Smurfs

Right now you can watch Smurfs in Australia on Paramount Plus, and in the US on Amazon Prime Video and fuboTV — and it goes further with its ideas than most genre entertainment bothers to. The runtime earns every minute, with nothing here that feels like padding. A 6/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. Rihanna anchors it with a performance that grounds the bigger ideas in something human. Available now on Paramount Plus — press play and find out why people keep recommending it.

Whatever else is competing for your attention this week, Smurfs is worth clearing space for. What makes Smurfs work is that the ideas never crowd out the people having them. When Papa Smurf is mysteriously taken by evil wizards, Razamel and Gargamel, Smurfette leads the Smurfs on a mission into the real world to save him. With the help of new friends, the Smurfs must discover what defines their destiny to save the universe. Rihanna and James Corden lead a cast that never lets the concept overwhelm the characters. Smurfs came out in 2025. Smurfs resists the temptation to explain everything, trusting the audience to sit with ambiguity. It knows exactly what it is, and does not try to be anything else.

Sci-fi fans who want ideas alongside the spectacle will find Smurfs genuinely rewarding. It stands on its own even without an obvious comparison point. A contained runtime means every scene is doing real work. Rihanna grounds the bigger ideas in something human. Once you are in, you will want to talk about it.