3 Paramount+ Movies to Watch This Week: May 4-10

Key Takeaways

• Shaolin Soccer (2001) holds an 89% Rotten Tomatoes rating and influenced films like Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and Kung Fu Panda
• The streaming lineup includes genre variety: martial arts comedy, submarine thriller, and indie drama
• These films arrive before Paramount+'s big May 15 release of Dutton Ranch, the newest Yellowstone spinoff

Paramount+ just dropped its May movie slate, and U.S. subscribers have a few solid picks for weekday viewing. The timing works out: you've got about 10 days before Taylor Sheridan's newest Yellowstone spinoff, Dutton Ranch, arrives on May 15 and dominates the conversation.

This week's additions span three wildly different genres. A Hong Kong martial arts comedy that became a global cult phenomenon. A tense Tom Clancy submarine thriller. And an L.A. indie that put Vince Vaughn and Jon Favreau on the map. Here's what's worth your time.

Shaolin Soccer (2001)

When Shaolin Soccer premiered in 2001, it became the highest-grossing film in Hong Kong history. Two decades later, its influence shows up everywhere: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Kung Fu Panda, and Dodgeball: An Underdog Story all owe a creative debt to writer-director Stephen Chow's genre-bending experiment.

The premise sounds absurd because it is. Sing (played by Chow) is a street sweeper devoted to Shaolin kung fu who's searching for a way to bring its teachings to the masses. He meets Fung, a washed-up soccer legend, and discovers he can apply Shaolin techniques to the game with supernatural results. The two assemble a team of kung-fu brothers and a gifted goalkeeper named Mui to compete for the China Super Cup against the villains of Team Evil.

Shaolin Soccer is supremely goofy. It features high-flying martial arts sequences, intentionally bad CGI effects, flaming soccer balls, and dialogue that's cheesy in the best way. The film holds an 89% critics' rating on Rotten Tomatoes. If you've never seen it, this is the rare cult classic that lives up to its reputation.

The Hunt for Red October (1990)

Tom Clancy's submarine thriller launched a franchise. Sean Connery plays Marko Ramius, a Soviet submarine captain who decides to defect to the United States with the USSR's most advanced nuclear sub. Alec Baldwin is CIA analyst Jack Ryan, the only person who believes Ramius wants to defect rather than attack.

Director John McTiernan, fresh off Die Hard, brought the same tension and pacing to underwater warfare. The film earned an Academy Award for Best Sound Editing and remains the gold standard for submarine movies. It's also the first and arguably best of the Jack Ryan adaptations, before Harrison Ford, Ben Affleck, Chris Pine, and John Krasinski took turns with the character.

Swingers (1996)

Before Vince Vaughn became a comedy star and Jon Favreau became a blockbuster director, they made Swingers on a shoestring budget. Favreau wrote the script and stars as Mike, an aspiring comedian who just moved to L.A. after a painful breakup. Vaughn plays Trent, his aggressively confident friend who drags him through the Hollywood party scene.

The film captured mid-90s Los Angeles with a sharp, quotable script. "You're so money and you don't even know it" entered the lexicon. Director Doug Liman shot the film guerrilla-style, often without permits, giving it an energy that studio comedies couldn't replicate. It's a time capsule and a reminder of why these two became famous.

What Else Is Coming to Paramount+

The big draw this month is Dutton Ranch, arriving May 15. Taylor Sheridan's Yellowstone universe keeps expanding, and this spinoff will likely dominate Paramount+ viewership for weeks. If you're planning to watch, these three films give you something different before the western drama takes over.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Shaolin Soccer in English or Chinese?

The original is in Cantonese. Paramount+ typically offers both the original language version with subtitles and an English dub. The original Cantonese version with subtitles is the better watch.

How much does Paramount+ cost?

Paramount+ Essential (with ads) runs $7.99/month. Paramount+ with Showtime costs $12.99/month and removes most ads while adding the Showtime library.

When does Dutton Ranch premiere on Paramount+?

Dutton Ranch, the newest Yellowstone spinoff from Taylor Sheridan, premieres May 15, 2026 on Paramount+.

Is The Hunt for Red October connected to the Jack Ryan series on Amazon?

They're based on the same Tom Clancy character, but they're separate continuities. The 1990 film stars Alec Baldwin as Ryan. Amazon's series stars John Krasinski in a modern retelling.

Source: How-To Geek