Subscribers to Paramount+ in the United States have something exciting to anticipate this Thursday, with the launch of the fourth season of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, featuring Captain Pike and the Starship Enterprise crew. If you’re looking for some entertainment options for your movie night this week, I’ve curated a selection of top picks below.
This week’s recommendations highlight several newly added films on Paramount+ for July, with my top choice being one of the most unsettling J-horror remakes that I often revisit. In addition to that, there’s a classic gangster tale, a beloved cult hit centered around a burger chain, and a thrilling race against zombies.
4
The Untouchables
Eliot Ness and his crew take on Capone’s Chicago
Al Capone has been depicted in numerous Hollywood films and series since the 1950s, including two versions of Capone (1975 and 2020) and HBO’s Boardwalk Empire (2010). However, 1987’s The Untouchables stands out as the most iconic, earning Sean Connery his only Academy Award.
Based on Eliot Ness’s memoir, the movie chronicles Ness (played by Kevin Costner) and his team—featuring Jimmy Malone (Connery), sharp-shooter George Stone (Andy Garcia), and accountant Oscar Wallace (Charles Martin Smith)—as they work to bring Capone (Robert De Niro) to justice in 1930s Chicago. It remains a defining gangster film of the ’80s, holding an impressive 83% critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
3
Good Burger
Kenan and Kel serve up ’90s fast-food chaos
“Welcome to Good Burger, home of the Good Burger. Can I take your order?” Long before Kenan Thompson became the longest-serving cast member on Saturday Night Live, he and Kel Mitchell transformed a popular sketch from All That into a cult classic film.
In Good Burger, Mitchell brings the cheerful and naïve Ed to life, alongside Thompson’s character Dexter Reed, a teen who takes a job at the burger joint to pay for repairs to his teacher’s (Sinbad) car after an accident. The film is filled with hilarious escapades as the duo fights against fast-food giant Mondo Burger, which threatens to put them out of business by stealing Ed’s secret sauce recipe. Both Good Burger and its 2023 sequel, Good Burger 2, are available on Paramount+.
2
World War Z
Brad Pitt in a very fast zombie apocalypse
Unlike conventional zombie films and shows that typically feature slow-moving, easily defeated monsters, the 2013 hit World War Z offers a fresh, terrifying perspective on the genre, making it the highest-grossing zombie film to date.
Viewers should prepare for fast-paced hordes of infected individuals who will do anything to reach their targets, including creating human pyramids to scale walls. This global outbreak triggers a united military response as world leaders scramble to avert catastrophe. Brad Pitt stars as Gerry Lane, a former UN investigator who, driven by the need to reunite with his wife (Mireille Enos), might also be humanity’s last hope.
1
The Ring
Watch the tape, then you have seven days to die
The 2002 film The Ring, directed by Gore Verbinski, successfully revitalized interest in J-horror films, leading to a wave of remakes, including The Grudge and Dark Water. It’s my personal favorite of the genre.
Naomi Watts stars as Seattle journalist Rachel Keller, who delves into an urban legend surrounding a cursed VHS tape that causes viewers to die seven days after watching it, following the unexpected death of her niece. Investigation leads her to view the tape herself, triggering a countdown when she receives a phone call warning her of her fate. Racing against time, Rachel teams up with her ex, Noah (Martin Henderson), to unravel the curse’s origins and save her son, who has also fallen victim to the tape. The film garnered two sequels: The Ring Two (2005) and Rings (2017).
Summer decisions
Why not skip the algorithm and choose whichever of these curated films catches your eye first? After that, you can let streaming guides handle the rest of your summer watchlist.
