The library of must-watch movies on Paramount Plus has expanded in April 2024, with the streaming service adding plenty of new picks that you’ll want to make time to stream.
All of the options on this list can stake a claim to be included in our roundup of the best Paramount Plus movies because each has scored at least 90% on review aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes. That’s no mean feat and serves as a testament to the quality of each of them. The new movies range from a road-trip classic to an overlooked indie flick starring a young Peter Dinklage.
If you’re unsure where to start with all the new movies and shows added to Paramount Plus in recent weeks, we’re on hand to cut through the clutter and pick out the movies most deserving of a place in your watchlist. With further introduction, let’s dive into the list…
‘Nebraska’ (2013)
A quaint comedy-drama centered on a father-son relationship, and a cross-country road trip to settle scores and claim a million-dollar lottery prize, “Nebraska” comes from director Alexander Payne whose newest movie, “The Holdovers”, has made big waves in recent months.
“Nebraska” is similarly charming with an award-winning leading performance from Bruce Dern, alongside a brilliant role for Will Forte that allows him to flex his comedic muscles and showcases some solid dramatic chops. Presented in stunning black-and-white, the color in “Nebraska” comes from its characters and deadpan humor.
Genre: Comedy drama
Rotten Tomatoes score: 91%
Stream it on Paramount Plus
‘Planes, Trains and Automobiles’ (1987)
Speaking of must-watch road trip movies, “Planes, Trains and Automobiles” is the genre’s gold standard. In this classic comedy, Neal Page (Steven Martin), desperately needs to get from New York to Chicago to make it home for Thanksgiving.
Just about every part of his trip goes wrong including his flight getting diverted, and then being forced to travel across the country with the most annoying companion ever, Del Griffith (John Candy). Martin and Candy are two of the funniest actors in cinema history and bounce off each other expertly. The movie’s final destination is very predictable, the journey to the mushy ending is a hoot.
Genre: Comedy
Rotten Tomatoes score: 92%
Stream it on Paramount Plus
‘The Station Agent’ (2003)
Before “Game of Thrones” made him a household name, Peter Dinklage could be found cutting his teeth in movies like “The Station Agent”, and watching the 2003 movie now it’s clear he was a star-in-the-making. In this comedy-drama, Dinklage plays Fin, a young man who moves into an abandoned train depot after his only friend dies.
Intent on a life of total solitude, his plans to be alone are halted when he meets a young woman (Patricia Clarkson) dealing with a personal tragedy, a talkative hot-dog vendor (Bobby Cannavale), and a pregnant librarian (Michelle Williams). These flawed but kind-hearted individuals teach Fin that other people aren’t so bad after all.
Genre: Drama
Rotten Tomatoes score: 94%
Stream it on Paramount Plus
‘Galaxy Quest’ (1999)
“Galaxy Quest” is a farcical parody of 20th-century sci-fi aiming particularly at the “Star Trek” universe. But, this isn’t a mean-spirited comedy trying to tear into the beloved franchise and its passionate fanbase. If anything, “Quest Galaxy” is more of a loving tribute to the beloved series.
It stars Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman, Tony Shalhoub, Sam Rockwell and Daryl Mitchell as cast members of a cult sci-fi TV show who are drawn into a conflict with real extraterritorial invaders who mistakenly believe they are real interstellar explorations. “Galaxy Quest” is so fun you can enjoy it even if you’re not a Trekkie.
Genre: Comedy
Rotten Tomatoes score: 90%
Stream it on Paramount Plus (with Showtime)
‘El Dorado’ (1967)
“El Dorado” is a ‘60s Western starring John Wayne, Robert Mitchum and James Caan. It sees the legendary Wayne play Cole Thornton, a gun-for-hire, who arrives in the town eponymous town of El Dorado to take on a job, but instead ends up being reunited with an old friend, Sheriff J.P. Hara (Mitchum).
Soon enough, the two team up with a rancher and his family to defend his land from a rival looking to steal their water. The New York Times called the classic movie a “tough, laconic and amusing Western that ambles across the screen as easily as the two veteran stars” and “worth seeing” in the publication’s original 1967 review.
Genre: Western
Rotten Tomatoes score: 96%
Stream it on Paramount Plus
