4 great Paramount+ movies you’ll want to watch this week (February 2

Paramount+ is one of those streaming services where a wide range of movie genres, niche gems, and blockbusters, both classic and new, can hide in plain sight. And with the calendar moving to a whole new month, a whole new crop of films are being added to the service.

For the week of February 2-8, I watched one of the hardest and most compelling documentaries I’ve ever watched, a mob classic that only gets better with age, a chaotic satire that becomes relevant again, and a ridiculously quotable comedy about male role models.

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Predators

I’ve been putting off watching this disturbing crime documentary on Paramount+ for several weeks because the subject matter is very sensitive and the trailer alone is a bit difficult to watch. But with its 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and the critical praise it received, I gritted my teeth and started playing. And I’m glad I did. Predators is a chilling yet fascinating exploration of the controversial crime reality series To catch a predator. The recurring Dateline NBC segment from the mid-2000s was hosted by investigative reporter Chris Hansen and used “decoy” actors posing as underage children online, in an attempt to lure and expose potential child predators in hidden camera stings. The segments were hard to believe, but America couldn’t look away.

The documentary uses shocking and uncomfortable archival and behind-the-scenes footage, as well as compelling interviews with Hansen, the show’s creators, and some of the decoy actors, to tell the story. But what makes it so watchable and so polarizing is that while it doesn’t excuse targeted predatory men, it calls into question the use of the platform to expose them, and our appetite for seeing real trauma play out in a disturbing spectacle. It’s a chilling and eye-opening watch.

Predators

Release date

September 19, 2025

Runtime

96 minutes

Director

David Osite

3

The godfather

I tried to start this article with a line explaining how to watch The godfather would be like a deal you couldn’t refuse, but then you decided that this iconic mafia movie, the one that shaped everything, from The Freedmen has The Sopranos, was just too legendary to joke about. Director Francis Ford Coppola’s masterpiece and its sequels are once again available on Paramount+ for your viewing pleasure.

The original 1972 film, based on the novel by Mario Puzo, wrote the book on slow-burn mafia dramas, as it follows aging boss Don Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando in his Oscar-winning role), who struggles to keep the family business together amid gang wars. After an assassination attempt, Vito’s only recourse is to call on his son Michael (Al Pacino), a reluctant businessman who just wants to live a normal life, to take over. What we are witnessing is the chilling transformation of mild-mannered Michael into a ruthless and calculating mob boss. It’s one of the greatest films of all time.

The godfather

Release date

March 24, 1972

Runtime

175 minutes

Director

Francis Ford Coppola

2

Team America: World Police

When I interviewed South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone in 2004, when their over-the-top satirical show Team America: World Police came out, some of the things I remember most about what they told me were: First, making a movie with puppets was one of the hardest things they had ever done. Second, they did it to make fun of Hollywood and its pretentious actors. And third, Matt Damon’s puppet came out of the oven with a melted face, so they just followed him (if you know, you know).

The resulting film, an homage to the 1960s television series Thunderbirdsis a gleefully crude and vulgar puppet action film about an American counterterrorism “global police” team who, while enforcing freedom around the world, leave destruction in their wake. In an effort to thwart a sinister plot by Kim Jong-il, Team America recruits Broadway actor Gary Johnson to help, because actors are just great at everything. It’s gritty at times, full of action and even some weird puppet sex. Oh, and it’s a musical. If you like South Park, Team America is twisted, viewing required.

1

Zoolander

It’s hard to believe that one of comedy’s most iconic characters was born from a short film that Ben Stiller created for the VH1 Fashion Awards in 1996 and 1997. They were so beloved that Stiller, who was still establishing himself as a director, writer and producer, decided to make them into a full-fledged feature film. Zoolander was released theatrically in 2001 in all its glory, and it remains today one of the most finely constructed satires of the fashion industry ever made.

Stiller plays legendary male model Derek Zoolander, who loves a good gas fight, doesn’t know how to deliver the eulogy or turn left on the runway, but boy, is he ridiculously handsome. When Derek is brainwashed and hypnotized by eccentric designer Jacobim Mugatu (Will Ferell) into an assassination plot to kill the Malaysian Prime Minister, with the help of hard-nosed journalist Matilda (Christine Taylor) and male model Hansel (Owen Wilson), the three must get to the bottom of things before it’s too late. Stiller, Wilson and Ferrell give classic performances, but also keep an eye out for pitch-perfect cameos from David Duchovny, Billy Zane, Alexander Skarsgård and Winona Ryder.

Zoolander

Release date

September 28, 2001

Runtime

90 minutes

Director

Ben Stiller

Whatever you’re in the mood for – from dark and thought-provoking documentaries to silly and funny satires – this week’s picks have you covered. Also be sure to check out our article on everything coming to Paramount+ in February 2026.

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Concurrent streams

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If you enjoy CBS offerings, you’ll want to subscribe to Paramount+. You have access to hit shows like Star Trek And Yellow stoneas well as a variety of SHOWTIME content.