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 March 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.
Monster (2003)
A sex worker from Daytona Beach (Charlize Theron) falls in love for the first time as her ongoing scheme to rob her clients begins to evolve into a series of deadly encounters. Theron gives an astonishing, transformative, Oscar-winning performance as notorious convicted serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Monster - the acclaimed, feature-length 2003 debut of writer and director Patty Jenkins.
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.
Mean Girls (2004)
If you can believe it, Mean Girls is turning twenty in 2024. The film, which stars Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams, and more, follows the story of the new girl at school who runs into the Plastics, the school’s mean girls. She decides to take them down from the inside, with the help of her new friends, only for her to fall victim to becoming a mean girl herself.
Stream Mean Girls on Pluto TV.
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.
Us (2019)
Directed by Jordan Peele, Us is a horror film that you simply cannot miss. When a family goes away on a trip to a cabin, they are suddenly invaded by people who look exactly like them, but there is far more to these supposed doppelgangers that meets the eye.
A Dog’s Purpose (2017)
Are you ready to sob your eyes out? A Dog’s Purpose follows the soul of a dog who is reborn into new breeds of dog with each new life, and how he tries to bring happiness to each of his or her owners as time goes on. Yes, it is about as sad as you would expect, but uplifting at the same time too.
Stream A Dog’s Purpose on FreeVee (via Amazon).
The Wolf Of Wall Street (2013)
See the film that Leonardo DiCaprio should have won an Oscar for. The Wolf of Wall Street is directed by Martin Scorsese and tells the real-life story of Jordan Belfort, a stockbroker in New York, and his rise to fame and riches before it all came crashing down due to the corruption of Wall Street.
Stream The Wolf of Wall Street 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).
Indiana Jones And The Raiders Of The Lost Ark (1981)
If you’re looking for another franchise that ended up exploding after the first movie, then you have to check out Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark. This film, starring Harrison Ford, is the first in Indy’s adventures, and documents the archaeologist as he searches for the Ark of the Covenant, a long-lost ancient relic.
Stream Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark 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.
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.
A Simple Favor (2019)
A Simple Favor stars Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively, and tells the story of a vlogger who attempts to solve the ultimate mystery – why her elegant friend has suddenly vanished. And, she finds herself in a world of twists that she never expected. The film is directed by Paul Feig.
Stream A Simple Favor on Tubi.
How To Lose A Guy In Ten Days (2003)
Somehow, this film is twenty years old. How To Lose A Guy In Ten Days is a classic rom-com starring Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey. The movie tells the story of a magazine writer who tries to compose a list of things to do in order for a guy to dump her, while an ad-executive makes a bet that he can make any woman fall for him in ten days. They land on each other, not knowing what the other is up to – and comedy ensues.
Stream How To Lose A Guy in Ten Days on Pluto TV.
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.
Top Gun (1986)
This iconic action drama is one that you can’t miss. Starring Tom Cruise, Top Gun is an epic film that mainly follows Pete Mitchell, otherwise known as Maverick, a naval aviator who is given the chance to train at the United States Navy’s Fighter Weapons School, otherwise known as Top Gun, where only the best pilots for the navy go.
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.
Tropic Thunder (2008)
Directed by Ben Stiller, Tropic Thunder is a satirical action comedy that follows the lives of actors who are making a Vietnam War film, but when their director suddenly dies, they have to find a way out of the jungle they were dropped into for filming – despite barely knowing how to survive the danger that surrounds them. While the movie is a bit controversial, though Ben Stiller has set the record straight on it, it’s still a great time.
Stream Tropic Thunder on Pluto TV.
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.
School Of Rock (2003)
Are you ready to rock n’ roll? Because I certainly am with School of Rock. Starring Jack Black, School of Rock is about a musician who is fired from his band and poses as a substitute teacher to make some extra cash. But when he finds out the students are talented, he decides to form a band to win the Battle of the Bands with them so he doesn’t get kicked out of his apartment.
Stream School of Rock on Pluto TV.
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.
Magic Mike (2012)
Get ready to dance – or get all hot and bothered, because Magic Mike is on this list. In this iconic dance movie, we follow Mike Lane (Channing Tatum), a stripper who acts as a mentor for a newbie to the business, and how he mixes his personal life with his professional life at night.
The Founder (2016)
Starring Michael Keaton, The Founder is the biographical story about how Ray Kroc became the man that we know him as now – the person who successfully franchised McDonald’s, and how he stole the company from the original founders of the fast-food chain.
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.
