What if I told you that there are multiple streaming platforms - such as Tubi, Pluto TV, 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, with just minimal interruption. 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 2025.
Intense Dramas
For when you want to be on the edge of your seat:
Zodiac (2007)
The Director: David Fincher
The Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, Robert Downey Jr. Anthony Edwards, Brian Cox
What It's About: Based on the nonfiction book, Zodiac and Zodiac Unmasked, this movie follows a manhunt for the infamous Zodiac Killer, crimes that are still very much unsolved to this day.
Why It's One Of The Best Free Movies Streaming: Directed by David Fincher, you know that Zodiac is going to have some twists and turns that you won’t even believe. It’s a great movie, and one I would recommend to anyone.
Pulp Fiction (1994)
The Director: Quentin Tarantino
The Cast: John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman, Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Amanda Plummer
What It's About: Three different stories of crime intersect in this thrilling classic from director Quentin Tarantino.
Why It's One Of The Best Free Movies Streaming: I mean, it’s Pulp Fiction. I don’t really need to go into detail about why to watch it. It’s probably one of the best-known movies from the 1990s. Check it out if you haven’t.
Memento (2000)
The Director: Christopher Nolan
The Cast: Guy Pearce, Carrie-Ann Moss, Joe Pantoliano
What It's About: Memento follows the story of a man who suffers from short-term memory loss and who is unable to form new memories, so he uses notes, photos and much more to keep his brain alive, all while trying to track down the person who murdered his wife.
Why It's One Of The Best Free Movies Streaming: I mean, it’s Christopher Nolan. You can’t really get much better than him in terms of story and directing. Memento is a thrilling ride from beginning to end.
Gladiator (2000)
The Director: Ridley Scott
The Cast: Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Oliver Reed, Derek Jacobi, Djimon Hounsou, Richard Harris
What It's About: Maximus, a Roman general, is betrayed and then imprisoned as a slave and must become a gladiator to survive. He is determined to seek vengeance against the man that betrayed him after his entire family is killed.
Why It's One Of The Best Free Movies Streaming: Gladiator is probably one of the best movies of the 2000s and a film that I think everyone needs to watch at least once. It was so good, a sequel came out twenty-four years later – but I prefer the original.
Lawless (2012)
The Director: John Hillcoat
The Cast: Shia LaBeouf, Tom Hardy, Gary Oldman, Mia Wasikowska, Jessica Chastain, Jason Clarke, Guy Pearce
What It's About: Taking place during the Prohibition-era, three brothers work together to start a bootlegging business and try to stop it from getting shut down by the law, leading to violent aftermaths.
Why It's One Of The Best Free Movies Streaming: If you’re looking for an intense action film that has fun period costumes, a lot of kick-butt scenes and great acting, then Lawless is the one for you. It’s a great gangster film that has been released over the last couple of decades and one that is awesome to tune into.
Straight Outta Compton (2015)
The Director: F. Gary Gray
The Cast: O’Shea Jackson Jr., Corey Hawkins, Jason Mitchell, Paul Giamatti
What It's About: Straight Outta Compton tells the real story about the ride of N.W.A., how they altered the hip-hip industry, and how they fell apart years later.
Why It's One Of The Best Free Movies Streaming: If you have ever listened to any music from Dr. Dre – and trust me, you have – you’ll want to watch this film. Aside from the awesome soundtrack (because, duh), the story is incredible and it’s well-shot.
Jackie Brown (1997)
The Director: Quentin Tarantino
The Cast: Pam Grier, Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Forster, Bridget Fonda, Michael Keaton, Robert De Niro
What It's About: A flight attendant must smuggle money between the United States and Mexico.
Why It's One Of The Best Free Movies Streaming: While Tarantino’s filmmaking has certainly made its impact on movies as a whole, I feel like no one ever talks about Jackie Brown as often as his other films. The movie is full of action and revived the career of Pam Grier.
Powerful, Emotional Dramas
For when you want to cry or laugh or do both at the same time, these are the films for you:
The Aviator (2004)
The Director: Martin Scorsese
The Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Cate Blanchett, Kate Beckinsale, John C. Reilly, Alex Baldwin, Alan Alda, Jude Law
What It's About: Based on the real life of Howard Hughes, The Aviator tells the story of the film legend when he became a movie producer and aviation leader while also dealing with his own personal mental health.
Why It's One Of The Best Free Movies Streaming: This movie was nominated for 11 awards at the Oscars back in 2005, and won five. The film is well-done all around, and an overall great pick if you’ve never seen it.
The Hurt Locker (2008)
The Director: Kathryn Bigelow
The Cast: Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty, Evangeline Lilly, Ralph Fiennes
What It's About: The Hurt Locker follows the story of an explosive disposal team during the Iraq War and their experiences in the field as well as the trauma that they suffer because of it.
Why It's One Of The Best Free Movies Streaming: The Hurt Locker is pretty much considered one of the best war movies of all time, and won six Academy Awards, as well as Best Picture. Now that’s a real reason to watch.
August: Osage County (2013)
The Director: John Wells
The Cast: Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Ewan McGregor, Chris Cooper
What It's About: 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.
Why It's One Of The Best Free Movies Streaming: The entire cast is truly talented as heck, but I will say that both Roberts and Streep knock it out of the park for this emotional drama.
Winter’s Bone (2009)
The Director: Debra Granik
The Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, John Hawkes, Kevin Breznahan
What It's About: A teenager who lives in theMissouri Ozarks must locate her father in order to save her family from becoming homeless.
Why It's One Of The Best Free Movies Streaming: If you’re a fan of Jennifer Lawrence, then you have to check out Winter’s Bone. It was the first movie that earned her an Academy Award nomination – and rightfully so.
A Night To Remember (1958)
The Director: Roy Ward Baker
The Cast: Kenneth More, Michael Goodlife, Laurence Naismith, Kenneth Griffith
What It's About: 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.
Why It's One Of The Best Free Movies Streaming: While it’s certainly still a dramatic retelling of the events of Titanic, it takes it seriously and is utterly terrifying to think about, even with the 1950s effects.
Carol (2015)
The Director: Todd Haynes
The Cast: Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, Sarah Paulson, Jake Lacy, Kyle Chandler
What It's About: Based on The Price of Salt, this film follows the story of an divorcing older woman and a photographer and the affair that takes place between them back in the 1950s in a world that would never accept them for who they are.
Why It's One Of The Best Free Movies Streaming: The movie was hugely successful, and earned several Academy Award nominations. When it comes to story, this one will capture you instantly.
Boyhood (2014)
The Director: Richard Linklater
The Cast: Patricia Arquette, Ellar Coltrane, Lorelei Linklater, Ethan Hawke
What It's About: 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.
Why It's One Of The Best Free Movies Streaming: If we’re being honest, Boyhood is one of those movies that’s a once-in-a-lifetime film that truly captures the essence of growing up. Plus, it won the Academy Award for Best Picture.
Fun And Romantic Comedies
Are you ready to laugh so hard your sides are going to hurt?
Licorice Pizza (2021)
The Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
The Cast: Alana Haim, Cooper Hoffman, Sean Penn, Tom Waits, Bradley Cooper, Benny Safdie
What It's About: Licorice Pizza is the rom-com that you’re going to want, following the story of a young woman and a teen actor whose lives become entwined.
Why It's One Of The Best Free Movies Streaming: While the movie wasn’t successful at the box office, it earned so much praise from critics and had three nominations at the Academy Awards. It’s a fun movie, for sure.
How To Lose A Guy In Ten Days (2003)
The Director: Donald Petrie
The Cast: Kate Hudson, Matthew McConaughey, Adam Goldberg
What It's About: A magazine writer and an ad executive embark on a relationship, but both for their own motives, creating chaos and hilarity.
Why It's One Of The Best Free Movies Streaming: I’m pretty sure that if anyone thinks of any rom-coms from the early 2000s, How To Lose a Guy in Ten Days is certainly one that pops up almost instantly. With irresistible chemistry between Hudson and McConaughey, this movie is for sure one that you have to check out if you want a cute film.
A Rainy Day In New York (2019)
The Director: Woody Allen
The Cast: Timothée Chalamet, Elle Fanning, Selena Gomez, Jude Law, Diego Luna
What It's About: A Rainy Day In New York 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.
Why It's One Of The Best Free Movies Streaming: There are so many great Woody Allen movies out there but I love this one for the great cast and fun rom-com atmosphere. It’s the perfect thing to watch when you want a film with some drama but mainly comedy.
Intense Horrors
Yup, already horrified by all of these:
Hereditary (2018)
The Director: Ari Aster
The Cast: Toni Colette, Alex Wolff, Milly Shapiro, Ann Dowd, Gabriel Byrne
What It's About: When the grandmother of a family passes on, their lives are turned upside down by sinister forces.
Why It's One Of The Best Free Movies Streaming: As someone who regularly enjoys horror movies, this was one of the few that actually gave me nightmares after watching it. If you want a serious horror film with real stakes, gruesome but memorable deaths, and so much more, this is the movie for you.
Terrifier (2016)
The Director: Damien Leone
The Cast: David Howard Thornton
What It's About: Terrifier is just as terrifying as the title implies, following a young woman named Tara. While all she wanted to do was party, she ended up becoming the target of a serial killer – more specifically, a serial killing clown named Art, and it turned her world upside down.
Why It's One Of The Best Free Movies Streaming: This film has basically redefined the horror genre over the last few years and I can openly say it is horrifying in the best ways possible but PLEASE go into this with an empty stomach.
The Wailing (2016)
The Director: Na Hong-jin
The Cast: Kwak Do-won, Hwang Jung-min, Chun Woo-hee, Jun Kunimura
What It's About: The Wailing is one of the best Korean horror movies out there. The film follows a policeman who, in order to save his daughter, looks into why people are suddenly getting sick and going on crazy killing rampages in a remote village in South Korea, but the real reason is darker than anyone ever expected.
Why It's One Of The Best Free Movies Streaming: If you’re in need of horror that truly terrifies and is super creative in the way it delivers, then this is the film for you. It’s the perfect horror movie for a rainy day.
The Babadook (2014)
The Director: Jennifer Kent
The Cast: Essie Davis, Noah Wiseman, Hayley McElhinney
What It's About: 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.
Why It's One Of The Best Free Movies Streaming: The Babadook is so creative and will take you on a ride that you’ll never forget, all of it led by the game-changing female director Jennifer Kent. Seriously such a great yet terrifying horror film.
Not So Intense Horrors
For those who want a thrill – but don’t want to jump out of their seats:
The Cabin In The Woods (2011)
The Director: Drew Goddard
The Cast: Kristen Connolly, Chris Hemsworth, Anna Hutchison, Fran Kranz, Jesse Williams, Richard Jenkins, Bradley Whitford
What It's About: The Cabin in the Woods is a sci-hi horror film about a group of college students who go away for a weekend to a cabin in the woods and are attacked by monsters, but the truth behind where the monsters come from is not what anyone expects.
Why It's One Of The Best Free Movies Streaming: While there are some gory scenes in the movie, I don’t think Cabin in the Woods is that intense in comparison to some other horror films. In fact, I sort of watch this film more like a comedy because there are a lot of funny moments, and a twist that’s unlike anything else in horror.
Halloween (1978)
The Director: John Carpenter
The Cast: Donald Pleasence, Jamie Lee Curtis, P.J. Soles
What It's About: The movie follows Laurie Strode, a babysitter who is hunted down by the evil Michael Myers on Halloween night, and her legendary battle to try and survive his attempts to kill her.
Why It's One Of The Best Free Movies Streaming: While considered one of the best horror movies ever, Halloween is pretty tame in comparison to some of its later entries but is still scary enough to get you jumping in your seat.
Friday The 13th (1980)
The Director: Sean S. Cunningham
The Cast: Betsy Palmer, Adrienne King, Harry Crosby, Laurie Bartram, Mark Nelson, Jeannine Taylor
What It's About: As an abandoned summer camp prepares to re-open, sexually promiscuous camp counselors are killed off one by one by an unknown killer as they stalk the grounds.
Why It's One Of The Best Free Movies Streaming: This was the horror movie that began the entire Friday the 13th franchise. I don’t think it’s as intense as other horror films out there, but it’s still a fun time that you’ll enjoy the moment you start watching.
Night Of The Living Dead (1968)
The Director: George A. Romero
The Cast: Duane Jones, Judith O’Dea, Marilyn Eastman
What It's About: 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.
Why It's One Of The Best Free Movies Streaming: Romero basically defined the zombie genre as a whole, so this is the zombie movie to check out, but trust me, it’s really not that scary – at least in comparison to today’s zombies.
Fun For The Whole Family
Everyone can have fun with these films:
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)
The Director: John Hughes
The Cast: Matthew Broderick, Mia Sara, Alan Ruck
What It's About: Teenager Ferris Bueller skips school with his best friends for a day of fun out in Chicago.
Why It's One Of The Best Free Movies Streaming: This has to be one of the most beloved ‘80s films of all time, and if (for some reason) you don’t know it, you have to watch it. From the hilarious comedy to the fourth-wall breaking monologues, this is a great film for a fun family night.
Kick-Ass (2010)
The Director: Matthew Vaughn
The Cast: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Chloë Grace Moretz, Mark Strong, Nicolas Cage
What It's About: Based on the comic book of the same name, Kick-Ass is a hilarious superhero film about an ordinary teenager who wants to become a superhero, but ends up getting in a whole lot more trouble than he thought he would.
Why It's One Of The Best Free Movies Streaming: Contrary to what I assume you believe from the title, Kick-Ass is honestly a good movie for the family. Sure, don’t show it to little kids, but as someone who watched it with my dad at the age of thirteen, I had a heck of a fun time and the action is off the charts.
It’s A Wonderful Life (1946)
The Director: Frank Capra
The Cast: James Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore, Thomas Mitchell
What It's About: A working man wishes that he had never been born, and an angel who is trying to get his wings comes to Earth to help him see what life would have been like if he never was.
Why It's One Of The Best Free Movies Streaming: I mean, the film is an absolute classic and the perfect Christmas movie for the whole family to watch. What’s not to love about it?
Thrilling, Twisty, And Exciting Sci-Fi And Fantasy
Ready to dive into the world of space, fantasy and beyond?
Snowpiercer (2013)
The Director: Bong Joon-ho
The Cast: Chris Evans, Song Kang-ho, Tilda Swinton, Jamie Bell, Octavia Spencer
What It's About: A train that travels around Earth contains the last members of living society, and this follows the story of how the lower class passengers rebel against the elite.
Why It's One Of The Best Free Movies Streaming: There was a TV series made based on this film, and Bong Joon-ho is an incredible director, so if you want good sci-fi, this is the place to start.
Limitless (2011)
The Director: Neil Burger
The Cast: Bradley Cooper, Abbie Cornish, Robert De Niro, Andrew Howard, Anna Friel
What It's About: When a struggling writer is introduced to a drug that changes the way he writes and uses his brain, his world changes for the better – and for the worse.
Why It's One Of The Best Free Movies Streaming: As the title suggests, this film truly is limitless in the way it delivers its story, with an impeccable cast and some sci-fi aspects that truly boggle your brain. The film was successful enough that a TV show came out based on it a few years later.
The Dark Crystal (1982)
The Director: Jim Henson, Frank Oz
The Cast: Stephen Garlick, Lisa Maxwell, Billie Whitelaw
What It's About: Taking place in a fantasy world and featuring amazing 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.
Why It's One Of The Best Free Movies Streaming: While the film wasn’t huge at the box office, it is considered one of the best dark fantasies of all time, and one that I can highly recommend if you want to see some really cool puppetry.
While movies like these are still worth every penny, the ability to watch them for free almost makes the experience all that much better. Be sure to check them out before some are gone next month!
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