Is it just us or is Apple TV+ starting to prove that it’s worth paying for the subscription after your free trial period from your recent iPhone upgrade ends? Sure, they have had some misfires (Cherry is… well, Cherry), but between series like Ted Lasso, Foundation, and Mythic Quest becoming relatively big hits and a really solid fall/winter film slate, things are looking up for the service. The Tragedy of Macbeth will be a bona fide hit when that drops later on this winter, and we’re happy to say that Finch, despite its miserable title, is actually a swell little movie (review coming Friday!), but there’s also Benjamin Cleary’s Swan Song to look forward to, which stars Mahershala Ali as a dying man given a surprising choice by a doctor to help out his family. It’s got shades of Black Mirror and Marjorie Prime (which is an excellent little film you should seek out), and based on this trailer that Apple dropped earlier on Thursday, you’ll probably get a little misty-eyed while watching it. Or just cry a lot.
Peep it and literally weep:
Here’s a synopsis:
“Set in the near future, ‘Swan Song’ is a powerful, emotional journey told through the eyes of Cameron (Mahershala Ali), a loving husband and father diagnosed with a terminal illness who is presented with an alternative solution by his doctor (Glenn Close) to shield his family from grief. As Cam grapples with whether or not to alter his family’s fate, he learns more about life and love than he ever imagined. ‘Swan Song’ explores how far we will go, and how much we’re willing to sacrifice, to make a happier life for the people we love.”
Swan Song will break your heart on December 17, either in a theater or streaming on Apple TV+. It honestly depends on whether or not you prefer ugly crying into your popcorn bag, surrounded by strangers, or ugly crying at home, getting silently judged by your not-necessarily-hungry-but-still-demanding-food cat. We really don’t know what the better option is there.