There are two basic ways to decide what movie you want to watch on Paramount+ (or any streaming service, for that matter) on the spot, remote in hand, as you thumb through its massive library, or with some careful research and (hopefully) with the help of expertly informed and Rotten Tomatoes-vetted recommendation lists, just like this one. The latter, however, won’t explain how a 27%-rated comedy ended up in the streamer’s Most Watched lineup.
This week on the streamer, Wardriver is still dominating the top 10, with a whopping 100% RT score. The details are below. And rounding out this list of newly added titles this month (in descending order) is an Oscar-nominated crime saga that’s been untouchable since 2002, and a road-trip movie reboot the critics tried very hard to warn you about.
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Wardriver
A hacker heist thriller with a perfect Rotten Tomatoes score
Wardriver landed on Paramount+ on July 8 and quickly impressed the critics, as evidenced by its perfect 100% score on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. As a fan of its lead, Dane DeHaan, who I’ve enjoyed since Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets and, more recently, on Netflix’s gritty American Primeval, it was good to see him back on screen in director Rebecca Thomas’ lean crime thriller.
The movie follows Cole (DeHaan), a nocturnal hacker who cruises Salt Lake City looking for unsecured Wi-Fi networks that he uses to hack into the networks of banks and big businesses to skim money out of them—a real-world technique called wardriving. Cole isn’t greedy, though; he takes what he needs and keeps his footprint small, until seedy criminal fixer Oscar (Mamoudou Athie) strong-arms him into pulling off a big job he wants no part of. That heist blows the lid off a mob attorney (Jeffrey Donovan) who’s been washing money through the bank account of Sarah (Sasha Calle, who played Supergirl in The Flash), and Cole’s quiet little hustle turns into a life-or-death game of digital (and real-world) hide-and-seek.
Written by Daniel Casey (F9: The Fast Saga), Wardriver is a slick, fast, and moody 93 minutes of a decent guy caught up in something way over his head.
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City of God
Brazil’s stunning crime epic has never lost its impact
If “greatest films of all time” lists are important litmus tests for how you choose a good movie to watch, few films have landed on as many as Fernando Meirelles and Kátia Lund’s 2002 Brazilian crime masterpiece City of God, which has been pinned by everyone from The New York Times, The BBC, and Collider. Based on Paulo Lins’ bestselling novel of the same name—itself drawn from real events—the four-time Oscar-nominated film chronicles two decades in Rio de Janeiro’s violent, gang-riddled Cidade de Deus favela, through the eyes of Rocket (Alexandre Rodrigues), a peaceful aspiring photographer trying to stay clear of the life swallowing his neighborhood, his friends, and his family.
Quiz
Name these greatest films of all time
Trivia challenge
Think you know cinema’s finest? See if you can name these iconic films from
clues alone.
DramaClassic FilmsDirectorsPlot CluesOscars
A former mob enforcer and his partner accidentally kill a man, then spend a frantic
day disposing of the body, sharing philosophical conversations about fast food and foot massages.
What film is this?
Correct! Pulp Fiction (1994), directed by Quentin Tarantino, is
celebrated for its nonlinear storytelling and razor-sharp dialogue. It won the Palme d’Or at Cannes and
is consistently ranked among the greatest films ever made.
Not quite — the answer is Pulp Fiction (1994). Quentin Tarantino’s
masterpiece is famous for its interwoven storylines, iconic characters played by John Travolta and
Samuel L. Jackson, and its now-legendary dialogue about burgers in Europe.
A U.S. Army colonel witnesses a fellow officer’s descent into madness deep in the
jungle during a brutal war, and is sent on a river mission to eliminate him. What film is this?
Correct! Apocalypse Now (1979), directed by Francis Ford Coppola, is a
haunting adaptation of Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness set during the Vietnam War. Its production was
famously as chaotic as the film itself, documented in the making-of film Hearts of Darkness.
The answer is Apocalypse Now (1979). Directed by Francis Ford Coppola,
the film stars Martin Sheen as Captain Willard, sent to terminate Marlon Brando’s rogue Colonel Kurtz.
It remains one of cinema’s most visceral and philosophical war films.
Two imprisoned men form an unlikely friendship over decades, sustained by hope and
the shared dream of a life beyond the walls that confine them. What film is this?
Correct! The Shawshank Redemption (1994), based on a Stephen King
novella and directed by Frank Darabont, is consistently voted the number one film on IMDb’s top 250
list. Despite a modest theatrical run, it became a beloved classic through home video and television.
The answer is The Shawshank Redemption (1994). Starring Tim Robbins and
Morgan Freeman, the film was a box office disappointment on release but went on to become arguably the
most beloved movie of its era, topping IMDb’s all-time rankings for years.
A young Mafia patriarch rises to power over the course of several decades, while he
tries to keep his fractured family together. The film was shot across three parts. What film series
begins this saga?
Correct! The Godfather (1972), directed by Francis Ford Coppola and
based on Mario Puzo’s novel, won the Academy Award for Best Picture and is widely considered one of the
greatest films ever made. Marlon Brando’s performance as Vito Corleone remains iconic to this day.
The answer is The Godfather (1972). Directed by Francis Ford Coppola, it
launched a landmark trilogy and transformed Hollywood’s approach to crime dramas. Its famous line ‘I’m
gonna make him an offer he can’t refuse’ is one of the most quoted in cinema history.
This film won 11 Academy Awards, tying the all-time record, and follows a humble man
with an extraordinary destiny who witnesses and participates in decades of American history. What
film is this?
Correct! Forrest Gump (1994), directed by Robert Zemeckis and starring
Tom Hanks, swept the Oscars and became a cultural phenomenon. Its signature line, ‘Life is like a box of
chocolates,’ is one of the most recognizable quotes in film history.
The answer is Forrest Gump (1994). Tom Hanks delivered one of cinema’s
most beloved performances in this Robert Zemeckis film. It won Best Picture, Best Director, and Best
Actor at the Oscars, and remains a cultural touchstone for multiple generations.
A brilliant but troubled mathematician at a prestigious university struggles with
mental illness while secretly working with government officials, and later finds redemption through
love and perseverance. What film is this?
Correct! A Beautiful Mind (2001), directed by Ron Howard and starring
Russell Crowe as John Nash, won four Academy Awards including Best Picture. The real John Nash was a
Nobel Prize-winning economist whose life story was as remarkable as the film suggests.
The answer is A Beautiful Mind (2001). Russell Crowe portrayed real-life
mathematician John Nash in this Ron Howard drama. Though some dramatic liberties were taken, the film
brought widespread awareness to schizophrenia and Nash’s extraordinary contributions to game theory.
A group of desperate men plan an elaborate heist against a clock tower in the middle
of a world war, only to discover their real enemy may be time itself — and each other. What film is
this?
Correct! The Great Escape (1963), directed by John Sturges and starring
Steve McQueen, is based on the true story of Allied prisoners of war plotting a mass breakout from a
German camp. Its iconic motorcycle chase scene remains one of cinema’s most thrilling sequences.
The answer is The Great Escape (1963). This classic WWII film was based
on the true story of a mass escape attempt from Stalag Luft III. Starring Steve McQueen, James Garner,
and Richard Attenborough, it remains a benchmark of ensemble action filmmaking.
An aging widower becomes increasingly isolated and bitter, rigidly guarding the
traditions of his neighborhood, until an unlikely friendship with a young boy from next door slowly
changes him. What film is this?
Correct! Gran Torino (2008), directed by and starring Clint Eastwood, is
a powerful story about prejudice, redemption, and unexpected connection. Eastwood reportedly considered
it one of his last acting roles, and his performance is considered among the finest of his legendary
career.
The answer is Gran Torino (2008). Clint Eastwood both directed and
starred in this critically acclaimed drama, playing a Korean War veteran who reluctantly befriends his
Hmong neighbors. The film was a massive commercial and critical success despite being largely overlooked
during awards season.
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Rocket’s story runs parallel to the rise of Li’l Zé (Leandro Firmino), one of the favela’s most terrifying drug lords, his easygoing partner Benny (Phellipe Haagensen), and non-violent bus fare attendant Knockout Ned (musician Seu Jorge), who is driven to the brink when Zé and some gang members sexually assault his girlfriend.
Newly added to Paramount+ this month and cast largely with non-professional actors from Rio’s favelas, it’s a riveting and emotionally-intense ride that is every bit as electric as it was 24 years ago.
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Vacation (2015)
Critics panned it, viewers keep pressing play
Sometimes you just have to go with your gut and press play. While the critics handed Vacation a dismal 27% on Rotten Tomatoes back in 2015 (it’s still holding there, too), Paramount+ subscribers apparently could not care less—it’s currently (as of press time) parked in the platform’s top three, according to FlixPatrol.
But how wrong could a sequel/reboot of National Lampoon’s Vacation franchise go? Vacation catches up with a grown-up Rusty Griswold (played by The Office and The Hangover’s Ed Helms), now a budget-airline pilot, who drags his wife Debbie (Christina Applegate) and sons James (Skyler Gisondo, Booksmart, Superman) and Kevin (Steele Stebbins) on a cross-country drive to, you guessed it, Walley World—the same theme park from the 1983 original.
Detours along the way include visits with Rusty’s sister Audrey (Leslie Mann) and her Thor-like weatherman husband Stone (Chris Hemsworth), plus Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo reprise their Clark and Ellen characters to pass the torch to the new regime. Fine, Vacation does heavily mirror the structure of the original movie, but it’s not the first reboot to do that (and won’t be the last), and regardless, it does have some genuinely funny moments that clearly have people watching.
Three picks, no bad movie nights
Whether you trust the critics fully, or happily ignore them, this selection has you set for movies this week. When you need the next batch, How-To Geek’s streaming section is stocked and waiting.
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Starting at $8/month or $60/year
June 25, 2026
