Looking at Paramount Plus' new arrivals for December 2024, it's clear that there is no shortage of great movies. No, this streaming service doesn't quite make the cut in our guide to the best streaming services, but it's not for lack of good movies.

That's coming from me as well. Looking through all the new additions to Paramount Plus this month, there were nearly a dozen films that received a 95% or better critics' rating on Rotten Tomatoes. While not a perfect metric, it does mean that these films received near-universal acclaim.

After looking over this short list, we have narrowed it down to the seven best critically-acclaimed films opening this month at Paramount Plus. They include one of Taylor Sheridan's best films, a great biopic starring Daniel Kaluuya, and one of the best horror films ever made, among many others. So without further ado, here are the seven best films newly released this December on Paramount Plus that scored 95% or higher on Rotten Tomatoes.

“Hell or High Water” stars Chris Pine and Ben Foster as West Texas brothers Toby and Tanner. As the Texas Midlands Bank attempts to foreclose on their late mother's ranch, they rob the same bank that owes them money. This catches the attention of the Texas Rangers, and Marcus Hamilton (Jeff Bridges) and Albert Parker (Gil Birmingham) are sent to track down and bring in the brothers.

While some of screenwriter Taylor Sheridan's later work is questionable, there is no doubt that this film is his best. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences agreed. Sheridan was nominated for Best Screenplay, the film for Best Picture and Best Editing, and Bridges, who plays Hamilton, for Best Supporting Actor.

Genre Crime Drama Rotten Tomatoes Score: 97% Stream Now on Paramount Plus

In her/the One World Girl, Joaquin Phoenix plays the introverted Theodore Twombly. Things are not going well for Theodore. He suffers from depression and is in the midst of a divorce from his childhood sweetheart. But things begin to change when he buys an OS¹ and begins to develop a relationship with the computer's artificial intelligence (voiced by Scarlett Johansson).

When the film was released in 2013, it was already prescient. But with the rise of chatbots like ChatGPT with voice and Gemini Live, “her” has never felt more plausible a future. Whether that's a good thing or not is subjective, but the film itself was objectively good and one of my favorites that year.

Genre Science Fiction Romantic ComedyRotten Tomatoes Score: 95% Stream it now on Paramount Plus

“Judas and the Black Messiah” stars Daniel Kaluuya as Fred Hampton, chairman of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party. The biopic tells the true story of how the FBI infiltrated the chapter thanks to Hampton's betrayal by FBI informant Bill O'Neill (Laquise Stanfield). Yes, you know who the bad guys are, but believe me, the betrayal still stings just the same.

“Judas and the Black Messiah” is all about the performances of its talented cast, which includes Kaluuya and Stanfield as well as Jesse Plemons and Ashton Sanders. Kaluuya and Stanfield were nominated for Best Picture and Best Supporting Actor, with Kaluuya ultimately winning.

Genre: biographical crime dramaRotten Tomatoes Score: 96% Stream it now on Paramount Plus

With an incredible cast, the film set in Los Angeles in 1953 stars Guy Pearce as Edmund ” Shotgun Ed” Exley as Sgt. Edmund ‘Shotgun Ed’ Exley, Kevin Spacey as narcotics officer Jack Vincennes, and Russell Crowe as a cop who is willing to use a little violence to get justice. The three are suddenly brought together by a serial murder and police corruption investigation.

In addition to these three, Kim Basinger also stars as Lynn Bracken, a high-class prostitute who hits it off with White. She would win an Academy Award for this performance. The film also stars James Cromwell as LAPD Captain Dudley Smith, David Strathern as prostitution kingpin Pierce Patchett, and Danny DeVito as tabloid journalist Sid Hudgens. For a tale of Hollywood's seedy underworld, there is no better choice than “L.A. Confidential.”

Genre Neo-Noir Crime DramaRotten Tomatoes Score: 99% Stream Now on Paramount Plus

“Rosemary's Baby” is a quintessential horror classic. A must-see for any fan of the genre. Mia Farrow stars as Rosemary Woodhouse, who has just moved into a Branford apartment with her husband Guy (John Cassavetes). But there are early signs that they have made a terrible mistake, as they find signs of strange behavior from the previous tenants while touring the apartment.

However, things take a turn from sinister to eerie when Rosemary becomes pregnant. Even how she got pregnant is a giant red herring. If you've never seen this horror masterpiece, don't miss it, as it is now streaming on Paramount Plus.

Genre Psycho-horrorRotten Tomatoes Score: 97%Stream it now on Paramount Plus

“The Iron Giant” star Eli Marienthal is a widowed mother Annie (Jennifer Aniston) and Maine He plays Hogarth Hughes, a nine-year-old boy living in Rockwell. One day, while exploring, he discovers Giant (Vin Diesel), a giant metal robot from outer space. Hogarth helps Giant escape from paranoid U.S. government agent Kent Mansley (Christopher McDonald), and they soon become friends.

Somehow, “The Iron Giant” feels like the animated film that time forgot. It's a classic that was loved by nearly everyone who saw it, including me; it pulled off “E.T.” in a way that didn't feel derivative of it, and director Brad Bird would go on to have great success at Pixar. It may also be Vin Diesel's best performance. Yet, with a box office of only $31.3 million, not that many people saw it. So be sure to see it now that it has been released on Paramount Plus.

Genre The Kenneth Chamberlin Murder Case is based on the horrific true story of the death of 68-year-old black ex-Marine and former prison guard Kenneth Chamberlin Sr. But when he accidentally activated his LifeAid medical emergency necklace, it took police less than two hours to shoot him dead in his home.

In this shocking dramatization of the events that led to Chamberlain's death, the murdered senior citizen is played by Frankie Faison. Thanks to a LifeAid device that recorded the entire incident, the film was able to recreate the horrific event and has been praised by critics and audiences alike. Don't miss.

Genre Thriller DramaRotten Tomatoes Score: 97%Stream it now on Paramount Plus