The 22 best horror and sci-fi films to stream on Paramount+

American Psycho (2000)

Bret Easton Ellis’ 1991 best-seller looks unrecognizable in Mary Harron’s cinematic adaptation of the controversial novel. Starring Christian Bale as Patrick Bateman, a yuppie investment banker whose only real passions are consumerism, dining out, and committing murder, this black comedy and horror fusion satirizes the mass-consumption and performative lifestyle that was a hallmark of the 1980s culture and economy.

Luckily for viewers, the film version of American Psycho presents the best aspects of the novel without luxuriating in book Bateman’s fevered misogyny. EW’s critic writes that the film is elevated by Bale’s interpretation, noting, “He keeps Patrick lurching blindly toward humanity, until we see a self being born in a man who, paradoxically, was too selfish to have one.” —Ilana Gordon

Where to watch American Psycho: Paramount+

EW grade: N/A (read the review)

Director: Mary Harron

Cast: Christian Bale, Willem Dafoe, Jared Leto, Josh Lucas, Chloë Sevigny, Samantha Mathis, Cara Seymour, Justin Theroux, Reese Witherspoon

Annihilation (2018)

In the swamplands of Florida there sits a forcefield that formed after a meteor hit the area. Separated from regular life by a kaleidoscopic shell whose circumference continues to expand, the Shimmer, as it’s called, has claimed the lives of every person who has gone inside — except one. Biologist Lena (Natalie Portman) lost her husband, Kane (Oscar Isaac), after he was presumably killed during a military operation, but when Kane returns home with his memory gone and his health failing, Lena looks for answers.

A visually stunning sci-fi movie that allows the audience to meditate on themes of grief, depression, and destruction, Annihilation is “the kind of film that leaves you dazzled, shellshocked — and not entirely sure whether your own moviegoing DNA hasn’t been altered a little in the process,” EW’s critic writes. —I.G.

Where to watch Annihilation: Paramount+ 

EW grade: A– (read the review)

Director: Alex Garland

Cast: Natalie Portman, Oscar Isaac, Tessa Thompson, Tuva Novotny, Gina Rodriguez, Jennifer Jason Leigh

A Quiet Place (2018)

The Office alum John Krasinski's blockbuster directorial and writing debut follows the Abbott family as they navigate a post-apocalyptic world where sound-motivated bloodthirsty aliens rule. Unlike most modern films, A Quiet Place employs minimal dialogue, preferring to convey story and build tension through the vacuum of silence and ambient noise that serve as the movie's soundtrack.

Well-deserving of its Oscar nomination for Best Sound Editing (and arguably overlooked for nominations in the writing, directing, and acting categories) A Quiet Place was a critical hit when it premiered in 2018, prompting the release of A Quiet Place Part II in 2021, with casting announced on a third movie in the fall of 2022. —I.G.

Where to watch A Quiet Place: Paramount+

EW grade: B+ (read the review)

Director: John Krasinski

Cast: John Krasinski, Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds, Noah Jupe, Cade Woodward

A Quiet Place Part II (2020)

A picture is worth a thousand words, and in 2018, A Quiet Place writer John Krasinski produced a supernatural masterpiece with practically no dialogue. The original film follows the Abbott family as they attempt to survive in a world that has been overtaken by aliens with hypersensitive hearing. The sequel picks up where the original left off with Evelyn Abbott (Emily Blunt), her daughter Regan (Millicent Simmonds) — whose deafness has given the family an advantage in surviving — and Regan’s two brothers trying to move on from their lost loved ones and destroyed home, while attempting to make contact with other survivors.

Introducing new characters played by Cillian Murphy, Djimon Hounsou, and Okieriete Onaodowan (Hamilton), A Quiet Place Part II moves the story forward, while expanding the universe to make room in the franchise: a prequel called A Quiet Place: Day One was released in June 2024, and A Quiet Place Part III is scheduled to arrive in 2025. —I.G. 

Where to watch A Quiet Place Part II: Paramount+

EW grade: B+ (read the review)

Director: John Krasinski 

Cast: Emily Blunt, Cillian Murphy, Millicent Simmonds, Noah Jupe, Djimon Hounsou, John Krasinski, Okieriete Onaodowan

Bumblebee (2018)

The first film in the Transformers universe to be centered around a teenage girl's perspective, 2018's Bumblebee is the sixth installment in the long-running sci-fi action franchise. Set in California in 1987, the movie tells the story of Bumblebee who is sent to Earth by Optimus Prime to defend the planet from the Decepticons. After suffering major injuries during a battle, Bumblebee transforms into a Volkswagen Beetle — only to be discovered and repaired by Charlie Watson (Hailee Steinfeld), a teenager still reeling from the recent death of her father.

With the fate of the world resting on Bumblebee's metal shoulders, the transformer and Charlie team up to protect Earth from the Decepticons and Agent Burns (John Cena), the head of a secret agency tasked with helping to protect the planet from hostile extraterrestrials. Laden with fun '80s pop culture references and offering more humor and heart than previous chapters of the franchise, Bumblebee is half sci-fi film, half buddy cop comedy between a teenager and a transformer. —I.G.

Where to watch Bumblebee: Paramount+

EW grade: B+ (read the review)

Director: Travis Knight

Cast: Hailee Steinfeld, John Cena, Jorge Lendeborg Jr., John Ortiz, Jason Drucker, Pamela Adlon

Cloverfield (2008)

There are countless ways to shut down a party, but a massive monster infiltrating New York City is definitely one of the most effective. A J.J. Abrams-produced sci-fi horror movie with a found footage style, Cloverfield marks the film debut of comedian T.J. Miller (Deadpool), and stars an ensemble cast consisting of mostly unknowns — including a still up-and-coming Lizzy Caplan.

During a farewell party for the group’s friend Rob (Michael Stahl-David), a massive monster attacks NYC, wreaking havoc on the five boroughs and tearing the Statue of Liberty to pieces. As the city’s residents attempt to flee to safety, Hud (Miller) catches the madness on his handheld camcorder in real time. EW’s critic describes the film as a “surreptitiously subversive, stylistically clever little gem,” and while character development isn’t the film’s strongest suit, the movie brilliantly taps into post-9/11 paranoia, and the coming-of-age of a generation that believes that all content is worth capturing — even in the face of almost-certain death. —I.G.  

Where to watch Cloverfield: Paramount+   

EW grade: B+ (read the review)

Director: Matt Reeves 

Cast: Lizzy Caplan, Jessica Lucas, T.J. Miller, Michael Stahl-David, Mike Vogel, Odette Yustman

The Crow (1994)

A horror story onscreen and in execution, Alex Proyas' The Crow is a cult classic with a tragic backstory. One year after Eric Draven (Brandon Lee) and his fiancée Shelly (Sophia Shinas) were murdered on the eve of their Halloween wedding, Eric is awakened from his grave by an enchanted crow. Now blessed with immortality, Eric methodically hunts down and exacts vengeance on the criminals responsible, and on the leader of all the Detroit street gangs, a sadistic kingpin named Top Dollar (Michael Wincott).

In a tragic Hollywood tale, Brandon Lee (son of Bruce Lee) was accidentally killed three days before he was supposed to wrap on the project, after an actor fired a prop gun containing a live round, hitting Lee in the abdomen. In his last interview with EW a week and a half before his death, Lee said, "If I were given the opportunity after a year of having been dead to come back, who would I want to see? The person would be my fiancée, Eliza, because I'm getting married after the film. And the thing about Eric is, the one person he would want to share this with isn't there anymore. And that's the tragic element of this character." —I.G.

Where to watch The Crow: Paramount+

EW grade: N/A (read the review)

Director: Alex Proyas

Cast: Brandon Lee, Ernie Hudson, Michael Wincott

Divergent (2014)

In a dystopic version of Chicago, 16-year-olds are sorted into different factions, depending on the human virtues they possess. But when it’s Tris Prior’s (Shailene Woodley) turn to be tested to determine which one she belongs in, Tris learns that she falls into a separate class altogether. Categorized as Divergent, Tris is told that she has the power to think for herself, which makes her impervious to mind control, and a danger to the system.

Told to conceal her identity, Tris chooses to join the Dauntless faction, which prioritizes bravery, but struggles to follow the commands of her instructor (Theo James) and to keep up with her rival (Miles Teller). Also starring Kate Winslet in the role of steely leader Jeanine Matthews, and based on the best-selling series of young adult novels, Divergent unfolds like a science fiction version of Harry Potter, with similar elements to The Hunger Games. —I.G.

Where to watch Divergent: Netflix

EW grade: B+ (read the review) 

Director: Neil Burger

Cast: Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Miles Teller, Kate Winslet, Ashley Judd, Jai Courtney, Ray Stevenson, Zoë Kravitz, Tony Goldwyn, Maggie Q

G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013)

The greatest American heroes are back in G.I. Joe: Retaliation, the sequel to G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. A military science fiction action film based on the iconic toy line, Retaliation is standard genre fare. The United States government is infiltrated by alien invaders who kidnap and impersonate the president, label the Joes as traitors, and wipe out the majority of their team.

The surviving Joes are left to exact revenge on these intruders, which they do with choreographed precision, thanks in large part to the directorial stylings of Jon M. Chu, the man responsible for two of the Step Up films. Boasting blockbuster-worthy explosions, brute force, and A-list action stars (see: Channing Tatum, Bruce Willis, and Dwayne Johnson), G.I. Joe: Retaliation might not have been what Hasbro envisioned when they released their action figures in 1964, but the movie is still worth a watch — even without 3-D glasses. —I.G.

Where to watch G.I. Joe: Retaliation: Paramount+

EW grade: B- (read the review)

Director: Jon M. Chu

Cast: D.J. Cotrona, Lee Byung-hun, Adrianne Palicki, Ray Park, Jonathan Pryce, Ray Stevenson, Channing Tatum, Bruce Willis, Dwayne Johnson

The Gift (2000)

Small town Georgia has plenty of secrets — and only one person is gifted enough to see them. Annie Wilson (Cate Blanchett) is a young widow and mother of three who supports her family by offering psychic readings. But when a local girl (Katie Holmes) goes missing and Annie starts experiencing harassment at the hands of one of her clients' abusive husbands (Keanu Reeves), her visions become increasingly violent and her safety more and more precarious.

With a script co-written by Billy Bob Thornton and Tom Epperson, and inspired by Thornton's mother's work as a psychic, The Gift is a Southern gothic film that benefits deeply from its all-star cast and direction by Sam Raimi. Tune in for the movie's carefully plotted twists and turns, and relish in Reeves villainous performance, acted with, as EW's critic describes it, "excellent undead malevolence." —I.G.

Where to watch The Gift: Paramount+

EW grade: B (read the review)

Director: Sam Raimi

Cast: Cate Blanchett, Giovanni Ribisi, Keanu Reeves, Katie Holmes, Greg Kinnear, Hilary Swank

Interstellar (2014)

In the year 2067, the question of "what are we going to eat tonight" becomes slightly more pressing as a famine sweeps the globe. Determined to cast a wider net in humanity's search for sustenance, a group of NASA scientists travel to space to investigate three planets that could potentially prove hospitable for humans.

A film by Christopher Nolan, Interstellar is a sci-fi drama that doubles as a love story between a father (Matthew McConaughey) and his daughter (played at different points by Mackenzie Foy, Jessica Chastain, and Ellen Burstyn). In the grand Nolan tradition, Interstellar fools around with time and space, but it's the film's visuals that prove most revelatory. "Christopher Nolan would be derelict if he didn't take gargantuan risks," EW's reviewer writes. "It's good for us that he does." —I.G.

Where to watch Interstellar: Paramount+

EW grade: B– (read the review)

Director: Christopher Nolan

Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Bill Irwin, Ellen Burstyn, Mackenzie Foy, Michael Caine

Mimic (1997)

Entomophobics beware: Mimic is a living recreation of your nightmares, only with a better plot. The B in this B-movie stands for bugs, the kind created by entomologist Dr. Susan Tyler (Mira Sorvino) in an attempt to cure a deadly disease plaguing New York City's children. Three years after the illness has been eradicated and the bugs have allegedly died out, Dr. Tyler discovers they are in fact still alive, thriving in tunnels under the city.

In even worse news, the bugs have mutated in such a way that they are capable of mimicking human behavior — making them more than a match for their above-ground prey. Working alongside her husband Dr. Peter Mann (Jeremy Northam), director of the CDC, Dr. Tyler must find a way to keep the creepy crawlies from continuing to breed, or risk the elimination of the entire human species. —I.G.

Where to watch Mimic: Paramount+

EW grade: B+ (read the review)

Director: Guillermo del Toro

Cast: Mira Sorvino, Jeremy Northam, Josh Brolin, Giancarlo Giannini

Minority Report (2002)

One of the gold-standard sci-fi action films from the early aughts, Minority Report offers everything a genre fan could want: brow furrowing and sick stunts courtesy of star Tom Cruise, fast-moving direction provided by Steven Spielberg, and a moody, ominous audio aesthetic dreamed up by his frequent collaborator, legendary composer John Williams. With these powers combined, the filmmakers invite us to fast forward to the year 2054, when the country's system of law enforcement has undergone a seismic shift thanks to the introduction of the precrime unit.

Relying on visions provided by “pre-cogs,” clairvoyant humans who can see murders before they happen, the unit is under orders to arrest potential criminals for crimes they are expected to commit in the future. But when precrime Commanding Officer John Anderton (Cruise) discovers a flaw in the system, it’s up to him to avoid capture and arrest from Department of Justice Agent Danny Witwer (Colin Farrell), and find justice for one of the precogs, Agatha (Samantha Morton). A chase movie crossed with an ethical conundrum, Minority Report will get your brain thinking and your heart pounding. —I.G. 

Where to watch Minority Report: Paramount+ 

EW grade: N/A (read the review) 

Director: Steven Spielberg 

Cast: Tom Cruise, Colin Farrell, Samantha Morton, Max von Sydow

Rosemary's Baby (1968)

One of the genre’s pioneering works, Rosemary’s Baby stars Mia Farrow and John Cassavetes as Rosemary and Guy Woodhouse, a young New York City couple who move into a storied building rumored to have ties to the occult. Disconcerted by the apartment’s elderly tenants and their overt interest in her pregnancy, Rosemary soon becomes convinced that her neighbors are using her as a Satanic surrogate and intend to include her unborn child in their demonic rituals.

Based on the 1967 novel by the same name, Rosemary’s Baby is generally associated with Mia Farrow’s acclaimed performance as a fragile and unraveling pregnant woman trapped in a nightmare (not to mention her era-defining pixie haircut), but it’s Ruth Gordon (Harold and Maude) in her role as Rosemary and Guy’s neighbor Minnie Castevet who took home the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. —I.G.   

Where to watch Rosemary’s Baby: Paramount+

EW grade: A– (read the review)

Director: Roman Polanski

Cast: Mia Farrow, John Cassavetes, Ruth Gordon, Sidney Blackmer, Maurice Evans, Ralph Bellamy 

Significant Other (2022)

Love can feel like an alien experience — but when you add anxiety and actual aliens to the equation, all bets are off. Ruth and Harry (Maika Monroe and Jake Lacy) are a young couple backpacking in the Pacific Northwest when they encounter a series of unusual situations that test their six-year relationship and love for each other.

Lacy (The White Lotus) has proved himself to be a master of roles that have you questioning whether his professed "good guy" act is actually a front for something much more sinister, and in Significant Other, he manages to deliver another performance that starts out earnest and ends somewhere more evil — with a few laughs thrown in for good measure. A sci-fi horror film that examines love, relationships, and how the traumas we endure in life can hold us back or empower us to survive, Significant Other is a B movie with something to say. —I.G.

Where to watch Significant Other: Paramount+

Directors: Dan Berk, Robert Olsen

Cast: Maika Monroe, Jake Lacy, Matthew Yang King

Smile (2022)

Frowning gives you lines, but grinning can be deadly. Enter Smile, a supernatural horror film starring Sosie Bacon as a clinical psychiatrist named Rose Cotter who works in a public hospital and witnesses a patient's baffling suicide. Soon after, Rose finds herself haunted by an entity that takes control of people and forces them to complete horrifying acts while smiling like maniacs.

Concerned she has been cursed, Rose attempts to track down the origin of this deadly pattern, hoping to free herself from its clutches, and avoid passing it on. Scaredy cats need not apply: Smile offers up "sadistic jump scares" and a story so freaky, EW's critic warns "you might need a bucket of bleach (and several hours of TikTok kitten videos) to cleanse your brainpan afterward." Directed by Parker Finn with the intention of making audiences feel like they're experiencing a "sustained panic attack," and featuring some of the most effective movie marketing in recent history, Smile will not put a grin on your face, but it will strike fear in your heart. —I.G.

Where to watch Smile: Paramount+

EW grade: B (read the review)

Director: Parker Finn

Cast: Sosie Bacon, Jessie T. Usher, Kyle Gallner, Kal Penn, Rob Morgan

Snakes on a Plane (2006)

There’s nothing nuanced about Snakes on a Plane, a movie that went viral for its pragmatic title, but the lack of metaphor doesn’t distract from the film’s entertainment value. Snakes on a Plane is a horror movie that is not trying to do too much. In fact, the film’s only real goal is — to paraphrase the words of Samuel L. Jackson’s character, Agent Neville Flynn — to get these motherf---ing snakes off this motherf---ing plane. 

Is filling an entire commercial airline with poisonous reptiles an imprecise way to keep a witness from testifying at the trial of a crime lord? Absolutely. But is it a great way to set up a plane crammed with tertiary characters for an exit-less showdown with the hissing enemy? Absolutely. So, viewers, strap in, because the flight from Hawaii to Los Angeles just got a lot more turbulent. —I.G.

Where to watch Snakes on a Plane: Paramount+

EW grade: N/A (read the review)

Director: David R. Ellis

Cast: Samuel L. Jackson, Julianna Margulies, Nathan Phillips, Bobby Cannavale, Flex Alexander, Todd Louiso, Sunny Mabrey, Kenan Thompson, Elsa Pataky, David Koechner

Star Trek (2009)

In the late 2000s, J.J. Abrams went where no man has gone before by directing the first film in a Star Trek prequel trilogy. Non-trekkies might find the sheer vastness of the franchise overwhelming — currently, it includes 12 television shows, beginning with Star Trek: The Original Series (1966–1969), and 13 films — but given that 2009's Star Trek serves as an origin story for some of the main characters, newbies will find it to be a solid entrée into the world.

Set in 2233, Abrams' film follows the evolution of James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) and his fellow USS Enterprise crew members as they battle a future version of Nero (Eric Bana), a vengeful Romulan with a vendetta against their captain. A movie that paved the way for 2013's Star Trek Into Darkness and 2016's Star Trek Beyond, Star Trek is a satisfying and compelling precursor. —I.G.

Where to watch Star Trek: Paramount+

EW grade: (read the review)

Director: J.J. Abrams

Cast: John Cho, Ben Cross, Bruce Greenwood, Simon Pegg, Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Winona Ryder, Zoe Saldaña, Karl Urban, Anton Yelchin, Eric Bana, Leonard Nimoy

Terminator 2 (1991)

The creative and financial apex of what's become an entire universe of film and television titles, Terminator 2: Judgment Day was the first expansion on the story told in 1984's The Terminator. In the second film, Arnold Schwarzenegger's T-800 cyborg killer from the future has transformed into a father figure/good guy to teenaged John Connor (Edward Furlong), the son of Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton), who grows up to lead the human resistance against sentient rogue intelligence Skynet and its world-conquering army of murderous machines.

The storyline isn't the only thing that expands here. T2 director James Cameron takes action filmmaking to incredible new heights with sequences that hurl massive semi-trucks through cement retention walls, smash helicopters into government laboratories, and intensify the firepower at every turn. This time around, the T-800 is tasked with protecting the Connors from a more advanced Terminator dubbed T-1000 (Robert Patrick) who is constructed from liquid metal and is utterly, totally relentless. — Johnny Loftus

Where to watch Terminator 2: Paramount+ 

EW grade: B+ (read the review)

Director: James Cameron

Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Robert Patrick, Edward Furlong

Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011)

Michael Bay is back with the third film in the Transformers franchise, and this time he's shooting for the moon. As always, it's Autobots facing off against Decepticons in a battle for dominance over Earth, with Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) along for the ride. Megan Fox has moved on, and Sam has a new girlfriend, Carly (Rosie Huntington-Whiteley), along with some space-age secrets with which to contend. With an impressive ensemble cast and plot points that involve everything from Buzz Aldrin to "Space Bridges," Transformers: Dark of the Moon moves fast and covers a lot of ground.

While not the strongest of all the Transformer movies — let's face it, Dark of the Moon usually falls right in the middle of most people's rankings — the film is still a great way to satisfy your Autobot cravings until you can get your hands on the seventh movie, Rise of the Beasts, which premiered in June 2023. —I.G.

Where to watch Transformers: Dark of the Moon: Paramount+

EW grade: B (read the review)

Director: Michael Bay

Cast: Shia LaBeouf, Josh Duhamel, John Turturro, Tyrese Gibson, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Patrick Dempsey, Kevin Dunn, Julie White, John Malkovich, Frances McDormand

War of the Worlds (2005)

The aliens are coming and they do not hold humans in high regard. An action-adventure film adapted from H.G. Wells' 19th-century science fiction novel, War of the Worlds stars Tom Cruise as an estranged father of two who is determined to help his kids survive an alien invasion, and reunite them with their mother.

A Steven Spielberg-directed attack-of-the-aliens disaster film rife with lightning bolts, property damage, and the constant threat of annihilation, War of the Worlds doesn't quite incite the same level of panic as the eponymous 1938 radio broadcast that convinced listeners that Martians were actually invading. But that doesn't mean Spielberg doesn't know how to tap into the human fear of an extinction event, and mine that terror for all it's worth. —I.G.

Where to watch War of the Worlds: Paramount+

EW grade: N/A (read the review)

Director: Steven Spielberg

Cast: Tom Cruise, Dakota Fanning, Miranda Otto, Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman

World War Z (2013)

When you take away a zombie's one weakness — its tendency towards slow-motion movement — you get World War Z, a zombie film in which the villains don't so much stagger as swarm. Brad Pitt stars as Gerry Lane, a former UN Investigator with the skills and connections necessary to save his wife and two young daughters — but only if he agrees to identify the origin of the outbreak, and help humanity survive a planet-wide zombie apocalypse.

EW says the film may be "the most entertaining and accomplished zombie thriller since George A. Romero's Dawn of the Dead," and if that's not incentive enough, you get to see Pitt in a role that has him exemplifying "feral grace under pressure." Run — don't walk — to your nearest screen to check it out. —I.G.

Where to watch World War Z: Paramount+

EW grade: A– (read the review)

Director: Marc Forster

Cast: Brad Pitt, Mireille Enos, James Badge Dale