With awards season now firmly in the rear-view mirror and must-see new movies few and far between (Mickey 17 notwithstanding), there’s never been a better time to check out the best free streaming services, which are constantly being updated with old and new classics.
Below, I’ve highlighted five of the best free movies to stream on Tubi, Pluto TV, Plex, and more this week – from Oscar-winning war movies to beloved high school dramas.
This is Spinal Tap (Pluto TV) – leaving soon
Release date: March 1984
Rotten Tomatoes score: 96%
Length: 82 minutes
Director: Rob Reiner
Main cast: Michael McKean, Christopher Guest, Harry Shearer, Rob Reiner
You’ve seen the news: Spinal Tap II: The End Continues is heading to theaters in September, so if you’re not familiar with Rob Reiner’s beloved 1984 music mockumentary – which is streaming for free on Pluto TV – now is as good a time as any to right that wrong.
Starring Reiner himself alongside Michael McKean, Christopher Guest, and Harry Shearer, This is Spinal Tap follows a documentary filmmaker (Reiner) on the road with a fictional British heavy metal rock band as they embark on their American comeback tour. A hilarious satire of 80s rock stars and the documentary format itself, the film is a must-watch for fans of both British and American comedy.
The Hurt Locker (Tubi)
Release date: June 2009
Rotten Tomatoes score: 96%
Length: 131 minutes
Director: Kathryn Bigelow
Main cast: Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty, Guy Pearce
Kathryn Bigelow's searing bomb-disposal thriller, The Hurt Locker, often does the rounds on the best streaming services, but it’s currently streaming for free on Tubi.
This Best Picture-winning 2008 drama follows a group of Explosive Ordnance Disposal soldiers who, while fighting in the Iraq war, find themselves feeling the pinch of intense psychological stress. The Hurt Locker was recently selected for preservation in the US National Film Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" – yes, it's really that good – and is as pulse-pounding as thrillers come.
Snowden (Pluto TV, Plex)
![Snowden | Official Trailer [HD] | Open Road Films - YouTube](https://img.youtube.com/vi/QlSAiI3xMh4/maxresdefault.jpg)
Release date: September 2016
Rotten Tomatoes score: 61%
Length: 134 minutes
Director: Oliver Stone
Main cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Shailene Woodley, Melissa Leo, Zachary Quinto
2016’s Snowden is far from Oliver Stone’s best movie (see Platoon for that accolade) but it’s certainly worth a watch for fans of the director’s more popular paranoia thrillers of the 90s.
Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt in the lead role, Snowden centers on whistleblower Edward Snowden's decision to leak classified NSA documents to the press after he discovers that the organization is illegally spying on ordinary US citizens. Think of this one as All the President’s Men for the Internet Age, without the critical acclaim.
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (Pluto TV)
Release date: June 1986
Rotten Tomatoes score: 83%
Length: 103 minutes
Director: John Hughes
Main cast: Matthew Broderick, Alan Ruck, Mia Sara, Jeffrey Jones
You’ve likely already seen Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, but if you haven’t (or simply fancy a rewatch), John Hugh’s beloved high school drama is now streaming for free on Pluto TV.
As its title suggests, the film follows charismatic high school student Ferris Bueller (Matthew Broderick) as he – you guessed it! – fakes sickness to take the day off school. With his best friend (and his best friend’s girlfriend) in tow, the trio roams around Chicago dining at fancy restaurants, attending baseball games, and joyriding in a red Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder. Suffice it to say, that all makes for a pretty great day.
I, Tonya (Tubi)
Release date: December 2017
Rotten Tomatoes score: 90%
Length: 119 minutes
Director: Craig Gillespie
Main cast: Margot Robbie, Sebastian Stan, Allison Janney, Julianne Nicholson
Margot Robbie earned her first Oscar nomination for her performance in 2017’s I, Tonya, and the film – which is now streaming for free on Tubi – remains one of the Australian star’s best.
Based on "contradictory" and "totally true" interviews with its lead characters, Craig Gillespie’s biographical drama chronicles the life and career of American figure skater Tonya Harding, who, in 1994, famously assaulted her sporting rival Nancy Kerrigan. The film undoubtedly belongs to Robbie, but I, Tonya also sees Allison Janney turn in an Oscar-winning performance as Harding’s abusive mother.
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