Paramount+ shook up its film library once again at the start of September by saying goodbye to a number of titles and welcoming in a new assortment at the same time. Right now, the streamer’s best film offerings include a 2009 summer blockbuster that has no business working as well as it does and a 2017 sci-fi sequel that actually manages to make a striking case for itself in the shadow of its legendary predecessor. Elsewhere, Paramount+ also has an early 21st-century coming-of-age dramedy that will make you laugh, cry and maybe, just maybe, sing a little Elton John along the way.
Here are the three best movies on Paramount+ you can stream this week.
“Star Trek” (2009)
Director J.J. Abrams’ thrilling 2009 revitalization of the “Star Trek” franchise may still be the best and most purely entertaining film that the prolific producer-writer-director has ever made. Written by Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, “Star Trek” effectively reboots its franchise by reintroducing viewers to Captain James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) and Spock (Zachary Quinto).
It follows its leads as they fight against a time-traveling Romulan (Eric Bana) who threatens to bring total annihilation with him. Infused with a welcome, punk-rock spirit and featuring more than a few cheer-worthy moments, 2009’s “Star Trek” is an invigorating summer blockbuster that knows how to make you lean forward and pump your fists.
“Blade Runner 2049” (2017)
“Blade Runner 2049” might as well be the complete opposite of 2009’s “Star Trek.” “Dune” director Denis Villeneuve’s deeply considered, visually awe-inspiring sequel to Ridley Scott’s seminal 1982 sci-fi classic casts Ryan Gosling as a replicant detective who finds himself at the center of a conspiracy with potentially world-changing consequences.
Adopting the reflective, detour-filled pace and narrative structure of a Raymond Chandler detective novel, “Blade Runner 2049” is a 163-minute search for genuine meaning in a world overridden by artificiality and deception. In its hero’s search, the film finds enough beauty, despair, romance and unlikely, hard-fought hope to leave a lasting mark.
“Almost Famous” (2000)
If you want something a bit less high-concept than “Blade Runner 2049” and “Star Trek” to watch on Paramount+ this weekend, look no further than 2000’s “Almost Famous.” Written and directed by Cameron Crowe, the film follows a 15-year-old rock journalist (Patrick Fugit) whose gig at Rolling Stone magazine in the early 1970s sends him on tour with the members of an up-and-coming rock band and the women who earnestly follow along with them.
Featuring two scene-stealing supporting performances from Frances McDormand and Philip Seymour Hoffman, as well as the heartbreaking turn that rightly landed Kate Hudson an Oscar nomination in 2001, “Almost Famous” is both a moving coming-of-age dramedy and a lovingly recreated portrait of an extremely specific period in American culture. It might just be a perfect film.
