Paramount+ continues to spoil subscribers each month by stocking up its increasingly impressive library of flicks. As someone who loves getting his spine tingled by a good thriller, I’ve been sifting through the latest October additions to find genre picks worth your precious time.
This week, I’ve picked out one of the first movies that kick-started the McConaissance, a stylish thrill ride from the directors of “The Matrix”, and what I consider one of the best films to take home Best Picture at the Academy Awards.
This trio of recently added thriller movies on Paramount+ is well worth streaming this weekend. While I have you, my colleague Rory Mellon has compiled a companion article with the latest thrillers on Prime Video.
‘Killer Joe’ (2012)
A slept-on entry in the "McConaissance" era, “Killer Joe” is a deliciously dark thriller that sparks to life when an unhinged family tries to off their estranged matriarch for insurance money. With the Smiths desperate for cash after son Chris (Emile Hirsch) finds himself owing a small fortune to drug dealers, they turn to the worst possible guardian angel. Enter Joe Cooper (McConaughey): a corrupt cop who works as a hitman during his off hours.
A couple of years before he mesmerized the world with his turn in “True Detective” as Rust Cohle, Mr “Alright, Alright, Alright” showed he could play an equally charismatic, often chilling copper in one of the late William Friedkin’s final films. Twisted and brilliantly acted by the core cast, rewatching “Killer Joe” recently reminded me of just what a damn fine actress Juno Temple is. And I entirely blame you, “Ted Lasso” season 3, for forgetting that fact. If you want dark chills and twisted humor, you need to check out this dark comedy/thriller.
Watch "Killer Joe" on Paramount+ now
‘Parasite’ (2019)
The first non-English language movie to take home Best Picture at the Oscars, for my money, “Parasite” is the most deserving winner of that little golden statue over the past decade. An utterly brilliant dark comedy/thriller, director Bong Joon-ho’s opus is both an impeccable social satire on class inequality and a genuinely creepy thrill ride that provides both chills and giggles. In short, this modern South Korean classic is a bona fide masterpiece.
The premise of “Parasite” is a dark delight. The poverty-stricken Kim family are as scheming as they are starving. After son Ki Woo (Choi Woo-shik) weasels his way into an English tutoring gig for the wealthy Kim clan, it’s not long before the rest of his fam are also burrowing their way into the Kims’ lives. Cue the rest of Ki Woo’s bloodline landing cushy gigs as an art therapist, housekeeper and chauffeur. It’s Kim patriarch Ki-taek (Song Kang-ho) who steals the show, delivering many a laugh before a truly unsettling finale kicks in.
Watch "Parasite" on Paramount+ now
‘V for Vendetta’ (2005)
Based on the graphic novel by Alan Moore, “V for Vendetta” benefits from the Wachowskis’ sharp screenplay. Sure, it’s not on the level of “The Matrix”, and Moore refused a credit after accusing the film of watering down complex themes, but this dystopian thriller is still a mighty fun watch. With a near-future Britain under the rule of the oppressive Norsefire party, it’s up to a masked vigilante to stick it to the surveillance state and spark a London-wide uprising.
Touching on themes of anarchism and political upheaval, “V for Vendetta” has a lot to say… even if the script is a touch heavy-handed at times. Unlikely hero and rebellious journalist Evey Hammond (Natalie Portman) might be saddled with the worst English accent since Dick Van Dyke, yet that doesn’t really register when her co-star Hugo Weaving steals every scene he’s in. The former Agent Smith plays the titular V: a formidable crusader in a Guy Fawkes mask who’s part Zorro/part Terminator. With ultra-slick setpieces and handsome choreography, Paramount+ subscribers shouldn’t wait until November 5 to remember, remember this stylish thriller.
Watch "V for Vendetta" on Paramount+ now
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