Before they were Oscar-winning legends, Russell Crowe and Denzel Washington teamed up for one of the weirdest sci-fi thrillers of the 1990s. That film, Virtuosity, is finally making its way to Paramount+ in June 2026, giving a new generation the chance to experience its gloriously over-the-top premise.
Set in a near-future where virtual reality is both cutting-edge and terrifying, Virtuosity follows Parker Barnes (Washington), an ex-police officer imprisoned for a crime he didn't commit. He's pulled into a dangerous experiment involving SID 6.7, an artificial intelligence created from the personalities of dozens of serial killers. Why would anyone build that? The movie doesn't bother to explain—it just lets the chaos unfold.
When SID escapes into an android body, Barnes is forced to hunt him down before the AI can unleash its programmed mayhem. Crowe plays SID with a manic, pre-Gladiator energy that's both unsettling and oddly entertaining. The cast also includes Kelly Lynch, Stephen Spinella, William Forsythe, Louise Fletcher, and William Fichtner, with direction by Brett Leonard.
At the time of its release in 1995, Virtuosity was a box office disappointment, grossing about $37 million worldwide against a $30 million budget. Adjusted for inflation, that's roughly $77 million on a $62 million budget—still not great. Critics were equally unkind, with Rotten Tomatoes scores hovering around 30–32%. The consensus called it “woefully deficient in thrills or common sense.”
But here's the thing: Virtuosity has aged into a fascinating time capsule of '90s techno-paranoia. It captures an era when virtual reality felt like witchcraft and AI was synonymous with Skynet. Watching two future Oscar winners—Washington and Crowe—go head-to-head in such a bonkers premise is a guilty pleasure worth revisiting.
If you're in the mood for more underrated gems, check out Harrison Ford's Oscar-Worthy Crime Thriller 'Witness' Hits Paramount+ This June or Michael Bay's Underrated True Crime Epic 'Pain & Gain' Hits Paramount+ This June. For another Crowe classic, Russell Crowe and Christian Bale's Western Masterpiece '3:10 to Yuma' Hits Free Streaming in June 2026 is also worth a watch.
Virtuosity streams on Paramount+ starting June 2026. Whether you're a fan of '90s sci-fi, curious about AI thrillers, or just want to see Crowe chew scenery before he became Maximus, this one's a wild ride.
