Do you struggle to pick a movie to watch at the end of the day? With so many genres and stars to choose from, it can be a challenge to narrow down a great motion picture to spend an evening with. If this conundrum sounds familiar to you, then head on over to Paramount+, where an excellent selection of material lies in wait. Of course, there are hundreds of movies to choose from, but that’s why we love it. Be it historical fiction, comedy, science fiction, or other pulse-pounding action-adventures, this streaming giant has it all.

But how to sort through everything Paramount+ has on offer to find something to actually watch? Don’t worry, we’ve ranked some of the best movies that we’ve found on the streamer so you don’t have to. But be warned — there are plenty of excellent films that didn’t make it on this list. So login and ready your watchlist, because this is the best the streamer has in its catalog.

“Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” is one of those classics that you just can’t ignore. Responsible for putting Matthew Broderick on the map, the John Hughes teen comedy is as fun today as ever. As Ferris (Broderick), his best friend Cameron (Alan Ruck), and his girlfriend Sloane (Mia Sara) ditch high school to tour the Windy City of Chicago, they find themselves in a heap of trouble. But, as Ferris says, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”

“Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” is a hilarious adventure that combines clever performances with sharp-witted dialogue and plenty of style. It’s hard to find an ’80s-era teen comedy with as much heart, levity, and consistent excitement as “Ferris Bueller,” and we just can’t get enough.

One of Mark Wahlberg’s most underrated action flicks, “Shooter” follows former U.S. Marine Corps sniper Bob Lee Swagger (Wahlberg) as he’s forced to go on the lam following an assassination attempt on the President of the United States. The only problem? Swagger is the one everyone believes is behind it. Being chosen as a patsy by a shadow network within his own government, Swagger does all he can to clear his name, and get the FBI agent on his tail (played by Michael Peña) to believe him.

“Shooter” is a great time. It’s thrilling, action-packed, and has more personality than most give it credit for. Director Antoine Fuqua puts his love for the genre on full display, with non-stop excitement. If this one has escaped your grasp before, don’t sleep on it now.

Although all three installments in the “Quiet Place” saga are available on Paramount+, the best is still the original John Krasinski-directed “A Quiet Place.” A post-apocalyptic horror, the film follows the Abbott family as they try to survive an alien invasion, one where making a sound is the most deadly misfortune of all. As Lee (Krasinski) and Evelyn (Emily Blunt) fight to keep their family safe, they find that their little slice of survival may not be enough after all.

Penned by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, with some additional material by Krasinski, this pulse-pounder is just the type of edge-of-your-seat adventure that’ll keep you up at night. And yet, even with the horrors of this post-apocalyptic world, there is hope left for the future.

With “Gladiator II” now in theaters, there’s no better time like the present to jump back into the original Ridley Scott epic. Following Russell Crowe’s career-defining portrayal of Maximus Decimus Meridius, “Gladiator” is a historical adventure well worth your time and appreciation. Not only are the performances by Crowe and co-stars Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, and Djimon Hounsou exceptional, but the action sequences alone are marvels of modern filmmaking.

A five-time Oscar winner, including Best Picture, “Gladiator” is one of those movies that sticks with you long after the credits roll. “Are you not entertained?” Maximus asks the Roman crowds. We can only respond with an emphatic, “Yes!” As one of the most daring historical dramas out there — one where the historical inaccuracies actually make the film better — “Gladiator” is a triumph of filmmaking that cannot be understated.

Even if the ending of “Interstellar” is a bit confusing, the Christopher Nolan science-fiction epic is one of recent cinema’s crowning achievements. With a stacked cast that includes Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, John Lithgow, and Michael Caine, this sci-fi adventure dares to follow the spiritual footsteps of Stanley Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey.” Full of extraordinary depictions of black holes that garnered praise from the scientific community, “Interstellar” is thrilling from beginning to end.

As Joseph Cooper (McConaughey) fights to find a better world for his children, he journeys into the far reaches of space on a mission he likely will never return from. It’s an incredible crusade that grips the heart. Though Nolan’s direction is phenominal, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention Hans Zimmers’ haunting score, which evokes only the deepest emotions as Coop travels through the stars.

But before Matthew McConaughey was a big-name movie star, he won our hearts with a long string of rom-coms that pushed him into the spotlight. While Paramount+ has plenty of great rom-coms to choose from, “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” takes the cake. This outlandish-but-memorable romance unites McConaughey’s Benjamin Berry with Kate Hudson’s Andie Anderson, a woman’s magazine writer using Ben as the subject of her next article, all while he’s using her to win a bet.

Hijinks ensue as Ben and Andie try to one-up the other in an effort to break off their romance, but as things continue, the couple is forced into deeper commitments to ensure they reach their respective goals. “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” will have you laughing, crying, and cringing until you can’t any longer.

When Al Pacino and Robert De Niro get together, movie magic happens. Add director Michael Mann and Val Kilmer, and you’ve got the 1995 crime thriller, “Heat.” Following Los Angeles detective Lt. Vincent Hanna (Racino) as he fights to put longtime thief Neil McCauley (De Niro) behind bars, we quickly learn the true cost of obsession, and how it can implode one’s life. Rife with hard-core action and compelling drama, this is one you won’t want to miss.

Pacino and De Niro’s first on-screen appearance together is chock-full of heated tension and angst. Sure, there are plenty of other Pacino and De Niro flicks on the streamer, such as “Insomnia,” “Taxi Driver,” and “The Godfather” saga. But no motion picture, and certainly no crime thriller, can bring these two heavies together quite like “Heat.”

With Denzel Washington in the director’s chair, you can’t go wrong with “Fences.” Adapting the 1985 play by August Wilson, “Fences” follows the Maxson family as they deal with issues of class, economics, racism, and infidelity in 1950s Pittsburgh. That might sound heavy on the surface, and parts of it are, but Washington presents the narrative with an enthusiasm that’s just outstanding.

“Fences” is structured, both tonally and visually, just like a play, and Washington and Viola Davis (who won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress) do an excellent job of transferring the story to a motion picture medium. These two powerhouse performances make “Fences” a master class in cinematic drama. If you’re not in the mood for action or adventure, consider “Fences” your next fulfilling venture in Paramount+’s vast catalog.

Fans of the “Star Trek” franchise already know that Paramount+ is the place for Trekkies everywhere. Aside from hosting every television series, the streamer also boasts the original six “Star Trek” films as well as the four Patrick Stewart-led “Star Trek: The Next Generation” continuations. There’s something here for every fan willing to go boldly where no sci-fi franchise has gone before.

Of course, if the prospect of watching 10 different “Star Trek” movies (loaded with franchise baggage) is too daunting, all three installments of the Kelvin Timeline reboot are also available. Starting with J.J. Abrams’ 2009 spectacular, “Star Trek,” the franchise was rebooted with Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto taking over from William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy as Jim Kirk and Spock. For both die-hard and casual fans, there’s enough of the U.S.S. Enterprise to go around.

Is there a better Tom Hanks performance than the one he gives in “Forrest Gump”? Sure, there are other Tom Hanks movies on Paramount+ (and we’ll get to one in a bit), but “Forrest Gump” gave us arguably his best work on the screen yet. Directed by Robert Zemeckis, this 1994 comedy-drama follows Forrest from his Alabama upbringing to his time in Vietnam, all while he unwittingly involves himself in countless historical events.

While some of the best historical references in “Forrest Gump” play as jokes, others contribute masterfully to the narrative. Everything is important, even if Forrest happens to meander through life without thinking too much about it. But that’s the brilliance of Zemeckis’ film, and why we continue to revisit it 30 years later.

J.J. Abrams has always been at his best when he’s told the sorts of stories that he loves, and nowhere is that more apparent than with 2011’s “Super 8.” Directed by Abrams and produced by Steven Spielberg, this is one part “Goonies,” one part “E.T.,” and all parts childhood wonder. As a group of middle-schoolers set off to make a horror movie in the late ’70s, they soon realize that they’re actually living in one.

Years before “Stranger Things” took over ’80s nostalgia on Netflix, “Super 8” was the first trip down memory lane as these kids on bikes sought to save their town from both an alien invader and the government conspirators who would otherwise cover it up. Joel Courtney, Elle Fanning, and Kyle Chandler give powerful performances, and Abrams pours his entire heart and soul into this heart-wrenching adventure.

No, we’re not talking about the 2024 “Mean Girls” musical (though that movie’s on Paramount+ too), but rather the original — and unbeatable — 2004 high school comedy. Written by Tina Fey, “Mean Girls” is a teen comedy all about the horrors of high school, and how cliques, bullies, and revenge can ruin not just your life, but the lives of everyone around you. But social commentary aside, “Means Girls” is just hilarious. 

Lindsay Lohan and Rachel McAdams are at their peak here, and with a cast as memorable as this, few teen comedies even come close to this level of greatness. Though far-removed from the clever John Hughes-made classics of the ’80s, “Mean Girls” has firmly established a legacy of its own, even if that includes some pretty uneven sequels and remakes. In this case, just stick with the original Plastics.

Who ever thought that a movie about the 2007-2008 financial crisis could be so engaging? After years of making straight comedies, director Adam McKay opted to tell a tale about greedy people profiting off a flawed system, all while still managing to make them likable, honest, and deeply rounded characters. “The Big Short” stars Christian Bale, Brad Pitt, Steve Carell, and Ryan Gosling, but only the last two really interact. Instead, we see how each of these individuals played against Wall Street and the banking institutions of America to profit off their horrible oversight.

“The Big Short” is hilarious. Even with all of the banking terminology, which McKay explains to the audience in easily digestible terms, we still understand entirely what’s happening. Part comedy, part drama, part crime picture, and all biographical (okay, mostly biographical), “The Big Short” is a must-see.

Westerns aren’t as popular these days, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t still exist. A remake of the 1957 film of the same name, “3:10 to Yuma” pits Christian Bale’s Dan Wheeler against Russell Crowe’s outlaw Ben Wade as the former escorts the latter to the titular train waiting to take him to prison. Few remakes are as good as director James Mangold’s first foray into the Western genre, nor do many have such a spectacular cast. 

With a tight script, breathtaking cinematography, and a powerful score by Marco Beltrami, “3:10 to Yuma” is a Western for folks who don’t traditionally venture to the Old West. Of course, the real draw here is the film’s leads, who play off each other with an honorable intensity that few heroes and villains share. No wonder Mangold went on to make “Logan” a decade later.

While all four Steven Spielberg-directed “Indiana Jones” films are on Paramount+, “Raiders of the Lost Ark” remains the best of the bunch. Harrison Ford shines as the titular adventure hero, and helped inspire new interest in the field of archeology. It’s unlikely that Spielberg and George Lucas knew the sort of hit they had on their hands when “Raiders” first appeared in theaters, but it’s remained one of the greatest masterworks in cinema ever since.

Indy’s battle against Nazi forces, his raiding of ancient temples, and his uncovering of biblical artifacts remain driving forces in the enduring popularity of this truly American hero. It’s no wonder that “Raiders of the Lost Ark” has been considered one of the greatest films ever made, inspiring an entire franchise-worth of potential based on one electrifying adventure. We just can’t get enough of Indiana Jones.

Although “Top Gun” has always had a cult following, no Tom Cruise film has made quite the splash of “Top Gun: Maverick” decades later. Reuniting Cruise’s Pete “Maverick” Mitchell with Val Kilmer’s Tom “Iceman” Kazansky — and then bringing together a whole new cast of pilots — was a bold move, but one director Joseph Kosinski executed with style. It didn’t hurt that Tom Cruise is at the top of his game, and looks like he’s having a blast in every scene.

Between pulse-pounding action sequences, memorable characters, and a tightly-written plot, it’s no surprise that “Top Gun: Maverick” was nominated for six Academy Awards. As our own Alistair Ryder wrote in TheShockNews’s 2022 “Top Gun” Maverick” review, “[this] is the ideal model for a legacy sequel.” We couldn’t agree more. Frankly, “Maverick” is vastly superior to the original, and it’s not even close.

If there’s one James Cameron/Arnold Schwarzenegger collaboration that you just can’t miss out on, it’s “Terminator 2: Judgment Day.” With his sequel to 1984’s “The Terminator,” Cameron flips everything you thought you knew about the killer cyborg and Linda Hamilton’s Sarah Connor on its head. As the T-800 (Schwarzenegger) travels through time to protect Sarah’s son, John Connor (Edward Furlong), all hell breaks loose across Los Angeles. If you thought the first movie was intense, then this one will rip your heart out.

With groundbreaking special effects, a powerful script full of meaningful characters, and enough action to keep you thoroughly invested until the final scene, “T2” is the crown jewel of the “Terminator” franchise, and arguably Cameron’s filmography as well. No movie better mashes the science-fiction and action thriller genres than “Terminator 2: Judgment Day.”

Nobody makes a Western like Clint Eastwood, and nobody could say farewell to the genre quite like this actor-turned-director either. “Unforgiven” is a powerful film that forces aged gunfighter William Munny (Eastwood) to pick up his guns once more. With a stellar cast that includes Morgan Freeman, Gene Hackman, and Richard Harris, Eastwood rides off into the sunset a happy man having made the very best Western of his impressive career. It’s no wonder he hasn’t revisited the Old West since.

Packed full of excellent characters, gorgeous cinematography, and dialogue that slips right off the tongue, “Unforgiven” is one of the best Westerns ever made — and only the third Western to ever win the Academy Award for Best Picture. You won’t find a better Old West flick on Paramount+, nor a better Clint Eastwood extravaganza.

Sure, there were times that “Saving Private Ryan” got history wrong, but this Steven Spielberg masterpiece is one of the best war movies ever made. Not only do Tom Hanks and Matt Damon give memorable performances that stick with you, but the sheer attention to detail alone makes this such a meaningful picture to watch. The D-Day sequence is famously known as the best of its kind, igniting the soul with the fire of patriotism only to extinguish the flame with a powerful despair.

“Saving Private Ryan” may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but as far as World War II epics go, there are few that stand close. No, it’s not a true story, but it feels as though it were. Spielberg proves himself a master storyteller in every way, and shows us what heroism truly means when the world is falling apart around you.

Now, we’re not saying these movies individually are the absolute best, but if the entire “Mission: Impossible” timeline means anything, this action franchise has proven top-tier. Starring Tom Cruise as IMF Agent Ethan Hunt, the “Mission: Impossible” films are not only the best the action genre has to offer in way of stunt work, but they’re incredibly consistent as far as entertainment goes. Plus, Ethan Hunt is the type of protagonist we can so easily root for.

Every “Mission: Impossible” flick aside from the fifth film, “Rogue Nation,” is currently available on Paramount+, so before “The Final Reckoning” hits theaters next summer, now is the perfect time to revisit some of Hunt’s greatest hits. After all, Tom Cruise jumping out of airplanes, riding motorcycles off cliffs, and scaling the world’s tallest towers never gets old (in fact, neither does Tom Cruise, for that matter).