best movie streaming websites reddit 2022

Best movie streaming sites 2024: Watch blockbuster movies on Netflix, HBO Max, and Disney Plus

Watch the finest cinema has to offer at home with the best movie streaming sites.

Take a seat and enjoy the best movie streaming sites, which help you bring the magic of cinema into your own home (and beyond). 

Film and movie streaming services have exploded in popularity in recent years as people become increasingly connected. You used to need a TV , but now thanks to 5G internet and smart devices, you also can watch the latest blockbusters on your home computer , laptop , or even your smartphone . Companies want a piece of that pie, and where once we only really had Netflix, now there are a whole host of movie streaming sites to choose from. So, which is the best movie streaming site?

Well, if you’ve read many of our guides before, you’ll know what we’re going to say - it’s complicated, and it depends on what you’re looking for. The best movie streaming site for action fans won’t be the best choice for someone who wants to enjoy a nice romantic comedy, or an animated kids movie.

It’s worth mentioning that there is a lot of crossover between the best movie streaming sites and the best TV streaming services - almost all the websites in our rankings provide a mixture of both TV shows and movies. But while a service might excel in one area, it can lack in the other, so we’re ranking them separately for both.

Beyond the content it offers, you should also consider the cost of streaming services - especially if you’re subscribed to multiple streaming sites at once. Are you getting good value for your money? Is there enough new content to justify a yearly subscription, or should you just jump in every so often with a month’s sub and binge watch all the good stuff? Our reviews should help to answer those questions for you too.

1. Disney Plus - Best movie streaming site for family

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If you’re looking for movies that the whole family can enjoy, then Disney Plus is simply unbeatable. You’ll find almost every Disney movie on there, along with the entire back catalog of Pixar, Marvel, and Star Wars movies. That’s a staggering amount of top quality movies for you to watch.

If you want to watch the latest Disney movies as they come out, you can also pay extra to watch premium movies at home, instead of traipsing out to the cinema. It’s not cheap at $20 per rental, but if you’re wary about heading back out to the movies then it’s a great alternative way to watch the latest blockbusters like Black Widow and Luca.

There are also a few movies from 20th Century Fox on there too including Avatar, although most of Fox’s content has stayed exclusive to Hulu, which is majority owned by Disney.

• Read our Disney Plus review .

2. HBO Max - Best movie streaming site for new movies

HBO Max has only been on the scene for just over a year, but it has already cemented itself as one of the best movie streaming services thanks to the incredible depth of its movie catalog, along with the addition of Same Day Premieres which let you watch new movies at the same time they drop at the cinema.

HBO Max’s movie collection is primarily stocked with Warner Bros and New Line Cinema titles, but it’s easy to forget just how many amazing movies these companies have put out over the years. Blade Runner, Goodfellas, The Departed, The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Mad Max: Fury Road, Pulp Fiction, Rocky. The list goes on and on.

On top of that, HBO Max also has exclusive streaming rights for all the Studio Ghibli movies in the US. Our only real complaint about HBO Max is that the interface isn’t as good as other sites, but it’s perfectly usable.

• Read our HBO Max review .

3. Netflix - Best movie streaming site for variety 

Netflix isn’t quite as high on our best movie streaming sites list as it is in our TV rankings, but that doesn’t mean that it’s not worth your time if you’re a movie fan. Netflix has a huge range of movies across the whole spectrum of genres, with a good mixture of classic titles, newer movies, and original content.

Netflix’s approach to its movie library is a little bit of everything for everyone. You’ll find comedies from like Superbad and Austin Powers, along with family friendly animated movies like Kung Fu Panda and Madagascar. There is horror, action, drama, and a great selection of foreign movies to choose from too.

There is also a decent amount of original content that, while not quite at the level of some of Netflix’s stellar TV series’, is still worth watching. We’ve got big name stars like Batista, Henry Cavil, and Kevin Hart showing up in movies like Army of the Dead, Enola Holmes, and Fatherhood.

Outside of the exclusives, Netflix doesn’t have a huge amount of recently released movies on it. As a library of older movies though, Netflix is fantastic.

• Read our Netflix review .

4. Paramount Plus - Best movie streaming site for Trekkies

Paramount Plus

Another recent entry into the streaming service game, Paramount Plus is a great choice for movie buffs thanks to a substantial backlog of classic and modern movies. There are some fantastic movies including The Wolf of Wall Street, A Quiet Place: Part Two, and Sonic the Hedgehog. Paramount Pictures also has a good number of big franchises in its lineup including Mission Impossible, Star Trek, and Jackass.

Unlike HBO Max and Disney Plus, you don’t get the option to pay for theatrical releases on Paramount Plus though, so you’ll still need to see them in the cinema or wait for them to be added to the service later. The user interface is also occasionally frustrating, as it can be difficult to find what you’re looking for. Like many other services on this list, Paramount Plus relies on the strength of its TV lineup as much as movies, so it’s probably only worth grabbing if you’re interested in both sides.

• Read our Paramount Plus review.

5. Mubi - Best movie streaming service for prestige cinema

If you’re looking for the best in independent movies, then Mubi is definitely the place to be. Mubi looks to highlight the smaller side of cinema, with a collection of smaller, art house pictures that you wouldn’t find on the other big streaming sites.

Mubi’s most unique selling point is its Film of the Day - simply put, Mubi adds a new movie to its lineup every single day. You can see what the movie of the day is, along with a calendar going backwards that shows what has been added recently. It also runs special events, like the Cannes Takeover which is bringing together highlights from previous Cannes Film Festivals.

Mubi is normally $10.99 per month, but it also offers discounts for students who can sign up for just $6.99 per month - perfect for those studying filmmaking or for anyone who wants to see the smaller, more personal side of cinema

6. Hulu - best cheap movie streaming service

Hulu sits in a weird place in the market these days. While it used to carry content from tons of different studios, the rise of networks specific streaming services like HBO Max, Peacock, and Paramount Plus has meant the walls have closed in around Hulu somewhat. With that said, it’s still owned by Disney, and it serves as a great home for all the 20th Century Fox content that Disney doesn’t put on Disney Plus in the US.

It does still carry plenty of movies from other companies like Universal and Sony Pictures too, with recent blockbusters like Jumanji: The Next Level, Bohemian Rhapsody, and Parasite sitting alongside older titles like Space Jam, Independence Day, and American Gangster. Hulu also has a decent library of original content, though it hasn't really had any breakout hits in the same way that Disney Plus and Netflix have.

The main draw of Hulu is that it's cheap - or at least it can be cheap, if you don't mind ads during your movies. If you bump up to the ad-free versions, then prices climb to what we see at competitors like Netflix. We think Hulu is better for Tv than movies, but it's still worth checking out.

• Read our Hulu review .

7. Amazon Prime Video - best for a la carte movie ordering

Amazon Prime Video

Prime Video has a rather eclectic collection of movies that take the same approach as Netflix - a little bit of everything for everyone. This means you’ll find something to watch when you sign up, but fans of particular genres will quickly blast through everything of interest to them. There is also a lot of padding in Prime Video’s library. Sure, there are absolute bangers like Knives Out on there, but it’s mainly older movies.

In reality, you can basically watch any movie you want on Prime Video though - you just have to pay extra for it. Alongside the library of Prime movies, you can also rent movies for a set fee. This massively expands the amount of potential content that Prime has, but at a cost.

Amazon has finally started putting some effort into original movies alongside its TV series, but so far it's fair to say we’ve seen mixed results. Borat: Subsequent Moviefilm was pretty good and The Tomorrow War is laughably bad. On the whole though, there isn’t anything that we’d call a must watch on Prime Video.

Prime Video is a nice thing to have as a part of Amazon Prime, but if you’re just looking for a quality movie streaming service, there are better choices out there. 

• Read our Amazon Prime Video review .

8. Shudder - Best movie streaming site for horror

Oh it’s too spooky for us, but horror fans should definitely check out Shudder. This scary streaming service focuses exclusively on horror movies and shows, giving a great mixture of cult classics, original content, and smaller titles that you’ve likely never seen before.

You’ll find some of the cornerstones of the horror genre on Shudder for sure though, with classic titles like Halloween and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre to enjoy (if that’s the right word for it). You can also find a huge selection of smaller titles though, and that’s where the best stuff lies when it comes to horror - outside of the mainstream.

There are also Shudder originals, with titles like  Superdeep, Violation, and Shook breathing some new life into the horror movie space. Obviously this is quite a niche service, so if you’re not into the spooky, scary, or downright twisted then Shudder isn’t for you, but for horror aficionados, it’s a no brainer.

• Read our Shudder review .

9. Peacock - Best movie site for classic movies

Peacock’s strength as a movie streaming service depends entirely on your taste in movies - if you want the latest blockbusters then you should look elsewhere, but if you want a decent library of older movies then you’ll love what it has to offer.

If you want to get lost in an epic saga, then you can get stuck into franchises like The Hunger Games and the Jason Bourne movies. Comedy fans are also catered to with Bridesmaids, Bruce Almighty, and The Blues Brothers. In fact, if you have any nostalgia for the 90s and 00s movie scene, Peacock is basically a greatest hits of that time.

Bizarrely, Peacock also caters excellently to another niche fanbase… Fans of terrible knock offs and B-movies. The Fast and The Fierce, 2012: Ice Age, Lord of the Elves. There is a wealth of awful cheesy nonsense here too.

In truth, Peacock’s strengths lie in its epic collection of TV shows, so if you’re just diving in for the movies, you’ll probably burn through the titles you’re interested in fairly quickly. If you’re invested in watching NBC, SyFy, USA, and Bravo shows, then the movies are icing on the cake. If not, then Peacock is a tough sell to movie lovers.

• Read our Peacock review .

10. YouTube - Best free movie streaming site

Movies might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of YouTube, but it does actually host a huge library of movies alongside the usual vlogs, shows, and videos of cats. While you have to pay to rent most of these titles, YouTube does have a selection of movies that are free to view, provided you’re OK with adverts every now and then.

It’s not exactly a list of Oscar nominated classics mind you, but there are some decent flicks in there including The Terminal, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, and Clue: The Movie - any streaming service that lets us watch Tim Curry is OK with us.

The selection gets a lot better if you’re willing to pay to rent, but that’s true of many other services on this list. But if you’re strapped for cash and don’t mind sitting through some adverts, YouTube is a decent option.

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Ian Stokes is the Tech Editor here at Top Ten Reviews. He has extensive experience in tech and games journalism, with work published on IGN, Kotaku UK, Waypoint, GamesRadar, Trusted Reviews, and many more. You'll find him covering everything from smartphones and home computers to 3D printers and headphones. He's also our resident cocktail expert.

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10 Best Streaming Services, According to Reddit

Some friendly advice for where to invest your time.

Over the past few years, the number of video streaming services available for subscription has increased drastically. The household staple Netflix has since been challenged by a number of other services. Consumers now have a plethora of options to satisfy their cravings for movie and TV binges, including Hulu , Disney+ , Paramount+ and many more. However, each platform has something different to offer and a price tag attached to it.

With all the choices to decide between, customers must weigh in many different factors to make their decision. The worth of a streaming service subscription can be dependent on components such as price, selection of series and movies, bundle offers, and more. Users on the popular social media platform Reddit have a reputation for being opinionated, and they haven't shied away from sharing their perspectives on which streaming services are worth the subscription.

Netflix was a trailblazing streaming service and is the most subscribed to streaming platform in 2023. Netflix offers a variety of television shows, movies and documentaries in several different genres. In the US, Netflix has four plans which allow users unlimited access to all of the service's content. Prices range from $6.99/month for the Basic with Ads tier to $19.00 a month for the Premium option.

RELATED: The 50 Best Movies on Netflix Right Now

New content from around the world is very regularly released on Netflix and consumers are most enticed by the thousands of titles available to instantly watch. Reddit user beam3475 expressed that Netflix is their favorite streaming service because of that. "Netflix is the best all-rounder. It's got a little bit of everything from all over the world," they said. Many other Redditors tend to agree that Netflix is a must-have because of its wide selection.

HBO Max has caught movie watchers' attention with their vast catalog, but the streaming service most notably recognized for their breakout shows and successful titles. Massively popular television shows like Game of Thrones , Succession and Euphoria are available on the site alongside fan-favorite movies like Lord of the Rings and The Wizard of Ox . The streaming service is offered at $9.99/month for the 'With Ads' plan or $15.99/month for the 'Without Ads' plan.

RELATED: The Best Movies on HBO Max Right Now

Numerous Redditors have enthusiastically expressed support for HBO Max's show selection, which has been praised for having an incredible catalog of shows. "HBO Max has The Wire and Sopranos. Two of the greatest shows of all time," stated Redditor tametargaryen23 . The user also complimented HBO for making films newly released in theaters available on the service immediately.

3 Amazon Prime Video

Amazon Prime Video is known to rival Netflix with its wealth of original content. Amazon Prime Video also supports offline downloads, parental controls and the ability to create up to six different profile per account. Amazon Prime users have access to the ad-free version of Amazon Prime Video alongside free shipping on most purchases. If a user doesn't wish to purchase a full Amazon Prime subscription, Prime Video can be available at a starting price of $8.99/month as a standalone.

Different streaming services can be fitting to different people dependent on their preference in movie and show genre. Some of Prime Video's top titles are Invincible and The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power , but Redditor MercilessShadow also pointed out that Amazon Prime offers a great selection of horror movies if that's what viewers enjoy.

4 Apple TV+

Apple TV+ is a streaming service that launched in late 2019 that features a range of exclusive TV shows and movies. Beloved shows like Ted Lasso , Severance , and Dickenson have enticed users to sign up for the affordable $4.99/month cost. Apple TV+ has no ad supported plans and all titles are available to be downloaded for offline viewing.

Several Redditors are aligned in thinking that Apply TV+ has a great selection of shows that are worth the subscription fee. User jogoso2014 made sure to comment on the platform's fee, saying that it has "an amazing deal at this point." In a competitive market of streaming services, price cannot be overlooked, and Apple TV+ low cost cannot be beat.

Hulu is one of the most popular premium streaming services in 2023. Hulu has gained respect by launching Emmy-winning series like The Handmaid's Tale alongside other popular titles. Hulu's plans start at the basic ad-based option for $5.99/month. The streaming service's model also gives users the options of add-ons like Showtime, HBO, Cinemax, and Starz.

RELATED: The Best Movies on Hulu Right Now

Hulu is considered a dependable streaming platform in the Reddit community. User elsawah fondly expressed their liking for the service, saying "honestly surprised at how good the interface is, probably tied with Netflix for me. The library is amazing as well." No one wants to struggle to navigate a platform when looking for a show to wind down to. An easy experience alongside a great selection is a combo that's absolutely necessary in a streaming platform.

Disney+ is an American subscription service which distributes films and series produced by Disney , Pixar, Marvel, StarWars, National Geographic, and Star. By leveraging all of these very popular brands, the platform has become a tough competitor in the streaming wars. Disney+ has become a favorite of families worldwide because of the many kid-friendly options. Disney+ has a limited time offer for an ad-based plan at $6.99 for the first three months which auto-renews for $7.99/month.

RELATED: The Best Movies on Disney+ Right Now

Disney being a huge conglomerate with ownership of many studios gives Disney+ the luxury of offering exclusive access to countless shows, movies and documentaries. Redditor CheesyObserver stated Disney+ to be their streaming service of choice because of this, comically saying that it "Has my favourite interface and a wide library thanks to the mouse owning almost everything."

7 Peacock TV

Peacock is an American streaming service with over 20 million subscribers. Peacock does not just provide classic dramas and comedies, it is also well-respected for its impressive live-sports offering. Many US soccer fans turn to Peacock to stream games, as the Premier League is exclusively streamed there for half of the season. Peacock's plans start at $4.99/month.

Peacock is often overshadowed by the fame of platforms like Netflix or Disney+, but its unique offerings have recently been catching the eyes of Redditors online. User underthemoonlight08 took note that Peacock "has some great originals and you can watch it for free up to a certain amount of hours." In a world where streaming movies and TV gets expensive , any amount of free content is a perk.

Tubi is an American ad-supported streaming service owned by Fox Corporation. It's the only free app on the list, yet still has a large library of over 50,000 television shows and movies. Tubi features award-winning titles from reputable studios like Lionsgate, MGM, Paramount, and many more.

A cost-free streaming platform easily catches anyone's attention, but its huge selection aids in making the service very respectable. Due to it being free, Tubi is often overlooked in the streaming war discussion, but Redditor tehlastsith considers it their 6th most used streaming platform, even over some of their paid subscriptions.

9 YouTube TV

The vast majority of internet users are familiar with the free streaming site YouTube , but YouTube TV is a premium streaming service operated by the site which offers a wide selection of live channel feeds and on-demand content. YouTube TV makes more than 100 television networks available to subscribers. A limited time offer makes it available for $54.99/month, but its usual price is $64.99/month.

Redditor heretoredditttt was quick to point out their favoritism towards YouTube TV. They compared its setup to cable and expressed their fondness for how "you can record shows and movies that aren’t on other platforms." YouTube TV is a wonderful option for those who want a very wide selection of channels and the ability to share the subscription across many different households.

10 Cycle Through The Platforms

With every streaming service offering unique content, add-ons and benefits, it can be difficult to narrow down your options and commit to any long-term. Luckily, the platforms give users the ability to subscribe on a monthly basis, meaning that subscription can be canceled after a short period of time, and you can try out what other platforms have to offer.

Cycling through platforms in intervals can give movie watchers the best of all worlds. By spending some time on each streaming service, subscribers can also make a better judgment on if they'd like to subscribe to certain platforms for longer. Many Redditors have fondly discussed this option online and user lightsongtheold summed it up well: "You get everything without having to pay for both at once!"

NEXT: 10 TV Shows to Watch if You Loved Netflix’s ‘The Order’

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Best Streaming Movies 2022

The past few years have taught us to not sleep on streaming movies, and that sentiment will continue when you have the likes of Guillermo del Toro ( Pinocchio ), Pixar ( Turning Red ), and, of course, Beavis and Butt-head releasing their projects straight to services. Prey was a surprise hit in a franchise that hadn’t had a Certified Fresh movie in over 30 years, and Adam Sandler shows he’s got Hustle in his pocket whenever he needs it with another effective drama for Netflix.

The order reflects Tomatometer scores (as of December 31, 2022) after adjustment from our ranking formula, which compensates for variation in the number of reviews when comparing movies or TV shows.

Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio (2022) 96%

Turning Red (2022) 95%

Prey (2022) 94%

The Janes (2022) 100%

Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues (2022) 98%

Good Luck to You, Leo Grande (2022) 93%

"Sr." (2022) 97%

Beavis and Butt-Head Do the Universe (2022) 95%

Hellbender (2021) 97%

Hustle (2022) 93%

Sissy (2022) 96%

Fire Island (2022) 94%

The Sea Beast (2022) 94%

After Yang (2021) 90%

Lucy and Desi (2022) 94%

Kimi (2022) 92%

The Eternal Daughter (2022) 95%

A Wounded Fawn (2022) 96%

Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood (2022) 91%

Mad God (2021) 91%

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The 12 Best Free Movie Streaming Services That Aren't YouTube

The 12 best free movie streaming services that aren't youtube, from blockbusters to cult classics, tubi, crackle, and freevee have some eclectic offerings worth checking uot.

Sure, there are plenty of great free movies on YouTube —but while YouTube is awesome, it’s not the only game in town. So we decided to put together a list of other sites that also offer free movies, break down the pros and cons of each one, briefly explore what they offer beyond movies, and then dive deep into the specific films that you can check out gratis (pretty much in all cases with ads). Here are 12 free streaming services where you can find some great films.

This story originally appeared on The A.V. Club.

Tubi is ubiquitous in that you can stream it anywhere at any time, using just about any device. We like the spiffy, easy-to-navigate interface, not to mention the much-wider-than-its-competitors’ selection of major movies. We’re talking John Wick (and 2 and 3 ), Secretary, Heathers , Straight Outta Compton , Goodfellas , King Richard , and Batman . It’s a similar story with the TV end of the equation, old and new hits, classics, and little-seen gems, including Hannibal, Luther , and for those who like to see watermelons smashed… The Gallagher Collection . The only bummer? Too many ads.

Bonus points: We like the category called Not on Netflix.

We love Kanopy for three specific reasons. One, you need a library card or college ID to access it; after that, it’s free. Two, no ads! And, three, as you might expect, they provide truly thought-provoking features and documentaries. Let’s rattle off a bunch of titles: Captain Fantastic, Abortion: Stories Women Tell People, Rashomon , I Am Not Your Negro , Chinatown , and Howards End are some of the films you can find on this service.

Bonus points: Kanopy also offers a ton of kids’ programming, both entertainment-oriented and educational.

Killers Of The Flower Moon ? Oppenheimer ? Barbie ? Too good to be true, right? Right. You can buy or rent those titles, and many other current/recent releases, on Vudu . If you’re seeking the free stuff (with ads), then click on the Free link all the way up at the top. Vudu offers a modest selection of films and shows. Amidst the many B-movies you never heard of ( Titanic 2 , for example!), you’ll hit upon some worthwhile entries, including Maggie, Glengarry GlenRoss, Sidewalk Stories, On Golden Pond, Alf, Terrifier, King Of New York, Trees Lounge , and the recent, highly recommended documentary, Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story .

Bonus points: Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares is both new and excellent.

There are niches and then there are niches. CONtv serves up movies (and shows) meant to appeal to fans of sci-fi, horror, fantasy, action, and anime, especially those people who love conventions like Comic-Con. So, cue a few classics, including Carnival Of Souls and Fist Of Fury , a bunch of familiar titles ( The Collector, Night Of The Living Dead ), and a bloody long list of obscure, cheesy, genre flicks ranging from Zombie Ass Toilet Of The Dead, Hell Bride , and Zombie Hamlet to Monsturd, Little Dead Rotting Hood , and The Great American Snuff Film .

Bonus points: Did we mention they’re showing Zombie Ass Toilet Of The Dead ?!

Sony purchased Crackle in 2016, so it should surprise no one that Sony and Columbia dominate the options. But they’ve also got numerous TV shows, comedy specials, documentaries, and some original programming, too, including requisite holiday fare. When it comes to movies, you won’t find many blockbusters or recent releases, but we’re good with Troll Hunter , Please Stand By, Hobo With A Shotgun, Goon, The Wrecking Crew!, A League Of Ordinary Gentlemen, and Kiss Of The Damned . And if you crave a kitschy holiday movie, you’ve not lived until you watch A Christmas Carol: The Musical , starring Kelsey Grammer, Jane Krakowski, Jesse L. Martin, Jason Alexander, and Jennifer Love Hewitt.

Bonus points: Easy to navigate, minimal ads.

Don’t want to pay for Prime Video? Amazon offers this free (with ads) streaming service, which delivers live news, TV shows, and, of course, movies— including original productions. Among the films now available on Freevee are Tender Mercies, Return To Me, The Shape Of Water , Donnie Darko , Till, Party Girl , the trashy cult classic The Big Bird Cage, The Iceman , and My Policeman . We particularly recommend a little-seen coming-of-age romantic drama called Dear Zoe , which stars the preternaturally talented Sadie Sink. Meanwhile, there’s a holiday-themed original called EXmas (starring Leighton Meester and Robbie Amell) to go with a zillion other Christmas movies.

Bonus points: Freevee uses the same basic interface as Amazon, making it pretty easy to navigate.

Redbox ’s red boxes will always hold a special place in our hearts, but they’ve branched out beyond physical media to embrace the streaming universe. They offer movies on demand for a fee, but also a decent amount of free content, including game shows, series, and movies. Some of it is scheduled and some of it is on-demand. Odds are you’ve never heard of most of the movies, and by that we mean Walking Tall: The Payback (starring Kevin Sorbo), Bad Johnson, Terror Eyes, Hashtag Blessed , and Hounds Of Love . Poke around, though, and they’ve got Rush, Monster, Bubba Ho-Tep, Valley Girl , and The Indian Runner , among other worthwhile titles.

Bonus points: The eclectic selection includes plenty of content you won’t find anywhere else—for better and for worse.

Popcornflix

Popcorn usually goes best with bad movies and TV shows. As such, we recommend stocking tons of Orville Redenbacher’s in the cupboard and having it ready to go if you visit Popcornflix . Most of their content, from the shows to movies, is of the B variety—or worse, which can be a blast for a few hours if you like knockoffs, cheap indies, and Sci-Fi Channel originals. We admittedly want to check out Attack Of The Killer Donuts , and maybe the exclusive, Killer Sofa , but there may not be enough popcorn on the planet to get us through The Fast And The Fierce, Five-Headed Shark Attack , and Rise Of The Zombies (even if it does feature Danny Trejo). To be fair, they’ve got Bronson .

Bonus points: Remember, it’s free!

Truth be told, we’d never heard of Fawesome either, but here we are! The name contracts the words Free and Awesome, as in “free awesome TV and movies.” Their flicks come from Paramount, Cinedigm, Lionsgate, and other distributors. Current titles include Django Unchained , St. Vincent , Lion, An American Werewolf In London , Charade, Phantasm 3 and 4 , Ip Man , a heartbreaking TV movie called Friendly Fire (starring Carol Burnett; yes, that Carol Burnett), and Train To Busan . The only problems? Waaay too many commercials, not enough movies, and you can’t watch on a Mac or PC.

Bonus points: Click and watch; no subscription necessary.

A full-service streaming service in its own right, Pluto serves up everything … movies, shows, live television, old, new, and lots of CBS and Paramount productions, which makes sense since it’s a cog in the ViacomCBS machine. Yes, it’s a little unwieldy to maneuver around, given that there are so many titles (and no Just Added link), but you can’t complain about the selections. These include Titanic (as opposed to Titanic 2 ), Star Trek Beyond , Knives Out , The Long Walk Home, Bound, Dances With Wolves , seven Saw movies, and lots of Mystery Science Theater 3000 flicks.

Bonus points: Relatively few ads, though they tend to pop up right at the juiciest moments.

Most folks think of Roku as the easy path they can take to access their streaming apps, be it Netflix or Hulu—and it is. But the platform also boasts its own streaming app, The Roku Channel, which features free movies, television shows, news, and Roku Originals. Current originals include How To Fall In Love By The Holiday (starring Teri Hatcher). And if you haven’t seen Roku’s wacky Weird Al movie, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story (starring Daniel Radcliffe), check it out. Among the fairly limited number of non-original freebie movies: F9: The Fast Saga , Mad Max: Fury Road , Nuts, The Emoji Movie , Freeway , and Mamma Mia!  

Bonus points: The app is easier to use than the site.

Plex bills itself as “Your TV concierge,” and that sounds about right, as it lets you store and organize all your media, from movies and shows to music and more. But, for free and with a click, you can watch countless movies. Among the documentaries in rotation now are Hoop Dreams , Jesus Camp , and Grizzly Man . The broad range of features includes The King Of Comedy , Colossal , Dredd, Cruel Intentions, Hostel, The Aviator, Kickboxer, Once Upon A Time In America, Only God Forgives, Rock n Roll High School, Stagecoach, Sid & Nancy, and Death Hunt (macho nonsense at its best with Charles Bronson and Lee Marvin). There’s no need for an account, but you do get more options by signing in.

Bonus points: Leaving Soon is a helpful tool.

Screen Rant

The 10 best movies of 2022 so far, according to reddit.

Whether it's an epic multiversal trip, an even more epic superhero noir, or a yet even more epic Viking film, we've been treated to no end this year.

Warning: This list contains spoilers for several 2022 films.

It's only four months into 2022, but that's a long enough time passed for Redditors to debate what the best movie of the year is so far. In fairness, the year has been chock-full of huge releases. Whether it's an epic multiversal trip, an even more epic superhero noir, or a yet even more epic Viking revenge flick, cinephiles have been treated to no end this year.

RELATED: 10 Huge Box Office Hits That Didn't Get Sequels, According To Reddit

Redditors' favorite movies of the year so far include hugely unpopular opinions, ones that are in line with the general consensus, and everything in between. Either way, the first quarter and change of the year is going to be a hard act to follow. But if the next eight months have half as many great films as the first four months, film buffs are in for a great 2022.

The Northman

Coming off the heels of the 2019 psychological horror The Lighthouse , director Robert Eggers sought to make something even more disturbing and epic. He did exactly that with The Northman , a hauntingly beautiful supernatural Viking movie. BiggDope puts it best by explaining that "the final shot of the Valkyrie carrying Amleth into Valhalla is one of the most gorgeous frames I've ever seen. The entire movie was colossal."

The Northman is a typical revenge movie, but the unique way it's shot and its ambitious scope make it stand out from even the very best revenge movies like Django Unchained and Oldboy . There hasn't been a swords and sandals movie this epic or critically acclaimed since 2000's Gladiator .

Everything Everywhere All At Once

In Hollywood, once one unique movie is successful, that movie's originality becomes a trend that's run into the ground by Tinseltown, and that originality is quickly lost. However, while multiverses have become rampant across movie studios over the past few years, the newly released Everything Everywhere All At Once puts them all to shame.

And it did so for a relatively small $25 million, which is almost one-tenth of Spider-Man: No Way Home's budget. Gr33nman460 loves the indie movie, explaining, "I laughed, I balled my eyes out, I had an all-around excellent time."

Jackass Forever

Redditor Duelpear points to Jackass Forever as the gold standard of movies in 2022. The Redditor claims, "being in a full theater, laughing along to a movie, is such a rare experience these days that I'm going to remember and appreciate it for a long time."

RELATED: 10 Movies That Look Like They Had Much Higher Budgets, According To Reddit

It's a massive win for MTV when it manages to make audiences teary-eyed over a Jackass movie. Along with all of the laughs and grotesque stunts, Jackass Forever is surprisingly emotional, as all these old friends are back on screen together for the first time in 12 years. And the swan song hasn't ended yet, as Jackass 4.5 , which features all of the bonus footage that didn't make it into the movie, will be released on Netflix on May 20th.

Boiling Point

Movies that look like they were shot in a single take are becoming more and more popular. Whether it's the comedy Birdman or the war epic 1917 , inventive filmmakers are continuously finding ways to fool audiences that their movies look like one shot. However, Boiling Point actually was filmed in one take.

User Ionlyspeakfactz gives two simple reasons why they think it's the best movie of 2022, "Filmed in one shot. Superb acting." The movie follows a London chef during his restaurant's busiest night of the year, and anything and everything goes wrong when the health inspector visits. While it sounds like a dramatic version of "Charlie Work," arguably the best ever episode of It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia , the movie is a surprising visual spectacle as well as thrilling.

Director Michael Bay's movies don't often make it into top 10 lists, but 2022's Ambulance is arguably his best work since the 1990s. It might still be typically full of shots of helicopters, huge guns, and machoism, but it's also very much a return to form.

Redditor SendMoneyNow is one of the biggest advocates of the movie, and when considering the best film of 2022, they admit that they're "shocked to say it's Ambulance ." The movie is a fun heist flick, and Jake Gyllenhaal gives a wildly eccentric performance that it's almost as if he prepared for the role by watching Nicolas Cage's most uncaged movies .

So many Redditors referred to The Batman as the very best movie of 2022. A great deal of that could be recency bias and hype, as it's newly released and it feels like fans have been waiting for it for years at this point. However, though whether or not it's the best Batman movie is a different debate, there's no denying that it feels more like a Batman movie than any film in the Dark Knight trilogy.

User Sonder332 thinks it's the best because "Robert Pattinson is great at Batman, Zoë Kravitz is just amazing as Catwoman. I loved the noir take on it. Very excited to see where it goes." The 2022 release is the darkest Batman movie ever , and it's the first movie to actually depict the vigilante as "the world's greatest detective," and fans can't get enough of Batman and Catwoman together.

The Uncharted video game franchise is one of the most beloved series ever and by far the crown jewel in Sony's exclusive game series. The games have always been cinematic and a movie adaptation had always sounded promising. And after finally escaping development hell and being passed around by directors for 12 years, it was finally released this year.

Unfortunately, it went down like a lead balloon amongst fans, and it wasn't exactly a critical hit either. However, in what is something of an unpopular opinion, Content_Pool_1391 thinks it's the best movie of 2022. The Redditor defends it by explaining, " Uncharted was a really fun movie. Very unexpected that it was so good."

The Unbearable Weight Of Massive Talent

User Angel-McLeod points to The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent as the best 2022 movie so far. The Redditor ecstatically explains, "I knew it was going to be good but that film is full-on glorious. It’s as close to perfect as one could hope for."

RELATED: 10 Movie Endings So Bad They Ruined The Film, According To Reddit

The movie follows Nicolas Cage playing an exaggerated version of himself, and he must remember what he learned from his wildest movies to overcome the outrageous situations he finds himself in. Of all the movies that have been released this year, whether it's The Batman or The Northman , The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent hilariously has a higher Rotten Tomatoes score than most of them.

Sonic The Hedgehog 2

It's only four months into the year so far, but there have already been two video game movies. But while Uncharted was hated by fans, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 was loved by its fanbase. Reddit user DaBrokenMeta thinks it's the best movie of the year so far, and they're not alone, as there were more gasps in the movie theatre for the Sonic 2 post-credits scene than there were at any point in Avengers: Endgame .

Between the introduction of fan-favorite characters, the return of Dr. Robotnik, and all of the hidden Easter eggs and references to the SEGA Genesis games, the sequel deserves all the box office success it has been getting. It isn't even the last video game movie of 2022, as later in the year will see the release of the animated Mario .

Turning Red

Pixar has the best batting average of any movie studio, animated or otherwise, as almost all of their films are rated "fresh" on Rotten Tomatoes and loved by fans young and old. NhSnork is no different, as they think the newly released Turning Red is not just the best film of 2022 so far, but they also think Pixar will struggle to top it.

The Redditor argues, "I don't even expect Lightyear to trump it." However, given how Lightyear is based on one of the most beloved animated characters of all time and its trailers are hiding what the movie is even about, the Redditor could be eating their words.

NEXT: 10 Movies That Would Be 10x Better If They Added Dinosaurs, According To Reddit

The best free streaming services in April 2024

Binge with the best free streaming services including Freevee, Pluto, Tubi and more

Tired of paying a hefty streaming bill? The best free streaming services let you watch popular movies and TV shows — without paying a single cent. These free streaming services offer both live TV and on-demand content, mostly older and classic titles but also some newer hits and originals.

The best streaming services have more than proved their usefulness in entertaining everybody at home. But signing up for all of them is just not financially feasible for most people. That’s where the best free streaming services come in. They can provide hours of free TV and movies at no cost. You will have to watch ads, but that’s no different than what you get through an expensive cable package. Again: They’re free!

And since they cost $0, you can sign up for all of the best free streaming services on our list. We've ranked them anyway, since nobody has an endless amount of time.

The best free streaming services right now

Why you can trust Tom's Guide Our writers and editors spend hours analyzing and reviewing products, services, and apps to help find what's best for you. Find out more about how we test, analyze, and rate.

Specifications

Reasons to buy, reasons to avoid.

Amazon Freevee , a rebrand of the service formerly known as IMDb TV, features an impressive library of free on-demand content. The TV selection consists of the typical free shows like Hell's Kitchen but also past hits like Lost, Desperate Housewives and Mad Men. Plus, Freevee also makes originals, like the revivals Bosch: Legacy and Leverage: Redemption and courtroom reality sensation Jury Duty.

The movie lineup is better than competitors, with recent titles including Deadpool, The King of Staten Island, Spy, Emma and The Invisible Man.

Watch Freevee here

2. Roku Channel

The Roku Channel app comes automatically with any Roku TV or device, but it’s also available for download on mobile phones and tablets. You can also access it on the web. The Roku Channel doesn’t force you to register for an account (you can watch as a guest) but signing up allows you to continue watching content on another device.

Like the other services, it offers on-demand movies and TV shows. The Roku Channel also rolled out a Roku Live TV Guide , so viewers can channel surf. The best part of Roku Channel is that it often streams the first episodes of premium cable shows, like Game of Thrones, Billions, Outlander and Watchmen. But when it comes to having whole shows, you don't have series of that caliber, but stuff like This Old House instead. Some of our staff lit up at that news, while others, well, we kept clicking around in Roku looking for something else. And remembering that Peacock is better for more-recent content.

The Roku Channel has risen in our free streaming service rankings after adding all the originals from the now-defunct Quibi. That includes some really good series, like Free Rayshawn and Reno 911. Roku is also the place for original movies like Weird: The Al Yankovic Story. Plus, they get our thanks for saving the NBC-canceled series Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist with a Christmas special. 

Watch The Roku Channel here

3. Pluto TV

The Viacom-owned Pluto TV has a decent selection of on-demand movies and shows but where it really shines is in live TV streaming. Viewers can browse live channels in a grid, similar to the cable TV guide experience. The lineup draws heavily from Viacom’s other properties, so you can tune into TV Land Drama, BET Her, MTV's Jersey Shore and VH1's I Love Reality. They also offer other recognizable brands, like CNN and Fox Sports — though those run curated clips, not the actual live broadcast you’d see if you watched them on cable.

We're still waiting for Pluto to add dedicated channels for shows that we really care about — recent editions include Baywatch, Stargate and Degrassi — but we do know people who love those shows, and keep going back to Pluto to binge-watch. For more modern content, check our Peacock.

As we poked around Pluto, we noted its interface is clean and simple, making it easy to toggle between live and on-demand. Both are organized into categories, making it easy to find the kind of content you want to watch. Yes, there are ads, but no more than what you’d get watching cable. And Pluto TV doesn’t even require registration, though users can special features if they do sign up for an account, such as the ability to designate favorite channels and resume watching a program on a different device. As for the latest, a recent update to Pluto TV added a ton of free TV , including two huge channels: Rocky and Sailor Moon.

Watch Pluto TV here

Think of Tubi as a free version of Netflix, with an on-demand library of over 20,000 movies and TV shows. Of course, Tubi doesn’t have the newer, high-profile titles that a subscription platform boasts, nor originals. But their catalog is still impressive for a free streaming service. 

Tubi (now owned by Fox Corporation) was able to build it by partnering with over 250 providers, including Hollywood heavyweights Paramount, Lionsgate and MGM. Recent available titles include The Terminator, Foxcatcher, Kill Bill, The Craft and Fruitvale Station. Personally, our streaming media editor Henry T. Casey loves Tubi for one show and one show only: Lucha Underground, a stylized wrestling show on El Vez. Recently, Tubi added the former HBO series The Nevers.

Tubi has a clean, streamlined experience. When we tested Tubi, we saw that its home page is organized into sections like Recently Added, Family Movies, Action and Black Cinema. Clicking the menu for even more genres and curated collections, we saw the clever and cheeky Not on Netflix area. While you don’t have to sign up to use Tubi, registering for an account gives you access to parental controls, a queue and viewing history. 

Watch Tubi here

Crackle is a pioneer in the free streaming space, launching in 2004 — back when Netflix was still shipping DVDs. Owned by Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, Crackle houses free movies and TV shows and even original programming, which sets it apart from many of the other free streaming services on this list. Crackle doesn’t require registration, though an account lets you add favorites and save progress while watching a movie.

The movies library is much bigger than the TV one and much more interesting. Crackle is one of the best free streaming services because it goes further than most, with originals featuring top actors including Martin Freeman, Bryan Cranston and Rupert Grint. It's just that these are their lesser-known titles, and while we're open to discover new projects, we're also wary that there may be a bad reason why we don't known about these shows.

Unlike Peacock, Crackle doesn't require signing up for a service to watch content. You can just open their page, click on a show or movie, watch and ad and then see the thing you want.

Watch Crackle here

6. Sling Freestream

Sling is one of the best cable TV alternatives in the market at $40 per month for 50-plus channels. Recently, they relaunched a no-cost service with the name Freestream that boasts live and on-demand content. We love Sling, as multiple TG staffers have used it to cut the cord, and a free version may be the ticket to getting more users to try the platform. 

Sling Freestream launched with 210 channels and 41,000 on-demand titles across genres including news, sports, game shows, crime dramas, nature, home improvement and cooking. Some of the channels are familiar names like ABC News Live, ESPN On Demand, Family Feud, Forensic Files, Hell's Kitchen, Rick Steves Europe, VH1 I Love Reality and The Walking Dead Universe. Plus, users can add on premium streaming services like AMC Plus and Showtime. 

Expect more channels and on-demand titles as Sling Freestream continues to build out its offering.

Watch Sling Freestream here

The Walmart-owned Vudu is a digital marketplace where you can purchase the latest movies and TV shows but also stream free content. To use Vudu, you will have to sign up for an account (or use your Walmart account). Once you do that, you can access over 10,000 free movies and TV episodes. None of them are new blockbusters but the selection is superior among free streaming services. The movies area is better than TV, with recent titles including Troy, The Prestige, All Is Lost, Hoosiers, Four Weddings and a Funeral. And unlike other free services, Vudu is planning to produce original shows, like the sci-fi series Albedo with Evangeline Lilly.

Testing Vudu out, we found that its interface is easy to use. Free content is clearly marked and you can filter for just free titles. The ads are about as frequent as other free services, but they tend to be more repetitive (and sometimes annoyingly interactive, requiring you to choose an option). Poking around Vudu's free section, though, we couldn't help but notice multiple titles that seemed a bit risque for the top of the stack — titles that we'd have a hard time explaining to kids. That's not a problem on most of the above services, as Peacock, Pluto, Roku Channel and other services don't promote that content as highly.

Watch Vudu here

Xumo is another free streaming service with live and on-demand content. The app comes on several major smart TV brands and can also be downloaded on Roku , iOS and Android. No registration is required. Xumo offers more than 190 channels, including top brands like NBC News, Fox Sports, Funny or Die and TMZ.

Xumo’s main experience is a grid-type guide, just like you’d get with cable TV — and Pluto and Peacock. You can watch live as you channel surf. The on-demand area lists all the channels, broken down by genre. The interface doesn’t make it that easy to see what TV shows are available, though. It looks like Xumo has the usual free fare: 21 Jump Street, Forensic Files, Family Feud and Unsolved Mysteries. The mobile app at least has a movies tab that you can browse.

Watch Xumo here

Note: Peacock Free is being sunset for new users. Existing account holders will still be able to access Peacock Free for the present.

NBC's Peacock TV is a behemoth, with over 13,000 hours of content available in its Peacock Free tier. That content is top-notch, too. You'll find titles like The Office, 30 Rock, Battlestar Galactica, Cheers, Friday Night Lights, Parenthood and Parks and Recreation. And there are a lots of older movies to watch, from Harry Potter to Jurassic Park.

When we used Peacock, to see what it's like, we found that the free tier is definitely a sort of gateway drug. It's nice that the first episodes of big-name original shows such as Girls5Eva are available for free, but we get that NBCUniversal doesn't want to give whole shows away — that's what the $4.99 Peacock plan is for (although it might come in a little less with the right Peacock TV promo code ). Peacock Free didn't require us to to enter our credit card info, but you must create an account to watch — something that Pluto, Xumo and others don't enforce. 

There are also "live" channels, based on brands like Saturday Night Live and the Today Show. If you don't know what to watch , channel surf and check out what's playing at the moment. All in all, we'd call Peacock Free a steal — but it doesn't cost anything! Check out our full Peacock review to learn more.

Watch Peacock TV here

How we test the best free streaming services

Shows and movies on free streaming services come and go with the frequency of Spinal Tap drummers, red-shirts on Star Trek and roses on The Bachelor and The Bachelorette.

So, first and foremost, we check these services frequently to make sure they're still providing some good content (specific shows and movies are subject to the whims and contracts we're not privy to).

On top of that, we also look at these services on the best streaming devices to make sure that everyone gets a quality experience. This is how we know that Freevee is more prominent on Fire TV hardware than elsewhere.

Lastly, we do the hard work and actually watch the shows and movies, to make sure these apps actually work well. We don't expect them all to function as well as paid services, but we love it when they have the same high-quality apps.

How to choose the best free streaming service for you 

Luckily, since they are all free, you don’t need to choose just one of the best free streaming services. However, you may find it difficult to balance a bunch of different apps and want to focus on just one or two. 

The first consideration should be whether you want to be able to watch live channels. If that’s the case, you may want to use Pluto TV, Sling Free, Xumo, Peacock or the Roku Channel. If you only care about finding movies and TV shows on-demand, then try Freevee, Peacock, Crackle, Tubi or Vudu. 

Content selection is the other major thing that distinguishes the free streaming services from each other. Aside from Peacock, with its library of name-brand content, almost all of them have the same core of free TV shows, like Hell’s Kitchen and Roseanne. But some, like Freevee and Crackle, have more robust movie libraries. Others provide access to top past shows, like Peacock and the Roku Channel. So, peruse the available titles and see if the streamer has options that appeal to you. After all, even if these services are free, doesn’t mean they have stuff you want to watch.

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Kelly is the streaming channel editor for Tom’s Guide, so basically, she watches TV for a living. Previously, she was a freelance entertainment writer for Yahoo, Vulture, TV Guide and other outlets. When she’s not watching TV and movies for work, she’s watching them for fun, seeing live music, writing songs, knitting and gardening.

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• kep55 We have a Samsung "smart tv" which comes with their TV Plus service, and a LG not-so-smart tv. We have tubi and pluto on the Sammy. And we have kanopy courtesy our library. How does one get any of these on a not smart tv? We do have an amazon tv box. Reply
• Sid23 Buy a Roku. I just bought a Roku streaming stick 4K and am using it on my old Samsung (2013) non smart tv. As long as it has an HDMI port and is within distance of good WIFI signal you can get all those apps on the Roku. I got the streaming stick because it is supposed have long range WIFI reach. It is usually $49.99 and now is on sale online only for $29.99 (Walmart) I still have cable and am using the Rokus to get rid of cable boxes. Working my way slowly to cutting the cable. Reply
• Barefoot Mike You indicate that Tubi has no originals. Actually, they have at least one original show: "The Freak Brothers" - an animated series based on the original "Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers" comics. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fabulous_Furry_Freak_Brothers#Animated_TV_series Reply
• Mikeylito I wonder whether this article is an updated regurgitation of an earlier article. Walmart hasn't owned VUDU since 6 July 2020. It's owned by Fandango Media, which is owned by WarnerMedia (25%) and NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast. Comcast also owns XUMO and Peacock Free, which are also on your list. Some watchers like myself wonder what Comcast will do with these different services. Reply

admin said: Here are the best free streaming services, including Crackle, Tubi, Pluto TV, IMDBtv and more. The best free streaming services : Read more

ziggyff said: Someone should "re-review" this article. Almost ALL content on Peacock requires you to be on a pay tier starting this past Summer....examples: Psych, Warehouse 13 I was about 90% through Warehouse 13, 5 episodes to go.. now I need to join a pay version to see any more episodes... I skipped watching when SYFY re-ran this show because I thought I had free access through the Peacock website.. nah, I'm screwed

• mark_887797 Meh. None of the recommendations are good. Lots of OLD free content. Your best bet is to search Reddit and use an APK on your Android device. If you want to use a PC then Kodi is what you want to use. It's free although some "channels" require you to have a Real Debrib or Premiumize. You can also buy a Taiwanese TV box (Android) called EVPAD and Unblock Ubox for a few hundred US dollars and never have to pay for a subscription. Reply

benny78 said: ....and The Roku Channel is available on Fire TV too.

• View All 9 Comments

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Best Free Movie Streaming Sites No Sign Up Required in 2022

Watching movies and TV shows on-demand is certainly a great way to unwind. However, combining several premium-priced streaming services can easily turn into a significant monthly expense. So, what about free movie streaming sites?

You'll be surprised to know that a very nice selection of movie streaming sites offer their content completely free of charge. Some of those don't even require you to sign-up. And even more importantly, many of those come with big-budget movies.

Therefore, if you think that free movie streaming sites only bring black-and-white movies, you're quite wrong. Maybe they don't have the latest blockbusters, but the situation has dramatically changed in the last couple of years.

We've set out to find truly the best free-of-charge movie-streaming websites. This means that we've tested a whole bunch of those, checked their libraries, made sure to check for any access restrictions, and more.

In addition, we're also going to answer plenty of frequently asked questions.

17 Best Free Movie Streaming Sites With No Sign-Up Required

The following 17 websites let you watch plenty of full movies online for free, and they don't even require you to sign-up. Just click on a movie and start playing, as simple as that.

1. Sony Crackle

Sony Crackle is available in the USA and Australia, free of charge. In other regions (Latin America, the Caribbean), the service is premium-priced, and it's blocked in the rest of the world. We recommend using ExpressVPN , as this VPN can easily unblock Sony Crackle outside the USA no matter where in the world you are.

Now owned by Sony, Crackle is a completely free source of amazing movies and TV shows. Aside from bringing a highly polished UI, it features an exciting library of titles.

Even though you won't find the latest blockbusters here, you'll find several newer and older titles that definitely deserve your attention. Some of these are exclusive to Crackle, so you won't find those anywhere else.

Aside from bringing almost every classic movie imaginable, newly-released content will appeal to those looking for recent cinematography creations. Just like with Netflix and other movie streaming services, keep in mind that the content can be available for a limited time.

And finally, this website is supported by ads, meaning that you can expect periodic interruptions during your stream - which aren't that annoying, to be completely fair.

2. The Roku Channel

The Roku Channel is available in the United States and the United Kingdom. However, if you connect to a VPN server using ExpressVPN , you can access this platform and its content from anywhere in the world.

Several years ago, Roku launched its own media streaming platform. More precisely, we're talking about a "channel" here, as Roku likes to refer to media platforms as channels. It features thousands of movies and TV shows, and it's available completely free of charge.

What should be noted here is that you don't need to have a Roku device to access The Roku Channel. It's available on the Web as well, letting you stream its content without having to register for an account.

The Roku Channel gets its content from numerous high-profile partners, including Lionsgate, Paramount, MGM, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Warner Bros, and Disney. It even has a range of non-traditional TV channels , focused on specific topics.

Finally, know that The Roku Channel often hosts big-budget movies that are only a few years old. Therefore, this platform is a true example of how the best free movie streaming sites can offer something other than classics and black-and-white movies.

In the world of home theater software, Plex is a well-known name. However, this is also a media streaming platform, offering plenty of content - completely free of charge! It allows you to stream movies, TV shows, live TV, Web shows, podcasts, and more.

Considering the platform launched in December 2019 , it's perhaps the youngest entry on our list of the best free movie streaming websites. However, it truly offers plenty. Right now, you'll find titles such as Bad Roomies, Sex After Kids, The Age of Blood, The Border, and plenty more.

The truth is that Plex isn't offering the latest blockbusters. However (and trust us on this), there's always something new and interesting to watch. That's because new titles appear on Plex on a regular basis, just like on premium-priced alternatives.

Another good news is that Plex works on pretty much any platform or device imaginable. This means that you can create your library of locally-stored content, and then add a free media streaming service on top of that. Also, keep in mind that Plex can be used on the Web, and this includes its free streaming content as well.

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Users in the European Union, as well as those who wish to access the American version of Tubi TV (to get its entire library), can use ExpressVPN to unblock this service. If you need additional information, here's how to watch Tubi TV outside the USA .

No matter if you like to watch recently-released movies or older classics, Tubi TV will meet your needs. Upon opening this free movie-streaming website, you will be greeted by a highly polished interface. Some of the featured movies will be displayed right away, as well as sections like the most popular titles, comedy, and horror flicks.

Aside from movies, Tubi TV also has an interesting library of TV shows that have their roots in drama, comedy, crime, action, and documentaries. And when it comes to the available movies and TV shows, Tubi TV's library spans from the '70s all the way up to 2010s.

A large portion of this website's library consists of independent movies and older classics. If that's your thing, you will find that Tubi TV is the ultimate resource. It reportedly has more than 8,500 films gained through partnerships with Paramount Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and Lionsgate.

Even though YouTube is available worldwide, some of its content can be restricted on a per-country basis. With this said, our strong recommendation would be to check our article on the best VPN for YouTube , so you can learn how to access its US version.

You might be surprised to see YouTube on our list of the best free movie streaming sites. However, YouTube is much more than just funny videos - this is a highly valuable vault of older and newer films that are freely available.

Aside from watching full movies on YouTube, you can use this platform to stay in the loop regarding the latest productions, watch trailers, and follow some excellent channels related to movies and TV shows.

As you can imagine, YouTube doesn't exactly bring you the latest blockbusters. However, channels such as Timeless Classic Movies and Timeless Western Movies are excellent examples of what to expect. And between watching full movies, you can expand your knowledge by checking interesting stuff on CinemaSins , Screen Junkies , and Screen Rant .

To  watch PlutoTV outside the US , you need to use a VPN. Our strong recommendation would be to go for ExpressVPN, as it unblocks PlutoTV on any device. Here's how to get your ExpressVPN 30-day trial .

When it comes to on-demand content, you can find plenty of online sources. This is why we wanted to include something different, like PlutoTV. This free streaming service acts as a traditional television where you simply tune into what's on air.

In other words, PlutoTV connects you to dozens of content providers, all from a single place - and without you having to pay a single dollar.

Once you open PlutoTV, you will get to see dozens of different channels. Click on a channel, and the chosen live-stream will begin to play. If you take a closer look, you'll find channels dedicated to older movies, and you will find channels that cater to audiences looking for newer titles as well.

And of course, if you don't want to watch a movie live, there's a sizeable library of on-demand content that receives new titles regularly.

ConTV is currently available in the US only. You might be able to access the website from anywhere, but you need ExpressVPN to stream any of its titles outside the USA.

Next, we have something quite different for our list of the best free movie streaming sites. Many of you have previously heard about Viewster, a popular destination for fans of anime, cartoons, comics, and similar. However, upon being acquired by Cinedigm, that platform was shut down.

All of Viewster's content has been transferred to ConTV (also owned by Cinedigm). With this said, you already have a pretty clear idea of what to expect.

ConTV gives you a sizeable library of movies - many of which come from independent studios and individuals. Therefore, you'll find a large number of lesser-known titles here, and trust us - these are not afraid to dive into controversial topics.

However, we also need to tell you that not all of its content is available for free. However, there's plenty to watch even if you don't create an account. Just visit the website, look for free titles (you'll easily spot these as they're clearly indicated), and start streaming.

8. Popcornflix

Popcornflix is only available in select markets, so it's advisable to use a reliable VPN to overcome this obstacle. Our recommendation would be  ExpressVPN , so make sure to learn how to watch Popcornflix outside the US .

This is a long-standing free movie-streaming website that has recently gone through an overhaul, modernizing its online presence. Today, it brings a polished UI design that's easy to use, and an extensive catalog of older movies and cult classics.

Popcornflix can be a perfect choice if you are looking for movies from the '90s. There are newer titles as well, but they are mostly B-movies. In general, you can find titles from the 1930s up to 2010s.

Make sure to explore your way around this website as we are sure you'll find at least a few dozen of interesting titles. This is also a good way to rediscover movies that might have gone under the radar. And let's not forget that aside from films, Popcornflix also offers a nice selection of TV shows.

9. Internet Archive

The Internet Archive website is dedicated to preserving plenty of different types of online content, both old and new. This is where you'll find e-books, audio files, software, images, and movies.

As you can expect, we're talking about older films, many of which can be found scattered across numerous websites. Well, the thing about the Internet Archive site is that it gathers all those movies, organizes them in a nice way, and allows you to consume this content in any way you want.

To get to the movies section of the Internet Archive, click on the 'Movies' icon, found at the top of the page. You'll be immediately presented with a list of prominent categories, such as Animation & Cartoons, News & Public Affairs, Television, Vlogs, and more.

As you'll see, the Internet Archive platform brings more than just movies, as it gathers various types of video material. If you click on 'All Video,' you'll get to a library of 25,000+ files. Then, feel free to browse the available movies by categories, and finally start streaming anything you'd like to watch.

10. Classic Cinema Online

A lot of beloved movies from the Golden Era of Hollywood are now publicly available for free. Unsurprisingly, you can find some high-quality movie streaming websites that specialize in this movie era. However, our favorite is 'Classic Cinema Online,' which provides a clutter-free experience, and it doesn't serve annoying ads either.

As its name says, this free movie website is focused on older movies. These range from the 1930s to the 1970s and all of them are brought from different Internet sources - which are hosting them legally.

In general, this website relies on third-party streaming services. That's why you'll often see embeds from YouTube and similar websites. As long as those websites host the movie you want to watch, you can watch it without any issues.

There's no registration required, and this website comes with a nice discussion panel where you can express your thoughts and impressions.

11. Movies Found Online

This website uses legal sources only, acting as a movie repository. In the majority of cases, you'll get to watch movies posted on YouTube – which are completely legal and free of charge.

There are also plenty of public domain movies which are usually older titles with expired copyrights. Some of the available titles on Movies Found Online come from the 1900s, and many of them span all the way to freshly-released films.

Movies Found Online comes with an easy-to-use interface. You can browse different genres using the main navigation bar at the top. The homepage is also doing a good job of featuring recently added titles.

Users are free to give ratings and share their opinion. It means that Movies Found Online is not just one of the best free movie streaming sites, but a highly active community as well.

12. Free Movies Cinema

Even though it comes with a generic name, there's nothing generic about this website. Free Movies Cinema is a curated collection of movies that comes with an often updated library.

It's been around for several years now, and it managed to build a library of more than 600 films - so it's clear that there's plenty to watch.

As you open the website, you'll see a list of featured movies. You'll soon see that we're talking about independent movies here, but there are also some well-known titles as well. Before pressing the play button, you can read more about each title, check its production year, see how many people have watched it, and more.

13. Retrovision

Next, on our list of the best free movie streaming sites with no sign-up required, we have Retrovision. It could be said that this is a niche website because it focuses on classic titles (from the '30s to the 2000s), with a big highlight on British cinematography.

The homepage of Retrovision is filled with interesting suggestions on what to watch. Each movie or TV show title brings a short overview, so you can get to know them before watching. At the moment, you can use Retrovision to view titles such as Abbott and Costello, Bonanza, movies starring Lucille Ball, and more.

There's also a helpful comment section if you want to share your opinion with other website visitors. The only downside is that Retrovision hasn't been updated in a while. Still, plenty of fully-working titles await.

Veoh started as a rather ambitious project a few years back, promising to bring the ultimate collection of valuable video files from the Web. However, facing a copyright lawsuit initiated by Universal Music, the platform struggled for a long time.

Even though Veoh managed to dismiss the trial in the end (being declared legal), it never quite managed to reach its full potential. Still, even though this isn't the most polished website today, it's worth noting that Veoh exists - and we recommend checking it out.

To get started with Veoh, make sure to click on 'Movies' using the website's navigation bar. Then, you'll be asked to select a genre, after which Veoh will present a series of movie clips.

However, make sure to check the length of each file via its thumbnail. Aside from bringing full-length movies, there are also plenty of clips available. So, to avoid getting frustrated, make sure that you've chosen to play a full-length one.

Aside from letting you stream movies, Veoh also brings all kinds of short video clips, music files, and there are even 'channels' available - which act as playlists. So, overall, Veoh is definitely worth your time, as you'll find plenty of content here.

15. Open Culture

Created by Dan Colman, Open Culture is a rich source of Web-related resources. This website isn't only about movies, as it brings audiobooks, courses, textbooks, e-books, and more (all of which is legal to download, of course).

We do feel this is one of the best free movie streaming sites due to its thoughtfully curated library, which includes movies from the 1920s all the way to the 2010s.

Upon accessing the movies section of Open Culture, you'll see a list of featured films. They all come with short descriptions, and you can find curated collections as well. It's clear that Open Culture was made by someone passionate about collecting free Internet sources. And as you can imagine, many of the films found here are actually links to other websites.

16. Documentary Heaven

Now, something for those who like thought-provoking content. Documentary Heaven simply had to find its place among the best free movie sites. The main reason for this lies in its content. Entirely dedicated to documentaries, this website features movies you won't find anywhere else.

Even though documentaries aren't a new format, they went through a fast development in the 2000s and 2010s - so you'll find plenty of movies from those eras on Documentary Heaven. If you're into the latest titles, you're in luck since this resource specifically targets movies released in recent years.

We recommend taking a look at the 'Top 100' category. As you'll see, this website collects media from all over the Internet. It means that some movies might not be available, but you shouldn't stop there. A large portion of the library is fully functional, and you can stream the available content with no annoying ads.

17. Top Documentary Films

Very similar to our previous suggestion, Top Documentary Films is a repository of documentaries from all over the Internet. It relies on a huge number of sources and brings legal movies that you can stream. Many of those titles were released in the 2000s and 2010s, so plenty of new films await here (even some released this year).

You can browse numerous sub-categories or simply go for the most popular titles. We have tested close to a dozen movies, and all were playing without any buffering. Also, many titles are offered in HD, which was a nice surprise. And finally, there are no annoying ads, which is always an important benefit.

4 Best Free Movie Streaming Sites Sign-Up Required

And now, let's check out some of the best free-of-charge movie streaming sites - that require you to sign-up. Don't worry - they won't ask for your payment information.

1. BBC iPlayer

BBC iPlayer is available in the United Kingdom only. With this said, you'll need a VPN if you're not in the UK. Only a handful of VPNs can still unblock iPlayer, with ExpressVPN being one of those VPNs. Find more info in our guide to the best VPNs for BBC iPlayer .

BBC's iPlayer is one of the most underrated media streaming platforms. One of the reasons for that is due to its limited availability, as it's focused on the UK alone. However, this is a relatively simple obstacle, as a VPN can help you unblock a treasure trove of content.

This is where you'll find a huge range of movies, TV shows, documentaries, cartoons, and plenty more. And the most important thing is, we're mostly talking about brand-new content, which is available up to 30 days after its broadcast on BBC's channels.

Of course, there's plenty of titles that are available for more than a month. And since the BBC has plenty of licensing deals with American broadcasters, you'll find movies and TV shows produced by Hollywood movie studios and well-known TV networks.

Another great thing about BBC iPlayer is that it's available on the Web, and it has a really nicely designed website. However, you'll also find native apps for plenty of platforms, including media streaming devices. All in all, it's worth signing up for this one.

Vudu is restricted to the USA only. However, there's a way to watch Vudu outside the USA by using a VPN service. We highly recommend ExpressVPN for unblocking this platform.

Vudu was one of the first free-of-charge movie streaming websites to start bringing Hollywood blockbusters to its library. And as such, it acts as an example that you don't have to pay to access great movies and TV shows. This is still the case, as Vudu is a highly active platform with new titles coming to its library on a regular basis.

An interesting thing about Vudu is that it brings a really wide range of titles. In other words, it's not afraid to combine low-budget movies with the latest blockbusters, so you'll need to spend some time browsing to get to the truly interesting stuff.

However, once you dig a bit deeper, you'll be surprised by what Vudu offers. We're not talking about only a handful of great movies. There are dozens of high-profile films at any given moment, with new ones just around the corner. Therefore, we're sure you'll keep coming back to Vudu in the future as well.

IMDb TV is available within the United States and US territories. However, as per our tests, ExpressVPN helps you access and use this platform from anywhere in the world.

When you set out to find any information about any movie released ever - you probably turn to IMDb. This Amazon-owned website has been the ultimate online destination for movie and TV show fans for a long time now. Therefore, it's not as surprising to know that it also offers a media streaming service.

Called IMDb TV, this is a freshly released streaming platform that's filled with well-known titles. In terms of movies, this is where you'll find Hell or High Water, Crimson Tide, AustenLand, Godzilla, Alien, Taxi Driver, and more. And when it comes to TV shows, some of the most popular titles are Roswell, Client List, Lost, Boston Legal, and more.

If you're after big-budget titles, know that IMDb TV should be your go-to destination. We were very surprised to see that a free-of-charge platform can have so many Hollywood blockbusters. And on top of that, we strongly recommend checking out IMDB's original programming, especially if you're into behind-the-scenes stories.

We're going to end our list of the best free movie streaming sites with a highly interesting recommendation. Called Kanopy, this streaming platform is filled with big-budget titles, while bringing no ads whatsoever.  So, what's the catch here?

Well, the catch is that Kanopy is a different kind of media streaming service. To access it, you need a library card or university login. However, the good news is that a huge number of libraries and universities across the USA have already joined Kanopy.

Before you get started with this platform, make sure to check the official list of libraries and universities that have partnered with Kanopy. Once you subscribe, you can access more than 30,000 titles and watch them on a range of TVs, phones, computers, and more.

Therefore, even though Kanopy isn't for everyone, we're sure that many of you are going to love it. So, why not take advantage of the benefits that your library or university bring?

Is It Safe & Legal to Use Free Movie Streaming Sites?

Yes, it's legal to use free movie streaming sites. However, there's a catch.

If you're not careful enough, it's quite easy to land on an illegal streaming platform. These can be very polished websites, trying to mask the fact that they're bringing pirated content.  With this said, it's your responsibility to make sure you're on the safe side of the law.

We'd also like to remind you that all of the recommendations found in this article are legal . This means you're free to select any option and stream any movie that you find on those websites.

Can You Use Free Movie Streaming Sites Without Ads?

No , there's no way to eliminate ads on free movie streaming sites.

As you probably know, ad-blockers exist to eliminate different kinds of online ads. However, using those on free movie streaming sites will break their playback functionality. That's because their revenue comes from serving ads.

The only truly ad-free recommendation with freshly released movies is Kanopy . However, it isn't available for everyone, as you need an applicable public library card or you need to a student of a university partnered with Kanopy.

What Not to Expect From Free Movie Streaming Sites?

Before we go ahead with listing the best free movie streaming websites, it's crucial to set your expectations properly. So, let's talk about what these websites don't offer.

• The Latest Hollywood Blockbusters:  As you can imagine, the latest blockbusters are reserved for premium-priced services. However, it's not that you can expect old movies only. These streaming platforms come with highly attractive libraries, featuring relatively new movies, released only a few years ago. They also tend to feature plenty of classics - and we're talking about both movies and TV shows.
• Daily- or Weekly-Updated Libraries:  If you've used premium services like Netflix or Hulu, you know that they bring new content on a daily or weekly basis. The situation is a bit different when it comes to free movie streaming sites. They refresh their libraries on a monthly basis (typically). That's why it's a smart idea to combine several of those, so there's always something new to watch.
• An Ad-Free Streaming Experience:  Even free-of-charge streaming platforms need to generate revenue somehow. Therefore, many of those rely on ads. However, this is a very low price to pay for accessing their libraries, as these are typically 30-second ads.
• Unlimited Access From Anywhere:  Even free streaming platforms need to respect licensing laws and restrictions. This is why many of the following options are restricted to certain countries. Still, this is something that a capable VPN will help you overcome. Here are the best VPNs for streaming , as per our hands-on tests.

If you're not willing to adapt to the above-mentioned restrictions, perhaps it's time to think about getting a subscription to a premium-priced streaming platform. To help you with this, here's our overview of the best streaming services right now.

Can You Watch Newly Released Movies via Free Movie Streaming Sites in 2022?

Yes, newly released movies can be watched via free movie streaming sites. Check this guide .

If you're after commercial and independent movies, we highly recommend checking out BBC's iPlayer , The Roku Channel , YouTube , Free Movies Cinema , and MoviesFoundOnline .

In terms of other types of content, both Documentary Heaven and Top Documentary Films feature titled released in 2020.

In terms of the latest Hollywood blockbusters, these are typically reserved for premium-priced platforms like Netflix, Hulu, or Prime Video. If you don't mind watching blockbusters released two, three, or more years ago, free platforms will meet your needs.

Related Content: Netflix Review / Hulu Review / Amazon Prime Video Review

Can You Download Full Movies & Episodes From Movie Streaming Websites?

No, you can't download movies for offline viewing. After all, we're talking about streaming here. However, there's one exception.

At the moment, you can download movies from the Internet Archive . That's where you'll typically find older titles, which are copyright-free. Other free movie streaming sites are primarily focused on streaming, as this allows them to serve ads and generate revenue.

Still, know that there's a handful of websites that allow you to download movies. These typically don't let you stream movies, which is why we haven't included them in this article. For more info, here are the best free movie download websites .

What Are the Best Movies to Stream via Free Movie Streaming Sites?

You will be surprised to know that websites such as Crackle, The Roku Channel, Popcornflix, and Pluto bring a huge selection of very interesting films. So, we're going to give you our recommendations for each of those platforms.

• Crackle: You'll find plenty of popular tiles here such as The Incredible Burt Wonderstone, About Alex, Cadillac Records, V/H/S, Dead Snow, and more.
• The Roku Channel: We recommend checking out movies such as Wrath of the Titans, Seabiscuit, Firewall, Something's Gotta Give, Coriolanus, It Follows, and more.
• Plex: This platform currently features movies like Burnt, Vanishing on 7th Street, Shadow Dancer, Carol, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, and The Two Faces of January.
• Tubi TV: Among the most popular titles are Empire State, Southpaw, Desperado, The Intruder, Knock Knock, The Gambler, Magic Mike XXL, and Apocalypto.
• YouTube: This treasure trove of content brings you titles like I Am Not Your Negro, Europa Report, Hunter, With Great Power: The Stan Lee Story, and more.
• PlutoTV: The most popular titles on PlutoTV are Harlem Nights, Carriers, Vacancy, Above the Rim, Rat Race, Ultraviolet, Project Almanac, and plenty more.
• Popcornflix: Plenty of interesting movies await on this platform, including Bel Canto, Train to Busan, Mr. Nobody, Drinking Buddies, The Void, and Patriot Games.
• BBC iPlayer: We highly recommend watching The Revenant, The Shining, Interview with the Vampire, Apocalypse Now, Poltergeist, Short Term 12, and The Dutchess.
• IMDbTV: Both new and classic titles await, like Taxi Driver, Whale Rider, Donnie Darko, Memento, Cube, Austenland, Crimson Tide, and Godzilla.
• Kanopy: When it comes to high-profile titles, we recommend Moonlight, Colette, Captain Fantastic, Lady Bird, Amy, Leave No Trace, and 20th Century Women.

What Are the Best Free Streaming Sites That Require a VPN Service?

The best geo-restricted streaming sites (that come free of charge) are Crackle , The Roku Channel , Popcornflix , Tubi TV , Pluto TV , Vudu , and YouTube (USA) , among others.

The truth is that by getting a VPN subscription, you get to unlock a whole new world of entertainment. And yes, we understand that VPNs come at a price (an affordable one, though). However, this is a wise investment that helps you save plenty in the long run.

Once again, our strong recommendation would be to use ExpressVPN. We've tested a huge number of VPNs, and this is the only that helps you unblock just about any platform out there, including any of the websites we've mentioned in this article. Here's how to try ExpressVPN for up to 30 days (for free) .

Why Are Free Online Movie Streaming Sites Restricted to Certain Regions? What Should You Do to Access Them?

Free-of-charge streaming sites are obliged to respect licensing deals. This is the reason why they either serve region-based libraries or are available in certain countries only.

The only way to overcome this obstacle is to use a VPN service. These applications are designed to change your IP address and encrypt your Internet connection . And that's all you'll ever need to unblock websites.

Once you download a VPN on your device, launch it, and connect to a server in a country where the desired website is available. From there on, you'll get to use the Web as if you're physically in that specific country.

Can VPNs Really Keep You Safe When Using Free Streaming Sites?

Yes, VPN services can keep you perfectly safe , no matter if you're streaming movies, browsing the Internet, or doing any other online activity.

That's because VPNs are designed to encrypt your Web traffic, hiding anything you do online from anyone else on the Web, so even your ISP (Internet Service Provider) won't know what you're doing online .

However, don't make a mistake thing that every VPN is the same. Only a handful can help you unblock new types of websites while making sure that your privacy is protected. With this said, the best VPN money can buy today is ExpressVPN (don't worry, it's affordable).

This is where we conclude our article on the best free movie streaming sites in 2022. In case there's anything you'd like to say or add, make sure to post a comment below. And of course, don't forget to share this article online. Thank you!

11 Best Free Movie Streaming Apps in 2022

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VPNoverview.com Unblock Streaming The 45 Best Free Movie Streaming Sites in March 2024

The 45 Best Free Movie Streaming Sites in March 2024

There are plenty of free streaming sites out there, some better than others. Free movie websites can offer a wide range of content that doesn’t just include recent movies, but also TV shows and old classics that are difficult to find today.

To help you find free movies online from the distant past and the present for a cozy night in or a movie night with friends, we’ve compiled a list of the 45 best free movie streaming sites:

• Crackle : The best overall free movie website including films from Sony Pictures
• Peacock TV : Great free website for users who already have a subscription
• Tubi : A legitimate streaming experience with minimal ads
• SolarMovie : Free movie website with the best personalization options
• IMDb TV : Reliable movie website with good titles
• Vudu : An up-and-coming legitimate free movie streaming platform
• AZMovies : Popular website with an extensive collection of free movies
• MyBundle.TV : Your directory for free movies online
• FlixTor : Updated library with several free movies in HD
• StreamM4u : One of the few movie sites that offers a completely ad-free experience
• Music HQ : Great search functionality to help you discover the best movies
• YouTube : Most popular streaming platform in the world with a great collection of old titles
• YesMovies : A great overall free movie streaming website
• Internet Archive : The best free movie website to watch classics
• Afdah : Large collection of high-definition movies with few ads
• Pluto TV : The best option to watch movies and shows from the Viacom network
• Yify TV : Your best bet to find obscure movie titles
• GoStream : A great option to watch the latest hits in 720p
• Xumo Play : Watch live TV in addition to free movies
• Bounce TV : A free streaming website that focuses on Afro-American content
• Yidio : A streaming platform aggregator
• Popcornflix : User-friendly website that works across devices
• TinyZone : A YouTube clone for free movies and TV shows
• Movies Found Online : Good variety of free movies and TV show streams
• Kanopy : Excellent choice for users with a library membership
• FMovies : Free movie streams in 4K and 1080p
• MoviesJoy : A streaming platform with Google-like simplistic movie search functionality
• StreamLord : Quick and easy access to high-quality streams
• The Roku Channel : The best legal site to watch free content across devices
• PrimeWire : Simple streaming website with an extensive library of free movies
• CONtv : The best streaming site for Comic-Con fans
• Crunchyroll : The best site for anime content
• Vumoo : Ideal for changing playback resolution
• Plex : Smooth playback with media player features
• MyFlixer : Varying resolution with numerous categories to choose from
• WatchFree : Watch the latest releases in high-definition
• SFlix : A new free movie site that lacks filters
• HiMovies : A free movie streaming site with Chromecast support
• 1HD : An impressive new entry with an impressive UI
• LosMovies : Broad variety of big–name movies and family content
• Freevee : Amazon’s free movie streaming site
• SBS On Demand : Free movies from Australia
• FilmRise : A place to catch classic movies
• Filmzie : Support lesser-known filmmakers
• Rakuten Viki : A treasure trove of Asian movies and TV shows

Note that watching movies for free online can be risky if the site you’re using doesn’t have distribution rights for the content you want to enjoy. We recommend you only stream copyrighted content from legitimate distributors . Additionally, always make sure you use a VPN to protect yourself and to unblock free streaming sites that aren’t available in your country.

Wondering what the best VPN is for watching movies on free streaming sites ? Our answer is NordVPN (currently with a solid discount). It’s fast, reliable, and has dedicated features for streaming.

Read the article below to find out more about the best free streaming sites, as well as which ones are legitimate.

Watching movies online and subscribing to popular streaming platforms may seem affordable, but quickly adds up! That’s why many people prefer to watch movies for free online instead.

We’ve tested and ranked the 45 best free movie streaming sites . Anyone can access these free movie sites, and you don’t have to pay a cent!

To ensure you stay safe online when accessing these sites, we recommend using a VPN. Our No.1 choice for streaming is NordVPN , which comes with a great deal!

The Best Free Movie Websites in February 2024

In the list below, you’ll find the best free movie streaming sites that are active right now.

1. Crackle: Features free movies from Sony Pictures

What We Liked

• No illegal content
• A varied library with lots of categories
• Low ad intrusion

What We Didn't Like

• No subscription plan
• Outdated interface

Crackle is our number one pick among the best free movie sites. It’s also sometimes referred to as “ Sony Crackle ” (since Sony bought it in 2006). Crackle is one of those relatively unknown free movie websites with great content. This is a shame because it’s completely legit and has a varied library , which is why we have included it at the very top of our best free movie streaming sites list.

Crackle is perfect for watching movies online. It features free movies and TV series from popular studios like Lionsgate , MGM , Sony Pictures , and DreamWorks .

As far as free streaming sites go, Sony Crackle looks great, and we found it easy to navigate. Compared to other free movie websites, which are normally operated on a shoestring budget, the difference is clear.

We found a huge list of fan favorites, like The Office . Crackle also has shows like Brooklyn Nine-Nine , so while you won’t find the latest releases, it’s not just limited to decades-old content.

Crackle doesn’t have a subscription model , but the ads on the platform aren’t too bad. You can enjoy Sony Pictures movies , from classics to newer releases, completely for free.

2. Peacock TV: The best overall free movie streaming website

• Legitimate streaming platform
• Decent pricing for paid subscriptions
• Impressive library of movies and TV shows
• Perfect for watching new movies free online
• Unavailable outside the US

Peacock is a platform we’ve written about a lot, because it is an amazing place to watch new movies for free online. There are ways to access Peacock wherever you may be on the planet, and it’s one of the few sites where you can watch free movies without breaking any laws .

There is a small caveat, however, that made Peacock land a second place instead of a first one: Peacock has an impressive library of free movies and TV series that is now only available for people who already have a free account. Those users can watch for free, as long as they’re fine with viewing advertisements .

New users, however, can no longer sign up for this free subscription. They will be forced to subscribe to Peacock TV instead.

Keep in mind that Peacock is only available in the US and limited other countries. People located in the UK, Ireland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Italy can access the service as part of a paid TV subscription with Sky or NOW TV .

If you want to access Peacock abroad, you’ll need to change your IP with a VPN. This way, the streaming provider will believe you’re accessing it from the United States. NordVPN is the best option for unlocking free streaming sites in the US and masking your true location, therefore keeping you hidden.

3. Tubi: A legitimate streaming experience with minimal ads

• Distribution rights
• Access to content from Fox Corporation
• Decent library
• More ads than its competitors

Tubi comes in third on our list of best free movie streaming sites, since it owns broadcasting rights for all its content. You can watch free movies on Tubi without breaking the law . This platform is owned by Fox Corporation and has been around since 2014 . It features media from big names in the entertainment industry , like Paramount, MGM, and Warner Bros.

Just like Peacock, however, Tubi is only available in the US , so you’ll need to use a VPN to change your IP to a US IP address if you want to access this free movie website. You can use NordVPN to access thousands of free movies and TV shows on Tubi.

Unlike Peacock, you can’t subscribe to a premium account and get rid of the ads on Tubi. If you use Tubi, you’ll have to view the ads.

4. SolarMovie: Free movie website with the best personalization options

• Strong personalization options
• Good categorization
• Features the latest releases
• The interface can be overwhelming at times
• A lot of ads
• Doesn't have distribution rights for content

Like Cineb, SolarMovie is a new player in the scene of free streaming sites, but it’s gaining a lot of popularity thanks to its personalization options. Users will appreciate just how easy it is to sort media based on genre , country, and launch date, with several categories to choose from, including anime, fantasy, mythological, and sci-fi.

But this can sometimes be a double-edged sword. The strong personalization and categorization of free movies and TV shows mean that SolarMovie’s interface seems a bit overwhelming in the beginning . Not to mention, ads on the platform can get annoying. Even so, it’s a decent website for anyone interested in free streaming .

Right from the offset, we found the homepage to be packed with the latest releases , including Scream VI and even Avatar: The Way of Water ! Both launched and streamed in a high-resolution mode without trouble, though we did have to close three pop-up adverts just to get started.

Already a fan of SolarMovie but looking for something different? Make sure to check out our list of the best SolarMovie alternatives for more streaming options.

5. IMDb TV: Reliable movie website with good titles

• Legitimate platform
• Quick-loading media player
• Contains lots of information about motion pictures
• Not a huge collection of movies and TV shows
• Unavailable outside the US without a VPN

If you’ve ever googled a movie, TV show, director, or actor, you’ve probably already heard of IMDb . It’s a directory of information about any motion picture that can help you find good movies to watch.

IMDb TV is the service’s free streaming platform – yes, we were shocked to discover its existence, too! Like Peacock or Tubi, it allows users to watch movies online for free in a completely legal manner. Since its acquisition by Amazon, IMDbTV is not on its own site anymore, but users can still enjoy its library on Amazon .

Just because IMDb TV is owned by Amazon doesn’t mean that the content variety is as large as you’ll find on Amazon Prime. It has a considerably smaller collection of movies and TV shows, allowing it to be available for free.

However, IMDb TV is only available in the US, so you’ll need a VPN like NordVPN if you want to access it anywhere else. NordVPN has over a thousand servers in the US , so you should have no problem finding one that will give you a smooth streaming experience and fast speeds.

6. Vudu: An up-and-coming legitimate free movie streaming platform

• Legitimate and free streaming site
• Buy and rent content
• Stylish site that could pass for a premium streaming service
• Small library
• Not a lot of recent releases

Vudu is a good, legitimate alternative to MovieStars, which recently went offline. Unfortunately, while testing the site, we found that it doesn’t have a vast library , and you probably won’t be able to find the latest releases here as soon as they hit other streaming platforms . Even so, it’s still one of the best free movie streaming sites that only show openly available content.

It’s a great way to watch free movies online without constant interruption from ads. Not all content on Vudu is free to watch, but you can use Vudu to buy or rent individual movies and TV shows for very low prices.

7. AZMovies: Popular website with an extensive collection of free movies

• Popular platform with a large library of movies
• Relatively low ad intrusion
• No TV shows
• Blocks a number of VPNs

AZMovies is one of the most popular free movie sites out there, and it’s been around for quite a while. It features thousands of movies and has a huge following of people tuning in every month. Unfortunately, it features no TV shows.

We recently revisited this website to assess how it has changed. Ads on the site used to get pretty annoying , but AZMovies has made changes. There are now far fewer adverts. We selected a movie, hit play, and it started streaming without a single pop-up.

However, many of the VPNs we used were blocked . AZMovies didn’t allow us to access movies with Proton VPN. Free VPNs weren’t the only problem, as the site also blocked Intego Privacy Protection, for example. We were able to bypass these blocks using the browser extension for NordVPN .

We don’t recommend accessing free movie websites without a VPN, as that can be unsafe. If you do want to check out AZMovies, use NordVPN with its browser extension, as it will encrypt your traffic. We advise using this VPN with Google Chrome for the best experience.

8. MyBundle.TV: Your directory for free movies online

• Big directory of movies and TV shows
• Easy to find HQ streams
• Quick overviews of streaming options
• No content available on the platform
• Not all sources are free

MyBundle.TV is a very different streaming platform compared to what we’re used to. It doesn’t host its own videos. Instead, it’s one of the free streaming sites that help you find a platform where you can enjoy particular TV shows and movies. It’s like a directory or listing site for free movie streaming .

People use this service to find the best source for the content they’re looking for. Essentially, it’ll tell you where to watch movies free online and how to access them. With a huge directory like MyBundle.TV, visitors are guaranteed to find the motion picture they’re looking for in 4K!

We put MyBundle.TV to the test, searching for a range of movies stretching from the 1980s to the present day. Whether it was Back to the Future or Black Adam , the website had recommendations for everything we could think of . We were impressed!

Just keep in mind that not all movie sources displayed on the site are free . For example, if you search for “Black Widow,” it’ll only display Disney+ as an option, which is not a free streaming site . On the flip side, it’ll tell you exactly how much you can expect to pay if you want to watch a movie or TV show.

9. FlixTor: Updated library with several free movies in HD

• High-quality files
• A huge library
• Ads can appear malicious

FlixTor is one of the best free movie websites to find the latest movies for free. We’ve actually written about it before in our piece on how FlixTor works and whether it’s illegal (it is in most jurisdictions!).

FlixTor has a smooth interface. It has an immense library of high-quality movies and TV shows. If you search for any title on FlixTor, you’re almost guaranteed to find it in high definition.

The ads aren’t too intrusive either, though you’ll want to watch out for any adverts that claim your device is infected: don’t click on those! Also, we found that FlixTor often offers to install an app version on your device . We advise you to remain on your browser . Don’t install software recommended by free movie websites.

Contrary to popular belief, FlixTor isn’t a legitimate streaming platform . Watching your favorite piece of media on it can be considered piracy , so we recommend using one of the legitimate alternatives on this list instead.

10. StreamM4u: One of the few movie sites that offers a completely ad-free experience

• No pop-up ads whatsoever
• Clunky interface
• R-rated adverts

StreamM4u lands a spot on our list of the best free movie websites thanks to its ad-free library . It doesn’t have the biggest selection of free movies, it’s not the prettiest, and not all files are high quality. Suffice it to say, it’s not anyone’s first option when looking for free streaming sites . But it’s free, so people still use it.

The homepage offers a global search that lets you find specific movies. There are also tabs for recommended movies, new movies, and new TV shows. Unfortunately, navigation between these sections isn’t seamless. In our experience, the tabs disappear when choosing one.

While there aren’t too many adverts and no pop-ups, the ones we did find were quite explicit. We saw a lot of adult content in the banner and sidebar adverts . Don’t want to deal with those ads? NordVPN offers a useful ad blocker that will make StreamM4u a lot more bearable!

11. Music HQ: Great search functionality to help you discover the best movies

• Filter by country and genre
• No pop-up ads
• Strong search engine
• Still features banner ads

Despite what the name might suggest, Music HQ is not a music streaming site. It’s a free movie and TV show streaming site with a very good search engine and a Night Mode option.

The best part is that it doesn’t have any pop-up ads , just the occasional banner. When you add it all up, Music HQ stands out among free streaming sites thanks to its great user experience.

We found the filters on this website to be quite useful. We filtered by country, allowing us to find niche titles from more than 35 different countries . You can also search by genre.

12. YouTube: Most popular streaming platform in the world with a great collection of old titles

• The largest video streaming platform on the internet
• A great selection of older titles
• Exclusive content from indie developers
• Quite pushy with their ads
• No new releases

We’d be very surprised if you haven’t heard of YouTube before. It’s the most popular video streaming platform on the Internet. You might not expect to find movies for free on YouTube. However, we found that the website often features full-length movies and TV shows , which makes it a great contender in our list of the best free movie streaming sites.

You’ll have more luck looking for older, more obscure titles on the platform. That’s because streaming rights for these shows have largely expired, making them fair game. Shows like The FBI Files have entire seasons available in various playlists on YouTube . We also found a lot of exclusive content from indie developers, like the Fool’s Day short.

Pro tip: Remember to manage your privacy settings on YouTube , as the service provider will use your personal information to push ads on you.

13. YesMovies: A great overall free movie streaming website

• Great navigation
• Enormous library
• Options for personalization
• Riddled with ads

If YesMovies was a legitimate movie website, it’d be a treat. During our testing, we found that it has a friendly interface, good navigation, and an enormous library with thousands of free movies and TV series. It’s a popular free movie website for streaming, and it even has personalization features , like a favorite list.

Apart from that, it’s relatively easy to search for titles. There’s a search bar to type what you’re looking for. Compared to the market standard — a page loaded with various titles — this is refreshing to see. We recommend using the Filter button to switch between TV shows and movies . The interface seems to prioritize TV shows, and we found it difficult to locate movies without filtering first.

The only downside is that YesMovies is extremely intrusive with its ads . We were closing pop-ups left and right before you could enjoy our favorite show or movie on it. One wrong click, and you might be downloading a computer virus onto your device.

If you want to protect yourself from potential malware on free movie streaming sites, you can use NordVPN’s Threat Protection. This is a free tool included in Nord’s VPN subscription, which is now running a special deal.

14. Internet Archive: The best site to watch classics

• A special library of classic movies, likely unavailable anywhere else
• Completely legal
• No releases outside the public domain

Are you passionate about golden-age media productions? Then the Internet Archive is one of the free streaming sites for you. All content on the site is authorized, featuring classic movies that are in the public domain , so no distribution rights are needed.

If you’re looking for the latest summer blockbuster, there’s nothing on the Internet Archive for you. On the other hand, if you love classic movies, give it a shot. Need more convincing? Keep in mind that the Internet Archive is also one of the few free movie websites that have no ads , and it’s completely free to access for everyone.

The Internet Archive contains much more than just movies. On it, you’ll find millions of multimedia productions with historical value, plus books, audio recordings, news, and much more!

15. Afdah: Large collection of high-definition movies with few ads

• A substantial library
• Cluttered user interface

Note : This free movie website is now called Afdah 2, but the content is still very much the same.

Keeping the low ad intrusion trend going, Afdah is one of the best free online movie streaming sites and is very popular among streamers. It has a substantial library, offering high-definition quality for all of its movies and TV shows, and only features the occasional pop-up ad. While the name might be harder to remember, the experience on the platform isn’t lackluster .

Across the top of the page, we could filter by genre . Down the right-hand side, we could also filter by year of release . Oddly, Afdah duplicates the genre filters here, making the interface feel a bit cluttered.

When accessing free movie streaming sites, it is best to ensure that your personal data is encrypted to keep it away from prying eyes . Afdah, generally, can be a safe site to use for streaming, but taking precautions is also important.

Therefore, consider using NordVPN to watch free movies online on Afdah, as it has excellent security features and top-notch encryption to keep your data hidden.

16. Pluto TV: The best option to watch movies and shows from the Viacom network

• Great library of content from popular distributors
• Legally operated
• Ad timing is bad (in the middle of your content)
• No paid subscription options

Pluto TV is another platform owned and operated legally by a major broadcaster. It’s part of the ViacomCBS family and lets you watch the best movies and TV series from companies like MTV, Nickelodeon, and Comedy Central, which is why we have included it in our list of best free movie streaming sites.

It doesn’t have a subscription model, so you can only enjoy Pluto TV for free. The good thing is that it has very few ads . You will need to suffer the occasional break during your content, but there are no pop-ups and no banners.

At first, we couldn’t access the site from the Netherlands. That’s because it’s geo-locked for viewers outside of the US. If you’re not from the US, you’ll need a VPN like NordVPN to access Pluto TV. NordVPN is an unblocking powerhouse that will help you bypass online restrictions on Pluto TV within minutes.

17. Yify TV: The best bet to find obscure movie titles

• A large library
• Intuitive navigation
• Dedicated subtitles available
• Horrendous ad intrusion
• Majority of ads are adult-themed

Yify TV is one of the free movie websites that has a substantial library and a very simple interface. It also has subtitles available, which makes it a good entry on our best free movie sites list . Other than that, however, it’s an ad-filled mess.

When we opened Yify TV, we were met with banners and pop-up ads. The pop-up ads reappeared after being closed when we loaded a stream. Then, we faced embedded ads within the video feed. We also found the majority of ads to be pornographic or related to gambling.

People usually steer towards Yify when the title they’re looking for isn’t available on other free streaming sites. Given the high ad intrusion, we can understand why. Besides exclusive movies or free TV shows, there’s little incentive to choose Yify TV over an alternative .

18. Xumo Play: Watch live TV in addition to free movies

• Operated legally
• Shows live content as well as on-demand
• Available on multiple devices
• Confusing interface at times

Xumo Play is another legal, free movie site . It used to be known as Xumo TV but was rebranded in 2022 after Comcast created a new joint venture with Charter Communications.

This streaming platform offers both VODs and live content. While testing Xumo TV, we noticed that you can choose from an array of free movies and TV shows. Just don’t expect much in terms of content variety .

Xumo Play is available on a suite of devices that is not so common for free movie websites. First-time users may find its interface pretty confusing . It automatically displays the live content streaming at the moment when you visit its site.

Unfortunately, Xumo is one of the free streaming sites that is only available in the US . If you want to access it from outside the States, you’ll need to use a VPN to get a US IP address. We recommend NordVPN for this.

19. Bounce TV: A free streaming website that focuses on Afro-American content

• Focused on a specific niche
• High definition available
• Only available in the US

Bounce TV is a US-based free movie website targeting the African-American community. It features shows and movies with a diverse cast and has a very specific niche .

It’s free to access, has high-definition media quality , and the ads are not really annoying, which is why it is very deserving of a spot on our list of the best free movie streaming sites.

Not in the US at the moment? No problem. You can easily access Bounce TV by connecting to an American NordVPN server. Enjoy your movies!

20. Yidio: A streaming platform aggregator

• Large directory of media sources
• No content available on the site itself
• Not all options are free

Yidio is not your average free movie site . Much like MyBundle.TV it’s a directory where you can find the sources for any movie or TV show.

Although Yidio doesn’t host content on its servers, it still made our list of the best free websites. The sources for media can sometimes offer movies for free, and Yidio itself is always free.

The only difference between Yidio and MyBundle.TV is that Yidio’s interface is a bit outdated . Other than that, both sites feature pretty much the same links to content on free streaming platforms.

21. Popcornflix: User-friendly website that works across devices

• Library with many TV shows
• Small movie collection

Popcornflix is a free movie streaming site that’s easy to navigate . It’s also extremely easy to use on a variety of devices, which is rare for free streaming sites. As the name suggests, it is also one of the most popular Popcorn Time alternatives out there.

This free movie website focuses mostly on TV shows, so movie buffs won’t be blown away by it. When we tested Popcornflix, we couldn’t find any of the latest blockbuster releases .

However, it’s still not riddled with ads, so it’s a pleasant choice for people who want to catch the latest episodes of their favorite show, especially if you want to enjoy them on the go.

22. VexMovies: A great option to watch movies without any ads

• Decent library size
• Lots of HD titles
• Potentially malicious ads

VexMovies is a free movie website that provides free access to a lot of HD titles, both movies and TV shows. It has a collection of new and old content. VexMovies has no ads and a pretty massive library, so it’s still a good pick for the best free movie streaming sites list .

However, it wouldn’t be our first choice to watch free movies online. While some ads can be annoying, others are just downright dangerous. When we visited VexMovies, a potentially malicious advert opened in a new tab. It encouraged us to download an “antivirus.”

Never download these kinds of files , especially when prompted to do so by an unverified website or advert. Also, it is always wise to use the best antivirus software when visiting any streaming site. In reality, that pop-up ad on VexMovies will almost certainly install malware .

If you want to have peace of mind when accessing content on VexMovies, it is best to get NordVPN for your device . With its Threat Protection feature, you don’t have to worry even if you accidentally click on something you shouldn’t have, as it safeguards you against malware like keyloggers that record your keystrokes and then pass on this information to hackers.

23. TinyZone: A YouTube clone for free movies and TV shows

• Great loading time
• An extensive collection
• Easy to navigate
• Tries to enable spammy desktop notifications

While it’s clearly ripping off YouTube’s interface, TinyZone is a free movie streaming site . It’s easy to navigate , not too intrusive with its ads, and it boasts an extensive collection of both movies and TV shows.

Add to that the fast loading time and little to no buffering , even on slow connections, and you can see why we chose to include TinyZone among the best free movie sites . This website also allowed us to create a favorites list, and we appreciated that the quality of each title is clearly listed under the stream.

Some ISPs may block access to free movie websites, including TinyZone, as was the case when we tested this website. You can unblock TinyZone with a VPN like NordVPN to gain unrestricted access.

24. Movies Found Online: Good variety of free movies and TV show streams

• Good content quality
• Variety of free movies
• User-friendly
• Public domain movies
• Tons of ads

The next free movie streaming site on our list of free movie platforms is Movies Found Online . We found that it has a decent library of free movies ranging from old cult classics to newer independent films. The site even offers animated shorts and films, documentaries, stand-up comedy, and TV series.

Because of the range of content it offers, we thought it would make a great addition as one of the best free movie streaming sites. It’s not higher on our list because ads on free movie sites aren’t just a small annoyance . When they’re so abundant, it’s difficult to enjoy even the best movie, TV show, or standup comedy act. It also exposes users to adware and other malware.

If you want to watch Movies Found Online without fearing for ads and viruses, make sure to use NordVPN! This VPN includes an adblocker and Threat Protection to keep you safe while streaming.

25. Kanopy: Excellent choice for users with a library membership

• Completely legitimate ad-free platform
• A great option for users with library memberships
• Allows simultaneous streaming
• The content library is fairly limited

Kanopy is one of the more interesting options to watch free movies online. For starters, you’ll need a library card to access the movies on this website . This can be a library card from your university or even a public library. Once you sign up using the card, you get free access to some of the latest movie titles.

The best part about Kanopy is that it’s totally legit and completely ad-free . It also works beyond the US, so you’ll be able to use it as long as the platform accepts your library or university card.

Keep in mind, though, that this is one of the free movie websites where the overall selection of movies is pretty limited, which is typical of ad-free free movie sites.

26. FMovies: Free movie streams in 4K and 1080p

• Large and updated content library
• Clean and simple interface
• High-quality streams are available
• Search results aren't well-prioritized

FMovies is also among the best free movie streaming sites out there. It attracts more than a million users every month and owes its popularity to its vast and updated collection of movies. The titles on the site are available in 1080p HD , and some even in 4K .

There are, however, a couple of drawbacks to using FMovies. The first is that we had to navigate through several ads before getting our movie stream. The second is that the search doesn’t prioritize movies well . For example, when we searched for The Avengers , we had to scroll through several rows of releases to find the latest movies in the Marvel series.

Moreover, FMovies is blocked by some search engines. If you find that this is the case, there are plenty of FMovies alternatives out there, including lots of sites on our list.

A VPN will add an extra layer of protection when streaming content with FMovies, especially since there are lots of ads on the site that may include some carrying malicious software. Along with its Threat Protection function, NordVPN has a special feature called a kill switch, which will disconnect you from the internet if the VPN malfunctions. Therefore, you will always be protected if you use NordVPN when using FMovies .

27. MoviesJoy: A streaming platform with Google-like simplistic movie search functionality

• User-friendly Google-like interface
• HD streams for most movies
• Ads are not intrusive
• Aggressively pushes a premium plan

If you’re looking for a simple free movie website with better search functionality than FMovies, then MoviesJoy is the best option for you. The free streaming site has a minimalist design with a powerful search tool . You can find the latest blockbusters as well as older classics on the website. Movie streams are also available in HD.

While you will see ads on MoviesJoy, they’re not too intrusive . Moreover, the site doesn’t feature pop-ups .

However, the biggest drawback we found was that MoviesJoy tried to push a premium plan. When we tried to stream Black Panther: Wakanda Forever , we were served a 60-second ad for their premium subscription. We couldn’t start streaming until the ad had disappeared.

28. StreamLord: Quick and easy access to high-quality streams

• Very few ads
• Easy-to-use website
• No login or sign-up required

StreamLord is another great free movie website. It features high-quality streams of some of the latest flicks and TV shows. When testing the website, we found it easy to use, though it didn’t sort movies by genre or year of release.

StreamLord’s biggest plus point is that it’s virtually ad-free . We didn’t encounter a single ad while using it despite not having created a free account. You should be able to watch the movie of your choice within a few clicks of landing on StreamLord.

If you do come across an advert on Streamlord, however, you should be careful . These can be malicious, as is the case on other free movie websites, including VexMovies. An ad might open in a new tab and offer to install an antivirus, for example. Never click on these!

29. The Roku Channel: The best legal site to watch free content across devices

• Legitimate ad-supported platform
• High-resolution videos
• Provides free live TV streams
• Site layout makes it difficult to discover new titles and shows
• The library is limited in comparison to other free streaming websites

The Roku Channel is an ad-supported movie streaming platform that allows you to watch Roku originals, movies, and TV shows for free . You can access the website from your web browser or even add The Roku Channel to your streaming device.

The streams are high-quality and buffer really quickly. You can also use The Roku Channel to watch free TV. The content library of this free movie website is limited compared to others. Also, the site doesn’t sort movies into any categories , which can make exploring new films and shows a challenge.

30. PrimeWire: Simple streaming website with an extensive library of free movies

• Large repository of high-quality free movies
• Basic but effective and efficient interface
• Mirrors change frequently
• Lots of ads

PrimeWire is one of the original free movie websites. It’s been around for a while and continues to be one of the best free movie streaming sites for users due to its up-to-date and extensive collection of movies .

The site design is pretty basic, but you can easily find the movies you want without difficulties. Most streams that we tried were available in HD , but some of the latest releases were CAM-rips.

Much like Putlocker and other free streaming sites, PrimeWire also functions through copies and mirrors . To avoid getting your device infected with unwanted malware , it’s probably a good idea to learn how to use PrimeWire safely .

31. CONtv: The best streaming site for Comic-Con fans

• Completely legal website
• No sign-up or sign-in required to watch most movies
• Perfect for watching Comic Con-related content
• Site can be a little buggy
• Available only in the US

CONtv is a unique movie streaming site that appeals to fans of Comic Con. It’s dedicated entirely to movies, TV series, and other content that is popular among Comic Con fans . This includes anime, cult films, and classic martial arts films.

The site is completely free to use , and you don’t even need to create an account to start watching your favorite movies. However, we found that the CONtv website isn’t the easiest to use and can be a little buggy. But hey, it is a free service !

CONtv is available only in the United States . So, if you’re trying to access it from elsewhere, you’ll probably need to use a VPN . We recommend using NordVPN to watch CONtv from abroad as it has almost two thousand US servers, making it easier and faster to stream your content.

32. Crunchyroll: The best site for anime content

• Extensive library of anime content
• Legal and free
• Works on several devices
• Ad-based free movie site
• Some content is only available with a subscription

Anime is one of the most popular genres among the younger generation today, and Crunchyroll is by far the best free movie streaming site for anime films and TV shows online . It features classic titles, such as Naruto Shippuden, in addition to mangas, news, and even games.

While streaming on the website is free, you will encounter ads. If you want to get rid of these ads entirely, you can opt for a premium subscription to access the Crunchyroll website . The premium subscription also lets you watch the latest shows and movies a day after their release in Japan.

33. Vumoo: Ideal for changing playback resolution

• Offers different resolutions for each movie
• The site is quick and responsive
• User-friendly platform
• Potentially malicious adverts

Vumoo is one of the best free movie websites , because it allows users to pick from multiple different resolutions to watch free movies online. This free streaming site is pretty clean and runs smoothly as well. You can watch countless popular TV shows on Vumoo.

Again, watch out for potentially malicious adverts on this website. You may see pop-out adverts in a new tab that offer antivirus or other cybersecurity software. Installing software from ads like these can infect your device with malware , so make sure to turn on NordVPN’s Threat Protection!

34. Plex: Smooth playback with media player features

• Built-in media player features
• Good compatibility with a range of devices
• A really clean, feature-rich interface
• Supported by advertisements
• Limited content compared to other sites with free movies

Plex Media Server allows you to stream movies for free . You can also watch several TV shows , and you’ve even got access to live TV. Plus, you don’t need to create an account, either.

This service works with a VPN, and while you’ll have to withstand the usual advertisements , the interface and media server playback are really good for a free movie website .

However, content on this platform is limited compared to the other platforms on our list of best free movie sites .

35. MyFlixer: Varying resolution with numerous categories to choose from

• You can stream in high-definition
• A good, clean UI, despite the ads
• More content than some free movie sites
• A lot of adverts

MyFlixer doesn’t just give you movies for free; you can also choose your preferred resolution on this free movie site, and the user interface is pretty slick .

Aside from free movies, it also has a ton of TV shows to choose from, and this is one of the main reasons it has made it to our list of the best free movie streaming sites. You can select the Top IMDb category to get the best-rated movies, in case you’re not sure what to watch.

We did have to click away quite a lot of adverts before we could start streaming. But otherwise, we could add movies and shows to our favorites and “turn off the lights” for a better, dimmed experience.

36. WatchFree: Watch the latest releases in high-definition

• Has the latest Hollywood releases
• Very slick and simple user interface
• Loads of pop–up ads that open in new tabs

The first thing that struck us when testing WatchFree is that it’s pretty ad-heavy . We saw two ads pop out in new tabs when trying to click the search bar. We got another when clicking on an Insidious: The Red Door stream and a fourth when we tried to play the movie. After that, it was smooth sailing – and the movie was perfect quality.

Navigation is simple. There are different categories, like “Trending Movies,” and each entry has handy tags that help you choose a stream. We could see, at a glance, the movie’s runtime, quality, year of release, and a star rating.

Really, save for the ads, it’s a very user-friendly platform. You can take care of those annoying ads with an ad blocker. NordVPN’s built-in ad blocker is perfect because you’ll get the protection of the best premium VPN at the same time!

37. SFlix: A new free movie site that lacks filters

• Simple user interface that just works
• Numerous servers to choose from
• A lack of filters can make searching difficult
• Supported by adverts

SFlix is pretty new to the scene, but its interface is highly familiar. The website follows the tried-and-tested method of displaying horizontal reels of movie posters, making it easy to find what you’re looking for – provided it’s a new release. There’s a serious lack of filtering options, though you can view movies by genre.

Adverts can get annoying on SFlix. When we tested the site, every other click on a menu or movie launched an ad within a new tab. We recommend using one of the best ad blockers to avoid frustration.

These teething issues aside, SFlix is a solid new addition to the free movie streaming scene, in our opinion. Clicking a movie gives you more information on the title and a choice of server to stream the movie , reducing the chance of dud links.

38. HiMovies: A free movie streaming site with Chromecast support

• Supports Chromecast – watch on your TV!
• Up-to-date content library
• Very few, small pop-up adverts
• Some streams didn't load

HiMovies is one of the more recent additions to the free movie streaming scene, and it’s a new entry on our list. While testing the site, we had a smooth experience. We were able to load an HD movie quickly after accessing the site, and we only saw two adverts .

That said, and perhaps it’s because the site is newer, we saw some broken links . Some streams and adverts simply displayed a message that the image could not be loaded.

One of the best things about HiMovies is that it is one of the free movie websites that supports Chromecast . So, you can stream HD content directly on your TV if you own a Chromecast device. Check out our guide to using a VPN on Chromecast to stream content with the protection of a VPN.

We confidently recommend NordVPN for Chromecast because of its vast server network , fast streaming speeds , and effective unblocking features .

39. 1HD: An impressive new entry with an even more impressive UI

• Minimal advertising
• Crisp, slick UI that rivals major streamers
• You can download content
• "Latest movies" feed makes finding new content harder

You’d be forgiven for thinking that 1HD is a fully licensed streaming platform. It’s not – but with minimal adverts and a super–slick user interface, we were surprised to come across this new entry to the free movie scene, so we thought to include it in our best free movie streaming sites list.

As huge horror buffs, we tested a Nun II stream. It was a CAM–quality link, but we knew what we were getting into, thanks to the resolution labels . There’s plenty of other information about each movie, too, once you select a stream.

Our only complaint was that the “Latest Movies” feed includes any recently added titles. It quickly becomes cluttered with older movies that have just been added , making it harder to find newer flicks. But that does make for a very broad content library that’ll give you heaps of options!

40. LosMovies: Broad variety of big–name movies and family content

• Minimal adverts
• Broad variety of content
• Numerous server mirrors prevent dud links
• Russian–hosted website

LosMovies is a pretty great movie information resource, besides being a good free movie streaming site. Each entry includes details like movie ratings, cast, genre, directors, and so on. The library features everything from Hollywood blockbusters to kids’ movies .

LosMovies offers numerous servers for most of the content it hosts. When we tested an Oppenheimer stream, the website gave us four server options to make sure we weren’t impacted by dud links. The stream launched in high definition, too, with zero adverts .

Make sure you use a VPN if you’re going to visit LosMovies. You should always connect to a VPN on free movie streaming websites, but particularly, given world events, when you’re visiting a Russian–hosted website. Get NordVPN for complete protection.

41. Freevee: Amazon’s free movie streaming site

• Safe, secure website (Amazon-owned)
• Watch free movies legally
• Snazzy user interface
• Lacking content compared to other free movie sites

Freevee is a place to watch free movies online as long as you’re willing to put up with adverts . Since this free streaming belongs to Amazon, you don’t have to worry about watching illegal content. Also, the website is safe and secure for movie streaming, which makes it one of the best free movie websites.

The only drawback is that there’s not much content on Freevee compared to other free movie sites.

42. SBS On Demand: Free movies from Australia

• Free movie on-demand service
• New content is added regularly
• Official, legal website
• Content only scales to 720p
• Must create a (free) account
• Requires an Australian VPN

Much like Freevee, SBS On Demand is an official website that operates within the law. It belongs to SBS, an Australian broadcaster. That means that you’ll need to use an Australian VPN server to change your IP address to an Australian one and watch free movies.

SBS On Demand is regularly updated, so there’s always a good library of content to choose from . And while it doesn’t have an extensive list of free movies as on other sites, you might find some hidden gems that aren’t seen elsewhere.

The downside here is that all content on SBS On Demand is capped at 720p , which isn’t full HD. Still, you won’t have to worry about breaking the law when you watch free movies here!

Looking for a good VPN with servers in Australia so you can try SBS On Demand for yourself? NordVPN offers the perfect solution and has a big discount sale running!

43. FilmRise: A place to catch classic movies

• Both free and legal to use
• A good place to catch classic movies
• May be blocked in some countries – use a VPN
• Lacks the latest blockbuster titles

FilmRise is a breath of fresh air in that the website hosts free content while remaining legal , and it doesn’t sacrifice usability, so we thought it was worth mentioning in our list of the best free movie streaming sites. There are tens of thousands of titles to find, with a whole range of movies from the 1960s, 70s, and 80s.

Navigating the FilmRise platform is easy. We could choose to catch a film or watch the latest TV shows from the homepage. Each of these menus breaks down into submenus with categories, allowing you to quickly find your favorite content. We did see some ads , but they’re not intrusive .

We were surprised to find that FilmRise is one of the free streaming sites that offer an app, too . Right now, you can choose to download FilmRise to your iPhone or Android smartphone. You can also install FilmRise on a Roku, Firestick, Android TV, and more.

44. Filmzie: Support lesser-known filmmakers

• Works great on mobile, plus other devices
• Entirely free but still legal
• Support budding filmmakers in the industry
• Requires you to create an account
• VPN needed to access Filmzie in some countries

Filmzie is a free streaming site (like FilmRise) that offers ad-supported movies and TV shows. And, like FilmRise, it also offers an app that’s compatible with a whole host of devices. We tested Filmzie on our iPhone , and everything felt really easy to use. Categories are filtered into easy scroll bars, a little like Netflix.

While Filmzie is one of the free movie websites that offer some mainstream content, it’s a good platform for aspiring filmmakers. You can find movies here that you won’t find anywhere else . This does, of course, mean that you might find some content that isn’t up to the same production quality as Hollywood flicks. But it’s also a good way to find hidden gems!

45. Rakuten Viki: A treasure trove of Asian movies and TV shows

• Fast and responsive navigation
• Unique shows not seen elsewhere
• No cluttering from adverts
• Some content requires a subscription
• No Western movie or TV show content

Rakuten Viki is one the best free movie websites if you’re interested in focusing on Asian TV shows and movies . We found a whole range of content directly from countries such as China, Korea, and Japan. While you can use the website for free, some content is paywalled at $4.99 per month .

The website is well-designed and easy to use. Rakuten Viki uses the side-scrolling categories layout that’s become popular with big platforms like Amazon Prime and Netflix. This made it very simple for us to see what kinds of genres were available and dive straight into fresh content that we’ve not seen anywhere else!

While you do have to pay to access some content on this free streaming site, that was all clearly labeled, too. Look for the “ Watch Free ” tag to find the content you can access on the free streaming service. Anything that requires payment is tagged as “ Standard .”

To access this platform, you’ll need to get a US IP address. You can do this by signing up with NordVPN.

Are There Any Risks to Using Free Movie Sites?

The existence of free streaming sites is not illegal , and visiting these free movie websites is also legal. Many of the best free movie websites listed here are legitimate streaming platforms that own the distribution rights for the content they share.

Others operate in a shadier area, offering a place to watch movies free online, even though they don’t have the relevant permissions. These sites might contain pirated content . Most anti-piracy authorities focus on the owners of pirate sites , not users. Still, there’s a risk.

There are other dangers involved in watching free movies online, too. Here’s a quick rundown:

• Free streaming websites can infect your device with malware if hijacked by a malicious third party.
• Adverts on free movie sites are prolific – and malicious ads can also target your device with malicious software.
• In some countries, your ISP may try to terminate your internet connection if you engage in piracy .
• You may be contacted by a third party with a cease and desist . While uncommon, this can result in serious fines .

The legal consequences can depend on where you live. Eastern Europe, for example, is infamous for a lack of action against piracy. However, consuming copyrighted content is still illegal in many countries , and we urge you to avoid it.

At the very least, you should always be using a VPN on free movie sites. A VPN will protect you from cyber threats when accessing potentially unsecured websites. It’ll also stop your ISP from seeing and logging your browsing history. NordVPN offers robust protection against data snooping and malware attacks. Don’t visit a free movie site without it.

Why You Need a VPN to Watch Free Movies Online

We’ve already touched on how a VPN can protect you from free movie sites and the potential risks of using them. But there’s another benefit of VPNs . Some free streaming sites are geo-blocked, meaning you can’t use them from every country, but a virtual private network can help you bypass these restrictions.

To summarize, in using a VPN to visit free movie websites, your location is protected , your activity is hidden , and you’re safer from malware attacks . You will also be able to access blocked sites from anywhere.

If you’re new to the VPN scene, we’ll give you a helping hand in getting started. We tested every free movie site on this list with NordVPN – the absolute frontrunner in online security and unblocking.

How to watch free movies with NordVPN: Step–by–step guide

Save big with up to 58% off a two-year subscription!

• Fast and large worldwide network of VPN servers
• Perfect for privacy and streaming
• Trusted by many, with over 14 million users
• Download the software onto the device you want to stream with. You can use it with desktop and mobile devices, as well as on your TV for the optimal streaming experience!
• Install NordVPN and log into your account.
• Connect to a US VPN server to unblock most websites. Others might require a specific IP address in another country (like Australia for SBS On Demand).
• Visit your favorite free movie website and benefit from NordVPN’s stellar online protection!

You can check out our top five VPN recommendations right now for more choices. But personally, we prefer NordVPN when we’re free movie streaming. The provider also gives you the chance to test its enhanced security features for free for 30 days through its money-back guarantee.

Just remember: Using a VPN doesn’t mean you’re immune to prosecution if you engage in illegal activities online. Depending on where you live, it is better to check the legality of VPNs in your country.

Conclusion: Protect Yourself While Streaming Free Movies

Users from all over the world need VPNs to access legal, free movie sites like Pluto TV, Bounce TV, or Vudu due to rising costs. With our list, you can stream free movies no matter where you are , even if you’re on a budget or if they’re unavailable in your country.

We encourage you to use a VPN if you choose to access the best free movie sites. It’ll help unblock geographically restricted content , so you can enjoy all the entries on our list without trouble. In addition, using a VPN can also protect you against malware and prying eyes on sites that have more lax security.

NordVPN is our No.1 service provider because of its robust unblocking features and enhanced security. It also offers affordable subscription plans and some great deals!

We hope you’ve managed to find a few new movie streaming websites that you love! If you’re a movie buff and want to enjoy movies and TV shows online, don’t forget to check our other articles on the topic:

• The Best Video Streaming Services
• The Best Viaplay Alternatives to Stream Sports and Movies
• The Best Free Anime Streaming Services

Streaming movies and TV shows online for free is fun, but it can also be tiring to find the best site. If you want straightforward answers to questions about the best free movie sites, check our FAQ section below.

Crackle tops our list of the best free movie streaming sites. It has one of the most varied, legitimate libraries for movie and TV show buffs out there. It’s all free, provided you can sit through their ads.

Streaming movies and TV shows for free online can be legal, depending on a few factors. If the platform streaming said content has distribution rights for it, then yes, it’s legal. The best free streaming sites in this category include Pluto, Vudu, and Crackle.

However, if the platform streams content without distribution rights, then that content could be illegal, and it might be considered piracy depending on your location. Famous sites in this category include FlixTor and AZMovies.

Whether you get in trouble for watching free movies online will depend on where you live. While this is illegal in most parts of the globe, copyright laws are not uniformly enforced.

In a worst-case scenario, you can be throttled by your ISP, receive a fine, or be sent a cease and desist letter for illegally watching movies while accessing free movie streaming sites.

Yes, you need a VPN  when accessing free online movie streaming sites for two reasons:

• Some sites, like Vudu and Peacock TV, are available only in select locations. You’ll need a VPN to overcome these restrictions.
• Sites like Putlocker and PrimeWire are illegal in many countries as they host pirated content. It’s best to use a VPN to change your IP address when accessing these sites to avoid potential legal scrutiny.

Theodor Porutiu Author

Senior journalist.

Theodor is a content writer passionate about the newest tech developments and content marketing strategies. He likes privacy-friendly software, SEO tools, and when he’s not writing, he’s trying to convince people they should uninstall TikTok.

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so i tried so many websites some are good but there are some websites that don't work our can not watching outside the usa an the one website i always look for to watch my free movie the have problems we get always error like Fmovie losmovie so you have to good looking for an good website that working good an without buffering also some website don't find an movie if you search for it

Hi Daniel! It can indeed be tricky to find a good, legitimate, working website. If you run into the issue that a website cannot be accessed outside of the US, however, we have a very simple solution for that. Simply use a VPN like NordVPN and connect to a server in the US! You'll be able to access the site anyway! You can follow this guide if you need some help setting that up. Happy watching!

some of the website don't work good our have many problems i watching all verylong to free movie some are good some most login our sing up and so on but i know all most of this free stream website i am from belgium and it is not so easy to find some good free stream mostly there all from the usa

Hi daniel! The quality of free streams can indeed vary greatly. If you want access to a free stream from the USA, however, you can easily do so from all over the world with a VPN. Simply get NordVPN , for example, and connect to a server in the USA before you head to the stream. Enjoy!

What do you think about Movies.do site?

Hi Marijane, Thank you for your question. By having a first look at the site, we noticed that it is immediately asking you to sign up for an account. In our experience, this is one of the ways sites can collect your data and potentially target your email to send you ads. Therefore, it is better to opt for a site we recommend in this article.

Need vpn :( to assess most of them and so many ads

Yes, most of these websites will use ads to make money, since the content on them is free. But using a (free) VPN (like the free versions of PrivadoVPN or ProtonVPN) and an adblocker will already make the sites much more usable! You can have a look at our best adblocker article for some (free) suggestions!

Prime Wire has been busted now it is just a trailer page

It seems to work fine for us! Have you tried the link listed in this article? That will lead you straight to the right page.

Fmovies does *NOT* stream anything in 4k, and as of today they've disabled the site for anyone using any type of ad block and it is completely unusable. You can't click on any movie of show because of all the overlay ads. Site is dead unless they stop blocking ad blockers.

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Take a look at our overview of the most trustworthy, fast, and safe VPN services. Extensively tested by our experts.

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The 30 Best Movies to Watch on Every Streaming Service

Jump to a streaming service

Amazon prime video, the criterion channel.

This article will be updated as movies move on and off streaming services. An asterisk indicates a new addition to the list.

Don’t we all deserve to watch something that’s actually great? Too often, the competing streaming algorithms at Netflix , Max , and Amazon Prime Video push a smattering of undifferentiated piffle. So many of the major services seemingly just want to highlight their own latest acquisition or buzzy project. But we at Vulture have no horse in the streaming race: Our job is to help you figure out what to watch by recommending the best movies each of these services has to offer at any given time. To that end, we have gone over the must-see titles on each platform and winnowed them down to the list below. It could easily be 100 movies long, but we tried to keep it manageable — a tight 30! — and if you come back every month, you can expect to see it updated with new selections. Read on to find something to watch, starting with this week’s critic’s pick.

This Week’s Critic’s Pick

*step brothers.

Year:  2008 Runtime:  1h 37m Director:  Adam McKay

The pinnacle of Will Ferrell and Adam McKay’s comedy career remains this modern classic, a movie that’s as rewatchable as anything you could possibly find on any streaming service. One of the reasons for that is the fearless joy with which Ferrell and John C. Reilly literally throw themselves into the roles of stepbrothers who start as enemies and end as family.

How We Pick Our Films

Critic Brian Tallerico watches and writes about movies and TV every day. To curate Vulture’s streaming lists, he dives into each service’s catalogue to surface acclaimed, surprising, or otherwise noteworthy titles — using his taste and a lifetime of cinema study as his guide, instead of whatever the algorithm happens to be pushing. After triple-checking to make sure they’re still available, he watches each, then writes his recommendation. Below we’ve collected selections from each streaming service. We highlight more than just Oscar winners or popcorn flicks: These films present interesting ideas, made an impact on cinema, and changed our culture.

Devil in a Blue Dress

Year: 1995 Runtime: 1h 41m Director: Carl Franklin

Carl Franklin wrote and directed one of the most underrated Denzel Washington performances of all time in this 1995 adaptation of the novel of the same name by Walter Mosley. Washington plays Easy Rawlins, a World War II vet in 1948 who gets drawn into a mystery that classic noir filmmakers would have adored. Charming and riveting, the only crime here is that there wasn’t a whole franchise of films with Washington playing Easy.

*Inside Man

Year:  2006 Runtime:  2h 8m Director:  Spike Lee

Yes, Spike Lee once made a great action movie. The director of  Do the Right Thing  and  Da 5 Bloods  put his spin on the heist film with this great 2006 Denzel Washington vehicle. The regular collaborator plays an NYPD hostage negotiator, called in when a bank heist goes down on Wall Street. Tight and effective, this is just further evidence that Spike Lee can nail any kind of movie he chooses to make. This might be Lee’s most underrated movie. It hums.

Jurassic Park

Year: 1993 Runtime: 2h 6m Director: Steven Spielberg

An instant classic when it was released in 1993, Steven Spielberg’s dinosaur blockbuster spawned a franchise that’s still humming almost three decades later with the 2022 release of the wildly successful Dominion . The first three films in the series, including Spielberg’s sequel The Lost World , are on Netflix right now, alongside the pretty fun Camp Cretaceous.

May December

Year: 2023 Runtime: 1h 57m Director: Todd Haynes

Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman star in the latest from Carol and Far from Heaven director Todd Haynes, a stunning character study of an actress who discovers that some people are impossible to figure out. Portman plays a star who tries to get under the skin of Moore’s character, a woman who raped a child when she was a teacher, and later married that young man. Charles Melton is phenomenal as the now-grown victim, stuck in perpetual adolescence.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Year: 2023 Runtime: 2h 20m Director: Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, Justin K. Thompson

This is how you do a big-budget blockbuster sequel, developing the themes of the first movie and setting up the stake for what now appears will be one of the best trilogies in superhero history. Packed with so much detail and creativity, it’s a film you’ll want to watch over and over again.

Year: 2017 Runtime: 1h 44m Director: Jordan Peele

This is the one that really changed the current state of horror, reminding studios how acclaimed and popular it could be if treated with the right respect. It also won its creator an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, launching one of the most interesting careers of the current era. It’s held up remarkably well, and it’s hardly ever available on streaming services, so take this chance while you can to rewatch a movie whose influence is still shaking the industry.

Interstellar

Year:  2014 Runtime:  2h 49m Director:  Christopher Nolan

The most underrated film from the director of The Dark Knight and Oppenheimer remains this 2014 sci-fi epic, a film that’s better if you approach it as an emotional journey instead of a physical one. Matthew McConaughey gives one of the best performances of his career as an astronaut searching for a new home for mankind, and realizing all that he left behind to do so. It’s a technical marvel with some of the most striking visuals and best sound design of Nolan’s career.

Year: 2023 Runtime: 1h 55m Director: Greta Gerwig

One of the biggest films of 2023 has landed on Max. Greta Gerwig’s daring blockbuster is a comedy that works both as a reminder of the power imagination and the fight for equality. Anyone who thinks this movie is anti-male isn’t paying any attention. The theme of the movie is that no one — not even Barbie or Ken — should be defined by traditional roles. We should all be free to play however we want. It’s a wonderful film that will truly stand the test of time.

* Lost in Translation

Year:  2003 Runtime:  1h 42m Director:  Sofia Coppola

Sofia Coppola exploded onto the filmmaking scene with her second film, this dramedy about a fading movie star who meets an American girl in Tokyo and both of their lives change. Bill Murray does career-best work in the film (and should have won an Oscar), and he’s matched by Scarlett Johansson, but  Lost in Translation  really is Coppola’s film, a tender, brilliant character study with personal resonance.

The Green Knight

Year: 2021 Runtime: 2h 10m Director: David Lowery

An adaptation of the 14th century poem, The Green Knight is one of the most visually striking films of the decade so far. David Lowery directs Dev Patel as Gawain, who sets out on a journey to face the title character. More than just a mere tale of heroism, this is a surreal, gorgeous piece of work that challenges preconceptions of fantasy dramas and feels vitally fresh.

Year: 2019 Runtime: 2h 12m Director: Bong Joon-ho

Remember not that long ago before the world changed, and we could all rally around a South Korean film becoming the first foreign flick ever to win the Oscar for Best Picture ? It really was a crazy time. At one point Hulu was the only place you’ll find Bong Joon-ho’ s hysterical and thrilling study of class conflict for a long time, but the beloved thriller is now on Max, too.

Spirited Away

Year: 2001 Runtime: 2h 4m Director: Hayao Miyazaki

Almost all of the Studio Ghibli films are on Max, the exclusive home to them when it comes to streaming. The truth is that we could write thousands of words about the impact of Hayao Miyazaki and his colleagues (and we have: here’s a ranking of the entire output of the most important modern animation studio in the world), but for now we’ll recommend starting with Spirited Away , My Neighbor Totoro , and Castle in the Sky . You won’t stop.

All of Us Strangers

Year: 2023 Runtime: 1h 45m Director: Andrew Haigh

One of the best films of 2023 is exclusively available on Hulu thanks to the relationship between the company and Fox Searchlight—both owned by Disney, essentially. Andrew Scott is stunning as a man who essentially travels in time to visit the parents (Jamie Bell and Claire Foy) who died when he was young, all while starting a relationship with one of his neighbors (Paul Mescal). Imagine getting to say what you never could to those you lost and allowing them a chance to see how you’ve changed too. It’s a beautiful, moving piece of work.

Anatomy of a Fall

Year: 2023 Runtime: 2h 31m Director: Justine Triet

The latest Oscar winner for Best Original Screenplay is already exclusively on Hulu thanks to their relationship with Neon. The great Sandra Huller stars as a woman whose husband dies from a fall at their home. Was it suicide or murder? More than a mere courtroom drama, this is a dissection of a marriage that’s raw, brutal, and real.

*The Big Lebowski

Year: 1998 Runtime: 1h 57m Director: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen

Well, that’s just like your opinion, man. Joel and Ethan Coen followed up the biggest hit of their careers win Fargo with the story of Jeffrey “The Dude” Lebowski, unforgettably played by Jeff Bridges. In one of his most iconic roles, Bridges captures a kind of lazy L.A. style that turned this flick into a comedy classic, a movie that’s being quoted somewhere in the world on every minute of every day.

Year: 2020 Runtime: 1h 48m Director: Chloe Zhao

The Oscar winner for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actress , this 2020 drama is one of the most moving films of the young decade so far, and it’s exclusively on Hulu thanks to the company’s relationship with Searchlight (they’re both owned by Disney). Frances McDormand stars as Fern, a woman displaced by the loss of her husband and job, sending her out on the road. Blending non-fiction filmmaking choices like the use of non-actors telling their own stories with a deep sense of character-building, this is a phenomenal film.

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Year: 2019 Runtime: 2h 42m Director: Quentin Tarantino

It’s hard to believe it’s already been almost a half-decade since Quentin Tarantino’s last movie, one of the last greats of the 2010s. Wildly misunderstood during production (and even a bit after release), it’s way more than just a reclamation of the Sharon Tate murders, it’s a funny, scary, smart alternate version of Hollywood history with some of the career-best performances from Leonardo DiCaprio, Margot Robbie, and Oscar winner Brad Pitt.

Killers of the Flower Moon

Year: 2023 Runtime: 3h 26m Director: Martin Scorsese

One of the most acclaimed films of the 2020s is now exclusively available for subscribers of Apple TV+. Leonardo DiCaprio, Lily Gladstone, and Robert De Niro star in an epic drama that’s about nothing less than the violent formation of this country. When the Osage people became the richest per capita in the country, the white power figures in the region did everything they could to take it from them. As well-made as any streaming original of all time, it’s not only the best film on Apple TV+, it’s one of the best films you could watch on any streaming service, anywhere.

Wolfwalkers

Year: 2020 Runtime: 1h 43m Directors: Tomm Moore, Ross Stewart

Wolfwalkers should have won the Oscar in early 2021. It’s a lyrical and gorgeous final act to Cartoon Saloon’s “Irish Folklore Trilogy,” the story of a girl named Robyn Goodfellowe, whose father has been hired to hunt wolves. Robyn befriends a shapeshifter, a girl who is both wolf and human, in a story that incorporates modern storytelling with Irish folklore and inspired visual style.

The Holdovers

Year: 2023 Runtime: 2h 13m Director: Alexander Payne

Paul Giamatti and Da’Vine Joy Randolph won Golden Globes, and Randolph won an Oscars, for this phenomenal holiday comedy, exclusive to Peacock. The ‘70s-set story of a boarding school over holiday break already feels like a comedy classic, a movie that people will be watching, especially around the end of the year, for generations to come.

Oppenheimer

Year: 2023 Runtime: 3h Director: Christopher Nolan

Oppenheimer is a proud biopic: a dense, big-swing condensation of a 600-page biography about one of the most important men of the 20th century and about (in the movie’s own words) “the most important fucking thing to ever happen in the history of the world.” But Oppenheimer is also the opposite of a standard-issue Great Man movie: The achievement here is monstrous, and the psychic dissolution of the main character before our very eyes is heartbreaking. —Bilge Ebiri

Year: 1989 Runtime: 2h 20m Director: James Cameron

James Cameron’s 1989 sci-fi blockbuster is one of the most prominent films never to have been released on Blu-ray in the United States — but that finally changes in March with the 4K release, and it’s finally more readily available on streaming too. People who love this movie really love this movie, and it’s great to see it finally coming to the fans who have deserved it for so long.

Year: 1974 Runtime: 2h 10m Director: Roman Polanski

Forget it Jake, it’s Chinatown. One of the best movies of the ‘70s, this Best Picture nominee (and Best Screenplay winner) tells the story of Jake Gittes, played unforgettably by Jack Nicholson, as he investigates an adulterer and finds something much more insidious under the surface of Los Angeles. It’s a must-see, as important as almost any film from its era.

The Godfather

Year: 1972 Runtime: 2h 55m Director: Francis Ford Coppola

It’s only the film that made Al Pacino a star and kicked Francis Ford Coppola’s career into the stratosphere — maybe you’ve heard of it? In all seriousness, the entire Godfather trilogy is available on Paramount+, including the superior recent cut of the third film. You could then slide from some of the best filmmaking of all time into the streaming service’s original series The Offer , about the making of Coppola’s masterpiece. Marathon!

Year: 2023 Runtime: 1h 45m Director: Celine Song

This phenomenal Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay nominee isn’t on any of the other streamers. It stars the excellent Greta Lee and Teo Yoo as a couple who were close as children but reunite years later after she immigrated to the United States. It’s as much a story of what people leave behind when they change their entire lives as it is a traditional story of unrequited love. It’s beautiful and unforgettable.

Year: 1952 Runtime: 2h 23m Director: Akira Kurosawa

Even if Criterion had only a handful of Kurosawa films, it would still be difficult to choose between The Seven Samurai , Rashomon , and Ran , to name a few. So why Ikiru ? Well, it’s an unqualified masterpiece, about a man with stomach cancer coming to terms with the end of his life. It’s hard to believe Kurosawa made it when he was just over 40.

In the Mood for Love 

Year: 2000 Runtime: 1h 38m Director: Wong Kar-wai

Movies don’t get more hypnotic than this, a story of love and longing set in Hong Kong in 1962. Gorgeously shot by cinematographers Christopher Doyle and Mark Lee Ping-bin, In the Mood for Love also features career-defining performances by Tony Leung Chiu-wai and Maggie Cheung Man-yuk. The two play neighbors who develop an attraction to one another in a way that feels both deeply cinematic and completely human.

Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles 

Year: 1975 Runtime: 3h 21m Director: Chantal Akerman

The 2022 Sight & Sound critics poll named Chantal Akerman’s masterpiece the best film of all time, and it’s sitting on the Criterion Channel waiting for you to find out why. This 1975 examination of the gradual breakdown of the routines of an ordinary life turns everyday detail into something unforgettable, even transcendent. Critics have loved this film for decades and now it’s had an incredible resurgence almost six decades after its release.

• now streaming
• streaming recommendations
• streaming services
• amazon prime video
• the criterion channel

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The Best Movies New to Every Major Streaming Platform in January 2022

David ehrlich.

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Netflix may get most of the attention, but it’s hardly a one-stop shop for cinephiles looking to stream essential classic and contemporary films. Each of the prominent streaming platforms caters to its own niche of film obsessives.

From the boundless wonders of the Criterion Channel to the new frontiers of streaming offered by the likes of Disney+ and HBO Max, IndieWire’s monthly guide highlights the best of what’s coming to every major streamer, with an eye toward exclusive titles that may help readers decide which of these services is right for them.

Here is your guide for January 2022.

“The Tragedy of Macbeth” (dir. Joel Coen, 2021)

The Scottish Play has been adapted into more than 25 different movies since J. Stuart Blackton first gave it a whirl in 1908, and yet Joel Coen’s “The Tragedy of Macbeth” is such a strange hybrid between cinema and theater that it seems to exist in a realm all its own. Shot in atemporal black-and-white on a Los Angeles soundstage made to resemble the half-empty guts of a leaky snow-globe, this dark lucid dream of a film might be the latest example of a grand tradition, but its hermetically sealed design makes it sound more like an echo chamber. There are mad whispers bleeding through the concrete walls — dark thoughts that curve around the fake night sky — but the voices seem to be coming from inside the castle.

Which isn’t to suggest that the quizzical calm of Denzel Washington’s lead performance doesn’t make for an arresting contrast against the foam-mouthed ferality that Toshirō Mifune brought to the role in “Throne of Blood,” or that Bruno Delbonnel’s grayscale cinematography doesn’t feel like a deliberate 180 from the saturated grit of Justin Kurzel’s “Macbeth” and the fetid barbarism of the Playboy-funded Roman Polanski movie that substitute teachers once showed in public high schools (it was a different time). But here, in the first movie that he’s ever made without his brother Ethan — who’s ironically taking a break from his film career in order to focus on the theater — it often feels as if Joel Coen is talking only to himself. For all of the film’s striking minimalism and the sour bouquet of sensational performances that fill its empty spaces with life, the most powerful thing this adaptation does to revitalize its 400-year-old text is position Shakespeare as a prime influence on the Coens, and “Macbeth” in particular as a lyrical prototype for the fatalism they’ve brought into the modern world. After all, what Coen movie couldn’t be summed up by the Thane’s lament that “Life… is a tale told, Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing?” In other words, “The Tragedy of Macbeth” is a Coen brother movie to the core, and a great one at that.

Available to stream January 14

“Eternals” (dir. Chloé Zhao, 2021)

In between a solid origin story (“Shang-Chi”) and a gratuitous serving of meta fan-service (“Spider-Man: No Way Home”), Marvel released a “Dune”-sized, “Dune”-length, and almost “Dune”-portentous Chloé Zhao movie about a team of superheroes literally confronting God. It unsurprisingly turned out to be the most divisive installment of the MCU, and even more unsurprisingly one of the most interesting. 

Of course, “Eternals” isn’t quite as radical in practice as it might sound on paper; at the end of the day, it still amounts to several hours of watching good actors save the world from bad CGI, as philosophical differences erupt into a weightless battle royale while civilization itself hangs in the balance. By making such an unadventurous movie about how crisis breeds creativity, Marvel effectively illustrates why even the most independent-minded of filmmakers are powerless to evolve an apex predator franchise that doesn’t have any Darwinian impetus to adapt. But Zhao’s epic scores major points for its scope and relative sense of gravity, not to mention the subtle — and not so subtle — ways that its tactile imagery pushes back against the plastic-ness of a franchise that often looks as if it had been filmed against a Zoom background. Zhao may not be the first auteur to faintly put their stamp on one of the assembly-line spectacles manufactured by Disney’s money factory, but no one else has left such a distinct impression.

Available to stream January 12

“Nina Wu” (dir. Midi Z, 2019)

A struggling Taipei actress (played by steel-jawed screenwriter Wu Ke-Xi) is sexually exploited during an audition for an erotic spy movie in Midi Z’s “Nina Wu,” a probing revenge thriller that leans closer towards the psychic dissolution of “Mulholland Dr.” than it does to the candied score-settling of “Promising Young Woman.” A bold departure from the director’s naturalistic dramas like “The Road to Mandalay,” “Nina Wu” eschews the simple dynamics of victimhood in order to examine the sickening vertigo of semi-forced complicity. Some might flinch at the role Nina seems to play in her own debasement, and most will be left queasy by how mercilessly the film saps away her strength, but Midi Z has always been attuned to the cruelty of forcing migrant populations to act against their own interests, and “Nina Wu” becomes such a searing indictment of systemic exploitation in the entertainment industry because it takes that idea to its most literal conclusion.

Available to stream January 7

Other highlights:

– “Mug” (1/14) – “Aleksander Nevsky” (1/21) – “October” (1/21)

“Les Vampires” (dir. Louis Feuillade, 1915)

The Criterion Channel is kicking off its 2022 programming by looking back at the 1992 Sundance Film Festival, a watershed year that galvanized America’s independent cinema and established Robert Redford’s annual get-together as a kind of Cannes for cash-strapped outsiders. The streamer’s Sundance Class of ’92 series is so robust that it could function as a second virtual Sundance running parallel to the 2022 edition, with subscribers dipping into legendary favorites like Tom Kalin’s “Swoon,” Alexandre Rockwell’s “In the Soup,” and Alison Anders’ “Gas Food Lodging” in between the potential future classics that are premiering at the fest this year. A spotlight dedicated to Desiree Akhavan — whose wonderful “Appropriate Behavior” premiered in Park City in 2014 before “The Miseducation of Cameron Post” won the U.S. Dramatic Competition a few years later — helps flesh out this month’s celebration of the indie scene.

Of course, people love the Criterion Channel because it doesn’t suffer the recency bias that plagues all of the larger streamers, and the platform’s January slate has more than enough to satisfy those who don’t want to see anything made after the Reagan administration. A three-film celebration of tap-dancing brothers Fayard and Harold Nicholas (“Down Argentine Way,” “Sun Valley Serenade,” and their masterpiece “Stormy Weather”) epitomizes the kind of fare that you’ll never be able to find on Netflix. Elsewhere, a 10-movie tribute to Sterling Hayden (highlighted by “Johnny Guitar” and Stanley Kubrick’s “The Killing”), a baker’s dozen of Joseph L. Makiewicz treasures (from “Dragonwyck” to “There Was a Crooked Man”), and a whopping 44-film package on the French New Wave illustrate the unparalleled breadth and context that Criterion is able to bring to the catalog titles it streams each month.

Fittingly, this month’s most exciting new addition is also its oldest, as the Channel is presenting all 10 episodes of Louis Feuillade’s 1915 serial “Les Vampires,” which hasn’t lost any of its seductive luster over the 107 years since it first introduced the world to the deadly cat burglar Irma Vep (who inspired the impossibly cool Olivier Assayas movie of the same name, as well as the forthcoming limited series he’s making with A24 and Alicia Vikander).

Available to stream January 1

– “Gas Food Lodging” (1/1) – “Stormy Weather” (1/1) – “Swoon” (1/1)

“The LEGO Batman Movie” (dir. Chris McKay, 2017)

2020 was a a big year for HBO Max, as Warner Bros made every single one of its new movies available to stream on the fledgling platform the same day they were released in theaters. With that controversial experiment finally in the rearview, HBO Max will have to rely on a mix of original content (starting with Steven Soderbergh’s “Kimi” in February) and the vast trove of library titles at its disposal. The streamer’s January lineup leans heavily on the latter, with newly available offerings spanning from reheated pandemic titles (“Malignant”) and recent masterpieces (“Paddington 2”) to canonical classics that have never been all that hard to find (“2001: A Space Odyssey”). But with the WB gearing up for March’s theaters-only release of “The Batman,” there’s never been a better time to catch up with the best movie ever made about the Caped Crusader. That’s right: “The LEGO Batman Movie,” in which Bruce Wayne (voiced by Will Arnett) is a lonely egomaniac bachelor who spends his nights eating microwaved lobsters and watching “Jerry Maguire” alone in his home theater. Matt Reeves’ “The Batman” may be the dark neo-noir epic that fans have always been hoping for, but it’s a safe bet that Robert Pattinson won’t fight Sauron and then get to lead the people of Gotham in a full-blown musical number about his own gloriousness.

– “2001: A Space Odyssey” (1/1) – “Paddington 2” (1/1) – “Malignant” (1/1)

“Bergman Island” (dir. Mia Hansen-Løve, 2021)

A young Parisian filmmaker whose delicately personal work (“Eden,” “Things to Come,” “Goodbye, First Love,” et al.) illuminates the unbearable lightness of being with the soft touch of a late summer breeze, Mia Hansen-Løve may not be the first 21st-century auteur who comes to mind when people consider the portentous legacy of Ingmar Bergman, a man whose cinema stared into the void in the hopes of seeing its own reflection, and shouted down God’s silence with such howling rage that even his comedies are probably still echoing in eternity. And yet, “Bergman Island” — a triple-layered meta-romance about a filmmaker (Vicky Krieps) who flies to Sweden with her partner (Tim Roth) and pitches him a screenplay about her first love — is such a rare and remarkable movie for the very same reason that you wouldn’t expect it to exist in the first place.

Set on the remote skerry in the Baltic Sea that Bergman adopted as his home and began to terraform with his artistic persona after making “Through a Glass Darkly” there in 1961, Hansen-Løve’s zephyr-calm story of loss, love, and artistic reclamation draws such an extreme contrast to the scorched Earth films that have become synonymous with Fårö that even its nighttime scenes reveal the shadows that fiction has the power to cast across reality. No simple homage to Bergman, Hansen-Løve’s film is simply enraptured by the immaterial yet utterly transformative effect that Bergman’s cinema has had on the quiet ocean rock where so much of it was made. Through the disconnect between the physical fact of Fårö’s existence and the imagined fog that has settled over it in her mind’s eye, she discovers a perfect nexus for the personal and creative universes that have long overlapped in her semi-autobiographical fiction. The result is a heart-stoppingly poignant movie that beats from deep inside a body of work that has always been seasick with the bittersweet vertigo that comes from looking at the past through the smudged lens of memory and imagination.

– “Ailey” (1/10) – “Black Bear” (1/10) – “Stop and Go” (1/29)

“Support the Girls” (dir. Andrew Bujalski, 2018)

Magnolia Selects may not have the widest library of titles to choose from, but some of the movies in its rotation are straight-up undeniable, and few more so than Andrew Bujalski’s so good it hardly seems real workplace comedy “Support the Girls.” Here’s what IndieWire’s Eric Kohn wrote about the instant classic when we included it on our list of the last decade’s 100 best films:

“Regina Hall is astonishing in Andrew Bujalski’s touching look at an earnest woman who manages a sleazy Texas ‘breastauraunt,’ where many things go wrong over the course of a single hectic day. Bujalski’s typically subdued, character-based storytelling takes on a new volume of warmth and sensitivity with this striking examination of surviving difficult times through unbridled empathy. That might sound cheesy, but Bujalski’s such a wizard when it comes to scripting authentic dialogue that ‘Support the Girls’ may as well be a documentary. Hall’s manager juggles each new challenge with a steely resolve that makes her one of Bujalski’s greatest characters, the indefatigable creation of a filmmaker who excels at exploring the nuances of human behavior.

“Though it’s been lumped in with that non-existent movement known as ‘mumblecore,’ Bujalski’s perceptive filmmaking has always existed in a class of its own. He excels at capturing quirky, alienated characters trapped by routine and insular communities (‘Mutual Appreciation,’ ‘Results’) but ‘Support the Girls’ takes that skill to new symbolic heights. The image of its three central women hollering from a rooftop defines the zeitgeist with a blend of hilarity and emotional catharsis; it illustrates what can happen when a subtle filmmaker operates at the height of his powers.”

Available to stream January 4

– “A Place at the Table” (1/4) – “Kusama – Infinity” (1/11) – “Lucky” (1/11)

“What Do We See When We Look at the Sky?” (dir. Alexandre Koberidze, 2021)

MUBI’s January slate epitomizes what the multi-faceted company does best, as its streaming lineup combines a well-curated wealth of indie and arthouse treasures with the exclusive online premiere of a great new movie that MUBI distributed in theaters just two months ago. That would be Georgian filmmaker Alexandre Koberidze’s playful and ineffably romantic “What Do We See When We Look at the Sky?,” a modern fable that starts with a chance encounter between a soccer player and a pharmacist one night in the ancient city of Kutaisi. Love is in the air, but so is an envious and spiteful evil eye, which curses these two potential soulmates to wake up the next day in completely different bodies that make it impossible for them to recognize each other, even when they’re standing feet away on the same bridge. What follows is a charming and sun-kissed trick of the light — a lyrical movie that reminds us that movies can be anything. It joins MUBI alongside Koberidze’s previous feature “Let the Summer Never Come Again” and an excellent sampling of new Georgian cinema, which includes Tamar Shavgulidze’s “Comets” and Déa Kulumbegashvili’s “Beginning.” 

January will also see the streamer tee up MUBI’s next major theatrical release, as a series highlighting the feature debuts of major filmmakers includes Mahamat-Saleh Haroun’s “Bye Bye Africa,” a perfect appetizer for the Chadian auteur’s forthcoming “Lingui, the Sacred Bonds.” Other standouts from this edition of First Films First: Janicza Bravo’s “Lemon,” Radu Jude’s “The Happiest Girl in the World,” and Noah Baumbach’s “Kicking & Screaming.” There’s naturally all sorts of overlap between that retro and MUBI’s package celebrating highlights from Sundance history, as essential titles like “Tarnation,” “Luzzu,” and “But I’m a Cheerleader” belong in either basket.

– “Bye Bye Africa” (1/5) – “The Happiest Girl in the World” (1/8) – “But I’m a Cheerleader” (1/23)

“Phantom Thread” (dir. Paul Thomas Anderson, 2018)

Still chewing on “Licorice Pizza” (or patiently waiting to watch it in the less Omicron-friendly environs of your living room)? Well, there’s never a bad time to revisit Paul Thomas Anderson’s previous jewel, a sumptuously confined period romance that illustrates how his films tend to linger in the memory and grow in the mind long after the initial discourse around them has faded away. Before “Phantom Thread” was unveiled at the tail end of 2017, it was actually rumored that Paul Thomas Anderson’s eighth feature was an S&M period piece that had more in common with “Fifty Shades of Grey” than it did any of the classic British melodramas that were made around the time this story is set. In truth, this perverse love story about a renowned dressmaker (a career-capping Daniel Day-Lewis as Reynolds Woodcock) and the soft-spoken waitress Alma (Vicki Krieps) he takes as his muse turned out to be a strictly PG affair, one far more interested in adding clothes than taking them off. In the end, however, that buttoned-up chasteness is precisely what permitted Anderson to sew such a compelling piece about love and control, dominance and submission, as the auteur threads the needle between haute escapism and something much closer to home.

Available to stream January 16

– “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (1/1) – “Interview with the Vampire” (1/1) – “Taxi Driver” (1/1)

“Office” (dir. Johnnie To, 2015)

Ovid’s excellent January streaming lineup spans from Colombia (Marta Rodriguez and Jorge Silva’s 1972 documentary “Brickmakers”) to France (Florence Strauss’ documentary series “The Last Tycoons,” which highlights the producers behind names like Demy and Godard) and beyond, but the lion’s share of this month’s slate comes from Asia thanks to Hong Kong director Ann Hui and a series of well-curated one-offs. Start with Hui’s light and masterful 2011 drama “A Simple Life” — in which the great Andy Lau plays a man who begins to care for the ailing caretaker who’s served his family for 60 years — or the filmmaker’s epic newsman biopic “The Golden Era” before moving on to some eclectic standouts from recent Hong Kong and mainland Chinese cinema like the road trip melodrama “Lost and Love,” Japanese auteur Shunji Iwai’s “Last Letter,” and Johnnie To’s utterly singular “Office,” the best 3D musical you’ll ever see about the existential crisis that confronted the finance world after the collapse of Lehman Brothers (though Chow Yun-fat and Sylvia Chang only need two dimensions to make it sing).

Available to stream January 20

– “A Simple Life” (1/14) – “The Last Tycoons” (1/18) – “Last Letter” (1/25)

“The Master” (dir. Paul Thomas Anderson, 2012)

The most inscrutable and enigmatic of Paul Thomas Anderson’s films, “The Master” is always mesmerizingly just out of reach, turning you inward every time you reach out to meet it. But there are answers here; whatever meaning you manage to tease out of this story is yours to keep.

On its most basic level, “The Master” is a gripping two-hander about a man and his dog. Philip Seymour Hoffman is almost unfathomably brilliant as the volatile Lancaster Dodd, a new age pseudo-prophet in the mold of L. Ron Hubbard (he’s not unlike a film director, the ringleader of a traveling circus who has to string people along through sheer force of will). Joaquin Phoenix is every bit his equal as the alcoholic Freddie Quell, a man whose face is twisted into a perpetual sneer even before he’s set adrift in the wake of World War II. One barks commands and the other rolls over, but neither one of them can play fetch alone. As Dodd puts it, with no small amount of spite: “If you figure a way to live without serving a master, any master, then let the rest of us know, will you? For you’d be the first person in the history of the world.”

Dodd and Quell really aren’t so different, and Anderson’s dream-like storytelling helps swirl them together until it’s hard to tell where one ends and the other begins (Jonny Greenwood’s seasick score roots that confusion in the pit of your stomach). These are two men haunted by past trauma who have happened upon opposite ways of trying to outrun it; two men using each other as beacons to navigate the choppy waters between memory and imagination; two men who “can’t take this life straight.” But then again, who can? Just look into someone’s eyes, don’t blink, and repeat your name until you start to believe that it tells you something.

Available to stream January 13

– “The Village” (1/1) – “Waitress” (1/1) – “The Tender Bar” (1/7)

“Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched” (dir. Kier-La Janisse, 2021)

Everything you always wanted to know about pagan blood sacrifices and the lingering psychic traumas of colonialism (but were afraid to discover for yourself), Kier-La Janisse’s “Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched” crams an entire semester’s worth of Hauntology 101 into a numbingly comprehensive 193-minute documentary that unearths the history of cinematic folk horror in such loving, erudite, and seductive detail that you almost can’t wait for it to be over so you can start watching some of the 100+ films that are excerpted along the way.

Not that such patience will necessarily be required. Trusting that her subject matter is fertile enough to merit such a scholarly approach, and also bewitching enough to survive it, Janisse connects the dots between “The Wicker Man” and “La Llorona” in a way that allows this multi-chapter epic to function as both séance-like spectacle and streaming-era syllabus in equal measure. Her primer is the perfect lead-in to Shudder’s month-long celebration of folk horror, a retrospective that starts with the holy trinity of folk horror (“Blood on Satan’s Claw,” “The Wicker Man,” and “Witchfinder General”) before expanding into a wide range of deeper cuts that range from Kasi Lemmons’ “Eve’s Bayou” to Brunello Rondi’s 1963 peasant freakout “Il Demonio.”

Available to stream January 10

– “Blood on Satan’s Claw” (1/1) – “Il Demonio” (1/1) – “Eve’s Bayou” (1/1)

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The 57 Best Free Online Movie Streaming Sites in Mar 2024

This is an estimated reading time to let you know how long it will take you to read all the content on this particular PrivacySavvy.com page. However, it has a sneak peek, easy guide steps, and/or a quick list providing quick in-page navigations and easily-found answers if desired.

Here in this article, we list the best free streaming sites based on our extensive research and vigorous tests. Watch your favorite movies and TV shows free online safely.

Watching your favorite movie without spending a dime is pure bliss. That’s why free streaming websites are popular. However, content consumers should not forget the legal implications of copyright and licensing agreements. While watching movies or TV shows for free is not a crime, violating copyright policies is a legal issue. Therefore, users should practice responsible behavior when accessing free streaming websites , including the ones listed below. Since most unofficial sites can host malicious content and malware, users must use a VPN to enjoy safe streaming.

Nowadays, a lot of entertainment content is available online, from classic films to newly released movies and popular TV shows. Yet, finding suitable and reliable free movie streaming sites is a challenge.

Although there may seem to be a lot available, not all are good enough and safe . That is why we have compiled this list of the 57 best free online movie streaming sites (after testing hundreds). It’s a frequently updated list to ensure you never face trouble watching your favorite media for free.

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Watcher Entertainment Launches Its Own Subscription Streaming Service: ‘We’re Leaving YouTube’

By Todd Spangler

Todd Spangler

NY Digital Editor

• Watcher’s Move Off YouTube to Paid Streaming Service Sparks Angry Fan Backlash 2 days ago
• Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment Sued Over Redbox Acquisition by Consultant Who Claims He’s Owed Several Million Dollars 3 days ago
• Netflix Rattles Investors by Ending Subscriber Disclosures — but Apple’s Similar Strategy in 2018 With iPhones Was a Big Success 3 days ago

UPDATED: After building its business on YouTube and generating more than 400 million views on the platform, Watcher Entertainment will now offer full series of its original unscripted content — including “Ghost Files,” “Mystery Files” and “Puppet History” — exclusively on its new, subscription-based streaming service.

Watcher was formed by former BuzzFeed creators Steven Lim , Ryan Bergara and Shane Madej , who were behind popular BuzzFeed shows “Worth It” and “BuzzFeed Unsolved.” They launched their YouTube channel in January 2020.

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On Friday, the trio posted on X that “We’re leaving YouTube” with a link to their “Goodbye YouTube” video. The company originally told Variety that Watcher would eventually remove all of its videos from YouTube, where it currently has 2.9 million subscribers. However, according to Bergara, Watcher is not fully exiting YouTube: It will still keep its backlog of videos on YouTube, and going forward will put the first episodes of new seasons on YouTube — while the full new seasons will be exclusively available on the Watcher streamer.

RELATED: Watcher’s Move Off YouTube to Paid Streaming Service Sparks Angry Fan Backlash

The Watcher Entertainment team’s bet is that they can earn more money by charging fans for their content than from YouTube ad revenue.

Lim, who serves as CEO, said the trio have spent more than a decade creating and distributing their content through YouTube, which “has been a wonderful home for us to sharpen our skills as filmmakers, grow as human beings, and connect directly with our fans.”

“From the very start of Watcher, our goal was to make television-quality unscripted content, and while YouTube helped us start that journey, the only way we can fully realize that vision is to do it on our own platform,” Bergara said. “So while it’s scary to leave a place that has been an amazing home to us, we know that this is a risk worth taking, just like leaving BuzzFeed was back in 2019.”

Madej added, “In four short years we’ve built a library of shows that we’re incredibly proud of, and we’ve done it by sticking to our creative values. We intend to keep delivering the world’s best unscripted entertainment, and the streamer is our way of cutting out the middleman and giving our viewers the opportunity to directly support the stuff they love.”

To date, L.A.-based Watcher Entertainment has produced 22 original series in the paranormal, food and edutainment spaces.

With the launch of the Watcher subscription service, the company plans to invest in new projects — such as sending “Ghost Files” to an international locale for the first time. Watcher also plans to debut new series, including a reunion of the team behind BuzzFeed’s food show “Worth It”: Andrew Ilnyckyj and Adam Bianchi will join Steven Lim in a new series called “Travel Season,” billed as a “globetrotting food and travel odyssey,” beginning in the food mecca of Seoul, South Korea.

Here’s the Watcher team’s “Goodbye YouTube” video:

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