If you are trying to add a new streaming service to your ever-growing collection but don’t want to make any commitments or spend too much money (or any at all), Plex is a wonderful option. The streaming platform offers a large assortment of movies that include everything from decorated A24 movies to modern dystopian classics like Snowpiercer with intense behind-the-scenes stories.
Throughout the month of August 2022, Plex has a number of great, free movies to stream, including the 2004 horror classic Saw with all its twists, turns, and deadly games. So, as part of CinemaBlend’s partnership with Plex, we have made a list of 14 movies that are worth giving a spin, either to revisit after all these years or for the first time entirely. Let’s break down each of them now so you can get started on your next marathon…
Saw (2004)
After two men who seem to have nothing in common with one another awake in a run-down bathroom, both learn they are victims of the sadistic Jigsaw Killer (Tobin Bell). Trapped and chained to pipes, the two strangers are forced to play a series of increasingly devious games if they are to survive the experiment and see the outside world again. Meanwhile, two detectives attempt to track down the killer before he can claim another set of victims in James Wan’s 2004 anxiety-inducing thriller Saw.
Compliance (2012)
What starts out as a normal shift for fast food worker Becky (Dreama Walker) turns into anything but after a police officer calls her manager Sandra (Ann Dowd) and accuses the young woman of robbing a customer. Over the phone, the officer forces Sandra to subject her employee to a series of increasingly traumatic experiences, all while telling the manager she’s doing the right thing. But Sandra soon learns things aren’t always as straightforward as they seem.
Stream Compliance on Plex (beginning August 26).
Frank (2014)
In Lenny Abrahamson’s 2014 dark comedy Frank, struggling songwriter Jon Burroughs (Domhnall Gleeson) is presented the opportunity to join an up-and-coming rock outfit and decides to make the most of the situation and go along for the ride. But upon joining the band, Jon becomes all too aware of the group’s peculiar nature, especially after meeting the eccentric frontman Frank (Michael Fassbender) who insists on performing on stage and living his life behind a large papier-mâché mask.
Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior (2003)
Prachya Pinkaew’s 2003 modern martial arts classic Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior tells the story of Muay Thai expert Ting (Tony Jaa) as he leaves his quiet village and heads out to Bangkok in hopes of recovering an ancient and sacred Buddhist statue that has been stolen from a local shrine. And while the task initially seems like a simple retrieval, it soon becomes a fight for survival for the young man in the crowded and dangerous city.
Stream Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior on Plex.
Goon (2011)
After making a name for himself as a polite yet dimwitted bouncer with a killer punch, Doug Glatt (Seann William Scott) is given the opportunity to play for a minor league Canadian hockey team seeking someone with his particular set of skills. And while Doug lacks the speed, finesse, or mental fortitude to become an all-time great behind the stick, he finds out in Michael Dowse’s Goon that heroes come in all shapes and sizes… especially when they enforce the ice like nobody’s business.
Stream Goon on Plex (until August 27).
Drinking Buddies (2013)
Joe Swanberg’s 2013 romantic comedy Drinking Buddies follows Kate (Olivia Wilde) and Luke (Jake Johnson) two co-workers at a Chicago brewery who try and try to fight off their mutual attraction while also dealing with a series of traumatic life experiences involving their respective romantic partners (played by Ron Livingston and Anna Kendrick).
Stream Drinking Buddies on Plex.
Half Nelson (2006)
Ryan Fleck’s 2006 drama Half Nelson stars Ryan Gosling as Dan Dunne, a history teacher who despite being charismatic and beloved at his Brooklyn school, has some serious issues with drugs, alcohol, and his fragile mental state. But after an encounter with a student while at one of his lowest points, Dan finds a reason to make the change he’s been needing to make for years.
The Gift (2015)
Life seems to be perfect for Simon (Jason Bateman) and his wife Robyn (Rebecca Hall) until running into a supposed old friend from high school named Gordo (Joel Edgerton, who also directs) who begins randomly stopping by and bringing gifts. And while it initially appears to be a case of two former classmates catching up after all these years, the couple soon discovers that something is afoot with the persistent and unsettling man in The Gift.
Heathers (1989)
After accidentally killing the most ruthless and popular girl in school, Veronica Sawyer (Winona Ryder) and boyfriend Jason “J.D.” Dean (Christian Slater) make it appear as if she committed suicide. But as Veronica learns in Michael Lehmann’s 1989 dark comedy Heathers, there is always someone else willing to wear the crown, and things aren’t always how they seem, especially when your boyfriend may or not be a serial killer.
Hard Candy (2005)
David Slade’s 2006 psychological thriller Hard Candy follows 14-year-old Hayley Stark (Elliott Page) as she meets and begins to seduce a 32-year-old photographer named Jeff Kohlver (Patrick Wilson) in an online chat room. Eventually agreeing to meet Jeff in real life, Hayley decides to play a sinister trick on her new “friend” by drugging him and confining him in order to get him to confess to committing heinous crimes against innocent teenage girls, but that isn’t all…
The Road (2009)
Set years after a cataclysmic event has thrust the world into chaos and turned the planet into an ash-covered hellscape, a father (Viggo Mortensen) and his son (Kodi Smit-McPhee) make the decision to leave their dying and increasingly cold home in hopes of finding a way to survive in the warmer climate of the American South. But a lack of resources and an inhospitable landscape aren’t the only worries the man and boy are forced to face in John Hillcoat’s 2008 adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s The Road as untold horrors and gangs of cannibalistic mad men lie ahead, waiting to test them physically, mentally, and spiritually.
Short Term 12 (2013)
Before Destin Daniel Cretton made Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, he wrote and directed the 2013 drama Short Term 12, which tells the story of Grace Howard (Brie Larson), a counselor trying to make life better for residents at a group home for troubled youths. While initially optimistic and friendly toward the teens under her care, the facade begins to crumble as Grace is overcome with memories of her own adolescence and the abuse she had to endure.
Wind River (2017)
After discovering the body of a young woman in a remote section of a Wyoming American Indian reservation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Agent Cory Lambert (Jeremy Renner) attempts to figure out what led to her murder and find those responsible for committing such a vicious attack. With the help of rookie FBI Special Agent Jane Banner (Elizabeth Olsen), Lambert carries out a thorough and dangerous investigation while also overcoming grief of his own in Taylor Sheridan’s 2017 neo-western thriller Wind River.
Lucky Number Slevin (2006)
Slevin Kelevra (Josh Hartnett) finds himself at the wrong place at the wrong time when he is caught in the crosshairs of a brutal gang war between notorious criminals (and former friends) The Boss (Morgan Freeman) and The Rabbi (Ben Kingsley). But as the story unfolds in Paul McGuigan’s 2006 crime thriller Lucky Number Slevin, the man who at first appears to be the result of a bad case of mistaken identity could very well be exactly where he’s needed to be all along.
Stream Lucky Number Slevin on Plex.
These are just some of the great movies that are available to watch for free on Plex throughout the month of August and beyond. And with new movies (and TV shows of yesterday and today) being added to the increasingly large streaming library all the time, there is always something worth checking out on the great platform.
