Paramount Plus isn't really part of our guide to best streaming services But that doesn't mean Paramount's streaming service isn't worth subscribing to. Every month, it adds tons of new shows and movies, including several excellent ones.
This month, there are actually a dozen new movies on Paramount Plus that also have the distinction of having a 90% or higher rating on Rotten Tomatoes. These films are the cream of the crop with near-universal acclaim, and adding that many in a given month is no small feat.
But that's also a lot of movies to watch at once, maybe too many. So I narrowed it down to the seven best movies with 90% or higher on Rotten Tomatoes that are new to Paramount Plus in August. Here's what you need to watch.
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Rose Dooley (Maeve Higgins) may seem like a simple driving instructor, but her father, Vincent Dooley (Risteárd Cooper), trained her to become an expert in the paranormal. His untimely death has caused Rose to reject her gifts, but a chance encounter with a Mr. Martin Martin (Barry Ward) and his possessed daughter Sarah (Emma Coleman) forces her to dance with the devil and stop rock star Christian Winter (Will Forte) from sacrificing Sarah to Satan.
I rarely find an acclaimed film on these streaming services that I'm not at least vaguely aware of, but I confess that I had never heard of “Extra Ordinary.” After watching the trailer and laughing on more than one occasion, I will almost certainly be checking it out when it hits Paramount Plus later this month.
Gender: Horror comedy
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 98%
Stream it on Paramount Plus with Showtime from August 24
“The Plane!” (1980)
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“Airplane?” is one of the best comedies of all time. Period. This disaster comedy stars Robert Hays as Ted Striker, a former fighter pilot turned taxi driver. His girlfriend Elaine (Julie Hagerty) breaks up with Striker as she's about to work as a flight attendant on a flight from Los Angeles to Chicago, and Ted gets a last-minute ticket to board the flight and win her back.
Also starring Leslie Nielsen as Dr. Rumack alongside a host of other talented actors (including basketball legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar), the plot of “Airplane” is almost forgettable despite its brilliance. Instead, you’ll remember iconic lines like “Don’t call me Shirley,” absurd moments like Ted depressing the passengers to the point of suicide, and so many other quotes and gags. This movie is a must-see for everyone.
Gender: Comedy
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 97%
Stream it on Paramount Plus with Showtime
“Invasion of the Body Snatchers” (1956)
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If you thought it was the 1978 film starring Donald Sutherland, I wouldn't blame you. Both are excellent and acclaimed adaptations of Jack Finney's 1955 novel The Body Snatchers. But while more people are now familiar with the 1978 remake, it's the 1958 original that's arguably the more critically acclaimed version.
The original “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” movie stars Kevin McCarthy as Dr. Miles Bennett. The film begins with him in custody at a Los Angeles hospital, telling his hellish tale of alien imposters replacing the human residents of Santa Mira with soulless duplicates. Even if you’ve seen the remake, don’t miss the original on Paramount Plus this month.
Genre: Science fiction
Rotten Tomatoes score: 97%
Stream it on Paramount Plus
“Once Upon a Time in the West” (1968)
![Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) ORIGINAL TRAILER [HD 1080p] - YouTube](https://img.youtube.com/vi/c8CJ6L0I6W8/maxresdefault.jpg)
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When it comes to Westerns, no actor, writer, or director is more synonymous with the genre than Italian filmmaker Sergio Leone. His incredible camerawork and the iconic music of his classmate Ennio Morricone are responsible for cementing the “spaghetti western”’s place in cinematic history. The film’s soundtrack is still one of the best-selling original scores of all time.
In “Once Upon a Time in the West,” Charles Bronson stars as “Harmonica,” a gunslinging hero who arrives in Flagstone in pursuit of notorious gangster Frank (Henry Fonda). Although initially unsuccessful, Harmonica eventually crosses paths with fugitive “Cheyenne” (Jason Robards) and former prostitute Jill (Claudia Cardinale), both of whom have a bone to pick with the villainous Frank. Don’t miss one of the greatest Westerns ever made while it’s streaming on Paramount Plus.
Gender: Western
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 96%
Stream it on Paramount Plus
“Face/Off” (1997)
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Nicolas Cage has just been announced to star in a John Madden biopic, playing the legendary coach-turned-commentator. While the film may end up being incredible, it will be hard to top Cage's performance in “Face/Off.”
John Travolta co-stars with Cage as FBI Special Agent Sean Archer, a federal agent who has been tracking criminal Castor Troy (Cage) for years. But after the hunt for an elusive criminal turns into a mission of revenge, Archer discovers a revolutionary new technology that could give him an edge over Troy.
By the end of this John Woo action thriller, both men are completely immersed in each other's beings in an attempt to claim victory. “Face/Off” is still a unique action film to this day and is a must-see for any action fan. I promise you, there is nothing quite like it.
Gender: Sci-fi action thriller
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 93%
Stream it on Paramount Plus
“An Inconvenient Truth” (2006)
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Although he never succeeded in becoming the “next president of the United States,” Al Gore certainly managed to make waves with “An Inconvenient Truth.” After his failed, uncontroversial bid to become the 43rd president of the United States, former Vice President Gore began giving public speeches to alert the world to the rapidly developing global warming crisis. In 2006, he and producer Laurie David turned his PowerPoint presentation into an award-winning documentary.
Much of what Gore discusses in “An Inconvenient Truth” has since become more widely known than it was in the early 2000s, largely due to the success of that documentary. But it’s still relevant and worth watching if you haven’t seen it.
Gender: Documentary
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 93%
Stream it on Paramount Plus
“Pulp Fiction” (1994)
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“Pulp Fiction” follows three interconnected stories that are told in a different order than the chronology, although the film begins and ends in the same scene in the same diner. Vincent Vega (John Travolta) and Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson) are two hitmen tasked with tracking down the briefcase of their boss, criminal Marsellus Wallace (Ving Rhames). Over the course of the film, they cross paths with Marsellus' wife (Uma Thurman), a boxer named Butch (Bruce Willis), a “cleaner” named Winston Wolfe (Harvey Keitel), and a couple of thieves named Pumpkin (Tim Roth) and Honey Bunny (Amanda Plummer).
In retrospect, you might think this was a big studio film, but that's not the case. Most of the actors were either on the decline or unknown, and it was through this film that they became household names. Made on a budget of just $8.5 million, Quentin Tarantino's independent film grossed $213.9 million, earning it a Palme d'Or and seven Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Original Screenplay, which Tarantino won.
Gender: Crime
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 92%
Stream it on Paramount Plus