There were plenty of new movies added to Paramount Plus in September 2023. That's one of the streamer's biggest strengths — its wide selection of films to choose from, as it's usually packed with plenty of classics across every genre.
There are dozens of new movies added every month, many of which are lauded as some of the best films of all time — and plenty of what we'd consider the best Paramount Plus movies. But sometimes that can mean we're spoiled for choice. What's worth investing a couple of hours in, and what's more, which movies are actually must-sees?
We're here to help. We've done the hard work of rounding up the movies that won't waste your time. All of these options have scores of 90% or higher on review-aggregating site Rotten Tomatoes. Choose one of these flicks with the confidence that movie night is going to be a good night, according to multiple industry movie critics. Easy-peasy!
10 Cloverfield Lane
After leaving both her fiancé and New Orleans, Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) wakes up after a car accident injured and in the care of her stoic rescuer-turned-captor Howard (John Goodman). He insists there's been a horrific attack on humanity, and they must stay locked away underground, though there seem to be plenty of holes in the stories he’s feeding Michelle.
Is it all real, or is Howard planning to keep everyone captive underground with him for the foreseeable future? With occasional glimpses at the true reality of the situation and Howard's disconcerting behavior, Michelle and fellow captive Emmett (John Gallagher Jr.) uncover some seriously disturbing secrets that keep them guessing. But the true horror begins when Michelle decides it's time to see the world for herself.
Genre: Thriller
Rotten Tomatoes score: 90%
Stream on Paramount Plus
Arrival
After losing her young daughter to an illness, linguist Louise Banks (Amy Adams) grapples with grief as well as the arrival of mysterious extraterrestrial crafts. Together with physicist Ian Donnelly (Jeremy Renner), she embarks on a race against time to decipher the alien's perplexing language.
As the pair dive deeper into the circular symbols and cryptic messages, Louise's perception of time begins to blur and reveal visions of her own future. The world teeters on the brink of chaos, but Louise's newfound understanding seems likely to bridge the gap between humans and the strange beings as well as change the way the world sees time itself.
Genre: Sci-Fi
Rotten Tomatoes score: 94%
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Blazing Saddles
This legendary Mel Brooks comedy places Cleavon Little as Bart, a Black railroad worker turned unlikely sheriff of Rock Ridge. It's a small town standing in the way of valuable land and the plans of attorney general Hedley Lamarr. Bart, with the help of washed-up gunslinger Jim (Gene Wilder), a.k.a. the "Waco Kid", takes the town by storm.
From charming the seductive Lili Von Shtupp to causing chaos around town, Bart's shenanigans are no less than hilarious. But when Lamarr's army sets its sights on Rock Ridge, the townsfolk and railroad workers join forces for a comedic showdown — no stinkin' badges required.
Genre: Comedy
Rotten Tomatoes score: 90%
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Hugo
This fantasy set in 1930s Paris stars Sex Educations' Asa Butterfield as Hugo Cabret, a 12-year-old with a past shrouded in mystery. Hugo usually fends for himself after the death of his father, tending to clocks around the city and hunting down parts to restore a mysterious automaton, which he believes holds a message from his father.
His search leads him to the stern Georges (Ben Kingsley), who seems a lot more than his grouchy attitude lets on. And his goddaughter Isabelle (Chloë Grace Moretz), eventually helps him find what he needs to bring the automaton to life. When it reveals its secrets, Hugo discovers more about his father and about the world and time he lives in.
Genre: Fantasy
Rotten Tomatoes score: 93%
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Schindler's List
This bleak historical drama set during World War II finds Liam Neeson portraying Oskar Schindler, a Nazi with dreams of wealth in Kraków. Schindler forms an unlikely bond with Itzhak Stern (Ben Kingsley), a Jewish official, and the pair slowly but surely work together to designate as many Jewish workers as “essential” as possible to their burgeoning enamel factories. This in turn will help prolong and save their lives, unbeknownst to the Nazi regime.
Together, the pair navigate a treacherous game of survival, black-market dealings, and other dealings in an attempt to save Jewish lives from the brutal Amon Göth (Ralph Fiennes). Schindler's transformation from cold Nazi to eventual savior is something to see, even if the film is a difficult and bleak watch.
Genre: Drama
Rotten Tomatoes score: 98%
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Stand and Deliver
Teacher Jaime Escalante (Edward James Olmos) steps into the world of James A. Garfield High School, where he works with a class of underachieving students from working-class backgrounds. At first, he's a fish out of water. But Jaime, armed with humor, passion, and a unique teaching philosophy, works closely with the students to help them make a difference.
The odds seem stacked against Escalante. But even when the students seem to fight him tooth and nail, with education the furthest thing from their minds, he soon finds a way to help turn his students' lives around in ways beyond the academic.
Genre: Drama
Rotten Tomatoes score: 90%
Stream on Paramount Plus
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Arnold Schwarzenegger goes from relentless hunter in the first Terminator movie to unlikely protector in this action-packed sequel. In a future devastated by machines, teen John Connor (Edward Furlong) finds himself the prime target of the T-1000, a menacing liquid metal Terminator (Robert Patrick).
But it's not all doom and gloom for Connor, as a familiar face, albeit reprogrammed, comes to his aid: the T-800 (Schwarzenegger). With more than a few chases and showdowns, John, with the help of his fierce mother Sarah (Linda Hamilton), has to face his destiny head-on.
Genre: Action
Rotten Tomatoes score: 91%
Stream on Paramount Plus
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