Despite its obvious reliability for providing countless movies to watch at your fingertips, Netflix does not always have what you are looking for. However, when you can only afford one digital streaming service subscription in a world in which Blockbuster is ancient history, where can you turn? What if I told you that there are multiple streaming platforms - such as Tubi, Pluto TV, FreeVee, and more - in which you can legally watch free movies online?
One might assume that a free streaming service can only guarantee you the luxury of a cheap movie selection, but you would be surprised just how many great movies are available at no cost - save the occasional commercial interruption, of course. The following are our picks for the best movies you can stream online for free right now and where to find them as of April 2024.
The Killing Of A Sacred Deer (2017)
Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, The Killing of a Sacred Deer is probably one of the best psychological thriller films you could watch. The movie follows the story of a cardiac surgeon who has a connection to a teenage boy thanks to his past, but their lives begin to intertwine even more when the surgeon’s family begins to fall ill suddenly. The film is one of Barry Keoghan’s best movies so far.
Stream The Killing of a Sacred Deer Plex.
Cruel Intentions (1999)
In this intense drama, Cruel Intentions shows two step-siblings decide on a wager – if the brother can make the innocent daughter of their new headmaster fall for him, the step-sister will sleep with him. If he fails, he gets his dream car. The bet takes dangerous twists and turns – and is the perfect drama-filled movie for a Saturday indoors.
Stream Cruel Intentions on Plex.
Snowpiercer (2013)
Directed by Bong Joon-ho, Snowpiercer stars Chris Evans and is a post-apocalyptic film that follows a group of humans on the “Snowpiercer,” a globe-trotting train that contains the last of humanity after global warming took over. The lower class of the train fight back against the upper class, and cause an all-out civil war.
The Imitation Game (2014)
If you ever wondered how computers truly played a role in the second world war, then The Imitation Game is for you. This movie, starring Benedict Cumberbath, tells the real story of Alan Turing, a brilliant man who used technology in order to decrypt German messages for the British government – and essentially created one of the first computers.
Stream The Imitation Game on Plex.
It’s A Wonderful Life (1946)
It’s A Wonderful Life is the movie to check out if you want a feel-good film. This iconic Christmas movie starring James Stewart tells the story of a struggling man who wishes he had never been born, and soon, a Christmas angel decides to show him exactly what would have happened if that was the case, trying to convince the man that it is, indeed, a wonderful life.
Stream It’s A Wonderful Life on Plex.
Hostel (2005)
Yeah, I regretted everything after watching Hostel for the first time, but it’s certainly worth the watch for a horror movie fan. The movie follows a group of American tourists who take shelter in a hostel in Slovakia, but their stay quickly turns deadly when mysterious people begin to kidnap them for torture.
Titanic (1997)
Witness one of the greatest love stories put to the big screen. Titanic, directed by James Cameron, is based on the real-life disaster of the ship of the same name, and follows the fictionalized story of Jack and Rose, two young people from different social classes who wind up falling in love on the ship before it hits the iceberg.
She’s The Man (2006)
Oh, you want an iconic teen movie? Then this is the one. She’s The Man, starring Amanda Bynes and Channing Tatum, tells the story of a teenage girl who disguises herself as a boy so she can play soccer on her brother’s soccer team when the female squad is disbanded. And of course, hijinks and hilarity happens not that long after.
Stream She’s The Man on Pluto TV.
White Chicks (2004)
If you’re looking for something to laugh your butt off about, then White Chicks is the way to go. Starring the Wayans brothers, White Chicks follows two FBI agents who go undercover as caucasian women in order to protect two heiresses – and get into a ton of hijinks.
Stream White Chicks on FreeVee (via Amazon).
Arrival (2016)
Arrival is one of those sci-fi movies that truly changes you the moment you watch it for the first time. This film, starring Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner, follows the story of a linguist who must figure out how to communicate with aliens, as they have arrived on Earth, and she must do so before a war occurs.
Lady Bird (2017)
Greta Gerwig’s solo directorial debut, Lady Bird, is a dramedy starring Saorise Ronan that follows the story of a young woman and her mother while she is in high school, as she tries to deal with not only growing up but her family. It’s one of the best coming-of-age movies out there.
Last Night In Soho (2021)
Starring Anya Taylor-Joy in one of her best movies, Last Night in Soho is a psychological horror film that follows a young woman who somehow finds herself in the body of someone younger than her back in the 1960s, and how everything is not what it seems behind the glitz and glamor.
Stream Last Night in Soho on FreeVee (via Amazon).
A Night To Remember (1958)
Let’s take it all the way back to the 1950s with A Night to Remember, which originally released in theaters back in 1958. The film is a disaster drama that follows the story of the sinking of the Titanic, mainly following the final night, when thousands of people lost their lives.
Stream A Night to Remember on YouTube.
The Hurt Locker (2008)
Directed by Kathryn Bigelow (the first woman to win Best Director, which she did for this film), The Hurt Locker is a war thriller about a group of veterans who were a part of the Iraq War Explosive Ordnance Disposal and follows how they react to combat and how their service led to PTSD.
Stream The Hurt Locker on Plex.
The Godfather (1972)
I’m going to make you an offer that you can’t refuse – watch The Godfather, and you’ll be forever amazed by its brilliance. The original is available to stream right now. The film, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, tells the story of the Corleone family, and their ties with the Mafia, mainly through the eyes of Michael Corleone, who slowly becomes a huge part of the mob.
Stream The Godfather on Pluto TV.
Face/Off (1997)
Starring Nicolas Cage and John Travolta, Face/Off is a sci-fi action thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat. This excellent film tells the story of an FBI agent and a terrorist who swap faces, and this experimental procedure leads to plenty of action, betrayal, and so much more.
Sing 2 (2021)
If you loved the first Sing, you’re guaranteed to love this one, too. This animated film brings the iconic Sing 2 cast together for a jukebox musical that is hard to forget, this time following Buster Moon as he puts on a brand new show to impress the moguls of the entertainment world.
Stream Sing 2 on FreeVee (via Amazon).
Boyhood (2014)
Boyhood is a movie unlike any other out there. Filmed from 2002 all the way until 2013, this film, directed by Richard Linklater, follows a young man from his childhood into adulthood, all the way until he turns eighteen and leaves for college. The film stars Patricia Arquette, Ellar Coltrane, Lorelei Linklater and Ethan Hawke.
Terrifier (2016)
Experience the movie that preceded 2022’s Terrifier 2. Terrifier is just as terrifying as the title implies, following a young woman named Tara. While all she wanted to do was party, she ends up becoming the target of a serial killer – more specifically, a serial killing clown named Art, and it turns her world upside down.
Trading Places (1983)
Trading Places is, hands down, one of the funniest Eddie Murphy movies. This film, starring Murphy, Dan Aykroyd, Jamie Lee Curtis and more, follows two men with two completely lives who fall victim to the bet of two wealthy men, who decide to randomly switch their lives around to see how well they would do – from street hustler to Wall Street, and vice versa.
Stream Trading Places on Pluto TV.
Men (2022)
This under-the-radar, great A24 horror film is an awesome movie to check out. Men, directed by Alex Garland, follows the story of a woman who goes on holiday after her husband passes, but finds that all the men in this village that she visits are strange and disturbed – and turn their attention on her.
Hearts Beat Loud (2018)
Starring Nick Offerman in one of his best roles, Hearts Beat Loud follows Frank as he attempts to connect with his daughter through music after losing his wife. One night, when they record a song she wrote for fun, he uploads it to the internet – and it goes viral. The film also features incredible performances from both Kiersey Clemons and Toni Collette.
Stream Hearts Beat Loud on Plex.
The Mask (1994)
The Mask is one of Jim Carrey’s best movies, and you will laugh your butt off the entire time. The movie follows a man who finds what looks to be an ordinary green mask, but when it attaches to his face, it turns him into a charismatic, mischievous character who causes trouble no matter where he goes.
The Blair Witch Project (1999)
The Blair Witch Project arguably began the found footage genre as a whole, and follows the story of a group of student filmmakers who travel into the woods to film a documentary but are terrorized and haunted by what lies within.
Stream The Blair Witch Project on Plex.
The Boondock Saints (1999)
Starring Sean Patrick Flanery, Norman Reedus and Willem Dafoe, The Boondock Saints tells the story of twin brothers who wind up becoming vigilantes after they kill some bad guys in self-defense. As it turns out, they’re actually very good at it.
Stream The Boondock Saints on Plex.
Sonic The Hedgehog (2020)
There are plenty of upcoming video game adaptations happening, but let’s take a look back at one of the best ones, Sonic the Hedgehog. Based on the popular video game character of the same name, this film (starring James Marsden, Jim Carrey and Ben Schwartz as the voice of Sonic) tells the story of the famous anthropomorphic hedgehog who teams up with a town’s sheriff in order to stop Dr. Robotnik from using Sonic’s power.
Stream Sonic the Hedgehog on Pluto TV.
Halloween (1978)
Witness the beginning of evil. The first of the Halloween franchise, the 1978 Halloween, directed by John Carpenter, is a must-watch for anyone who loves horror. The movie follows Laurie Strode, a babysitter, as she is hunted down by the evil Michael Myers on Halloween night, and her legendary battle to try and survive his attempts to kill her.
Night Of The Living Dead (1968)
A group of strangers are forced to take refuge together in order to survive the sudden onslaught of flesh-eating, reanimated corpses, while also struggling to survive each other. The modern-day definition of the zombie was born in 1968 when writer and director George A. Romero released Night of the Living Dead - a powerful commentary on the darker sides of human nature that spawned a heavily influential franchise of increasingly gruesome and thought-provoking horror epics.
Stream Night of the Living Dead on Peacock.
Precious (2009)
In Precious, we follow a young woman who has grown up with a cycle of abuse and lives in poverty with her unemployed mother, but Precious tries to find ways to escape her life – and it leads to her working to find a better one for herself. The movie was nominated for several Academy Awards.
The Babadook (2014)
Horror films are aplenty on these streaming platforms, and The Babadook is one that you have to watch. Directed by the game-changing female director Jennifer Kent, The Babadook is based on the short film, Monster, and follows the story of a single mother trying to take care of her child, who seems to be seeing things, but soon is haunted by a monster in their own home, and must figure out a way to stop it. It’s seriously one of the scariest horror films out there, and one you have to watch.
Get Out (2017)
This is one of Jordan Peele’s best films and a movie that everyone should check out. Get Out, directed by Peele, follows a young Black man who travels with his caucasian girlfriend to meet her family. While at first things look normal, there’s something sinister lurking beneath the surface that threatens his very life – as well as the lives of others.
The Batman (2022)
Starring Robert Pattinson, The Batman is a superhero movie that takes action to the next level. This film follows a young Bruce Wayne, having only been Batman for two years, and how he must pursue the Riddler, a serial killer who leaves clues all over Gotham as he takes out the elite. The Batman sequel is on the way, so you might as well check out the first movie.
Stillwater (2021)
Starring Matt Damon, Stillwater is a crime drama movie about a man who takes it upon himself to team up with a French woman in order to unravel the mystery of the true killer of a young college student that his daughter was accused of murdering.
Stream Stillwater on FreeVee (via Amazon).
No Country For Old Men (2007)
Directed by the Coen Brothers, No Country For Old Men is an Academy-Award-winning picture that follows three storylines that converge into one – a war veteran stumbling upon money, a hitman who has to recover the money, and the cop that is trying to track down the hitman.
Stream No Country For Old Men on Pluto TV.
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
In The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, a young woman must find a way out of a serial killer’s home when she and her friends begin to be killed off one at a time by a strange masked man, after their car runs out of gas and they start to explore an old home.
Stream The Texas Chain Saw Massacre on Tubi.
Fast And Furious 9 (2021)
Fast and Furious 9 (also known as F9) is the ninth entry in the Fast and Furious movie franchise, following the story of Dom Toretto and his team coming together in order to stop another crazy scheme by criminals with the usage of their super fast cars and skills. It’s all in the family here.
Stream F9 on FreeVee (via Amazon).
While movies like these are still worth every penny, the ability to watch them for free almost makes the experience all that much better.
