Paramount+: 10 Must-Watch Movies for This Week

When Paramount+ launched in March, the streaming platform formerly known as CBS All Access brought hundreds of movies back to the streaming world. Television fans can watch thousands of hours of shows from CBS, BET, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, and MTV, but many movie fans will enjoy combing through the selections available. This is the only place where legendary classics like The Godfather sit alongside more recent hits like the first three Mission: Impossible movies. To help get you started, we’ve put together a list of 10 great movies you can stream this week on Paramount+.

Like the original CBS All Access platform, Paramount+ is available in two different tiers. The ad-supported tier costs $4.99 per month, which is $1 less than the ad-supported plan for CBS All Access. The second tier, which includes no ads for all content, costs $9.99 per month. You can also get year-long subscriptions at a discount. If you use the code “PARAMOUNTPLUS” at checkout, you can get an annual subscription for $59.99 with ads or $99.99 without ads. You can sign up for a free trial by clicking here. In the meantime, here is a selection of some of the best movies you can find on Paramount+ to watch this weekend.

Election (1999)

Election (1999) was Sideways director Alexander Payne’s breakthrough movie. It is a biting and hilarious black comedy satirizing elections and life in high schools. Matthew Broderick stars as a high school teacher who tries to sabotage the campaign of the overachieving Tracy Flick, played by a brilliant Reese Witherspoon. Although the movie wasn’t a hit when it was released, it was nominated for a Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar.

The Truman Show (1998)

Since Prince Harry recently compared live in the royal family to The Truman Show (1998), now is the best time to revisit Peter Weir’s modern classic. It stars Jim Carrey, who gives one of his finest performances as Truman Burbank, a man whose entire life has been a reality television show. He doesn’t know it at the beginning of the movie, but he slowly finds out. It is a fascinating film, especially considering it came just before the reality TV boom of the 2000s. 

Zodiac (2007)

David Fincher’s Zodiac was not a huge hit when first released but is now considered one of the director’s best films. It centers on the initial manhunt for the Zodiac Killer in the San Francisco Bay Area. The film features standout performances from everyone in the cast, particularly Mark Ruffalo and Jake Gyllenhaal.

The Accused (1988)

While almost everyone has seen the performance that earned The Silence of the Lambs star Jodie Foster her second Oscar, the film that earned her her first has become obscure in the three decades since its release. The Accused is a brilliantly frank court drama about a gang rape in Washington state. Today, the movie might seem like a long Law & Order: SVU episode, but it features an award-worthy performance from Foster.

Chinatown (1974)

Although Chinatown was directed by the controversial Roman Polanski, it remains a must-see movie thanks to the work of everyone else involved. It is one of the finest American movies of the 1970s, headlined by performances from Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway. The movie also features an unforgettable score from Jerry Goldsmith.

Clue (1985)

Although Clue was not a hit when it was first released, the film has gained a big cult following and is probably the best movie ever made that is based on a board game. The film’s ensemble cast is packed with comedy legends, with Tim Curry leading the charge. Clue is still famous for having three different endings, with all three included on the home video releases.

The Godfather Trilogy

All three parts of Francis Ford Coppola’s gangster trilogy are available to stream on Paramount+. There is not much more to say about these movies, other than that everyone should see them. That includes Part III, which is not quite as bad as you might think. If you’ve already signed up for Paramount+, there is no harm in checking it out.

The Indiana Jones Movies

Paramount+ is also the streaming home of all four Indiana Jones movies. There is no better way to enjoy a weekend than spending some time with the most famous fictional archaeologist of all time. You could probably skip Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull though.

The Man Who Shot Liberty Vallance (1962)

One area where Paramount+ is severely lacking is classic films owned by the studio. There is a handful up, but most of them are John Wayne movies. One of them is The Man Who Shot Liberty Vallance, director John Ford’s last true classic. It is an incredible movie and a tribute to a West that no longer exists. “When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.”

The Virgin Suicides (1999)

Sofia Coppola’s first film as director is her exciting adaptation of Jeffrey Eugenides’s novel The Virgin Suicides. The film features a breakout performance from Kirsten Dunst, who would later star in Coppola’s Marie Antoinette. The film set a high standard for Coppola, one she reached with her next film, Lost in Translation.

Disclosure: PopCulture is owned by ViacomCBS Streaming, a division of ViacomCBS.