Meet the newest heavyweight in the streaming game: Paramount Plus. Formerly known as CBS All Access, this service recently launched a major expansion. Subscribers can choose from a deep catalog of movies and television shows, along with a wide variety of live sporting events and news programs. If you love watching cars on the screen or delving into what goes on under the hood, you’ll find plenty to enjoy on Paramount Plus. Here’s a closer look at the service’s top movies for gearheads.
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Biker Boyz (2003)
This action-packed flick about underground racing, intense rivalries, and family ties has a lot in common with The Fast and the Furious — except that it’s about souped-up motorcycles instead of souped-up cars.
Breakdown (1997)
As this underrated ‘90s thriller demonstrates, the worst-case scenario for your cross-country road trip isn’t breaking down in the middle of nowhere. It’s breaking down in the middle of nowhere and being “rescued” by a murderous trucker.
The Godfather (1972)
The Godfather is best known as a dark, dramatic tale of multiple Mafia generations, but this cinematic tour de force also showcases plenty of gorgeous classic cars (as does its 1974 sequel, The Godfather Part II).
The Italian Job (1969 and 2003)
Here’s a fun double feature: a classic heist movie, followed by its modern remake (which is just as good). The centerpiece of both films is a huge gold theft carried out with the help of three custom Mini Coopers.
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Mission: Impossible II (2000)
Tom Cruise and Thandiwe Newton race an Audi and a Porsche in the mountains, almost die, and then make out. Tom Cruise rides a motorcycle through flames, takes out his pursuers while stunting on one wheel, and then jousts in midair with another cyclist. What more could you possibly want from this beautifully stupid movie?
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
If you’ve never seen Raiders of the Lost Ark, here’s your chance to rectify that. Among the highlights of this all-time action masterpiece: an extended truck pursuit across the desert that’s easily one of the most exciting and innovative chase scenes ever filmed.
Rat Race (2001)
If you’re in the right frame of mind, this goofy road trip movie is a lot of fun to watch. It ends with an un-ironic dance-along to Smash Mouth’s “All Star,” leaving no doubt whatsoever that, yes, this is a film from the early 2000s.
Smithsonian Channel documentaries
Paramount Plus is home to a massive selection of Smithsonian Channel documentaries, including these seven fascinating titles about the history of cars, trucks, and driving:
- The Green Book: Guide to Freedom
- Gun Trucks of Vietnam
- Hover Racers: Flying on Air
- Incredible Flying Cars
- The Supercar Story
- Supercar Superbuild
- World’s Finest Cars: The Insider’s Guide
Wheels on Meals (1984)
In this action-comedy classic, Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung play cousins who run a food truck (and are also really good at martial arts). The final scene is considered one of Chan’s greatest fight sequences.
A longtime editor/writer and recently transplanted Hoosier, Caleb Cook lives in Xenia, Ohio. His favorite activities are reading and listening to music, although he occasionally emerges from the heap of books and vinyl records in his basement to stand blinking in the sunlight. Once fully acclimated to the outside world again, he can be observed hanging out with his wife, attempting a new recipe in the kitchen, attending movies, walking the dog, or wandering into a local brewery to inquire about what’s on tap. See more articles by Caleb.