3 best new action thrillers to stream on Paramount+ this weekend (May 9-10)
A new month means plenty of new movies just got added to Paramount+’s already sprawling library. If you’re looking to get your blood pumping this weekend, you’re in luck. There are plenty of edge-of-your-seat action thrillers to choose from, though figuring out which ones are actually worth watching is another matter entirely.
That’s why I’ve scoped out all 82 new movies on Paramount+ this month to highlight which action thrillers actually deserve a spot on your watchlist. If you’re tired of scrolling and ready for a shot of adrenaline, here are the absolute best action thrillers on Paramount+ you need to stream right now.
‘Gasoline Alley’ (2022)
From “Die Hard” to “Pulp Fiction,” Hollywood legend Bruce Willis starred in some of the most-loved movies of all time. One of his last-ever roles before he retired was 2022’s “Gasoline Alley,” a low-budget action movie that it looks like the critics got wrong. While the movie received largely negative reviews upon release, it’s since quietly developed a strong following among audiences. On Rotten Tomatoes, it boasts a far more favorable 68% audience rating compared to its abysmal 22% critics’ score.
Directed by Edward John Drake and co-written by Drake and Tom Sierchio, “Gasoline Alley” stars Willis alongside Luke Wilson and Devon Sawa in a pulpy murder mystery set in modern-day Los Angeles. When a homicide detective (Willis) and his partner (Wilson) look into the murder of four prostitutes, the trail leads to an ex-con turned tattoo artist to the stars (Sawa), who opts to take the investigation into his own hands when they fall short. To get answers, he dives into the film industry’s darkest corners in a gripping homage to the classic B-movies and film noirs of the ’40s and ’50s.
Watch “Gasoline Alley” on Paramount+ now
‘The Hunt for Red October’ (1990)
One of the best military thrillers ever made, “The Hunt for Red October” is built around a premise that’s immediately compelling: A Soviet submarine captain defects to the United States, but if either side misreads his intentions, the situation could spiral into disaster. Directed by John McTiernan, fresh off “Die Hard,” the film follows a young Jack Ryan (Alec Baldwin) as a CIA analyst who gets roped into the high-stakes mission to help Captain Ramius (Sean Connery) defect with both his crew and a nuclear missile sub, all while avoiding detection by the USSR.
Its stacked supporting cast includes James Earl Jones, Stellan Skarsgård, Sam Neill, Scott Glenn, Tim Curry, and Fred Thompson, each bringing plenty of larger-than-life energy to the screen. There’s a lot of moving parts and important characters, but even still, “The Hunt for Red October” never becomes confusing. Instead you get wrapped up in the ridiculously re-watchable chess match that unfolds where victory is won by outsmarting the enemy, not overpowering them.
Watch “The Hunt for Red October” on Paramount+ now
‘Face/Off’ (1997)
“Face/Off” marks the height of Nicolas Cage’s blockbuster era. Directed by acclaimed Hong Kong filmmaker John Woo, it stars John Travolta as FBI agent Sean Archer who’s obsessed with capturing the terrorist Castor Troy (Cage) responsible for his son’s death. When Troy falls into a coma after planting a bomb somewhere in Los Angeles, Archer undergoes a procedure to swap faces with him to infiltrate Troy’s criminal network and figure out the bomb’s location.
As silly as the premise sounds, both actors fully commit to it, adopting each other’s mannerisms and personality traits with performances that make the concept more convincing than it has any right to be. Woo’s signature visual style adds a dreamlike intensity, turning its action sequences into grand set pieces. “Face/Off” never aims for realism, and that’s part of its appeal. Beneath the explosive gunfights and stylized chaos, Cage and Travolta find ways to make their characters believable as two deeply flawed men whose careers have come at the expense of their personal lives.
Watch “Face/Off” on Paramount+ now
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