Paramount Plus is serving up a smorgasbord of new movies for November 2024, and while the streamer doesn't quite make our cut for the best streaming services, you'll still find plenty of must-watches on the list.
Several of the latest movies new to Paramount Plus scored a 90% or higher critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes. This month, some of the best critically acclaimed flicks on Paramount Plus include the movie that put Ben Affleck and Matt Damon on the map, a heart-warming family adventure about everyone's favorite bear from Peru, a Denzel Washington-led, Oscar-winning drama, Eddie Murphy's genre-defining buddy cop comedy, and one of the most defining films of the 21st century thus far.
It's a stacked list to choose from this month, so you better grab some popcorn and get watching. Here are the five best movies with 90% or higher on Rotten Tomatoes that are new to Paramount Plus this November.
'Good Will Hunting' (1997)
Who hasn't heard of "Good Will Hunting," the powerful exploration of human potential and self-discovery that helped launch Ben Affleck and Matt Damon into stardom? Directed by Gus Van Sant and co-written by Damon and Affleck, it follows Will Hunting (Damon), a self-taught math genius from South Boston working as a janitor at MIT while on parole.
His life changes forever after he stuns Professor Gerald Lambeau (Stellan Skarsgård) by anonymously solving a difficult math problem left on the board for his graduate students. When Lambeau learns that Will is facing jail time over a fight, he strikes a deal to keep him out of prison on the condition that he studies mathematics and sees a psychotherapist, Lambeau's old friend Dr. Sean Maguire (Robin Williams). The sessions between Maguire and Will undeniably form the heart of the story, with Williams' masterful performance bringing a warmth and authenticity to the film.
Genre: Drama
Rotten Tomatoes score: 97%
Stream it now on Paramount Plus
'Fences' (2016)
In "Fences," Denzel Washington reprises the role that won him his first Tony, bringing both his acting and directing talents to this adaptation of August Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play. With such celebrated source material and a Hollywood titan on both sides of the camera, it’s no surprise the film chalked up a slew of Oscar nominations across all major categories, including Best Picture.
Washington stars as Troy Maxson, a disillusioned sanitation worker in 1950s Pittsburgh with a chip on his shoulder from being denied a shot at becoming a pro baseball player due to the racial discrimination of the era. Tensions build at home with his wife (played by the exceptional Viola Davis in an Oscar-winning supporting role), reaching a boiling point when his son (Jovan Adepo) is offered the opportunity Troy never had.
Genre: Drama
Rotten Tomatoes score: 92%
Stream it now on Paramount Plus
'48 Hrs.' (1982)
Eddie Murphy’s big-screen debut more or less created the template for the modern buddy-cop comedy. His character, the wisecracking criminal Reggie Hammond, joins up with Nick Nolte’s hard-nosed police inspector Jack Cates to track down one of his old associates, Albert Ganz (James Remar), who escaped custody after killing several guards.
While Reggie and Cates butt heads at first, over time they build a tentative respect for one another. Murphy’s charisma and sharp wit elevate what might otherwise be a straightforward crime thriller, and he steals the show at several points, including one particularly memorable honky-tonk bar scene where he poses as a cop and schools the redneck patrons.
Genre: Action/Comedy
Rotten Tomatoes score: 92%
Stream it now on Paramount Plus
'Paddington' (2014)
We've still got a few months left to go before "Paddington in Peru" hits theaters, so why not revisit Paddington Bear's first adventure while you wait? Based on the beloved character created by English author Michael Bond, the original “Paddington” follows the eponymous bear (voiced by Ben Whishaw) as he travels to England after an earthquake devastates his home in the Peruvian rainforest.
There, he's taken in by Henry (Hugh Bonneville) and Mary Brown (Sally Hawkins), a couple that names him Paddington after the London train station. With their help, he embarks on a quest to reconnect with the explorer responsible for the iconic red hat he wears while evading a vengeful taxidermist (Nicole Kidman) hellbent on putting him on display in the Natural History Museum.
Genre: Kids & Family/Comedy/Adventure
Rotten Tomatoes score: 97%
Stream it now on Paramount Plus
'The Social Network' (2010)
Often celebrated as one of the most defining films of the 21st century thus far, "The Social Network" is a biographical drama that chronicles the inception of Facebook and the subsequent fallout between its co-founders, Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) and Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield).
Directed by "Fight Club's" David Fincher, the movie opens at Harvard University in 2003 and follows the story of how a couple of sophomores created a website that would grow into the leading social network for millions throughout the 2010s. Through a non-linear narrative that interweaves multiple timelines, "The Social Network" delves into the complexities of mixing business with friendship, shining a light on just how cutthroat the development of what would become the world’s largest social media platform really was.
Genre: Drama/Biography
Rotten Tomatoes score: 96%
Stream it now on Paramount Plus
