A new month is here, and that means it’s time to find new movies on Paramount Plus to add to your watchlist. Well, I have good news for you: I’ve looked through the entire list of everything new to Paramount Plus this month, and I’ve found the best movies freshly arrived on the streaming service that you can start streaming right now.
Like all the best streaming services, Paramount Plus adds a lot of new movies every month, so combing through the full list can be a chore. So I’ve set a cutoff point of picking only movies with a 90% or higher “fresh” rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. While having a high score on a review aggregator doesn’t guarantee you’ll enjoy the movie, it typically ensures a level of quality for a film. Even if it’s not for you, it’s not going to be a dud.
‘The Terminator’ (1984)
“The Terminator” stars Arnold Schwarzenegger as a cybernetic assassin droid that is the agent of an artificial intelligence defense network known as Skynet. It’s been sent back in time to assassinate Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton), whose son John is the leader of the final human resistance against the evil AI.
But the resistance is aware of Skynet’s plan, and sends its own agent, Kyle Reese (Michael Biehn), to stop the Terminator from ending this war before it can even begin. Whoever gets to Sarah first will likely determine the fate of the entire human race.
This movie is well deserving of its 100% “fresh” score on Rotten Tomatoes. It has a perfectly paced story that frankly feels prescient today with the rise of AI in modern society. I’d go as far as to say it might be the best sci-fi movie ever if you consider Star Wars to be fantasy in space rather than science fiction.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 100%
Watch “The Terminator” on Paramount Plus now
‘Catch Me If You Can’ (2002)
The first of three Steven Spielberg movies on this list, “Catch Me If You Can” is based on a true story … sort of. The authenticity of its tale has been widely debated, but frankly, how true the story is or not doesn’t change that this is a great movie.
A crime comedy-drama, the movie stars Tom Hanks as FBI agent Carl Hanratty. He’s spent much of the past few years chasing down a con-man, revealed to be the young Frank Abagnale Jr. (Leonardo DiCaprio). Frank has led Carl on a merry chase, forging checks, impersonating pilots and even pretending to be a doctor at one point. But as we learn, the apple doesn’t always fall far from the tree; Frank Jr. learned his fraudster ways from his father, Frank Sr. (Christopher Walken).
This might be a hot take, but this is my favorite DiCaprio performance, aside from his incredible showing in “The Wolf of Wall Street.” The Academy disagreed with me, not even giving DiCaprio a nomination for this movie, but it did give Walken a Best Supporting Actor nomination for his portrayal of Frank Sr.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 96%
Watch “Catch Me If You Can” on Paramount Plus now
‘Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark’ (1981)
This movie needs no introduction, but I’ll give it a shot anyway. Originally titled “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” this action-adventure film introduces us to the legendary archeologist, Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford). Part-time professor, part-time altruistic globetrotting treasure hunter, he finds himself tasked by the U.S. military to find and recover the Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis can use it to make their army invincible.
“Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark” has just about everything you could want from a movie. It has Nazis getting punched, Nazis having their face melted off; basically, if you hate Nazis, you’re going to have a good time. It pairs George Lucas, who wrote the movie, with Steven Spielberg in the director’s chair, because the former was busy with “Star Wars.” It also launches Ford from movie up-and-comer to the biggest star on the planet and cements John Williams as the greatest composer in cinema history. If, for some reason, you’ve never watched this movie, drop whatever you’re doing and start now.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 94%
Watch “Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark” on Paramount Plus now
‘Saving Private Ryan’ (1998)
“Saving Private Ryan” stars Tom Hanks as Capt. John Miller, who begins the movie by leading a successful mission on Omaha Beach during the Normandy invasion on D-Day. But he’s not given a second to rest. Instead, he’s being tasked with bringing home missing soldier James Francis Ryan of the 101st Airborne Division (Matt Damon). Ryan’s three brothers have been killed in action, and General George C. Marshall (Harve Presnell) is determined to prevent the last remaining Ryan from dying.
Choosing the best Steven Spielberg movie may be an impossible task. I’ve already presented two great ones in this list, and we still haven’t discussed some of his most iconic works. But for my money, “Saving Private Ryan” may be his best work. Its recreation of World War II is breathtaking — seriously, you’ll struggle to breathe during the sniper battle scene — and by the end, it will have both uplifted you and broken your heart. It’s a must-watch in general, but especially now that you can stream it on Paramount Plus.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 94%
Watch “Saving Private Ryan” on Paramount Plus now
‘The Godfather’ (1972)
It’s incredible to think that I can somehow find a movie to top the four I’ve already selected, but there are only a few films in history that can surpass “The Godfather.” This movie launched the careers of Frances Ford Coppola and Al Pacino, cemented the legacy of Marlon Brando and turned complex stories about mobsters into a genre on its own, which would ultimately give us “Goodfellas” and “The Sopranos.”
If, somehow, you’ve never seen this movie, here’s the rundown. “The Godfather” is the first part of a three-part story about Michael Corleone (Pacino), the youngest son of (fictional) Corleone family crime boss Vito Corleone (Brando). A war hero who is initially uninvolved in the family business, this first part of the trilogy chronicles his unexpected rise to ultimately lead the Corleone family following a devastating mob war.
Once you finish watching “The Godfather,” make sure to check out “The Godfather: Part II,” also on Paramount Plus and just as good as this iconic film. “The Godfather: Part III” (recut as “The Godfather Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone”) is also available to stream on Paramount Plus this month, but it falls far short of the first two films, and therefore is only required viewing if you’re a completionist.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 97%
Watch “The Godfather” on Paramount Plus now
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