More great movies have arrived on Paramount Plus in May 2023. The streaming service boasts a massive film section and it just keeps growing, thanks to the ability to draw from the catalog of the second-oldest American movie studio.
Every month brings dozens of new titles, many of which can be added to our list of the best Paramount Plus movies. But it can be daunting to scroll through them all when you’re trying to find something to watch on movie night.
We’re here to help by narrowing down the options to the ones with scores of 90% or higher on Rotten Tomatoes, the review-aggregating site. That’s essentially an A-grade, so you can feel confident these movies are excellent.
Attack the Block (2011)
In the rough crime-ridden neighbourhood of Lambeth in South London, nurse Samantha 'Sam' Berrins (Jodie Whittaker) is mugged by a gang of Black British teenagers: Pest (Alex Esmail), Dennis (Franz Drameh), Jerome (Leeon Jones), Biggz (Simon Howard) and their leader Moses (John Boyega).
However, something crashes from the sky into a nearby parked car. The teens and the nurse team up as an unlikely alliance to try to defend their turf against an invasion of savage alien creatures,
Genre: Sci-fi horror/comedy
Rotten Tomatoes score: 90%
Stream on Paramount Plus
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958)
Back in the Golden Age of Hollywood, an adult melodrama like Cat on a Hot Tin Roof could be one of the year’s biggest hits. OK, maybe some things remain the same: the movie is based on existing IP (Tennessee Williams’ Pulitzer Prize-winning play) and features megawatt stars Elizabeth Taylor and Paul Newman.
Former high school sports star Brick Pollitt and wife Maggie have a tempestuous marriage. After Brick is injured trying to relive his glory days, they head to his family’s plantation to celebrate the birthday of wealthy, ornery patriarch Big Daddy (Burl Ives). Tensions boil over when Brick and Maggie’s failure to have children is put under a glaring spotlight.
Genre: Drama
Rotten Tomatoes score: 97%
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Guys and Dolls (1955)
The bright lights of Broadway are transformed into Technicolor brilliance for this adaptation of the stage musical Guys and Dolls. Two of the biggest stars of the 1950s, Frank Sinatra and Marlon Brando, make a charismatic team as two sharp-suited gamblers.
Nathan Detroit (Sinatra) is trying to organize an illegal craps game, but needs $1,000 to secure a venue. So, he makes a bet that Sky Masterson (Brando) can’t get the virtuous Sarah Brown (Jean Simmons) to go on a date in Havana. Sky woos Sarah by recruiting people to herl mission. Meanwhile, Nathan faces another problem: His longtime fiancée, Adelaide (Vivian Blaine), wants to get married and go legit.
Genre: Musical comedy
Rotten Tomatoes score: 91%
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Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011)
The fourth installment of the Mission: Impossible film series is the best one. It achieved that feat thanks to a jaw-dropping action sequence in which Tom Cruise's Ethan Hunt scales the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.
That was maybe the first (but certainly not last) time we truly realized just how far Cruise was willing to go in pulling off incredible stunts. Many people are rediscovering appreciation for Cruise as an old-school movie star and action icon, thanks to the gonzo success of Top Gun: Maverick. In Ghost Protocol, you can see when he really took personally executing stunts to the next level.
Genre: Action/adventure
Rotten Tomatoes score: 93%
Stream on Paramount Plus
Moneyball (2011)
Brad Pitt puts his considerable charm to great effect to turn a movie about math into a compelling ride. That’s no mean feat (pun intended). Billy Beane is the general manager of the Oakland A’s, who have a limited budget to assemble a competitive team that could vie for a World Series.
Instead of outspending the richer clubs, Billy decides to outsmart them. He hires Peter Brand (Jonah Hill), an Ivy League economics whiz who suggests challenging traditional methods of evaluating players. They use Peter’s sabermetrics system to recruit bargain-bin players who are flawed but have big potential.
Genre: Sports drama/comedy
Rotten Tomatoes score: 94%
Stream on Paramount Plus
School of Rock (2003)
Director Richard Linklater and writer Mike White are behind this delightful and heartwarming romp. Jack Black is at his zany best as struggling rock guitarist Dewey Finn. When he’s fired from his band, a need to earn rent money leads him to pose as a substitute teacher at a prestigious prep school.
Much to the dismay of the uptight principal (Joan Cusack), Dewey introduces the fourth graders to his hard rock idols. Then, he encourages some of the students to compete in the upcoming Battle of the Bands. Even when his scheme is discovered, Dewey pushes them to believe in their abilities and go for glory.
Genre: Comedy
Rotten Tomatoes score: 92%
Stream on Paramount Plus
West Side Story (1961)
The first screen adaptation of the Broadway production, itself based on William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, is regarded as one of the greatest movie musicals of all time. It won 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture and has influenced countless projects (like Steven Spielberg’s 2021 remake).
Two teen gangs, the Jets and the Sharks, vie for control over the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Their rivalry often turns violent and the police are mostly useless in keeping order. When former Jets member Tony (Richard Beymer) falls in love with Maria (Natalie Wood), the sister of a Sharks leader, tragedy ensues.
Genre: Musical drama
Rotten Tomatoes score: 92%
Stream on Paramount Plus
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