3 high-stakes Paramount+ thrillers to watch this weekend (August 21-23)

Paramount+ dumped a mountain (see what I did there?) of catalog titles on its service at the beginning of the month, and U.S.subscribers responded by watching so much that it's the No.1 movie right now, according to Flixster.

The most thrilling thing near the top 10, though, is , but I think we can do better than that.Dig past the new arrivals, and P+ has loads of way better options, including a terrifying staple about a therapist who keeps seeing the same sinister upside-down frown everywhere, a future-set sci-fi classic that might be the best of a franchise, and my top pick, an interstellar grudge match against a famous starship captain.3 Smile A therapist inherits her patient's worst nightmare Some of the best thrillers and horrors are the ones that take everyday simplicities—you know, like children's dolls and teddy bears—and turn them into sinister demons from hell.

Welp, you can thank writer/director Parker Finn for ruining the warmth and innocence of a simple smile.Yes, 2022's smirked its way to the year's biggest original horror release, to the tune of $217 million.Based on Finn's own SXSW short film, , follows Dr.

Rose Cotter (Sosie Bacon, daughter of Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick), a psychiatrist treating a patient named Laura (Caitlin Stasey) who says she's being haunted by a malevolent entity.Rose then watches Laura kill herself while wearing a horrific frozen grin.Days later, Rose starts seeing the same smile on people everywhere, including her fiancé Trevor (Jessie T.

Usher), and soon learns that the entity has jumped to her.The only way to rid herself of it? It must be passed on to a new witness to a death, whether her own or someone else's.won solid reviews (79% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes), as did its sequel, (also streaming on P+), which fared even better at 86%.

There's reportedly a third installment in development, but it's unclear if Finn will be involved.Smile R Horror Mystery Release Date September 23, 2022 Where to watch Close WHERE TO WATCH Streaming RENT BUY Cast Kyle Gallner, Sosie Bacon, Jessie T.Usher, Robin Weigert, Caitlin Stasey, Kal Penn, Rob Morgan, Gillian Zinser, Judy Reyes, Jack Sochet, Nick Arapoglou, Perry Strong, Matthew Lamb, Dora Kiss, Meghan Brown Pratt, Jared Johnston, Ura Yoana Sánchez, Vanessa Cozart, Gabriel Mark, Shevy Gutierrez, Sara Kapner, Steven Strickland, Kevin Keppy, Marti Matulis, Scot Teller Runtime 115 minutes Director Parker Finn Writers Parker Finn Producers Isaac Klausner, Marty Bowen, Robert Salerno, Wyck Godfrey Budget $17 million Studio(s) Paramount Pictures Distributor(s) Paramount Pictures Executive Producer(s) Adam Fishbach Powered by Expand Collapse 2 Terminator 2: Judgment Day Liquid metal, Linda Hamilton's guns, and a perfect sequel Paramount+ may not have James Cameron's original genre-defining 1984 masterpiece, ​​​​​, currently streaming on its service, but that's fine because it does have the franchise's golden child, , which is universally considered the perfect sequel and better than the original.

Quiz 8 Questions · Test Your Knowledge The Terminator franchiseTrivia challenge From Skynet to Judgment Day — see how much you really know about the Terminator movies. CharactersPlotQuotesMachinesSequels Begin 01 / 8 Characters What is the name of the human resistance leader that Skynet sends the Terminator back in time to kill in the original 1984 film? AKyle ReeseBMiles DysonCJohn ConnorDDanny Dyson That's right — John Connor is the primary target! Skynet sends the T-800 back to 1984 to kill Sarah Connor before John is even born, hoping to erase him from existence before he can lead humanity to victory. Not quite — the answer is John Connor.Kyle Reese is actually the human soldier sent back by John Connor himself to protect Sarah, and he ends up being John's father.Skynet's plan was to eliminate John before he could become a threat. Continue 02 / 8 Quotes Which iconic line does the T-800 say upon arriving in the original 1984 Terminator film? A"I'll be back."B"Your clothes.

Give them to me."C"Come with me if you want to live."D"Hasta la vista, baby." Correct! After the T-800 materializes naked in an alley, his very first spoken line is a demand for clothes from a group of punks.It's a chilling introduction to the character's cold, mission-focused nature. Close, but not quite.'Your clothes.

Give them to me.' is the T-800's first spoken line in the film.'I'll be back' comes later and is probably the franchise's most famous quote, while 'Hasta la vista, baby' doesn't appear until Terminator 2. Continue 03 / 8 Machines What model number is the liquid-metal Terminator that serves as the main villain in Terminator 2: Judgment Day? AT-600BT-900CT-1000DT-X That's right — it's the T-1000! Played by Robert Patrick, this advanced Terminator is made of mimetic polyalloy, allowing it to shapeshift and mimic any person or object it touches.It was a revolutionary visual effects achievement for 1991. Not quite — the answer is the T-1000.

The T-X appears much later in Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, while the T-600 is mentioned in dialogue as an earlier, less sophisticated model.The T-1000's liquid-metal effects wowed audiences in 1991. Continue 04 / 8 Plot In the original Terminator, who sent Kyle Reese back in time to protect Sarah Connor? ASarah Connor herselfBA military councilCJohn ConnorDSkynet Exactly right — John Connor sent Kyle Reese back in time! This creates one of cinema's most famous bootstrap paradoxes: John sends Reese back, Reese falls in love with Sarah, and Reese becomes John's father — meaning John is responsible for his own existence. Not quite — it was John Connor who sent Kyle Reese back.This twist creates an incredible time paradox at the heart of the story.

John already knew Reese was his father and essentially orchestrated the very events that led to his own birth. Continue 05 / 8 Characters Which actress plays Sarah Connor in the original 1984 Terminator and Terminator 2: Judgment Day? ASigourney WeaverBLinda HamiltonCJamie Lee CurtisDEmilia Clarke Correct — it's Linda Hamilton! Her transformation between the two films is iconic: going from a frightened waitress in 1984 to a hardened, muscle-bound warrior in 1991. Hamilton's physical and emotional commitment to the role made Sarah Connor one of cinema's greatest action heroes. The correct answer is Linda Hamilton.Emilia Clarke did play Sarah Connor, but only in the 2015 film Terminator Genisys.Hamilton's portrayal across the first two films remains definitive, and she reprised the role again in 2019's Terminator: Dark Fate. Continue 06 / 8 Sequels What is the subtitle of the third Terminator film, released in 2003? ASalvationBDark FateCRise of the MachinesDGenisys That's right — Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines! Released in 2003 and directed by Jonathan Mostow, it introduced the T-X Terminator played by Kristanna Loken.

It was the first film in the franchise not directed by James Cameron. Not quite — the third film is Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines. Salvation is the fourth film (2009), Genisys is the fifth (2015), and Dark Fate is the sixth (2019). Rise of the Machines was notable for being the first sequel without director James Cameron at the helm. Continue 07 / 8 Plot What is the name of the artificial intelligence that becomes self-aware and launches a nuclear war against humanity in the Terminator franchise? AHAL 9000BSkynetCColossusDLegion Correct — it's Skynet! Originally developed as a defense network by Cyberdyne Systems, Skynet becomes self-aware and, perceiving humans as a threat, launches nuclear missiles to trigger what becomes known as Judgment Day.It then creates the Terminators to hunt down survivors. The answer is Skynet.HAL 9000 is the rogue AI from 2001: A Space Odyssey, and Colossus is from the 1970 film Colossus: The Forbin Project.

Legion does appear as a Skynet-like AI in Terminator: Dark Fate, serving as that film's version of the franchise's machine overlord. Continue 08 / 8 Machines In Terminator 2: Judgment Day, what does the reprogrammed T-800 promise John Connor he will never do, leading to one of the film's most emotional moments? AKill a human beingBDisobey a direct orderCReturn to SkynetDDestroy its own CPU That's right — the T-800 promises never to kill a human! After John is horrified to see the Terminator wound people while escaping the hospital, he orders it to swear off killing.The T-800 complies, resorting only to injuring people — showing how it follows John's commands with robotic literalness. The correct answer is that the T-800 promises never to kill a human being.This becomes a key theme of the film — exploring whether a machine can develop something like morality.

It also makes the T-800's eventual self-sacrifice at the end all the more powerful and emotionally resonant. See My Score Challenge Complete Your Score / 8 Thanks for playing! Try Again Released in the summer of 1991, gave us so, so much—a ripped Linda Hamilton, transformed into the action star she still is today; a reprogrammed, kinder, gentler T-800 (Arnold Schwarzenegger), this time risking his life to young John Connor's (Edward Furlong); and the pièce de résistance, the advanced, indestructible, liquid-metallic T-1000 (played by Robert Patrick) still intent on killing John so Skynet can keep control of the future.This time, though, the robot, Sarah, and John set out to hunt down original Skynet engineer Miles Dyson (Joe Morton) to stop him before he starts.is a juggernaut that scored four Academy Award wins—including for makeup, sound, and its groundbreaking visual effects.

The critical darling (currently at 90% on RT) is also set to return to theaters at the end of August for its 35th anniversary run.​​​​​​ Terminator 2: Judgment Day R Action Thriller Science Fiction Release Date July 3, 1991 Where to watch Close WHERE TO WATCH Streaming RENT Cast Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Edward Furlong, Robert Patrick, Earl Boen, Joe Morton, S.Epatha Merkerson, Castulo Guerra, Danny Cooksey, Jenette Goldstein, Xander Berkeley, Leslie Hamilton Gearren, Ken Gibbel, Robert Winley, Pete Schrum, Shane Wilder, Michael Edwards, Jared Lounsbery, Casey Chavez, Ennalls Berl, Don Lake, Richard Vidan, Tom McDonald, Jim Palmer, Gerard 'Gus' Williams Runtime 137 minutes Director James Cameron Writers James Cameron, Gale Anne Hurd, William Wisher Producers James Cameron, Van Ling Prequel(s) Terminator Sequel(s) Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, Terminator Salvation, Terminator Genisys, Terminator: Dark Fate Franchise(s) Terminator Main Genre Sci-Fi Budget $94-102 Million Studio(s) Carolco Pictures, Pacific Western Productions, Lightstorm Entertainment, Le Studio Canal+ Distributor(s) Tri-Star Pictures Executive Producer(s) Gale Anne Hurd, Mario Kassar Powered by Expand Collapse 1 Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan A name that echoed throughout the galaxy After the warp-coil detonation that was 1979's bloated , Gene Roddenberry's franchise needed a hit.

With a pared-down budget, director Nicholas Meyer delivered what many fans and critics call the best Star Trek movie of them all—.While you wouldn't normally slot Star Trek into thriller territory, was less its usual sci-fi space fantasy and more of a tense, cat-and-mouse revenge story.And much of that is thanks to the film's lead villain, Khan Noonien Singh—played by the incomparable Ricardo Montalbán—a bare-chested, genetically engineered warlord, a character ripped from the celluloid of the classic 1960s TV series.

It's been 15 years since Kirk (William Shatner at his finest) left Khan and his followers stranded on a planet that was later devastated.After escaping, Khan sets out to exact his revenge on the now Admiral Kirk, seizing a Federation starship and the Genesis Device, which can destroy a planet as easily as it can create a new one.Khan gets the drop on Kirk, leading to one of cinema's most furious name-screams ever.

But hands down, the film's ending belongs to Spock (Leonard Nimoy).If you haven't seen it, I won't spoil it, but it's epic.Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan PG Action Adventure Science Fiction Thriller Release Date June 4, 1982 Where to watch Close WHERE TO WATCH Streaming RENT BUY Cast William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Deforest Kelley, James Doohan, Walter Koenig Runtime 112 Minutes Director Nicholas Meyer Writers Jack B.

Sowards Franchise(s) Star Trek Main Genre Action Budget 12000000.0 Where to watch Max Studio(s) Paramount Where To Stream M IMDb ID tt0084726 TMDB User Rating 7 .5 Powered by Expand Collapse Thrills from demons, the future, and deep space An intense, fast-paced, high-stakes thriller can come from many different genres or realms, but whichever you prefer, the above list has three movies that will get your heart rate up.And when you're done, How-To Geek's streaming section runs picks like these weekly, for all the major services.Paramount Plus Subscription with ads Yes, $8/month Simultaneous streams 3 Live TV Select live sports (NFL on CBS & UEFA Champions League) Price Starting at $8/month or $60/year Stream on Paramount+ Expand Collapse

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