For more than a century, Paramount Pictures has given the world some of the best movies of all time with franchises like Mission: Impossible, the Star Trek movies, and countless others bringing audiences to crowded theaters time and time again. The impact of the iconic studio’s stunning films can still be felt today in the age of streaming with a subscription to Paramount+, which is chock-full of countless classics and hidden gems that are hard to find on other streaming platforms. To help make your selection of what to watch easier, the following are our picks for the best movies on Paramount+ at the moment.
Saving Private Ryan (1998)
During World War II, a modestly sized crew of American soldiers must risk their lives to find a young private after he becomes the sole surviving son of his family. While Steven Spielberg fortunately earned acknowledgement from the Academy for his captivating direction of Saving Private Ryan, many still believe this heart-wrenchingly realistic portrayal of war starring Tom Hanks deserved a Best Picture Oscar as well.
Stream Saving Private Ryan on Paramount+.
Galaxy Quest (1999)
A washed-up actor (Tim Allen) and his former co-stars (including Sigourney Weaver and Alan Rickman) are given the chance to be real heroes by friendly aliens who believe their canceled, cult sci-fi series was real. Considered a fun cult favorite itself these days, Galaxy Quest is a clever satire of Trekkie culture, but also with all the thrills of the best Star Trek movies and TV shows, that hopefully gets a sequel someday.
Stream Galaxy Quest on Paramount+.
The Beverly Hills Cop Movies (1983-1994)
Eddie Murphy first headlined a film on his own as Axel Foley – a Detroit-based detective who frequently finds himself chasing criminals in the Golden State – in Beverly Hills Cop and would reprise the role in two more action-packed comedies. All three Beverly Hills Cop movies (which have a fourth installment in the works) are currently available to stream on Paramount+.
Stream the Beverly Hill Cops movies on Paramount+.
Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid (1969)
A pair of infamous outlaws (Paul Newman and Robert Redford) find themselves on the run after a train robbery gone wrong in early 1900s Wyoming. Winner of four Academy Awards (including for the iconic original song “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head”), Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is one of the most exciting westerns and buddy adventure stories of all time.
Stream Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid on Paramount+.
Beavis And Butt-Head Do America (1996)
Two brainless teenagers (both voiced by co-writer and director Mike Judge) travel across the country in search of their stolen TV and unwittingly get wrapped up in an FBI manhunt along the way. Before you see the titular infantile icons return in Paramount+’s “very stupid, but very funny” sci-fi comedy Beavis and Butt-Head Do the Universe, be sure to check out their first star-studded, smarter-than-it-seems feature length adventure, Beavis and Butt-Head Do America.
Stream Beavis and Butt-Head Do America on Paramount+.
Charlotte’s Web (1973)
A wise spider (Debbie Reynolds) and her barnyard animal friends try to help prevent an innocent, young pig (Henry Gibson) from suffering an early fate as a breakfast table item. Based on the classic, inspiring book by E.B. White, Charlotte’s Web is a delightful, animated musical film the whole family can enjoy.
Stream Charlotte’s Web on Paramount+.
Mission: Impossible Movies (1996-2018)
Tom Cruise has been risking life and limb (literally) to play daredevil secret agent Ethan Hunt for six movies now (with two more installments in the works as we speak). Excluding the third chapter from 2006, you can watch all of the Mission: Impossible movies so far in order now on Paramount+.
Stream the Mission: Impossible movies on Paramount+.
Face/Off (1997)
In order to prevent an impending attack, a burdened FBI agent (John Travolta) undergoes a revolutionary procedure to assume the identity of his comatose arch nemesis (Nicolas Cage), who suddenly wakes up and turns the tables by wearing his face. Director John Woo gets breathtaking performances out of his main leads in Face/Off – one of the craziest and most fun action thrillers of the ‘90s that has a sequel in the works from Adam Wingard and Simon Barrett.
Stream Face/Off on Paramount+.
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)
A rebellious, fourth wall-breaking teen (Matthew Broderick) decides to skip school and show his best friend (Alan Ruck) and girlfriend (Mia Sara) a good time in Chicago, putting them under suspicion of their ruthless principal. John Hughes wrote and directed some of the most insightful and simply best high school movies ever made, but Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is easily the most cleverly hilarious and thoroughly joyful of that bunch.
Stream Ferris Bueller’s Day Off on Paramount+.
Into The Wild (2007)
A college graduate (Emile Hirsch) decides to abandon all of his belongings and his life in favor of a cross-country hitch-hike to Alaska. Based on the non-fiction book by Jon Krakauer documenting the tragic true story of Christopher McCandless, Into the Wild is a beautifully told, wonderfully acted, and even inspiring adventure from writer and director Sean Penn.
Stream Into the Wild on Paramount+.
The Sonic The Hedgehog Movies (2020-2022)
A lightning-fast, blue animal (Ben Schwartz) enlists the help of a cop (James Marsden) and, later, a speedy fox (Colleen O’Shaughnessy) to help defeat an eccentric scientist (Jim Carrey) and, later, his own furry ally (Idris Elba). Director Jeff Fowler’s Sonic the Hedgehog is one of the few movies based on a video game to score big with audiences of all ages and spawn an almost equally beloved follow-up.
Stream the Sonic the Hedgehog movies on Paramount+.
Grease (1978)
A bad boy teen (John Travolta) and a meek Australian girl (Olivia Newton-John) fall in love and try to change for one another in 1950s California. Based on the Tony-nominated stage production of the same name, Grease is one of the most exhilarating and romantic movie musicals of all time and has a Paramount+ original TV spin-off in the works.
The Addams Family Movies (1991-1993)
The patriarch (Raul Julia) of an eccentric and morbidly inclined family is delighted by the surprise return of his brother (Christopher Lloyd) and, later, by the announcement that his wife (Anjelica Huston) is having a baby. Director Barry Sonnenfeld’s dazzling comedies The Addams Family and Addams Family Values both provide a gold standard for how to adapt beloved properties such as the creepy and kooky clan for live-action cinema.
Stream the Addams Family movies on Paramount+.
The Fighter (2010)
An aspiring prize fighter (Mark Wahlberg) from Boston is mentored by his older half-brother (Christian Bale) – a well-known former boxer himself consumed by his own destructive habits. Bale received a Best Supporting Actor Oscar and Melissa Leo also received a win for Best Supporting Actress for one of David O. Russell’s most gripping dramas, The Fighter, which is inspired by the true story of boxer Micky Ward.
Stream The Fighter on Paramount+.
A Fish Called Wanda (1994)
The unlikely team-up of four master thieves quickly turns into a bitter rivalry as they all try to trick each other out of the loot from a jewel heist. Monty Python star John Cleese co-wrote and co-starred in one of the smartest and funniest crime movies of its time, A Fish Called Wanda – which is also one of the best Jamie Lee Curtis movies outside of her horror reputation.
Stream A Fish Called Wanda on Paramount+.
Planes, Trains And Automobiles (1987)
An advertising executive (Steve Martin) is forced to travel from New York City with a talkative, bumbling shower curtain ring salesman (John Candy) in an attempt to make it home to Chicago in time for Thanksgiving. Writer and director John Hughes crafted the ultimate road trip disaster movie with Planes, Trains and Automobiles, which is also one of Steve Martin’s best movies.
Stream Planes, Trains and Automobiles on Paramount+.
The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)
A cunning young man (Matt Damon) poses as the friend of a former Princeton student (Jude Law) and is initially successful, until the ruse takes a deadly turn, in 1950s Italy. One of the most gripping, unique, and simply best Matt Damon movies is The Talented Mr. Ripley – director Anthony Minghella’s winning adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s novel.
Stream The Talented Mr. Ripley on Paramount+.
Clerks (1994)
A disillusioned convenience store employee (Brian O’Halloran) is forced to work on his day off, during which he contemplates the state of his life as a whole. Writer and director Kevin Smith made a surprisingly huge impact on the world of indie film with Clerks — his hilarious, poignant, and influential debut shot on the cheap in black and white.
The A Quiet Place Movies (2018, 2021)
In a world overrun by vicious, extra-terrestrial beasts that track their prey purely by sound, a family struggles to keep things silent at their homemade safe haven which they are later forced to abandon. Real-life couple John Krasinski and Emily Blunt lead A Quiet Place — a brazenly intense and clever post-apocalyptic family drama that spawned an equally impressive sequel, both of which Krasinski also directed.
Stream A Quiet Place on Paramount+.
Stream A Quiet Place Part II on Paramount+.
48 Hrs. (1982)
A grizzled veteran detective (Nick Nolte) is forced to team up with a fast-talking parolee (Eddie Murphy) on a two-day manhunt. Witness Murphy’s instant transformation into a movie star in director Walter Hill’s 48 Hrs. — the ultimate buddy cop comedy.
The Jackass Movies (2002-2022)
A group of intrepid and immature people subject themselves to stunts and high-wire visual gags of varying consequence. After hitting it big with the Jackass series on MTV, Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O, and others continued to embarrass and torture themselves for our enjoyment with a hit movie franchise whose second installment is, unfortunately, not available on Paramount+ at the moment.
Stream the Jackass Movies on Paramount+.
Top Gun (1986)
An ace naval pilot (Tom Cruise) finds himself falling for one of his instructors (Kelly McGillis) at an elite training facility. From Tony Scott’s visceral action direction, iconic original songs, and captivating romantic plot, it is easy to see how Top Gun became the highest grossing film of 1986.
There Will Be Blood (2007)
An oil tycoon (Daniel Day-Lewis) comes into opposition of a young preacher (Paul Dano) and other citizens of a small California town as he steadily pushes himself on a path of both success and self-destruction. Day-Lewis won his second Academy Award for his chilling performance in There Will Be Blood — writer and director Paul Thomas Anderson’s gripping period piece partially inspired by Upton Sinclair’s Oil!
Stream There Will Be Blood on Paramount+.
Breakfast At Tiffany’s (1961)
A bright, posh socialite (Audrey Hepburn) attracts the attention of a gentleman (George Peppard) who recently moved into her apartment building in New York City. Very loosely based on the novella by Truman Capote, Breakfast at Tiffany’s is one of the most beloved romantic comedies and one of Hollywood’s most iconic titles in general.
Stream Breakfast at Tiffany’s on Paramount+.
Scream (2022)
Two generations of Woodsboro natives are forced to come together to solve the mystery of who is behind the Ghostface mask this time when a new string of brutal murders begin to happen. Filmmaking collective Radio Silence made what some agree is the best Scream movie since Wes Craven’s 1996 original with this commentary on the recent trend of horror movie “requels.”
Interstellar (2014)
A former scientist (Matthew McConaughey) and others embark on a journey across time and space to find a new home for mankind as Earth reaches the brink of uninhabitability. Also one of the best Jessica Chastain movies, Interstellar is one of writer and director Christopher Nolan’s most visually stunning and ambitious sci-fi blockbusters.
Stream Interstellar on Paramount+.
The Kid (1921)
There are few figures from the olden days of Hollywood who are as recognizable as Charlie Chaplin. Watch where it all started for the silent film star in 1921’s The Kid, a masterpiece about a tramp and a young orphan who strike up a unique and unbreakable bond.
The Star Trek Movies (1979 - 2013)
You can’t watch all of the Star Trek movies on Paramount+, but the streaming service does feature 10 films from the franchise, which should be more than enough to hold any Trekkie over while we wait to find out what’s coming next for the series.
Stream The Star Trek Movies on Paramount+.
Catch Me If You Can (2002)
Steven Spielberg’s excellent 2002 crime drama Catch Me If You Can sees Leonardo DiCaprio take on the role of real-life con artist Frank Abagnale Jr. as he becomes one of the most infamous criminals of the 20th Century, all while Tom Hanks’ Carl Hanratty is hot on his tail.
Stream Catch Me If You Can on Paramount+.
Night Of The Living Dead (1968)
George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead is one of the best horror movies of all time and just so happens to be one of the most readily available. See how it all began for the modern zombie genre in this black-and-white feature about a small group of survivors trying to survive the night (and each other) in a small farmhouse in rural Pennsylvania.
Stream Night of the Living Dead on Paramount+.
The SpongeBob SquarePants Movies (2004 - 2021)
A square, yellow sea sponge (Tom Kenny) races to save his hometown from an evil fast food restaurateur (twice) and, later, journeys to the Lost City of Atlantis in search of his pet snail, Gary. Check out Nickelodeon’s most iconic and beloved animated character in his first two big screen adventures and his third feature-length outing, The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run, which was released exclusively on Paramount+ in the United States.
Stream The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie on Paramount+.
Stream The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water on Paramount+.
Stream The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run on Paramount+.
This may seem like a ton of movies, but this list barely scratches the surface of all the great titles featured on Paramount+. If you want even more streaming options after reading about all these great films, take a look at our lists on the best movies on Netflix and best Amazon Prime movies, both of which are updated regularly.
