Zac Efron & Russell Crowe's War Comedy Returns To Apple TV's Top Charts 3 Years Later

Apple TV hasn't had the greatest track record when it comes to releasing original movies, to put it charitably. From a critical perspective, many of the streamer's feature film releases, like the wacky spy flick "Argylle," Guy Ritchie's "Fountain of Youth," and the Ana de Armas action thriller "Ghosted" have been fairly savaged, while the overall slate hasn't managed to reach the same level of cultural cachet as its TV offerings — though, to be sure, that's not to say Apple's film efforts have been a complete failure.

Gems include the crime drama "Wolfs," Oscar-winner "CODA," and 2022's "The Greatest Beer Run Ever," which just returned to the Apple TV Top 10 movies list after three years. The movie, which stars Zac Efron and Russell Crowe, certainly wasn't one of the most high-profile film releases to land on Apple TV, and it unfortunately garnered pretty unfavorable reviews on sites like Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic. But that's not the end of the story.

Based on a true story that's recounted by John "Chick" Donohue in his book of the same name, the movie's return to the Apple TV Top 10 movies ranking arguably speaks to the other side of the review equation — namely, how well this particular film was received by audiences as opposed to critics. The movie, directed by Peter Farrelly, actually earned a 91% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, more than double the 43% critics' score on the review site.

"To show support for his neighborhood friends serving in Vietnam," Apple's official summary states, "Chickie Donohue (Zac Efron) decides to do something totally outrageous: Travel to the frontline by himself to bring the soldiers a little piece of home — their favorite can of American beer. However, what started as a well-meaning journey quickly turns into the adventure of a lifetime as Chickie confronts the reality of this controversial war, and his reunions with his childhood buddies thrust him into the complexities and responsibilities of adulthood. Based on an incredible true story, 'The Greatest Beer Run Ever' is a heartfelt coming-of-age tale about friendship, loyalty, and sacrifice."

Of all the Apple TV movies available to stream, this one arguably has the most improbable existence of all. In fact, the story was so outlandish that many people didn't even believe Chickie when he told it at first. What helped set it on the path toward being told in the form of a motion picture was a 2015 documentary, produced by Pabst Blue Ribbon, that told the story in such a way that it caught the attention of producers in Hollywood. And the rest is history.