Almost every streaming service drops the bulk of its new movies near the beginning of the month, and Paramount+ is no exception. What stands out on this streaming platform, and not in a good way, is that among everything new on Paramount+, the highest tier, Paramount+ with Showtime, tends to get the marquee titles.
That’s a streaming trend that we are not in favor of, which is why this list features three underrated movies on Paramount+ that you can watch on any tier. And you should definitely watch these three movies in February because they’ve got all of the drama and comedy that you need to see.
Magnolia (1999)
Do you want to feel old? Paul Thomas Anderson’s Magnolia is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, and you may need to make a flow chart to keep track of all the characters and how they relate to each other. Anderson’s narrative is split between several storylines and a large ensemble cast, including Tom Cruise, William H. Macy, Julianne Moore, Alfred Molina, John C. Reilly, and the late Philip Seymour Hoffman.
Cruise has the flashiest role as Frank T.J. Mackey, a motivational speaker estranged from his dying father, Earl Partridge (Jason Robards). Kids game show host Jimmy Gator (Hall) is also dying, while one of his former contestants, Donnie Smith (Macy), has a misguided plan to win the heart of the man he has a crush on. This is just the tip of the iceberg of everything in the movie. Just trust that everything will come together in the end.
Watch Magnolia on Paramount+.
Lee Daniels’ The Butler (2013)
Les Daniels’ The Butler is inspired by the true story of Eugene Allen, a Black man who worked as a butler in the White House for 34 years and served multiple Presidents during some of the most tumultuous times in American history. The movie takes a lot of dramatic liberties with the real events and even changes the name of the main character, Cecil Gaines (Forest Whitaker), the man who witnessed history firsthand inside the White House.
Gaines’ White House career begins under President Dwight D. Eisenhower (Robin Williams), and he later feels a bond with both John F. Kennedy (Jury Duty‘s James Marsden) and Lyndon B. Johnson (Liev Schreiber) before having his doubts under Richard Nixon (John Cusack). The late Alan Rickman plays Ronald Reagan, the last President that Gaines worked for. Gaines’ time in the White House is not in vain, as he helps inspire some of the Presidents to take action against social injustice. Much of the movie also deals with Gaines’ sometimes strained relationships with his sons, Louis (David Oyelowo) and Charlie (Elijah Kelley), both of whom feel the pull of history as well.
Watch Les Daniels’ The Butler on Paramount+.
Clue (1985)
Hollywood keeps threatening to remake Clue, but this is one classic comedy that’s just not going to be the same without its fantastic original cast. This movie, which is based on the popular board game of the same name, is set in 1954. Mr. Boddy (Lee Ving) has assembled his network of blackmailed operatives, or so they think. Instead, Boddy’s butler, Wadsworth (Tim Curry), is the one who summoned them in an attempt to rally the group against Boddy.
When Boddy gives his guests weapons and encourages them to kill Wadsworth to protect their secrets, the lights go out, and someone kills Boddy. Was it Mrs. White (Madeline Kahn), Professor Plum (Christopher Lloyd), Mr. Green (Michael McKean), Colonel Mustard (Martin Mull), Miss Scarlet (Lesley Ann Warren), Mrs. Peacock (Eileen Brennan), or even a maid named Yvette (Colleen Camp)? They’d better figure it out fast because the bodies are piling up, and the police are on their way.
Watch Clue on Paramount+.
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