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 May 2024.
Clue: The Movie (1985)
Based on the celebrated board game of the same name, Clue: The Movie is the ultimate whodunit comedy movie with a great ensemble cast to boot. The film follows a group of strangers as they come together for a strange party invitation that ends with people getting killed, and them having to solve the ultimate mystery of who did it.
Stream Clue: The Movie on Pluto TV.
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-circling 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.
Stream Snowpiercer on Plex.
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.
Shutter Island (2010)
Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Shutter Island is hands down one of his most underrated acting performances. The film, based on the novel of the same name, follows two men as they come to a psychiatric facility to investigate a missing persons case, but secrets begin to unfold and nothing is as it seems.
Stream Shutter Island on Pluto TV.
The Truman Show (1998)
What if our lives were broadcasted for the world to see? That’s what happens to Truman Burbank in The Truman Show, a comedy drama. In the film, a young man finds out that since his birth, his life has been televised to the world, and nothing that he knows as real is actually real. It’s a great film, featuring a top-tier acting performance from Jim Carrey.
Stream The Truman Show on Pluto TV.
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 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.
The Running Man (1987)
Featuring Arnold Schwarzenegger in one of his most iconic roles, The Running Man is an action dystopian film that is all about a television show where convicted criminals (runners) have to outrun professional murderers. Truthfully, it’s such a fun film – and one I would highly recommend watching if you haven’t.
Stream The Running Man on Pluto TV.
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.
Stream Arrival on Pluto TV.
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.
Stream Lady Bird on Plex.
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 Outsiders (1983)
The Outsiders, based on the novel by S.E. Hinton, is the coming of age dramedy that everyone needs to watch at least once. Starring several eighties legends, the film is directed by Francis Ford Coppola and follows mainly the story of Ponyboy Curtis, a 14-year-old and his experience with Greasers in the 1960s.
Stream The Outsiders on Tubi.
The Perks Of Being A Wallflower (2012)
Based on the novel of the same name, The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a coming of age dramedy about a boy named Charlie who just starts high school and finds friends in unlikely places, two seniors. They show him that it’s okay to be an introvert and find happiness where you can, despite what he goes through mentally after losing his best friend to suicide.
Stream the Perks of Being a Wallflower on Tubi.
John Wick (2014)
Yes, once you watch the first John Wick, you’ll want to see all of the John Wick films. The first John Wick watches the titular character go off on a rampage to find the killers who murdered his dog, which was the last gift he got from his deceased wife. I, too, would go on a killing spree to avenge my puppy, thank you.
Stream John Wick on Tubi.
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.
Stream Boyhood on Plex.
Terrifier (2016)
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.
Stream Terrifier on Plex.
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 switch the lives of two people around to see how well they would do in each other’s shoes – from street hustler to Wall Street, and vice versa.
Stream Trading Places on Pluto TV.
Mud (2012)
Starring Matthew McConaughey, Mud is the coming of age drama you never expect to love as much as you do. The film follows two teenagers who work together to help a fugitive escape the cops, and the trials and tribulations they face.
Stream Mud on Plex.
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.
To Kill A Mockingbird (1962)
Based on the novel of the same name, To Kill a Mockingbird stars Gregory Peck and tells the story of a lawyer who takes it upon himself to defend a Black man who has been wrongly accused of raping a white woman in the 1930s.
Stream To Kill a Mockingbird on Plex.
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.
Stream Halloween on Plex.
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.
Stream Precious on Tubi.
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.
Stream The Babadook on Plex.
The Mist (2007)
Based on the novella by Stephen King, The Mist follows a group of survivors who take refuge in a supermarket when a strange mist begins to cover their town, and from it, terrifying creatures begin to emerge and try to kill the people they encounter.
Stream The Mist on FreeVee (via Amazon).
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.
Stream The Batman on Tubi.
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).
Nobody (2021)
Starring Bob Odenkirk, Nobody is the action film you’re looking for. This movie follows the story of a man who lives a seemingly normal life but when the lives of his family are put in active danger, he returns to his life of crime to make sure they are safe. There’s even a sequel in development.
Stream Nobody on FreeVee (via Amazon).
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.