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 April 2025.
Intense Dramas
For when you want to be on the edge of your seat:
Scarface (1983)
The Director: Brian De Palma
The Cast: Al Pacino, Steven Bauer, Michelle Pfeiffer, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio
What It's About: Based on a true story, Scarface tells the rise and fall of Tony Montana and how he became a drug lord in Miami.
Why It's One Of The Best Free Movies Streaming: I mean, I think when anyone thinks of a crime movie, or one that has something to do with the mob, Scarface is always one of the first that comes to mind. With an engaging plot that keeps you on your toes from beginning to end, this is a movie that is worth the run time.
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.
The Godfather (1972)
The Director: Francis Ford Coppola
The Cast: Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Richard Castellano, Robert Duvall, Sterling Hayden
What It's About: Based on the novel of the same name, The Godfather tells the story of the Corleone family and their rise to power in the mafia, as well as how their young son becomes a ruthless leader within the family business.
Why It's One Of The Best Free Movies Streaming: I mean, do I even need to get into heavy detail as to why you should watch The Godfather? It’s considered one of the best films of all time. Check it out if you haven’t.
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.
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:
A Few Good Men (1992)
The Director: Rob Reiner
The Cast: Tom Cruise, Jack Nicolson, Demi Moore, Kevin Bacon
What It's About: Based on the play of the same name, A Few Good Men follows two U.S. Marines who were court-martialed for the murder of another Marine, and how their lawyers deal with the case.
Why It's One Of The Best Free Movies Streaming: This is the kind of drama that if you’ve never seen it, you have to check it out. The acting is incredible, and the film itself was nominated for four Academy Awards.
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.
Beverly Hills Cop (1984)
The Director: Martin Brest
The Cast: Eddie Murphy, Judge Reinhold, John Ashton, Lisa Eilbacher
What It's About: A Detroit detective must adapt to Beverly Hills when he comes to California in order to solve the mystery of his friend’s death.
Why It's One Of The Best Free Movies Streaming: There’s a reason why Beverly Hills Cop is often considered one of Eddie Murphy’s best films, as it is hilarious. It was so well-received that there were three sequels that released, including one that came out in 2024.
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:
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:
Grown Ups (2010)
The Director: Dennis Dugan
The Cast: Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, David Spade, Rob Schneider
What It's About: Five friends come together again after the death of their childhood coach, leading to hilarious situations.
Why It's One Of The Best Free Movies Streaming: You know what? I love this movie and I am tired of saying that I don’t. There is so much going on with Sandler and his buddies that this film creates infectious humor and I stand by it as a great movie to watch with the whole family.
Paddington 2 (2017)
The Director: Paul King
The Cast: Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, Brendan Gleeson, Julie Walters, Jim Broadbent, Peter Capaldi, Hugh Grant, Ben Whishaw
What It's About: When Paddington is placed behind bars for a crime that he did not commit, it’s up to his family to try and get him out while he attempts to make do with the prisoners.
Why It's One Of The Best Free Movies Streaming: I fully believe that Paddington 2 is one of those movies that no matter how old you are, or if you’ve even seen the first Paddington, you will enjoy it. It’s adorable, sweet, and the definition of “fun for the whole family.”
Top Gun (1986)
The Director: Tony Scott
The Cast: Tom Cruise, Kelly McGillis, Val Kilmer
What It's About: A naval aviator and his radar intercept officer are given the chance to train at the Navy’s Fighter Weapon’s School, otherwise known as Top Gun.
Why It's One Of The Best Free Movies Streaming: While there’s certainly one very eighties spicy scene in here that you could turn the kids away from, the rest of this film is family friendly, in my opinion. It’s fast-paced, has a fun story, and even had a sequel thirty-six years later in the form of Top Gun: Maverick:
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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