3 great Paramount+ movies to watch this week (August 31 - September 6)

Credit: Lucas Gouveia/How-To Geek Published Aug 31, 2026, 6:30 PM EDT Derek Malcolm has been covering the worlds of tech and entertainment for more than two decades. Before coming to How-To Geek in 2025, Derek was a contributing editor and writer for the A/V and Home Theater section at Digital Trends, where he wrangled and wrote everything from what to watch on Netflix to reviews, explainers, and guides on the latest Bluetooth speakers, turntables, projectors, and other A/V gear. Based in Toronto, Derek graduated from Humber College's Journalism program in 1999, after which he started covering the worlds of music, movies, TV, and celebrity for publications such as TV Guide, Hello! magazine, and Inside Entertainment. He then got the bug for covering tech and gadgets in 2006, when he served as editor-in-chief of Canadian tech magazine Connected for more than a decade. An avid skier, when all the snow's gone Derek can be found at home spinning vinyl with his daughter or cheering on his favorite F1 team, McLaren. Sign in to your How-To Geek account As we fast approach September 1 tomorrow, Paramount+ is getting ready to back the dump truck up and roll a pile of catalog movies to the service for U.S. subscribers to enjoy—120 of them, to be exact. The movie chart for the service currently has the demonic road-trip horror Passenger in the top spot, and the Wayans brothers return on September 3 with a brand new Scary Movie installment. But buried in that big pile of films are three I've spotted at a glance that are worth digging out: a fish-out-of-water courtroom comedy that's so quotable the lines will be sticking all week; a Ben Affleck Oscar winner; and my top pick, a sci-fi alien invasion movie that plays like Groundhog Day. 3 My Cousin Vinny A Brooklyn lawyer defending two "yutes" in an Alabama murder trial This 1992 legal comedy starring Joe Pesci and Marisa Tomei is so quotable and has so many funny and iconic moments that I've probably seen most of the movie a half-dozen times in broken-up Instagram and TikTok clips over the years. Not to mention the fact that Tomei ran off with the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role, beating out some hefty British talent. My Cousin Vinny hits Paramount+ tomorrow and follows Vincent "Vinny" Gambini (Pesci), a New York personal injury lawyer who's never tried a case, who's been called down to rural Alabama to defend his cousin Bill (The Karate Kid's Ralph Macchio) and his friend Stan (Mitchell Whitfield), who've been wrongfully accused of murder. Accompanying Vinny is his scene-stealing fiancée, Mona Lisa Vito (Tomei), a feisty Brooklynite with an encyclopedic automotive knowledge who just wants to help. The judge hates him, he's sleep-deprived, he can't seem to stay out of the town jail for contempt of court, and Lisa's biological clock is—stomp, stomp, stomp—ticking, but Vinny might just have what it takes to save the boys from prison. It's an easy, two-hour watch you won't object to. My Cousin Vinny Release Date March 13, 1992 Cast Joe Pesci, Marisa Tomei, Ralph Macchio, Mitchell Whitfield, Fred Gwynne, Lane Smith, Austin Pendleton, Bruce McGill, Maury Chaykin, Paulene Myers, Raynor Scheine, James Rebhorn, Chris Ellis, Michael Simpson, Lou Walker, Kenny Jones, Thomas Merdis, J. Don Ferguson, Michael Genevie, jeff lewis, Ron Leggett, Aubrey J. Osteen, Larry Shuler, Suzi Bass, Michael Burgess Runtime 120 minutes Director Jonathan Lynn Writers Dale Launer Producers Paul Schiff 2 Argo A fake movie, some Canadians, and a very real rescue Argo is the kind of unicorn filmmakers like Ben Affleck make careers off of, and it has the Best Picture Oscar that proves the academy thought so, too. It tells the remarkable true story of how, during the 1979 Iran hostage crisis, when Iranian militants took dozens of Americans from the U.S. Embassy hostage, six diplomats managed to escape, secretly hiding out for months in the Tehran homes of Canadian diplomats. But under a watchful Iranian eye, getting them home was the problem. Enter CIA exfiltration specialist Tony Mendez (Affleck, who stars and directs), who cooks up a wild plan involving a fake Canadian film crew scouting filming locations in Tehran for a schlocky fake sci-fi flick—the titular "Argo." The six Americans would pose as crew members, be given Canadian passports, and fly out undetected. Meanwhile, back in Hollywood, veteran producer Lester Siegel (Alan Arkin) and real-life makeup artist John Chambers (John Goodman) worked to make the movie look as convincing as possible, even buying a real script, taking out ads in Variety, and setting up a production office. Argo was a smash hit and still has a 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Argo Release Date October 11, 2012 Cast Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, Alan Arkin, John Goodman, Victor Garber, Tate Donovan, Clea DuVall, Scoot McNairy, Rory Cochrane, Christopher Denham, Kerry Bishé, Kyle Chandler, Chris Messina, Željko Ivanek, Titus Welliver, Keith Szarabajka, Bob Gunton, Richard Kind, Richard Dillane, Omid Abtahi, Page Leong, Farshad Farahat, Sheila Vand, Karina Logue, Ryan Ahern Runtime 120 minutes Director Ben Affleck Writers Chris Terrio Producers Chris Brigham, David Klawans, George Clooney, Graham King, Grant Heslov, Chay Carter, Nina Wolarsky Main Genre Biography Budget $44.5 million Studio(s) Warner Bros. Pictures Distributor(s) Warner Bros. Pictures 1 Edge of Tomorrow The greatest timeloop action movie of all time I’ve probably seen Edge of Tomorrow more times than Tom Cruise dies in this film, and I can say with confidence that it is hands-down my favorite Emily Blunt movie, too. And while it didn’t kill at the box office in the U.S. when it hit theaters in 2014, the alien sci-fi action movie found new life on streaming after being rebranded as Live Die Repeat: Edge of Tomorrow to highlight its time-loop backbone. Quiz 8 Questions · Test Your KnowledgeName that time loop movieTrivia challenge From Punxsutawney to alien battlefields — can you name the time loop film from the clues? Sci-FiComedyActionRomanceMind-Benders Begin A cynical TV weatherman is sent to cover a small-town event and finds himself reliving the same day over and over until he learns to be a better person. Which film is this? APalm SpringsBThe Map of Tiny Perfect ThingsCGroundhog DayDLooper Correct! Groundhog Day (1993) is the film that essentially invented the modern time loop genre. Bill Murray plays Phil Connors, a grumpy weatherman stuck reliving February 2nd in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. The film is so iconic that 'Groundhog Day' has entered everyday language to describe any repetitive, inescapable situation. Not quite — the answer is Groundhog Day (1993). Bill Murray stars as a self-centered weatherman doomed to repeat February 2nd in Punxsutawney, PA. This Harold Ramis classic is so influential that the entire time loop subgenre is sometimes just called 'Groundhog Day movies.' Continue In this film, a soldier who has never seen combat wakes up on the same deadly beach every time he dies, gradually becoming a skilled fighter through repeated failure. What is the movie? ASource CodeBEdge of TomorrowCLooperDGroundhog Day Correct! Edge of Tomorrow (2014) stars Tom Cruise as Cage, a PR officer thrust into a D-Day-style battle against aliens. He gains a time-reset ability after contact with alien blood, allowing him to improve with each loop. The film's tagline 'Live. Die. Repeat.' became so popular it was added to its title on home release. Not quite — the answer is Edge of Tomorrow (2014). Tom Cruise plays a soldier who relives an alien invasion battle after being accidentally exposed to a time-resetting alien blood. The movie is based on the Japanese light novel 'All You Need Is Kill' by Hiroshi Sakurazaka, which has a similarly intense loop-and-learn structure. Continue A government operative is loaded into the consciousness of a man who died on a train, tasked with identifying a bomber — but he only has eight minutes each time. Name the film. AEdge of TomorrowBThe Map of Tiny Perfect ThingsCLooperDSource Code Correct! Source Code (2011) stars Jake Gyllenhaal as Colter Stevens, a pilot repeatedly inserted into the final eight minutes of a train bombing victim's life. Directed by Duncan Jones, the film cleverly blends thriller pacing with philosophical questions about identity and alternate timelines. It's one of the most tightly constructed time loop films ever made. Not quite — the answer is Source Code (2011). Jake Gyllenhaal's character is repeatedly inserted into a dead man's final eight minutes aboard a Chicago commuter train to find a bomber. Director Duncan Jones crafts a tense mystery where each loop reveals new clues, making the audience feel the urgency of the ticking clock alongside the hero. Continue A young man stuck in an eternal time loop meets a woman who is also trapped, and together they navigate their shared situation while falling in love. Set largely at a desert wedding, which film is this? AGroundhog DayBPalm SpringsCThe Map of Tiny Perfect ThingsDSource Code Correct! Palm Springs (2020) stars Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti as two strangers who share a time loop at a wedding in the California desert. Unlike most loop films, the story begins with the male lead already deeply resigned to the loop, a fresh twist on the formula. It was a massive hit at the Sundance Film Festival, famously selling for a record-breaking price. Not quite — the answer is Palm Springs (2020). Andy Samberg plays Nyles, a man who has been looping so long he's given up caring, until Cristin Milioti's Sarah accidentally gets pulled in too. The film puts a clever spin on the genre by starting in the middle of an already-established loop rather than showing the protagonist's confused awakening for the first time. Continue A teenage boy notices a girl who always seems to be wherever he is, and slowly realizes she is also living the same day on repeat — though she refuses to break out of it. Which film is this? APalm SpringsBGroundhog DayCThe Map of Tiny Perfect ThingsDEdge of Tomorrow Correct! The Map of Tiny Perfect Things (2021) follows two teens — Mark and Margaret — who discover they share a time loop and begin mapping out all the beautiful, fleeting moments their day contains. Based on a short story by Lev Grossman, the film handles the emotional reason behind the loop with surprising tenderness and depth. Not quite — the answer is The Map of Tiny Perfect Things (2021). Mark and Margaret team up to chart all the wonderful small moments in their shared looping day. The film is notable for its warmhearted tone and its poignant explanation for why one of the characters doesn't want the loop to end, giving it an emotional resonance beyond typical genre fare. Continue In this film, aging crime bosses send targets back in time to be executed by hired killers — until one killer is ordered to kill his own future self. What is the movie? ASource CodeBEdge of TomorrowCLooperDPalm Springs Correct! Looper (2012) stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Bruce Willis as the younger and older versions of the same assassin, Joe. Directed by Rian Johnson, the film uses time travel as a mechanism for a neo-noir thriller rather than a strict loop structure, but the recursive causality and confrontation with one's own future self make it a time loop classic. Gordon-Levitt wore prosthetics to resemble a younger Willis. Not quite — the answer is Looper (2012). Director Rian Johnson's stylish sci-fi noir stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt as a hitman who must kill targets sent from the future — until his target turns out to be his older self, played by Bruce Willis. The film explores how choices ripple across time and asks whether you can change who you become. Continue Which time loop film features an alien enemy called 'Mimics' and a soldier nicknamed 'the Full Metal Bitch' who helps the looping hero train? ALooperBSource CodeCEdge of TomorrowDPalm Springs Correct! Edge of Tomorrow (2014) introduces the terrifying octopus-like Mimics as the alien antagonists and Emily Blunt's hardened Sergeant Rita Vrataski, nicknamed 'the Full Metal Bitch,' as Cage's reluctant trainer. Blunt trained extensively for the role and her physical performance was widely praised as one of the film's standout elements. Not quite — the answer is Edge of Tomorrow (2014). The Mimics are spider-like alien invaders, and Emily Blunt's Sergeant Vrataski earned the nickname 'Full Metal Bitch' for her legendary battlefield performance — which was itself the result of a brief time-reset power she once held. Tom Cruise's Cage spends countless loops being trained and killed by her in increasingly creative ways. Continue In Groundhog Day, which real Pennsylvania town does Bill Murray's character visit to cover the annual Groundhog Day celebration? AHersheyBPunxsutawneyCGettysburgDAllentown Correct! Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, is the real home of the annual Groundhog Day tradition involving Punxsutawney Phil, the famous groundhog who supposedly predicts the weather. Interestingly, most of the film was actually shot in Woodstock, Illinois, not Punxsutawney itself. The real event draws tens of thousands of visitors every February 2nd. Not quite — the answer is Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, home of the legendary weather-predicting groundhog Punxsutawney Phil. The real Groundhog Day festival in Punxsutawney draws enormous crowds each February 2nd. Interestingly, the film was mostly shot in Woodstock, Illinois, which leaned into its movie fame and now hosts its own Groundhog Day tourism events. See My Score Challenge CompleteYour Score / 8 Thanks for playing! Try Again Edge of Tomorrow follows Major William Cage (Tom Cruise), a slick military PR officer who’s never set foot on the battlefield during the brutal war against an alien invasion from a deadly species called Mimics. After threatening to blackmail a general (played by Brendan Gleeson), Cage finds himself dropped into a doomed beach assault, where an Alpha Mimic kills him instantly. But it turns out some of that Mimic's blood gets into Cage’s bloodstream, allowing him to respawn and live the same day again … and again … and again. Soon, Cage enlists the help of legendary soldier Rita “The Angel of Verdun” Vrataski (Blunt), who once had Cage’s power but lost it. Rita trains Cage and teaches him how to use the loop in hopes of finding the source of the Mimics' power. Edge of Tomorrow has an excellent 91% Tomatometer score and is already streaming on Paramount+ Edge of Tomorrow Release Date June 6, 2014 Cast Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Brendan Gleeson, Bill Paxton, Jonas Armstrong, Tony Way, Kick Gurry, Franz Drameh, Dragomir Mrsic, Charlotte Riley, Masayoshi Haneda, Terence Maynard, Noah Taylor, Lara Pulver, Madeleine Mantock, Assly Zandry, Sebastian Blunt, Beth Goddard, Ronan Summers, Aaron Romano, Usman Akram, Bentley Kalu, Mairead McKinley, Andrew Neil, Martin Hyder Runtime 114 minutes Director Doug Liman Writers Christopher McQuarrie, Jez Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth, Hiroshi Sakurazaka Producers Erwin Stoff, Gregory Jacobs, Jeffrey Silver, Jason Hoffs, Tom Lassally Sequel(s) Edge of Tomorrow 2 Main Genre Action Budget $178 million Studio(s) Warner Bros. Pictures Distributor(s) Warner Bros. Pictures Executive Producer(s) Bruce Berman, Dave Bartis, Joby Harold, Hidemi Fukuhara September's catalog dump is deep The beginning of the month is always the best for movies on streamers like Paramount Plus—the coffers are refilled, and the only problem is choosing. Speaking of choice, if you're into thrillers on Paramount+ instead, we've got 'em. Or check out our streaming section for what to watch on all the major streaming services. Subscription with ads Yes, $8/month Simultaneous streams 3 Live TV Select live sports (NFL on CBS & UEFA Champions League) Price Starting at $8/month or $60/year