Matthew Lillard's Cult Classic Adventure Movie Enjoys Streaming Resurgence 22 Years Later

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Published Jun 22, 2026, 8:20 PM EDT

Adam Bentz is a senior news writer at ScreenRant, where he has authored nearly 5,000 articles, including features and lists. He studied creative writing and English with a concentration in screenwriting at Southern New Hampshire University and interned as a writer/journalist for The Borgen Project, an influential organization that fights global poverty.

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Matthew Lillard's cult classic adventure movie is still making waves as it paddles back to streaming popularity.

The actor has spent decades winning over audiences across multiple genres. He first broke through as the unforgettable Stu Macher in Scream (1996), cementing his status as a horror favorite. He later brought Shaggy Rogers to life in the live-action Scooby-Doo movies (2002-2004) before taking over as the character's longtime voice in animated projects. More recently, Lillard earned renewed attention as the villain William Afton in Five Nights at Freddy's (2023) and its 2025 sequel. Now, one of his beloved cult classics is making a surprise comeback and finding new life on streaming.

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Two decades after its debut, Without a Paddle is enjoying a streaming resurgence. Directed by Steven Brill, the 2004 adventure comedy stars Matthew Lillard as one of three childhood friends who reunite on a trip up a remote river to search for the loot of long-lost airplane hijacker D.B. Cooper and end up getting lost in the wilderness.

Now, 22 years after its original release, Without a Paddle is No. 9 on the Top 10 movies on Paramount+ in the United States for today, June 22. It ranks below Scream 7 (also starring Matthew Lillard) in first place, Homefront, An Unfinished Life, Top Gun: Maverick, Roofman, Taken, Primate, 21 Jump Street, and above Texas Rangers.

Other than Matthew Lillard in a lead role, the cast also includes Seth Green, Dax Shepard, Burt Reynolds, Ethan Suplee, Abraham Benrubi, Rachel Blanchard, Ray Baker, Bonnie Somerville, Christina Moore, Antony Starr, Carl Snell, Liddy Holloway, Scott Adsit, Danielle Cormack, Frank Welker, Jarred Rumbold, Andrew Hampton, and Matthew Price.

Without a Paddle was written by Jay Leggett and Mitch Rouse, and based on a story by Harris Goldberg, Tom Nursall, and Fred Wolf.

Despite its cult classic status, Without a Paddle received mostly negative reviews at the time of its release, resulting in a 15% Rotten Tomatoes score, with critics claiming it delivers a handful of laughs, but not quite enough to carry it through its full runtime. However, the movie has a much better 68% audience score.

Without a Paddle was a modest commercial success that made $73 million at the box office, nearly four times its $19 million budget, and was followed by a direct-to-video sequel, Without a Paddle: Nature's Calling (2009). And honestly, it's kind of wild seeing Without a Paddle still finding new fans today on streaming.