If you’re limiting your streaming subscriptions or simply can’t afford all of the pay services, sites like Crackle, Vudu, and YouTube all have free movies available. The only catch: You have to watch ads.
On the plus side, while there are commercial interruptions, the movies are not edited for content like they are on broadcast channels. You can still watch uncut movies and with fewer total interruptions than television airings.
A number of the movies available for free are already TV movies or made-for-video fare, but there are plenty of well-known titles if you go deep enough. Rotten Tomatoes did some digging and sorted through the free catalogs of Vudu, YouTube, and Crackle to find the 100 best movies available to watch for free right now. These films, all Fresh on the Tomatometer, include Oscar winners, blockbusters, comedy classics, informative documentaries, and family favorites — all available to watch for free.
Check out our list to find something new to watch without paying rental or subscription fees. Updated for May 2019.
Critics Consensus: Woody Allen’s hard-working, uphill-climbing Broadway talent agent is rendered memorably with equal parts absurdity and affection.
Where to Stream: Vudu
Critics Consensus: Perhaps Kenneth Branagh’s most fully realized Shakespeare adaptation, Henry V is an energetic, passionate, and wonderfully acted film.
Where to Stream: Vudu
Critics Consensus: Comprehensive yet brisk, Nas: Time Is Illmatic offers an absorbing look at a hip-hop classic and the life of the artist who made it.
Where to Stream: Vudu
Critics Consensus: Short Term 12 is an emphatic, revealing drama that pulls audiences into the perspective of neglected youths.
Where to Stream: Vudu
Critics Consensus: Insightful and swiftly paced, Being Evel is an entertaining, well-crafted overview of an unforgettable character.
Where to Stream: Vudu
Critics Consensus: The movie that catapulted Ang Lee into the ranks of upper echelon Hollywood filmmakers, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon features a deft mix of amazing martial arts battles, beautiful scenery, and tasteful drama.
Where to Stream: Crackle
Critics Consensus: My Beautiful Laundrette is fast and all over the place because it has so much to say, and show, including a highly watchable fresh-faced Daniel Day-Lewis.
Where to Stream: Vudu
Critics Consensus: George A. Romero’s debut set the template for the zombie film, and features tight editing, realistic gore, and a sly political undercurrent.
Where to Stream: Vudu
Critics Consensus: Of Mice and Men honors its classic source material with a well-acted adaptation that stays powerfully focused on the story’s timeless themes.
Where to Stream: Vudu
Critics Consensus: Part real-life thriller, part sobering examination of 21st century civil liberties, Citizenfour transcends ideology to offer riveting, must-see cinema.
Where to Stream: Vudu
Critics Consensus: Smart, sweet, and inventive, Groundhog Day highlights Murray’s dramatic gifts while still leaving plenty of room for laughs.
Where to Stream: Vudu
Critics Consensus: A straightforward thriller of the highest order, In the Line of Fire benefits from Wolfgang Peterson’s taut direction and charismatic performances from Clint Eastwood and John Malkovich.
Where to Stream: Crackle
Critics Consensus: Osama is bitterly honest, deeply disturbing, and utterly worth watching.
Where to Stream: Vudu
Critics Consensus: Girded by strong performances from Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, and newcomer Hailee Steinfeld, and lifted by some of the Coens’ most finely tuned, unaffected work, True Grit is a worthy companion to the Charles Portis book.
Where to Stream: Vudu
Critics Consensus: With confident pacing, a smart script, and a top-notch cast, Animal Kingdom represents the best the Australian film industry has to offer.
Where to Stream: Crackle
Critics Consensus: Though it may not always convince, Bowling for Columbine asks important questions and provokes thought.
Where to Stream: Vudu
Critics Consensus: This classic low budget horror film combines just the right amount of gore and black humor, giving The Evil Dead an equal amount of thrills and laughs.
Where to Stream: Vudu
Critics Consensus: Funny, informative, and occasionally sad, Good Hair is a provocative look at the complex relationship between African Americans and their hair.
Where to Stream: Vudu
Critics Consensus: The Queen of Versailles is a timely, engaging, and richly drawn portrait of the American Dream improbably composed of equal parts compassion and schadenfreude.
Where to Stream: YouTube
Critics Consensus: A taut, solidly constructed action thriller with uncommon intelligence, Drug War delivers exhilarating set pieces without skimping on sophisticated filmmaking.
Where to Stream: YouTube
Critics Consensus: Smart and absorbing, Lone Star represents a career high point for writer-director John Sayles — and ’90s independent cinema in general.
Where to Stream: Vudu
Critics Consensus: This re-imagining of Shakespeare’s Crookback King relocates the story in 1930 and features an indelible star turn for Ian McKellen as the monstrous and magnetic King Richard.
Where to Stream: Vudu
Critics Consensus: This is an old-fashioned, richly textured family film that will appeal to children and adults alike.
Where to Stream: Vudu
Critics Consensus: Elite Squad: The Enemy Within is a bleak, violent descent into the Brazilian underbelly, ripping into the favelas with unstoppable and kinetic force.
Where to Stream: Vudu
Critics Consensus: Made on a shoestring budget, El Mariachi‘s story is not new. However, the movie has so much energy that it’s thoroughly enjoyable.
Where to Stream: Crackle
Critics Consensus: Barbara Streisand elevates this otherwise rote melodramatic musical with her ultra-memorable star turn as Fanny Brice.
Where to Stream: Crackle
Critics Consensus: Bleak and darkly humorous, No Man’s Land vividly illustrates the absurdity of war.
Where to Stream: Vudu
Critics Consensus: Thanks to the impeccable chemistry between Steve Martin and John Candy, as well as a deft mix of humor and heart, Planes, Trains and Automobiles is a hilarious, heartfelt holiday classic.
Where to Stream: Vudu
Critics Consensus: The brutality of Amores Perros may be difficult to watch at times, but this intense, gritty film packs a hard wallop.
Where to Stream: Vudu
Critics Consensus: Faults explores the cult dynamic to fascinating effect, bolstered by an outstanding cast and sharp work from writer-director Riley Stearns.
Where to Stream: Vudu
Critics Consensus: Michael Shannon gives a powerhouse performance and the purposefully subtle filmmaking creates a perfect blend of drama, terror, and dread.
Where to Stream: Crackle
Critics Consensus: Fueled by Quentin Tarantino’s savvy screenplay and a gallery of oddball performances, Tony Scott’s True Romance is a funny and violent action jaunt in the best sense.
Where to Stream: Vudu
Critics Consensus: Dizzyingly original, the loopy, multi-layered Adaptation is both funny and thought-provoking.
Where to Stream: Crackle
Critics Consensus: A suitably cynical neo-noir that echoes the disillusionment of its era, Cutter’s Way relies on character-driven drama further elevated by the work of an outstanding cast.
Where to Stream: Vudu
Critics Consensus: A sobering and heartfelt tale about massacre that took place in Rwanda while most of the world looked away.
Where to Stream: Vudu
Critics Consensus: Mystery Road evokes classic Westerns while using its Australian outback setting to delve into a surprisingly layered — and powerfully impactful — array of social issues.
Where to Stream: YouTube
Critics Consensus: This quirky little film about a gangster in therapy feels fresh and well-crafted.
Where to Stream: Vudu
Critics Consensus: A punk take on the zombie genre, Return of the Living Dead injects a healthy dose of ’80s silliness to the flesh consuming.
Where to Stream: Vudu
Critics Consensus: This riotously deadpan mockumentary about aspiring community theater performers never stoops to ridicule oft-ridiculous characters.
Where to Stream: Vudu
Critics Consensus: Koyaanisqatsi combines striking visuals and a brilliant score to produce a viewing experience that manages to be formally daring as well as purely entertaining.
Where to Stream: Vudu
Critics Consensus: Loaded with atmosphere and drenched in the sizzling chemistry between Dennis Quaid and Ellen Barkin, The Big Easy remains one of the strongest — and steamiest — thrillers of the 1980s.
Where to Stream: Vudu
Critics Consensus: It’s sentimental, and some viewers may feel manipulated by the melodramatic final act, but The Man in the Moon offers a finely drawn coming-of-age story with an excellent cast — including Reese Witherspoon in her film debut.
Where to Stream: Vudu
Critics Consensus: The People Vs. Larry Flynt pays entertaining tribute to an irascible iconoclast with a well-constructed biopic that openly acknowledges his troublesome flaws.
Where to Stream: Crackle
Critics Consensus: Though its sweetness borders on sappiness, Roxanne is an unabashedly romantic comedy that remains one of Steve Martin’s funniest.
Where to Stream: Crackle
Critics Consensus: Bursting with frantic energy and tinged with black humor, After Hours is a masterful — and often overlooked — detour in Martin Scorsese’s filmography.
Where to Stream: Vudu
Critics Consensus: Terrifying and funny in almost equal measure, John Landis’ horror-comedy crosses genres while introducing Rick Baker’s astounding make-up effects.
Where to Stream: Vudu
Critics Consensus: Arbitrage is both a tense thriller and a penetrating character study, elevated by the strength of a typically assured performance from Richard Gere.
Where to Stream: Vudu
Critics Consensus: Elevated by some of Robin Williams’ finest non-comedic work and a strong performance from Robert De Niro, Awakenings skirts the edges of melodrama, then soars above it.
Where to Stream: Crackle
Critics Consensus: Richard Linklater’s Bernie is a gently told and unexpectedly amusing true-crime comedy that benefits from an impressive performance by Jack Black.
Where to Stream: Vudu
Critics Consensus: Humor, interesting characters, and attention to details make the stylish Devil in a Blue Dress an above average noir.
Where to Stream: Crackle
Critics Consensus: A chilling true crime drama, Foxcatcher offers Steve Carell, Mark Ruffalo, and Channing Tatum a chance to shine — and all three of them rise to the challenge.
Where to Stream: Crackle
Critics Consensus: The visual splendor of the movie makes up for the weak story.
Where to Stream: Crackle
Critics Consensus: Dramatically gripping and frighteningly smart, this Lynchian thriller does wonders with its unlikely subject and shoestring budget.
Where to Stream: Vudu
Critics Consensus: Despite its somewhat disjointed narrative, Oliver Stone’s Salvador is a vivid and powerful political drama that sets an early tone for the director’s similarly provocative future projects.
Where to Stream: Vudu
Critics Consensus: Inscrutably strange, yet undeniably compelling, Arizona Dream is anchored by magnetic performances from Johnny Depp and Faye Dunaway.
Where to Stream: Vudu
Critics Consensus: Battle Royale is a controversial and violent parable of adolescence, heightening teenage melodrama with life-or-death stakes.
Where to Stream: Vudu
Critics Consensus: A Brilliant Young Mind is tender and perceptive — and intelligent enough to find a wealth of dramatic riches buried under well-trod narrative ground.
Where to Stream: Vudu
Critics Consensus: This underrated gem from director Peter Weir features an outstanding performance from Jeff Bridges as a man dealing with profound grief.
Where to Stream: Vudu
Critics Consensus: A moving film with moments of humor, Liberty Heights succeeds in capturing the feel of the ’50s with great performances and sensitive direction.
Where to Stream: Vudu
Critics Consensus: A violent, provocative meditation on manhood with some of the most controversial scenes ever shot for a mainstream movie.
Where to Stream: Crackle
Critics Consensus: Extraordinarily daring for a Hollywood film, Altered States attacks the viewer with its inventive, aggressive mix of muddled sound effects and visual pyrotechnics.
Where to Stream: Vudu
Critics Consensus: Perhaps less than absorbing for non-baseball fans, but nevertheless underpinned by strong performances from the cast and John Sayles’ solid direction.
Where to Stream: Vudu
Critics Consensus: Director Richard Attenborough is typically sympathetic and sure-handed, but it’s Ben Kingsley’s magnetic performance that acts as the linchpin for this sprawling, lengthy biopic.
Where to Stream: Crackle
Critics Consensus: Led by a brilliant performance from star Frank Langella, Robot & Frank works as both a quirky indie drama and as a smart, thoughtful meditation on aging.
Where to Stream: Vudu
Critics Consensus: Slacker rests its shiftless thumb on the pulse of a generation with fresh filmmaking that captures the tenor of its time while establishing a benchmark for 1990s indie cinema.
Where to Stream: YouTube
Critics Consensus: The colorful, chaotic 24 Hour Party People nimbly captures the spirit of the Manchester music scene.
Where to Stream: Vudu
Critics Consensus: As smart, funny, and trenchant as writer-director-star Chris Rock’s best standup work, Top Five is a career highlight for its creator — and one of the comedy standouts of 2014.
Where to Stream: Vudu
Critics Consensus: Offering a unique look at modern fears and our fascination with film, The Wolfpack is a fascinating — and ultimately haunting — urban fable.
Where to Stream: YouTube
Critics Consensus: Stylishly scattered, Bugsy offers cinematic homage to the infamous underworld legend, chiefly through a magnetic performance from Warren Beatty in the title role.
Where to Stream: Crackle
Critics Consensus: Desperately Seeking Susan works with its fairy tale depiction of New York and the fun, frothy chemistry generated by its two leads.
Where to Stream: Vudu
Critics Consensus: Dark, violent, and drenched in dread, Goodnight Mommy is perfect for extreme horror enthusiasts — or filmgoers who prefer to watch between splayed fingers
Where to Stream: Vudu
Critics Consensus: Peggy Sue Got Married may seem just another in a line of ’80s boomer nostalgia films, but none of the others have Kathleen Turner keen lead performance.
Where to Stream: Crackle
Critics Consensus: Though it may not be as comprehensive as some would like, Francis Ford Coppola’s cheerful biopic of the failed automotive designer features sparkling direction and a strong central performance from Jeff Bridges.
Where to Stream: YouTube
Critics Consensus: Following its own brand of logic, Paprika is an eye-opening mind trip that is difficult to follow but never fails to dazzle.
Where to Stream: Crackle
Critics Consensus: Shining a spotlight on activists as unorthodox as they are entertaining, The Yes Men proves advocating for social change can be seriously funny.
Where to Stream: Vudu
Critics Consensus: An odd but affecting mixture of drama, comedy and fantasy, The Fisher Kingmanages to balance moving performances from Robin Williams and Jeff Bridges with director Terry Gilliam’s typically askew universe.
Where to Stream: Crackle
Critics Consensus: Anchored by dazzling performances from Tom Cruise, Cuba Gooding Jr., and Renée Zellweger, as well as Cameron Crowe’s tender direction, Jerry Maguire meshes romance and sports with panache.
Where to Stream: Crackle
Critics Consensus: Fun genre fare with uncommon intelligence, Predestination serves as a better-than-average sci-fi adventure — and offers a starmaking turn from Sarah Snook.
Where to Stream: Crackle
Critics Consensus: This doc about the making of Vogue’s biggest issue and its frosty editor-in-chief is fascinating eye candy and light-on-its-feet fun.
Where to Stream: Vudu
Critics Consensus: 1984 doesn’t fully emerge from the shadow of its source material, but still proves a solid, suitably discomfiting adaptation of a classic dystopian tale.
Where to Stream: Vudu
Critics Consensus: Dead Ringers serves up a double dose of Jeremy Irons in service of a devilishly unsettling concept and commandingly creepy work from director David Cronenberg.
Where to Stream: Crackle
Critics Consensus: Intelligent and scientifically provocative, Gattaca is an absorbing sci fi drama that poses important interesting ethical questions about the nature of science.
Where to Stream: Crackle
Critics Consensus: Banderas returns as an aging Zorro in this surprisingly nimble, entertaining swashbuckler.
Where to Stream: Crackle
Critics Consensus: Quick Change makes the most of its clever premise with a smartly skewed heist comedy that leaves plenty of room for its talented cast to shine.
Where to Stream: Vudu
Critics Consensus: The Assassin‘s thrilling visuals mark a fresh highlight for director Hsiao-hsien Hou, even if its glacial pace may keep some viewers at arm’s length.
Where to Stream: YouTube
Critics Consensus: A stylized, electric British crime thriller.
Where to Stream: Crackle
Critics Consensus: Little Children takes a penetrating look at suburbia and its flawed individuals with an unflinching yet humane eye. Where to Stream: VuduLittle Children (2006) 80%
Critics Consensus: While not the classic its predecessor is, this update is well-acted and conjures a chilling resonance.
Where to Stream: Vudu
Critics Consensus: T2 Trainspotting adds an intoxicating, emotionally resonant postscript to its classic predecessor, even without fully recapturing the original’s fresh, subversive thrill. Where to Stream: CrackleT2 Trainspotting (2017) 80%
Critics Consensus: Despite its somewhat dour approach, Young Adult is a funny and ultimately powerful no-holds-barred examination of prolonged adolescence, thanks largely to a convincing performance by Charlize Theron.
Where to Stream: Vudu
Critics Consensus: Solid acting, amazing direction, and elaborate production design make Fight Club a wild ride.
Where to Stream: Crackle
