Now Playing (free, download) is simply my favorite movie info app in the iTunes App Store. Its killer feature is integration with movie review sites Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic. These sites gather hundreds of critical reviews and average them out to deliver a single rating score. Now Playing integrates the scores throughout its interface. For example, when browsing the local movie times, the review score is shown next to every movie title. It makes deciding which movie to see tonight so much easier.
Another awesome feature is integration with your Netflix account (this feature has to be enabled in the menu settings). You can add movies to your Netflix queue through the app. Don’t want to pay $10 to a movie in the theater? Just add it to your queue, and you won’t have to remember later when the DVD comes out.
Now Playing can sort movie and theater information by release date, title, and overall review score, as well as by theater distance. Tapping any movie will give you a description, your favorite theaters’ play time, the ability to watch a trailer, read reviews, websites, and links to imdb and Wikipedia.
The only feature it’s missing is the ability to search the entire databases of Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic. It’d be nice to check out movies a couple years old, then add them to my Netflix queue. The current search features only works for recently released movies and DVD/Blu-rays.
If you’re a movie junkie, this is a killer app to have on you at all times. The developer has been adding features and has updated the app 10 times so far, so keep checking for the latest update and the latest features.
Now Playing is a free download in the iTunes App Store.
Check out more of our posts on the Best iPhone Apps.
Name: Now Playing
Developer: Cyrus Najmabadi
Version Reviewed: 2.6
Price: Free
Download: 
#1 by Ben on November 4th, 2009
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Since upgrading v2 to OS 3.0 now playing has stopped woring, it does not even launch.
Any hint on what to do?
Thanks
Ben
#2 by Alan on November 4th, 2009
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Try restarting your iPhone. If that doesn’t work, try deleting then reinstalling the app. If that doesn’t work contact the developer.
#3 by PDouglas on June 9th, 2010
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My Now Playing does not update very often with the theaters in this area of 75703. It now says that “Theater last reported show times on May 28th, 2010. What can I do?
#4 by Alan on June 13th, 2010
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App has been removed from the App Store, and the data within the app doesn’t update. Not sure if it’s coming back.
#5 by Cathy on June 21st, 2010
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The App has also stopped updating on my Iphone as of May 28th. It does still have accurate information on my Netflix data…
#6 by wg on June 25th, 2010
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Would someone from Now Playing please report on why this app no longer works (will not update). It was a great app!
#7 by John Herlocher on July 9th, 2010
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Anybody have the official story on this app?
Its dried up w/ no real notice…