April is already well underway, and, as usual, Paramount+ kicked the new month off by bringing a boatload of new movies and shows (147, to be precise) to the streaming service. But if you don’t have the time to sort through well over one hundred new additions, I’ve already done the hard work for you. I’ve already sorted through everything that’s new on Paramount+ in April 2026 and put together a list of seven critically-acclaimed movies that have each earned a coveted 90% (or higher) score on the review aggregate site, Rotten Tomatoes.
While a high RT score doesn’t necessarily mean a movie will definitely match your taste, it indicates that most critics who reviewed any particular movie liked what they saw. Thus, you can typically rely on a high score to help you narrow down a massive batch of new movies and shows down to the things you’d like to stream.
Article continues below
You may like
The best movies to stream on Paramount Plus in April 2026’Arrival’ (2016)
Arrival Trailer (2016) – Paramount Pictures – YouTube
Watch On
Nearly a decade on from the film’s release, “Arrival” is still one of the finest modern sci-fi movies I’ve ever seen, and if you’ve never seen it, you should seriously consider adding it to your watchlist this April. I’m pretty sure I call it out every time it comes to Paramount+ — I just love it that much.
Denis Villeneuve’s thought-provoking first-contact feature sees the world turned on its head when gigantic alien spacecraft touch down at various locations across the world. As panic grows across the planet, translator and linguistics professor Louise Banks (Amy Adams) is brought in to develop a means of communicating with the so-called “Heptapods.” As the world around them teeters on the brink of conflict, Banks and her team race against time to try to decipher why they’ve arrived before it’s too late.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 94%
Watch “Arrival” on Paramount+ now
‘Catch Me If You Can’ (2002)
Catch Me if You Can (2002) Trailer #1 | Movieclips Classic Trailers – YouTube
Watch On
Steven Spielberg’s thoroughly enjoyable crime comedy-drama caper “Catch Me If You Can” invites viewers along for a supposedly based-on-a-true-story ride alongside a cunning young con artist.
This is Frank Abagnale Jr. (a great turn from Leonardo DiCaprio), a brilliant young forger and conman who successfully manages to pass himself off as a pilot, lawyer, and doctor, raking in millions of dollars while doing so. FBI Agent Carl Hanratty (Tom Hanks) is determined to bring him in… but Abagnale always seems to be one step ahead of him.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 96%
Watch “Catch Me If Your Can” on Paramount+ now
‘Galaxy Quest’ (1999)
Galaxy Quest (1999) Trailer #1 | Movieclips Classic Trailers – YouTube
Watch On
If you’re looking for laughs, love “Star Trek” or science fiction more broadly, I’m sure you’ll get a kick out of Dean Parisot’s 1999 hilarious sci-fi parody adventure, “Galaxy Quest.”
What to read next
Twenty years on from the titular cult TV show’s cancellation, actor Jason Nesmith (Tim Allen) and his crew — Gwen DeMarco (Sigourney Weaver), Alexander Dane (Alan Rickman), Fred Kwan (Tony Shalhoub) and Tommy Webber (Daryl Mitchell) — are unwittingly recruited by a real-life alien species who believe their televised adventures really happened, and want their help to solve a very real intergalactic conflict.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 90%
Watch “Galaxy Quest” on Paramount+ now
‘Saving Private Ryan’ (1998)
Saving Private Ryan (1998) Trailer #1 | Movieclips Classic Trailers – YouTube
Watch On
I couldn’t not call out another of Spielberg’s movies here, as I’d wager the director’s epic war drama “Saving Private Ryan” is one of the most well-known (and best) movies in the genre.
In this “unflinchingly realistic” (as RT’s critics’ consensus puts it) award-winning feature, we follow Captain John Miller (Tom Hanks) and his squad (including Ed Burns and Tom Sizemore) as he leads his men behind enemy lines on a mission to find and bring home Private James Ryan, whose three brothers have all been killed in combat.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 94%
Watch “Saving Private Ryan” on Paramount+ now
‘The Social Network’ (2010)
THE SOCIAL NETWORK – Official Trailer [2010] (HD) – YouTube
![THE SOCIAL NETWORK - Official Trailer [2010] (HD) - YouTube](https://www.inbella.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/1775905102_132_maxresdefault.jpg)
Watch On
Seeing as the sequel “The Social Reckoning” is due to hit movie theaters later this year, and its acclaimed predecessor “The Social Network” just landed on Paramount+ at the start of the month, I figure now’s as good a time as any to refresh your memory of Aaron Sorkin’s brilliant biographical drama, right?
If you’re yet to see this acclaimed drama, “The Social Network” recounts the founding of Facebook, following Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) from his time at Harvard alongside cofounder Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield), through to becoming one of the youngest billionaires ever … while also charting the personal and legal challenges he faces on that journey.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 96%
Watch “The Social Network” on Paramount+ now
‘The Truman Show’ (1998)
The Truman Show (1998) Trailer #1 | Movieclips Classic Trailers – YouTube
Watch On
While I’m pretty confident that “The Truman Show” is another one of those movies that really needs no introduction at this point, if you haven’t yet tracked down Peter Weir’s iconic comedy-drama, you need to.
The film revolves around Truman Burbank (Jim Carrey), a man who has no idea that the life he’s living is a lie. He’s the star of producer/director Christof’s (Ed Harris) “Truman Show,” a 24/7 live broadcast of the titular insurance agent’s every move. His quaint hometown exists on a colossal soundstage, and his friends and family are paid actors working to maintain the illusion. When he starts to realize something’s up, he has to decide whether to act on his discovery.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 94%
Watch “The Truman Show” on Paramount+ now
‘True Grit’ (2010)
True Grit (2010) Trailer #1 | Movieclips Classic Trailers – YouTube
Watch On
If you’re in the mood for a Western, the Coen brothers’ “True Grit” could be the perfect addition to your watchlist this April. It received ten nominations at the Oscars in 2011, but the team didn’t manage to win any of their categories.
The movie follows 14-year-old farm girl, Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld), as she hires a boozy, trigger-happy lawman called Rooster Cogburn (Jeff Bridges) to track down outlaw Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin) — the man who murdered her father — to dispense some Old West justice. The duo also cross paths with a Texas Ranger (Matt Damon), a man who’s also out to find Chaney for his own reasons.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 95%
Watch “True Grit” on Paramount+ now
Follow Tom’s Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Subscribe to Tom’s Guide on YouTube and follow Tom’s Guide Entertainment on TikTok.
More from Tom’s Guide