michael Apted Movies Ranked And Where to Watch them

If you're looking for the best Michael Apted movies of all time then here is a definitive list. We rank every movie directed by Michael Apted based on their popularity score from IMDB from best to worst. Click on the ‘see more’ button to find out where to watch them in Australia covering all streaming services. In April 2024 there are 21 films in this list.

List of the Best Movies Directed by Michael Apted In Order of Popularity

  1. 63 Up
  2. 42 Up
  3. 21 Up
  4. 35 Up
  5. Coal Miner's Daughter
  6. Amazing Grace
  7. Gorillas in the Mist
  8. Thunderheart
  9. Bending the Light
  10. Gorky Park
  11. The World Is Not Enough
  12. Enigma
  13. Unlocked
  14. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
  15. Agatha
  16. Extreme Measures
  17. Continental Divide
  18. Blink
  19. Critical Condition
  20. Gorillas in the Mist: The Story of Dian Fossey
  21. Nell

Stream the top 21 Movies directed by Michael Apted

1. 63 Up

Seasons: 1

Rated: Unrated

8.2/10

Over nearly six decades, the series has documented the group as they have become adults and entered middle-age, dealing with everything life has thrown at them in between. Now, as the group reach retirement age, the series is back to discover what they are doing…

2. 42 Up

Rated: N/A

8.2/10

Director Michael Apted revisits the same group of British-born adults after a 7 year wait. The subjects are interviewed as to the changes that have occurred in their lives during the last seven years.

3. 21 Up

Rated: N/A

8.1/10

After another 7 year wait, director Michael Apted revisits the same group of British-born children from Seven Up! and 7 Plus Seven. The subjects are interviewed as to the changes that have occurred in their lives during the last seven years.

4. 35 Up

Rated: N/A

8.1/10

Director Michael Apted revisits the same group of British-born adults after a 7 year wait. The subjects are interviewed as to the changes that have occurred in their lives during the last seven years.

5. Coal Miner's Daughter

Rated: PG

7.5/10

Biography of Loretta Lynn, a country and western singer that came from poverty to fame.

6. Amazing Grace

Rated: PG

7.4/10

The true story of William Wilberforce and his courageous quest to end the British slave trade. Along the way, Wilberforce meets intense opposition, but his minister urges him to see the cause through.

7. Gorillas in the Mist

Rated: PG-13

7.0/10

The story of Dian Fossey, a scientist who came to Africa to study the vanishing mountain gorillas, and later fought to protect them.

8. Thunderheart

Rated: R

6.8/10

An FBI man with Sioux background is sent to a reservation to help with a murder investigation, where he has to come to terms with his heritage.

9. Bending the Light

Rated: N/A

6.8/10

From acclaimed director Michael Apted (The Up Series, Masters of Sex, The World is Not Enough) comes a revealing look at the art of filmmaking and photography. A journey of glass, the documentary explores the relationship between the artisans who create camera lenses and the masters of light who use these lenses to capture their beloved art form. Bending the Light features never-before-seen footage from inside a premier Japanese lens factory, intimate interviews with lens engineers, and a peek into the world of award-winning photographers and cinematographers Stephen Goldblatt, ASC, BSC, Greg Gorman, Simon Bruty, Laura El-Tantawy, and Richard Barnes.

10. Gorky Park

Rated: R

6.7/10

Police Inspector Renko tries to solve the case of three bodies found in Moscow's Gorky Park but finds his attempts to solve the crime impeded by his superiors. Working on his own, Renko seeks out more information and stumbles across a conspiracy involving the highest levels of the government.

11. The World Is Not Enough

Rated: PG-13

6.4/10

Greed, revenge, world dominance and high-tech terrorism – it's all in a day's work for Bond, who's on a mission to protect a beautiful oil heiress from a notorious terrorist. In a race against time that culminates in a dramatic submarine showdown, Bond works to defuse the international power struggle that has the world's oil supply hanging in the balance.

12. Enigma

Rated: R

6.4/10

The story of the WWII project to crack the code behind the Enigma machine, used by the Germans to encrypt messages sent to their submarines.

13. Unlocked

Rated: R

6.3/10

CIA agent Alice Racine learns that classified information has been compromised, and turns to former soldier Jack Alcott to help her prevent a lethal biological attack on London.

14. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

Rated: PG

6.3/10

Young Prince Caspian of Narnia wonders and dreams about the old days of Narnia when animals talked, and there were mythical creatures and four rulers in Cair Paravel. But his uncle and aunt don’t like to hear him thinking of such things, and plan to murder him and take his throne. Caspian’s tutor, Dr. Cornelius manages to save him, and not only teach him about the old ways, but bring him into the real Narnia and introduce him to the real Narnia. But Caspian’s plight is desperate, and he must use the legendary horn to call help from another world: Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy. Then, Lucy and Edmund are sent back to Narnia, along with their cousin Eustace, to assist Caspian on a voyage. Along their journey the children battle dragons and sea serpents, and sail across a golden lake to reach the edge of the world.

15. Agatha

Rated: PG

6.2/10

England, 1926. An American journalist looks for mystery writer Agatha Christie when she suddenly disappears without explanation, leaving no trace.

16. Extreme Measures

Rated: R

6.2/10

Guy Luthan, a British doctor working at a hospital in New York, starts making unwelcome enquiries when the body of a man who died in his emergency room disappears. After the trail leads Luthan to the door of an eminent surgeon at the hospital, Luthan soon finds himself in extreme danger people who want the hospital's secret to remain undiscovered.

17. Continental Divide

Rated: PG

6.2/10

Filmed in 1987, this documentary chronicles the journey of Via Rail's The Canadian as it makes its way across Canada.

18. Blink

Rated: R

6.2/10

Emma is an attractive girl in her 20s who has been blind for 20 years. A new type of eye operation partially restores her sight, but she is having problems: sometimes she doesn't "remember" what she's seen until later. One night she is awakened by a commotion upstairs. Peering out of her door, she sees a shadowy figure descending the stairs. Convinced that her neighbour has been murdered she approaches the police, only to find that she is unsure if it was just her new eyes playing tricks on her.

19. Critical Condition

Rated: R

5.3/10

Eddie is a con artist. When he's framed and comes before a judge, he hopes to get off the hook by climbing insanity—but instead ends up in a hospital for a mental assessment. That night, a storm causes a power failure and, in the ensuing chaos, Eddie is mistaken for a doctor and suddenly finds himself in charge of the hospital.

20. Gorillas in the Mist: The Story of Dian Fossey

Rated: PG-13

/10

Sigourney Weaver stars as Dian Fossey, in this true story about Fossey's study of gorillas, and her efforts to stop the decimation of the endangered apes.

21. Nell

Rated: PG-13

/10

In a remote woodland cabin, a small town doctor discovers Nell — a beautiful young hermit woman with many secrets.