From classic comedies to recent blockbusters, these films are sure to please. The 23 best movies on Paramount&43;

From classic comedies to recent blockbusters, these films are sure to please.

The 23 best movies on Paramount+

From classic comedies to recent blockbusters, these films are sure to please.

By Kevin Jacobsen

and Declan Gallagher

on August 8, 2025 07:27AM EDT

Lindsay Lohan as Cady Heron in 'Mean Girls'; Tom Cruise as Capt. Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell in 'Top Gun: Maverick'; Lupita Nyong'o as Sam in 'A Quiet Place: Day One'. Credit:

Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection (2); Gareth Gatrell/Paramount Pictures

Originally launched (to some skepticism) as CBS All Access in 2014, it's safe to say that Paramount+ was ahead of its time. It was, in fact, the first over-the-top service from an American broadcaster. In 2021, during the pandemic theatrical shakeup, Paramount+ rebranded and made a name for itself with an admirable library of films on top of its television offerings.

Picking only 23 of the best movies on Paramount+ was no easy task, but we at EW tried our best. Join us as we run through the list.

Airplane! (1980)

Otto, Julie Hagerty as Elaine Dickinson, and Robert Hays as Ted Striker in 'Airplane!'.

Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection

Released in 1980, *Airplane!* was a hilarious send-up of the flood of disaster dramas with all-star casts like *Airport* (1970), *The Poseidon Adventure* (1972), and *The Towering Inferno* (1974). Today, it's simply one of the funniest films ever made, centering on a flight that turns disastrous after the entire crew contracts food poisoning. A former fighter pilot with PTSD reluctantly takes control of the plane, with help from his flight attendant ex-girlfriend. But the plot hardly matters as the film delivers wall-to-wall gags ("Don't call me Shirley" never gets old) that will have you fully laughing out loud. —*Kevin Jacobsen*

Where to watch *Airplane!*: Paramount+

**Directors:** Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, Jerry Zucker

**Cast:** Robert Hays, Julie Hagerty, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Lloyd Bridges, Peter Graves, Leslie Nielsen, Lorna Patterson, Robert Stack**

Better Man (2024)

Jonno Davies playing a motion-capture chimp version of Robbie Williams in 'Better Man'.

Paramount Pictures/YouTube

Sometimes, a filmmaker takes a big swing and it just doesn't connect. *Better Man* is one of those rare cases where its gimmick is part of its unique charm, telling the story of British pop star Robbie Williams, who is portrayed in the film as an anthropomorphic chimpanzee. While the beats of Williams' story will be familiar to anyone who's seen other music biopics, director Michael Gracey brings impressive visual flair and stages his musical sequences with precision ("Rock DJ" being his magnum opus).

Williams, who narrates the film, also allows himself to be portrayed in a sometimes unflattering light. As such, EW's critic praises *Better Man* as "refreshingly honest for a musical biopic that has the involvement of its subject." —*K.J.*

Where to watch *Better Man*: Paramount+

**EW grade:** B (read the review)

**Director:** Michael Gracey

**Cast:** Robbie Williams, Jonno Davies, Steve Pemberton, Alison Steadman

Call Me by Your Name (2017)

Timothée Chalamet as Elio Perlman and Armie Hammer as Oliver in 'Call Me by Your Name'.

Sony Pictures Classics/Courtesy Everett Collection

This sensual tale of yearning set in 1983 Italy is one of director Luca Guadagnino's finest works. Timothée Chalamet stars as Elio, a 17-year-old who falls in love with his father's handsome new graduate student, Oliver (Armie Hammer). Basking in the hot summer days, Elio and Oliver explore the countryside and form a passionate bond that will affect both of their lives forever. The film made a star out of Chalamet, who earned an Oscar nomination for his sensitive, complex performance as a teen coming of age and realizing what he desires for himself. As EW's critic writes of the film, "It's real life, heartbreaking and sublime." —*K.J.*

Where to watch *Call Me by Your Name*: Paramount+

**EW grade:** A– (read the review)

**Director:** Luca Guadagnino

**Cast:** Timothée Chalamet, Armie Hammer, Michael Stuhlbarg, Amira Casar, Victoire Du Bois

Chicago (2002)

Catherine Zeta-Jones as Velma Kelly and Renée Zellweger as Roxie Hart in 'Chicago'. Miramax/Everett

Rob Marshall's adaptation of the Broadway musical is a dazzling slice of put-on-a-show entertainment. It all kicks off when aspiring vaudevillian Roxie Hart (Renée Zellweger) is convicted of shooting and killing a man with whom she was having an affair. In prison, she meets (and tries to befriend) her idol, Velma Kelly (Catherine Zeta-Jones), and hires unscrupulous lawyer Billy Flynn (Richard Gere) to shape the narrative of her case in her favor. Featuring electrifying musical sequences and go-for-broke performances, *Chicago* was a hit with critics and audiences, winning six Oscars, including Best Picture. —*K.J.*

Where to watch *Chicago*: Paramount+

**EW grade:** (Read the review)

**Director:** Rob Marshall

**Cast:** Renée Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Richard Gere, John C. Reilly, Queen Latifah, Taye Diggs, Dominic West, Christine Baranski

Election (1999)

Reese Witherspoon as Tracy Flick and Matthew Broderick as Jim McAllister in 'Election'.

Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection

The ruthless nature of high school is as contentious and nasty as real-world politics, as this satirical comedy proves. The film follows a history teacher (Matthew Broderick) who tries to sabotage highly ambitious student Tracy Flick (Reese Witherspoon) — whom he dislikes for various reasons — from winning the upcoming student government presidential election. EW's critic calls *Election* a "scathing, subtle, and complexly funny tragicomedy" that "benefits terrifically from Witherspoon's great, steely performance." —*K.J.***

Where to watch *Election*: Paramount+**

**Director:** Alexander Payne**

**Cast:** Reese Witherspoon, Matthew Broderick, Chris Klein, Jessica Campbell, Mark Harelik, Phil Reeves, Molly Hagan, Delaney Driscoll**

Gladiator (2000)

Russell Crowe as Maximus Decimus Meridius in 'Gladiator'.

Universal/Getty

Ridley Scott's brutal, visceral epic stars Russell Crowe as fallen general Maximus, who becomes a gladiator and undertakes a campaign of revenge against those who wronged him. *Gladiator*, which was compared favorably to the "sword-and-sandal movies" of the 1950s and '60s, earned rave reviews and multiple Oscars including Best Picture. *—Declan Gallagher*

Where to watch *Gladiator*: Paramount+

**EW grade: **A– (read the review)

**Director:** Ridley Scott

**Cast:** Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Oliver Reed, Richard Harris

Gladiator II (2024)

Paul Mescal as Hanno and Pedro Pascal as General Acacius in 'Gladiator II'.

The time has come, 24 years later, to be entertained again. Ridley Scott's long-in-development sequel to his Best Picture winner features a mostly new cast of characters, with Paul Mescal starring as Hanno, a prisoner of war who shows great promise as a gladiator and fights on behalf of the scheming Macrinus (Denzel Washington). Hanno soon discovers his true identity and a battle for the fate of Rome escalates further. EW's critic calls *Gladiator II* "the epitome of an epic, its towering sets, opulent costumes, and bustling crowd scenes bringing Ancient Rome to life in all its excess." —*K.J.*

Where to watch *Gladiator II*: Paramount+

**EW grade:** A (read the review)

**Director:** Ridley Scott

**Cast:** Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Connie Nielsen, Denzel Washington, Joseph Quinn, Fred Hechinger, Lior Raz, Derek Jacobi**

Interstellar (2014)

Matthew McConaughey as Joseph 'Coop' Cooper in 'Interstellar'. Melinda Sue Gordon/Paramount

After turning a film as cerebral as *Inception* into an Oscar-winning hit, Christopher Nolan indulged in his sci-fi-loving sensibilities even further with this space epic. Matthew McConaughey delivers one of his most achingly sincere performances as Cooper, a NASA pilot living on a ravaged Earth who embarks on a last-hope mission to an exoplanet that may be capable of sustaining life. What he finds on his trip becomes a mind-bending (and time-bending) testament to humanity's fight for survival, its sense of resilience, and its profound effect on future generations. While the film refuses to hold your hand in exploring such heady themes, those who give themselves over to Nolan's vision will be bowled over by its advanced storytelling on such a grand scale. —*K.J.*

Where to watch *Interstellar*: Paramount+

**EW grade:** B– (read the review)

**Director:** Christopher Nolan

**Cast:** Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Bill Irwin, Ellen Burstyn, Michael Caine

Mean Girls (2004)

(From left to right): Lindsay Lohan as Cady Heron, Amanda Seyfried as Karen Smith, Rachel McAdams as Regina George, Jonathan Bennett as Aaron Samuels, and Lacey Chabert as Gretchen Wieners in 'Mean Girls'. Everett Collection

A musical update of Mark Waters' seminal high school comedy — following new girl Cady getting inducted into a group of queen bees headed by the ruthless Regina George — is now streaming on Paramount+. But, there's no better time to revisit the original, which has only gotten funnier with age. It's both laugh-out-loud entertaining and a thoughtful exploration of teenage behavior. As EW's critic wrote in 2004 of the Tina Fey-penned comedy, "The movie — a vinegary fable with a Splenda aftertaste — is a harbinger of hope not only for future feminist comedies of any grit but also for *SNL*-staffed feature films that don't disproportionately suck." *—D.G.*

Where to watch *Mean Girls*: Paramount+

**EW grade:** (Read the review)

**Director: **Mark Waters

**Cast:** Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams, Amanda Seyfried, Tina Fey, Tim Meadows

Milk (2008)

Sean Penn as Harvey Milk in 'Milk'.

Phil Bray/Focus Features

Sean Penn gives one of his finest performances in this rousing biopic about Harvey Milk, the first out gay politician elected to public office in California. Director Gus Van Sant and writer Dustin Lance Black deftly immerse us in the atmosphere of 1978 San Francisco, where Milk seeks to bring hope and change as a Board of Supervisors member, while fighting anti-gay conservatives. Penn and Black deservedly won Oscars for their work. —*K.J.***

Where to watch *Milk*: Paramount+

**Director:** Gus Van Sant

**Cast:** Sean Penn, Emile Hirsch, Josh Brolin, Diego Luna, James Franco

Mission: Impossible — Fallout (2018)

(From left to right): Simon Pegg as Benji Dunn, Rebecca Ferguson as Ilsa Faust, Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt, and Ving Rhames as Luther Stickell in 'Mission: Impossible — Fallout'.

David James/Paramount /Courtesy Everett Collection

Nearly every *Mission: Impossible* movie is available to stream on Paramount+, but this sixth entry in the film franchise is arguably the best one yet. *Fallout* centers on IMF agent Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) in his quest to stop an expected nuclear attack from a terrorist group. He and his team are joined by CIA assassin August Walker (Henry Cavill) to recover plutonium cores on a mission that proves decidedly more difficult than Hunt could ever imagine. Packed with dazzling set pieces and genuinely shocking twists, EW's critic praises the film as "the kind of pure, straight-no-chaser pop fun that not only keeps taking your breath away over and over again, it restores your occasionally shaky faith in summer blockbusters." —*K.J.*

Where to watch *Mission: Impossible — Fallout*: Paramount+

**EW grade:** A (read the review)

**Director:** Christopher McQuarrie

**Cast:** Tom Cruise, Henry Cavill, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Sean Harris, Angela Bassett, Vanessa Kirby, Michelle Monaghan, Alec Baldwin

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Point Break (1991)

Keanu Reeves as Johnny Utah and Patrick Swayze as Bodhi in 'Point Break'. Everett Collection

*Point Break* is an early-'90s film through and through, a cops and robbers crime drama with some of the hottest stars of the era that's also a lot about surfing. Keanu Reeves stars as the brilliantly named Johnny Utah, a detective tasked with going undercover to bust a group of surf-loving bank robbers. But, as Johnny immerses himself in that particular subculture, he finds himself curiously drawn to it, particularly because of the group's charismatic leader, Bodhi (Patrick Swayze).

Critics were mixed at the time (EW's very own critic gave it a C+), but, as time has passed, we've come to appreciate its earnest sensibilities and director Kathryn Bigelow's thoughtful examination of male friendships, while still delivering as traditional popcorn entertainment. —*K.J.*

Where to watch *Point Break*: Paramount+

**EW grade:** (Read the review)

**Director:** Kathryn Bigelow

**Cast:** Patrick Swayze, Keanu Reeves, Gary Busey, Lori Petty

A Quiet Place (2018)

John Krasinski, Emily Blunt, and Millicent Simmonds as Lee, Evelyn, and Regan Abbott in 'A Quiet Place'. Jonny Cournoyer/Paramount Pictures

Not advised for those easily startled, *A Quiet Place* became an instant horror favorite upon its 2018 release. Predatory alien creatures with hypersensitive hearing have overrun Earth, and any sound can be a death sentence for humans. John Krasinski does triple duty as director, co-writer, and star, playing a man living in this postapocalyptic world with his family, who are trying to survive and find a way to fight back. The gripping tension inherent in its premise would be enough to cause anxiety in viewers, but Krasinski proves adept at deploying maximum terror when you're least expecting it. As EW's critic writes, "When *A Quiet Place* has one finger on the panic button and the other on mute, it's a nervy, terrifying thrill." —*K.J.*

Where to watch *A Quiet Place*: Paramount+

**EW grade:** B+ (read the review)

**Director:** John Krasinski

**Cast:** Emily Blunt, John Krasinski, Millicent Simmonds, Noah Jupe

A Quiet Place: Day One (2024)

Joseph Quinn as Eric and Lupita Nyong'o as Sam in 'A Quiet Place: Day One'.

Gareth Gatrell/Paramount Pictures

The third film in the *Quiet Place* franchise intriguingly rewinds to the first day of the invasion that would ultimately cause an apocalypse. We also transport to the concrete jungle of New York, where we meet a terminally ill woman named Samira (Lupita Nyong'o) as she desperately tries to avoid the sound-sensitive alien creatures intent on attacking the city. You'll still get plenty of the jump-scares that made the first two *Quiet Place* films so effective, but there's an emotional core to *Day One* that resonates, too, especially in Samira's connection with a stranger named Eric (Joseph Quinn). "Somehow," writes EW's critic, "this movie ends up being quite touching in between scenes when it's making you jump." —*K.J.***

Where to watch *A Quiet Place: Day One*: Paramount+

**EW grade:** B+ (read the review)

**Director:** Michael Sarnoski

**Cast:** Lupita Nyong'o, Joseph Quinn, Alex Wolff, Djimon Hounsou

Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones and Karen Allen as Marion Ravenwood in 'Raiders of the Lost Ark'. Everett Collection

As if *Star Wars* weren't enough, this first entry in the *Indiana Jones* franchise further cemented Harrison Ford's status as a superstar. One of the most beloved films of all time, *Raiders of the Lost Ark* finds Ford's rogue archaeologist Indiana Jones battling Nazis who are looking to track down the Ark of the Covenant in the hope of making their armed forces invincible. Unfolding at a relentlessly thrilling pace, Steven Spielberg's action-adventure is elevated further by Ford's charisma, his sparring dynamic with Karen Allen as Indy's past flame Marion, and another rousing score by John Williams. —*K.J.*

Where to watch *Raiders of the Lost Ark*: Paramount+

**Director:** Steven Spielberg

**Cast:** Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman, Ronald Lacey, John Rhys-Davies, Denholm Elliott

Rosemary's Baby (1968)

Mia Farrow as Rosemary Woodhouse in 'Rosemary's Baby'.

Courtesy Everett Collection

Regarded as one of the most frightening psychological horror films of all time, *Rosemary's Baby* gets its scares from its deft use of dread. Mia Farrow, in her most iconic role, plays Rosemary Woodhouse, a young newlywed who moves with her husband into a New York apartment, where she becomes pregnant and begins to suspect her nosy neighbors have ulterior motives for her baby. As Rosemary's paranoia worsens, she is met with skeptics who try to downplay her concerns, even as evidence suggests that her baby is, in fact, in danger. Farrow's emotionally wrenching performance enhances the terror, leading to a horrifying conclusion that still gives us chills. —*K.J.*

Where to watch *Rosemary's Baby*: Paramount+

**Director:** Roman Polanski

**Cast:** Mia Farrow, John Cassavetes, Ruth Gordon, Sidney Blackmer, Maurice Evans, Ralph Bellamy

School of Rock (2003)

Rivkah Reyes as Katie and Jack Black as Dewey Finn in 'School of Rock'. Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection

After breaking out with 2000's *High Fidelity*, Jack Black fully cemented his movie star status with *School of Rock*. The beloved comedy centers Black as Dewey Finn, a former rock guitarist whose desperation for a job leads him to pose as a substitute teacher at a prep school. He proceeds to bring the sheltered kids out of their shells by forming a band with them, allowing them to express their individuality. What could have been another silly comedy becomes a smartly funny and sweet film in director Richard Linklater's hands, with Black's energetic performance netting him widespread praise and even a Golden Globe nomination. —*K.J.*

Where to watch *School of Rock*: Paramount+

**EW grade:** (Read the review)

**Director:** Richard Linklater

**Cast:** Jack Black, Joan Cusack, Mike White, Sarah Silverman**

Smile 2 (2024)

Naomi Scott as Skye Riley in 'Smile 2'.

You don't need to watch the first *Smile* film to appreciate this gnarly follow-up, which improves upon its predecessor. All you need to know is that the Smile Entity is a curse that feeds on trauma and can only be passed on by killing another person in front of a witness.

*Smile 2* centers on a pop star named Skye Riley (Naomi Scott) who becomes the latest unlucky recipient of the curse and struggles with unnerving hallucinations. Plus, there's the added burden of her being in the public eye, raising the stakes significantly. With frightening imagery and a fearless performance from Scott, *Smile 2* successfully avoids the dreaded sophomore slump. —*K.J.***

Where to watch *Smile 2*: Paramount+

**Director:** Parker Finn

**Cast:** Naomi Scott, Rosemarie DeWitt, Lukas Gage, Miles Gutierrez-Riley, Peter Jacobson, Ray Nicholson, Dylan Gelula, Raúl Castillo, Kyle Gallner

Top Gun: Maverick (2022)

Tom Cruise as Captain Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell in 'Top Gun: Maverick'. Paramount Pictures

Joseph Kosinski's follow-up to Tony Scott's 1986 original is perfect blockbuster entertainment if you can avoid some of the dubious messaging. Tom Cruise returns, this time teaching a pack of new recruits the aerial ropes to fight a war against an unspecified enemy. It's another perfectly structured genre movie that gets by on pure adrenaline but works because you actually believe in the stakes. Knowledge of the first film helps but isn't entirely necessary; as EW's critic observes, the film "toggles deftly between winking callbacks and standard big-beat action stuff meant to stand on its own." *—D.G.*

Where to watch *Top Gun: Maverick*: Paramount+

**EW grade:** B+ (read the review)

**Director:** Joseph Kosinski

**Cast: **Tom Cruise, Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly, Glen Powell, Val Kilmer

The Virgin Suicides (1999)

Leslie Hayman as Therese Lisbon, Kirsten Dunst as Lux Lisbon, A.J. Cook as Mary Lisbon, and Chelse Swain as Bonnie Lisbon in 'The Virgin Suicides'.

Paramount Classics/Courtesy Everett Collection

Sofia Coppola's first film remains one of her best. A sensitive, tragic, and darkly comic adaptation of Jeffrey Eugenides' novel, the film concerns the mysterious deaths amongst the cloistered daughters (including Kirsten Dunst and A.J. Cook) of overbearing parents (Kathleen Turner and James Woods). Coppola's greatest trick is that the movie is somehow both tragic and uplifting, often at once. —*D.G.*

Where to watch *The Virgin Suicides*: Paramount+

**Director:** Sofia Coppola

**Cast:** James Woods, Kathleen Turner, Kirsten Dunst, Josh Hartnett, Scott Glenn, Michael Paré, Danny DeVito

Wayne's World (1992)

Mike Myers as Wayne Campbell and Dana Carvey as Garth Algar in 'Wayne's World'.

Paramount/Everett Collection

There's never a bad time to party on with Wayne and Garth. While many comedies of the '90s don't exactly hold up well today, *Wayne's World* was ahead of its time, offering endlessly quotable lines, self-aware meta commentary, and protagonists with whom you'd actually want to hang out. Mike Myers and Dana Carvey reprise their *Saturday Night Live* characters, slacker best friends who have the opportunity to take their Illinois public access show to the next level, though they risk selling out in the process (the gravest sin of hip '90s kids). —*K.J.*

Where to watch *Wayne's World*: Paramount+

**EW grade:** B (read the review)

**Director:** Penelope Spheeris

**Cast:** Mike Myers, Dana Carvey, Tia Carrere, Rob Lowe, Lara Flynn Boyle, Brian Doyle-Murray

The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)

Leonardo DiCaprio as Jordan Belfort in 'The Wolf of Wall Street'.

Mary Cybulski/Paramount Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection

This epic retelling of stockbroker Jordan Belfort's rise and fall was the subject of public discourse when it was released in 2013. Some believed it to be a complex, morally ambiguous cautionary tale, while others accused it of glamorizing greed and indulging in debauchery. *The Wolf of Wall Street* will get a rise out of you either way, as director Martin Scorsese is unafraid of pushing the limits of sex, drugs, and profanity to immerse you in Belfort's money- and power-hungry mentality, trusting you to draw your own conclusions. But few would debate the merits of Leonardo DiCaprio's full-throated performance as Belfort, delivering what some would argue is the best of his career. —*K.J.*

Where to watch *The Wolf of Wall Street*: Paramount+

**Director:** Martin Scorsese

**Cast:** Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, Margot Robbie, Matthew McConaughey, Kyle Chandler, Rob Reiner, Jon Favreau, Jean Dujardin

Zodiac (2007)

Robert Downey Jr. as Paul Avery and Jake Gyllenhaal as Robert Graysmith in 'Zodiac'.

Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection

This police-and-journalists procedural charting the still-unsolved crime spree of the Zodiac Killer is director David Fincher's masterpiece. It's certainly the best "true crime" movie and, depending on your tolerance for *All the President's Men*, might be the best journalism movie. Though more factual than many films, *Zodiac* moves at a rocketing clip and contains at least six sequences of full-blooded terror — Ione Skye on the highway and Jake Gyllenhaal in the basement, to name but two. This is a movie that was well and truly ahead of its time. —*D.G.*

Where to watch *Zodiac*: Paramount+

**EW grade:** (Read the review)

**Director:** David Fincher

**Cast:** Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, Robert Downey Jr., Anthony Edwards, Brian Cox, Elias Koteas, Donal Logue, John Carroll Lynch, Dermot Mulroney

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