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?
You’d 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 August 2024.
Clue (1985)
Based on the celebrated board game of the same name, Clue 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 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.
The Dark Crystal (1982)
Directed by Jim Henson, The Dark Crystal is probably one of the most iconic dark fantasy films of all time. Taking place in a fantasy world and featuring ingenuitive puppets, The Dark Crystal follows two Gelflings as they travel across a magical world to overthrow a dark ruler by trying to restore a crystal.
Stream The Dark Crystal on Plex.
A Rainy Day In New York (2019)
Directed by Woody Allen, A Rainy Day in New York is one of those films that has a stellar cast and a fun story no matter how many times you’ve watched it. The main story follows a college couple as they travel to New York City for a weekend, and while at first it feels like a normal romantic getaway, things begin to change not that long after they step into the big city.
Stream A Rainy Day In New York on Plex.
August: Osage County (2013)
Oh, you want a dysfunctional family? Then August: Osage County is the film for you. Based on the play of the same name, this Academy Award-nominated movie follows the story of a family reunion taking place, and then subsequently thrown into chaos when the patriarchal figure appears out of nowhere. It stars Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts in the lead roles and yes, they are just as amazing as you would expect them to be.
Stream August: Osage County 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.
Gladiator (2000)
Starring Russell Crowe, Gladiator is the epic action film that you need to see. Directed by Ridley Scott, the classic Best Picture-winning movie tells the story of a general who is betrayed by those close to him and is then enslaved as a gladiator. But as he rises through the ranks, he has one goal in mind – to avenge what happened to him, and his family. With Gladiator II coming out later this year, now is the time to watch the original.
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 happen not that long after.
Stream She’s The Man on Pluto TV.
American Psycho (2000)
Hands down, you have to watch American Psycho with friends because it’s fantastic. Directed by Mary Harron, the film stars Christian Bale as an investment banker in New York City, but he does something crazy on the weekends – he’s a serial killer, but things aren’t exactly what you would expect them to be.
Stream American Psycho on Plex.
Wonder Woman (2017)
There are plenty of female superheroes out there, but my personal favorite has always been Wonder Woman, so of course, I’m going to recommend her movie. Wonder Woman released in 2017 and stars Gal Gadot, and tells the origin story of one of the most popular superheroes of all time. The movie has plenty of action, a great story, and has a sequel – but I personally like the first the most.
Top Gun (1986)
With the success of the sequel years later, now is the time to check out Top Gun. Starring Tom Cruise, this is a classic action film from the 1980s that follows the story of Lieutenant Pete Mitchell, otherwise known as ‘Maverick’ and his time as a naval aviator as part of the United States Navy Fighter Weapons School, otherwise known as the Top Gun program.
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.
It: Chapter One (2017)
We all float down here. IT: Chapter One, but also known simply as IT, is the film adaptation of the classic Stephen King novel of the same name. It follows the story of a group of friends back in 1989 who take it upon themselves to try and find the lost brother of one member, stumbling into the world of Pennywise The Dancing Clown – a monster who eats children.
Stream It: Chapter One on Tubi.
The Poughkeepsie Tapes (2007)
While I don’t think this is as scary as everyone makes it out to be, I still think The Poughkeepsie Tapes is worth a watch for horror fans. This pseudo-documentary is all about a serial killer in the town of Poughkeepsie, New York, and is basically his snuff films compiled into one long feature mixed in with interviews. Yeah, it’s pretty gross at times – but certainly a great movie to watch at least once.
Stream The Poughkeepsie Tapes on Tubi.
Rocketman (2019)
Starring Taron Egerton, Rocketman is the biopic that you’ve been looking for when it comes to Elton John. Directed by Dexter Fletcher, Rocketman tells the origin story of one of the most famous singers of all time, following his time in England and his beginnings in music, all the way to his explosion as a musical artist. You’ll be up on your feet in no time with music in this film.
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)
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.
Central Intelligence (2016)
If you want an excuse to laugh your butt off and see Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart ripping on each other, then Central Intelligence is the film for you. The comedy follows two former high school classmates who are on the run after one of them joins the CIA and causes a domino effect of hilarious events.
Stream Central Intelligence on Tubi.
Tropic Thunder (2008)
Yes, this film certainly has its controversies, but Tropic Thunder is still hilarious in many ways. Directed by actor Ben Stiller, Tropic Thunder follows a group of actors who have to try and survive an active war zone using their acting skills in Vietnam when the director who brought them there for filming dies in an accident.
Stream Tropic Thunder on Pluto TV.
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.
Winter’s Bone (2009)
Check out the film that got Jennifer Lawrence nominated for an Oscar before she won for Silver Lining’s Playbook. The film, called Winter’s Bone, was directed by Debra Granik and tells the story of a teenager who makes it her mission to find her father after her family is threatened with eviction from their home. It’s a serious drama and features Lawrence in one of her best roles.
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.
The Age Of Adaline (2015)
Ready to sob your eyes out? The Age of Adaline stars Blake Lively and tells the story of a young woman who experiences a strange phenomenon, after she’s in an accident, she is stuck at the age of twenty-nine and does not age. The movie also stars Kathy Baker, Harrison Ford, Ellen Burstyn and more.
Stream The Age of Adaline on Plex.
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.
Hannibal (2001)
Another Ridley Scott gem, Hannibal is the horror crime movie that you’ve been craving. A sequel to The Silence of the Lambs, this film follows Clarice Starling as she attempts to apprehend Hannibal Lector, before he gets his hands on his next victim.
Stream Hannibal on FreeVee (via Amazon).
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.
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).
Indiana Jones And The Raiders Of The Lost Ark (1981)
The first in the Indiana Jones franchise and nominated for Best Picture, Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark follows the titular character, and tells the story of how he teams up with his former lover in order to stop an archaeologist from helping the Nazi’s obtain the Ark of the Covenant, something that would make an army all powerful.
Stream Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark on Pluto TV.
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).
The King Of Staten Island (2020)
Featuring Pete Davidson in one of his first starring roles besides SNL, the comedy-drama The King of Staten Island follows a young man who tries to get his life together when his mother decides to move on – only for him to find out that his mother’s new man has the exact same occupation as his deceased father.
Stream The King of Staten Island 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.
Apocalypse Now (1979)
Directed by Francis Ford Coppola, Apocalypse Now is an iconic and epic war film that follows a captain as he travels on a river from South Vietnam to Cambodia in order to assassinate an opposing officer. The movie stars Marlon Brando, Robert Duvall, Martin Sheen, and several other big names in Hollywood.
Stream Apocalypse Now on Plex.
While movies like these are still worth every penny, the ability to watch them for free almost makes the experience all that much better.
