4 Paramount+ Movies to Watch While It’s Freezing Outside (January 19

Despite the freezing temperatures in parts of the country, Paramount+ arrives this week with a lineup of films I can get behind.

For the week of January 19 to 25, how about a little horror to wake you up, a burlesque reboot of a classic detective satire, a documentary about a comedy giant who left us too soon and a little heartwarming comedy?

4

Smile 2

Some of the best and scariest horror and thriller films are the ones that take perfectly harmless things, like dolls, water, or toys, and turn them against us. What’s more harmless than a smile, amirite? Starring pop superstar Skye Riley (Naomi Scott, Power Rangers), it turns out nothing could be more terrifying. Back from a year in rehab, Skye just wants to continue her career. But after a relapse she sends him to his old dealer for a fix, all she gets is a sinister smile and the demonic curse that comes with it.

If you’ve seen the excellent first film, you know what’s coming next: hallucinations, strangers smiling at you, problems in reality, all of this is meant to drive you crazy until you pass it on to another, at the cost of your own life. Skye’s mother/manager Elizabeth (Rosemarie DeWitt) and her assistant Joshua simply think she’s relapsing, while Skye takes extreme measures to end the curse. Smile 2 is fun as hell, full of great jump scares and is well acted, earning it an 86% on Rotten Tomatoes.

3

The naked gun

Following in the footsteps of a comedic genius like Leslie Nielsen would be a daunting task for any actor, especially if your bread and butter are extremely serious and gruff characters with a “certain skill set.” However, to no one’s surprise, it turns out that Neeson’s sullen exterior, juxtaposed with the genre-defining silliness of Nielsen’s Frank Drebin character, is exactly what this legacy reboot represents. The naked gun necessary.

Neeson plays Frank Drebin Jr., who is on a mission to stop the LAPD from being shut down. All of this will have to wait until Drebin becomes embroiled in a conspiracy involving a tech mogul, unhinged self-driving cars, a beautiful woman (the excellent Pamela Anderson), a murder, and a PLOT device that will return humans to their sleeping primate natures. This reboot does the originals justice, keeping the franchise’s tradition of ridiculous one-liners, visual gags, bad puns, and silly mayhem alive.

The naked gun

Release date

August 1, 2025

Runtime

85 minutes

Director

Akiva Schaffer

2

Belushi

If you love comedy giants and biographical documentaries about them, then this funny and heartbreaking 2020 portrait of the late, great John Belushi by famed documentary producer RJ Cutler will fascinate you. Belushi chronicles the life of the larger-than-life star of SNL, Animal Housee, and The Blues Brothers, from his youth, to his rise through the improv ranks of Second City in Chicago, and beyond.

Told through rare interviews and behind-the-scenes footage, as well as gripping audio tapes discovered after his death, it is a stark and bittersweet account of his life, which was also haunted by the pressures of fame, addiction and obsession. Some of Belushi’s best friends and colleagues also share their thoughts with the doc, including his brother Jim Belushi, Dan Aykroyd and Lorne Michaels. Belushi is a brilliant documentary that has a 91% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Belushi

Release date

October 14, 2020

Runtime

108 minutes

Director

RJ Cutler

1

School of Rock

Now let’s move on to comfort food. Whether you’re a fan of Jack Black’s whirlwind career that spans everything from small roles to The fall guy to Tenacious D to High fidelity, Jumanji, Nacho Free, Si Fu Panda, and beyond, for me and my daughter, School of RockDewey Finn is Primo Black. If you haven’t seen it, now is the time. In a role written specifically for Black by White Lotus Creator Mike White, Dewey is a burned-out man-child, still clinging to his dream of becoming a rock star, when his band kicks him out.

Desperate and looking for work, Dewey poses as his roommate Ned Schneebly (White), a substitute teacher at a wealthy private school. But instead of doing arithmetic and grammar, he turns the class into a rock and roll machine – band, manager, roadies, sound and lighting – with the “class project” being a huge battle of the bands. Sure, it’s morally unethical and probably illegal, but Dewey’s charisma is addictive, the kids are adorable and can really rock, and the ending is sweet.

School of Rock

Release date

October 3, 2003

Runtime

110 minutes

Director

Richard Linklater

Paramount+ may be hit or miss week to week, but its vast library of films, old and new, is a never-ending trove of titles. With any luck, one of this week’s suggestions will pique your interest.

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Concurrent streams

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