We all have the best streaming services at our fingertips, but it’s still easy to feel overwhelmed by endless options and mounting subscription fees. The good news? You don’t need to spend a penny to enjoy some excellent films. The best free streaming services, like Plex, Pluto TV, and Tubi, are packed with hidden gems just waiting to be discovered.
This week’s picks lean into the darker side of storytelling. From eerie, folky cult horror to psychological thrillers, and even a dose of whatever genre-bending chaos Lars Von Trier is serving. Think of it as spring cleaning for your nerves.
So if you’re in the mood for something gripping, strange, or just plain unsettling, we’ve got you covered. Here are four standout films, all scoring 80% or more on Rotten Tomatoes from the critics, that you can stream for free right now. No sign-up, no fees, just great cinema.
Let Me In (Plex, Tubi)
Release date: 2010
Rotten Tomatoes score: 88%
Length: 115 minutes
Director: Matt Reeves
Main cast: Kodi Smit-McPhee, Chloë Grace Moretz, Richard Jenkins, Cara Buono
If Nosferatu fever earlier this year got you in the mood for more vampires, then Let Me In needs to be on your watchlist. This eerie, beautifully shot film is more than just a scary movie, it’s a haunting coming-of-age story wrapped in blood and snow. A remake of the Swedish classic Let the Right One In, it surprisingly does the original justice, and that’s not something we say lightly.
Let Me In follows a lonely boy who befriends a mysterious girl in his apartment block. Only… she’s not quite what she seems. With strong performances (especially from a young Chloë Grace Moretz), it’s a rare mix of tender and terrifying. If you like your horror with substance and heart, this one’s a must-watch.
Melancholia (Kanopy, Plex, Pluto, Tubi)
Release date: 2011
Rotten Tomatoes score: 80%
Length: 130 minutes
Director: Lars Von Trier
Main cast: Kirsten Dunst, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Alexander Skarsgård, Brady Corbet
Lars von Trier’s Melancholia is not your typical end-of-the-world movie. But then again, when has he ever done typical? Instead, this is a slow, stunning, and deeply unsettling meditation on depression, and the strange sense of calm that can come in the face of annihilation.
A rogue planet is heading toward Earth, and two sisters – played by Kirsten Dunst and Charlotte Gainsbourg – cope with the impending doom in very different ways. Expect dream-like imagery, a haunting score, and raw, emotional performances, all woven into a film that’s as beautiful as it is bleak. If you’re in the mood for some elegant existential dread, Melancholia is unforgettable.
The Wicker Man (Freevee, Plex, Pluto, Tubi)
Release date: 1973
Rotten Tomatoes score: 91%
Length: 102 minutes
Director: Robin Hardy
Main cast: Edward Woodward, Christopher Lee, Britt Ekland, Diane Cilento
Long before Midsommar and the rise of cult horror, there was The Wicker Man. This 1973 British classic is part detective mystery, part folk horror fever dream – and it’s still deeply creepy, holding up remarkably well more than 50 years later.
The story follows a police officer sent to a remote island to investigate a missing child. But the locals are... not quite what they seem. And the truth is far stranger (and not to mention more horrifying) than he ever imagined. With its slow-building unease, eerie music, and an unforgettable final act, The Wicker Man is a masterclass in atmospheric storytelling.
Side Effects (Plex, Pluto)
Release date: 2013
Rotten Tomatoes score: 83%
Length: 105 minutes
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Main cast: Jude Law, Rooney Mara, Channing Tatum, Catherine Zeta-Jones
Directed by Steven Soderbergh (Contagion, Ocean’s Eleven), Side Effects dives into the murky world of prescription medication. What starts as a moody psychological drama quickly transforms into something much darker, with plenty of twists along the way.
The story follows a woman prescribed a new drug after struggling with her mental health. But when strange things start to happen, her psychiatrist is drawn into a web of lies, secrets, and shifting truths. It’s slick, stylish, and keeps you guessing right up to the end.
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