August is the last month of summer. Of course, it doesn’t really end until the middle of September, but these are the final few weeks I can embrace the sunshine before I go into full fall mode. Paramount+ is clearly getting into that mood with its lineup for the month, which includes plenty of movies perfect for watching on a colder evening with a warm drink. To me, there’s just no better feeling than that.
With plenty of new movies arriving on Paramount+ this month, finding something worth watching can be easier said than done. So, I’ve worked my way through the August 2026 lineup and selected seven movies that stand out from the crowd, each boasting a Rotten Tomatoes score of at least 90%. While a high score isn’t necessarily a guarantee that you’ll love a movie, it’s a good indication that critics were largely impressed.
Here are five of the best movies currently streaming on Paramount+ this August, with every pick earning a Rotten Tomatoes score of 90% or above.
The best movies to stream on Paramount Plus in August 2026
‘Dead Man Walking’ (1995)
“Dead Man Walking” is an Oscar-winning crime drama directed, written, and co-produced by Tim Robbins. Based on Sister Helen Prejean’s non-fiction book of the same name, the film stands as one of the most celebrated and balanced cinematic examinations of capital punishment and human redemption. Robbins avoids preachy melodrama, instead telling a restrained story that asks audiences to confront both the horror of violent crime and the complicated reality of the death penalty.
Sister Helen Prejean (Susan Sarandon) is a nun who agrees to visit Matthew Poncelet (Sean Penn), a convicted murderer awaiting execution on death row. Poncelet has been sentenced to death for killing a young couple and asks Sister Helen to help him appeal his sentence. As his execution date approaches, she becomes his spiritual adviser and begins visiting him in prison, while also meeting with his family and the relatives of his victims.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 97%
Watch "Dead Man Walking" on Paramount+ now
‘Escape From Alcatraz’ (1979)
Most people have probably heard of the classic “Escape From Alcatraz.” This neo-noir prison thriller is based on the true story of the famous 1962 escape from the supposedly inescapable federal penitentiary, and the film is widely regarded as one of the definitive movies in the prison escape genre. Adapted by Richard Tuggle from J. Campbell Bruce’s 1963 account, the screenplay maintains a near-documentary commitment to the real-life timeline and details of the escape.
Frank Morris (Clint Eastwood) is a convicted bank robber with a history of escaping prisons, and is transferred to Alcatraz, the notorious maximum-security prison on an isolated island in San Francisco Bay. After arriving, Morris begins studying the prison’s layout and security measures, eventually discovering a possible route out of his cell. He secretly recruits fellow inmates Clarence (Jack Thibeau) and John Anglin (Fred Ward) and Charley Butts (Larry Hankin) to help him put together an escape plan.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 97%
Watch "Escape From Alcatraz" on Paramount+ now
‘Gravity’ (2013)
![Gravity - Official Main Trailer [2K HD] - YouTube](https://img.youtube.com/vi/OiTiKOy59o4/maxresdefault.jpg)
If you were to ask me to name some of the best space movies ever made, “Gravity” would definitely be on my list. This sci-fi thriller was a huge critical and commercial success when it was released in 2013, earning ten Academy Award nominations and taking home seven wins, including Best Director. The movie was widely celebrated for its groundbreaking visual effects and sound design, with legendary director James Cameron even praising its technical achievements and describing it as the movie he had been waiting to see for years.
Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) is a medical engineer on her first space mission, working alongside veteran astronaut Matt Kowalski (George Clooney) during a routine spacewalk. Their mission goes catastrophically wrong when a cloud of high-speed debris destroys their shuttle, killing the rest of the crew and leaving Stone and Kowalski stranded in orbit. With their spacecraft destroyed and communications with Earth lost, the pair must find a way to reach a nearby space station before their oxygen runs out.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 96%
Watch "Gravity" on Paramount+ now
‘10 Cloverfield Lane’ (2016)
“10 Cloverfield Lane” is a critically acclaimed psychological thriller and sci-fi mystery directed by Dan Trachtenberg in his feature directorial debut. Produced by J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot Productions, the film operates as a “spiritual successor” and blood relative to the 2008 hit “Cloverfield,” pivoting from found-footage chaos to locked-room psychological tension. Kept entirely under wraps during production, the film surprised the industry when its first trailer dropped just two months before its theatrical release.
After surviving a car crash, Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) wakes up inside an underground bunker with two men, Howard (John Goodman) and Emmett (John Gallagher Jr.). Howard claims that a catastrophic attack has made the outside world uninhabitable and insists that staying underground is their only chance of survival. As Michelle learns more about the bunker and the events outside, she begins to question Howard’s story and his increasingly disturbing behavior.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 91%
Watch "10 Cloverfield Lane" on Paramount+ now
‘Million Dollar Baby’ (2004)
We have another Clint Eastwood film to round off this list, and that’s “Million Dollar Baby.” This critically acclaimed sports drama was adapted by Paul Haggis and is widely regarded as one of the defining cinematic masterpieces of the 2000s. The film won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture. “Million Dollar Baby” probably isn’t the first movie that springs to mind when you’re deciding what to watch this weekend. It’s an undeniably heavy watch, and while that won’t be for everyone, there’s no denying that it’s a film that leaves a lasting impression.
Frankie Dunn (Clint Eastwood) is a veteran boxing trainer who reluctantly agrees to coach Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank), a determined waitress who dreams of becoming a professional boxer. Despite initially refusing to train her, Frankie is soon impressed by Maggie’s natural ability and dedication. With help from his longtime friend and gym assistant Eddie “Scrap-Iron” Dupris (Morgan Freeman), Frankie guides Maggie through a rapid rise in the boxing world, where she begins taking on increasingly difficult opponents.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 90%
Watch "Million Dollar Baby" on Paramount+ now
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