The best free movies online (2024)

Who doesn't love when something is free? Especially when it comes to watching movies online. Trying to keep up with paying for all the different streaming services can quickly add up. The good news is there is a bevy of options to watch free movies online, and we're helping keep track of the best of the best across a range of services.

There are a number of free streaming services online that will allow you to watch some great movies, including global options like Amazon Freevee, The Roku Channel and Tubi; others are US specific, like Crackle, Fandango at Home, Pluto TV and Xuomo. But watching any of these services won't cost you a thing, save for the fact you’ll have to deal with occasional ad-break.

But that is likely worth the price considering the wide range of movie selections that each service offers. We've reviewed each platform to come up with our own list of the best free movies online right now.

Amazon Freevee (available US & UK)

Amelie (2001)

Audrey Tautou stars as the imaginative Amelie in this modern-day fairy tale set in Paris, as she goes about trying to help others achieve happiness. The French movie is one of the most beloved foreign-language movies of this century, with it being nearly impossible not to crack a smile while watching it.

The Invisible Man (2020)

One of the few movies that made it to movie theaters in 2020 before the world shut down, The Invisible Man is a brilliant repurposing of the classic H.G. Wells story, with Elisabeth Moss playing a woman who fears the death of her abusive ex isn't true, and he is somehow taunting her while being invisible.

Paths of Glory (1957)

Paths of Glory often doesn't get brought up in the same conversation of Stanley Kubrick's most popular work like 2001: A Space Odyssey or The Shining, but the war movie is another masterpiece from the legendary director. It stars Kirk Douglas as a commander who must defend three soldiers put on trial for cowardice after a failed attack.

Some Like It Hot (1959)

Billy Wilder's classic comedy sees Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon on the run from the mob. To hide themselves they don disguises as two women playing in a traveling music band with a sultry singer played by Marilyn Monroe making their cover all the more challenging to pull off. If you haven't seen Some Like It Hot yet, "well, nobody's perfect," but it's pretty easy to rectify that right now.

Wind River (2017)

Before Taylor Sheridan created one of the most popular TV shows in recent memory (Yellowstone), he wrote and directed this neo western with his future Mayor of Kingstown star Jeremy Renner. It sees Renner play a wildlife officer that teams up with an FBI agent (Elizabeth Olsen) to solve the murder of a young woman on the Wyoming Native American reservation.

Best of the rest on Amazon Freevee: 13 Going on 30, The Birdcage, The Blair Witch Project, Blue Velvet, Citizenfour, Escape from New York, Fury, How to Train Your Dragon 2, The Other Guys, Requiem for a Dream, Split, Thelma & Louise, Waiting

Crackle (available in US)

Bronson (2008)

Tom Hardy is an A-list star, but back in 2008 he wasn't widely known or proven as a leading man, that is until Bronson came out. The Nicolas Winding Refn movie saw Hardy star as a career criminal who creates an alternate personality named Charles Bronson over three decades spent in prison. It's a wild performance from Hardy that put him on the map.

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)

A classic example of the German Expressionism movement of the early 20th century, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is a haunting movie even more than a 100 years later, as it depicts a hypnotist who uses a somnambulist to commit a series of murders. Watching the movie you'll see many pieces that had great influence on classic movies throughout the years.

Life Itself (2014)

One of the best documentarians of his generation, Steve James, took his camera to capture the career and life of one of the most influential film critics ever, Roger Ebert. Life Itself, inspired by Ebert's own memoir, not only touches on the accomplishments and impact of Ebert's work, but even how his late-in-life struggles with health could not damper his spirits or his love for the movies.

Short Term 12 (2013)

Anyone that is a fan of Brie Larson's career must watch her breakout role in Short Term 12, where she plays a supervisor at a residential treatment facility for at-risk youths. She is fantastic in the movie, and it has an ensemble that also includes the likes of John Gallagher Jr., Stephanie Beatriz, Rami Malek, Kaitlyn Dever and LaKetih Stanfield.

Stagecoach (1939)

John Wayne is the most iconic movie cowboy of all time, and it all started with Stagecoach. It's not his first western, but it was the one that took him to stardom as the John Ford movie was an action-packed adventure that is just as thrilling to watch today as it was back then.

Best of the rest on Crackle: Blackfish, Digging for Fire, Gaslight, Halloween, The Hunt, I Am Not Your Negro, In the Fade, Metropolois, The Wolfpack

Fandango at Home (available in US)

Bernie (2011)

If you enjoyed Hit Man this year (streaming exclusively on Netflix), then you are likely to also enjoy Bernie, another Richard Linklater movie based on a crazy but true story. In this case, Jack Black plays a friendly mortician who strikes up a friendship with a cantankerous, controlling, wealthy widow (Shirley MacLaine), only to eventually murder her. But what happens after that is where it gets truly unbelievable.

Charade (1963)

Fans of a good mystery thriller are going to love Charade, which features two Hollywood icons in Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn, the latter of whom becomes a target when a fortune her late husband stole comes to her. Who can she trust? Find out in this gripping trek across Europe.

His Girl Friday (1940)

If you prefer Cary Grant's comedic roles, then there are few better than His Girl Friday, where he plays a fast talking newspaper editor desperate to keep his best reporter, and ex-wife (Rosalind Russell), from quitting and marrying another man. The Howard Hawks movie is widely considered one of the best comedies of all time.

On Golden Pond (1981)

Another set of acting legends team up in On Golden Pond, as Henry Fonda and Katharine Hepburn play an elderly married couple who reluctantly agree to care for the son of their daughter's (Jane Fonda) new boyfriend. It's a superbly acted, emotional movie that won Oscars for both Henry Fonda and Katharine Hepburn.

RBG (2018)

Ruth Bader Ginsburg was already in the history books when she became a Supreme Court justice, but over her time on the high court she became a transcendent figure in American culture. This documentary depicts that as well as recounts her incredible career from her pursuit of a law degree to her time on the bench.

Pluto TV (available in US)

Days of Heaven (1978)

You'll struggle to find a more beautiful-looking movie than Terrence Malick's Days of Heaven. But the period drama starring a young Richard Gere is more than just stunning, golden hour vistas; it's a complicated love triangle that remains one of the director's most beloved works.

The Mask of Zorro (1998)

If you're looking for a fun watch, The Mask of Zorro is here for you. Antonio Banderas stars as a man recruited by a now elderly Zorro (Anthony Hopkins) to done the mask and fight for the people as a former foe returns to California.

No Country for Old Men (2007)

While the Coen Brothers are definitely known for their wild and witty comedies, they also are experts at crafting dark, thrilling crime dramas, as evidence by their Best Picture-winning movie No Country for Old Men. The directors are on top form, as is Javier Bardem in one of the best villain roles of all time.

Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)

While Sergio Leone's collaborations with Clint Eastwood are typically the first Spaghetti westerns that come to mind (hard to argue), his follow up is just as epic and enjoyable. Jason Robards and Charles Bronson go up against Henry Fonda (in a rare heel turn) and his powerful railroad.

Sorry to Bother You (2018)

One of the more imaginative movies of the last 20 years is Boots Riley's Sorry to Bother You, which stars LaKeith Stanfield as a telemarketer that discovers the key to success — donning a "white voice" when making his pitch. Things only get weirder from there, but even so this movie effectively and hilariously tackles many relevant issues of today.

Best of the rest on Pluto TV: Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Chinatown, A Fish Called Wanda, The Raid: Redemption, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Rain Man, The Red Shoes, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Tropic Thunder, The Truman Show, Zodiac

The Roku Channel (available US & UK)

Kubo and the Two Strings (2016)

Laika Studios is an underrated animation studio compared to Disney/Pixar, Dreamworks and Illumination, but they're work with stop-motion has created some incredible movies over the years, including the excellent Kubo and the Two Strings. In the movie, a young boy named Kubo must locate a magical suit of armor owned by his late father to defeat an evil spirit.

A League of Their Own (1992)

Just as there's no crying in baseball, there's no need to cry over having to pay to watch A League of Their Own, as you can stream the classic baseball movie for free right now. Geena Davis, Tom Hanks, Lori Petty, Rosie O'Donnell and Madonna star in this beloved sports comedy that depicts the real-life story of a women's professional baseball league during World War Two.

The Mask (1994)

In The Mask, Jim Carrey is at the height of his powers, giving a masterfully unhinged performance as the green-faced hero that does his good deeds through various acts of chaos. Also, fun fact that you may not have known, The Mask was the movie debut of Cameron Diaz.

Moonstruck (1987)

One of the greatest romantic comedies of all time, Moonstruck follows a Brooklyn bookkeeper who begins to fall for the begrudged brother of her fiance. Moonstruck plays its emotions to the fullest (especially by Nicolas Cage), but it works. The movie went on to win three Oscars, including Best Actress (Cher), Best Supporting Actress (Olympia Dukakis) and Best Original Screenplay.

Thelma & Louise (1991)

The early 90s was a good time to be Geena Davis, as she starred in another all-timer, this time alongside Susan Sarandon. The pair are the titular Thelma & Louise, who go on the run after murdering a man in self defense. But rather than turn themselves in, they double down and use this crime spree as a way to finally take their life into their own hands.

Best of the rest on The Roku Channel: The Birdcage, Ghostbusters, The Great Escape, Hoosiers, The Lincoln Lawyer, Mississippi Burning, No Country for Old Men, Rain Main, The Terminator

Tubi (available in US & UK)

All That Jazz (1979)

Bob Fosse won an Oscar for Cabaret (also on Tubi right now if you're interested), but for my money his masterpiece is All That Jazz, a fictionalized musical take on Fosse's own life as an acclaimed director and choreographer. Roy Scheider and Ann Reinking are mesmerizing in the movie, as are the fantastic musical numbers. A must watch for any movie musical fan.

Goodfellas (1990)

It's not easy picking a favorite Martin Scorsese movie, but many movie fans will opt for Goodfellas when forced to give an answer. It's easy to understand why, as the decade-spanning crime drama has moments of humor and violence that make it a blast to watch. But the true draw are the brilliant performances by Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci (who won an Oscar for the movie) and Scorsese operating on all cylinders.

In the Heat of the Night (1967)

Sidney Poitier is a Hollywood icon, and In the Heat of the Night is one of his landmark movies. Not just for the pure entertainment value of the murder mystery at its center, but also for its depiction of race relations during the Civil Rights movement. Poitier plays a Philadelphia detective that gets caught up in a case in rural Mississippi and must partner with the white police chief (Rod Steiger) in this Best Picture winner.

It Happened One Night (1934)

The original romantic comedy that paved the way for all to come after it, It Happened One Night remains a delight 90 years after its initial release. Claudette Colbert as an heiress on the run so she can reunite with the man she has married and Clark Gable as the newspaper reporter traveling with her to get the scoop on the story are perfection. On a historical note, It Happened One Night is the first movie to win Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor & Actress and Best Screenplay at the Oscars.

Training Day (2001)

An ideal double feature with In the Heat of the Night is Denzel Washington's Training Day. Washington won Best Actor for this movie as a LAPD narcotics detective that takes a rookie officer (Ethan Hawke) under his wing. However, not everything that Washington's detective does is by the books, as the young cop soon learns.

Best of the rest on Tubi: 12 Angry Men, The Adventures of Robin Hood, Another Round, The Apartment, The Art of Self-Defense, The Big Country, Bull Durham, Downfall, Fiddler on the Roof, Friday, The Graduate, Jurassic Park, Memento, Paddington, The Third Man, Witness for the Prosecution

Xuomo (available in US)

Dial M for Murder (1954)

While it's hard to call any Alfred Hitchco*ck movie underrated as he is one of the most acclaimed directors ever, Dial M for Murder is usually just on the outside of the four or five movies that people first think of when discussing the master of suspense. But this story of a man attempting to commit the perfect murder of his wife has got everything you could want in a Hitchco*ckian thriller.

Glory (1989)

Usually when we think of war movies we think either of the World Wars or Vietnam, but Glory takes us back to the Civil War and tells the inspiring story of one of the first Black regiment to fight for the Union Army (which also delivers an impressive climactic battle scene). Denzel Washington, Morgan Freeman, Andre Braugher, Matthew Broderick and Cary Elwes star in the movie.

Ray (2004)

Jamie Foxx gives a great (and Oscar-winning) performance as legendary musician Ray Charles in this biopic. Chronicling Charles' life and career, it delves into his many different facets, from his brilliance as a musician to his struggles with drugs and his family.

The Thing from Another World (1951)

John Carpenter's The Thing is rightly praised as a great sci-fi/horror movie, but it is loosely based on this 1950s creature classic, The Thing from Another World. It is definitely more hokey than Carpenter's version, but that is actually what gives it its charm. Despite it being very much of its time it still works as an entertaining watch.

To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)

Harper Lee's timeless book got a brilliant movie adaptation, led by a powerful performance by Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch (he beat out Peter O'Toole in Lawrence of Arabia for the Oscar). Whenever you're talking about great movie adaptations of books, To Kill a Mockingbird has to be in the conversation for the very best.

Best of the rest on Xuomo: Blackfish, Brian's Song, Halloween, His Girl Friday, Nosferatu, The Wolfpack