15 Free-to-Watch Movies on Tubi For Any Film Lover
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SOMETIMES YOU WANT to watch a movie. And sometimes you just want to watch a good movie. And while some of us have cable, some of us have streaming services, and a handful of us have both, there are very few of us that have everything. If you want to watch one movie, but it's on the other streaming service—the one you don't pay for—that's just a huge pain in the ass. Which is why it's probably wonderful to discover that when a movie is on Tubi, you can watch it in HD and not pay a penny.
Tubi is an ad-supported streamer, so your movie experience is broken up with ad breaks... but that's no different from watching a movie on cable (although these movies aren't edited for content) or a certain tier of, say, Hulu or Peacock. And the selection of movies on Tubi is massive.
On this streaming service you can find formative cinema from auteur directors, sci-fi epics, western touchstones, and far more. You can also find some transcendent comedies, and, yes, if you so choose, some really campy, really bad movies. There's a lot on here.
But for the purpose of this list, we're going to focus on 15 movies that you can watch on Tubi right now that you won't regret skipping. We're talking true classics across the genre spectrum; movies that you might bring up with a friend at the bar, or over lunch, and get a big reaction if it turns out to be common ground. Or maybe you'll have your next favorite movie to start recommending to everyone. We're going to call that a win-win.
Below, check out 15 must-watch movies on Tubi right now.
Memento (2000)
Christopher Nolan's breakthrough feature, Memento, is one of the most unique and unforgettable thrillers you'll ever see. With great performances by Guy Pearce (in the lead role) along with Carrie-Anne Moss and Joe Pantoliano, you'll be on the edge of your seat the entire time.
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American Graffiti (1973)
You know Star Wars. But do you know George Lucas' first film, American Graffiti? Warning: space is not involved, but rather a delightful coming-of-age story. Produced by Francis Ford Coppola and with a cast that includes Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, and Harrison Ford, Graffiti is a classic for good reason.
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Evil Dead II (1987)
Sam Raimi may be best known these days for his Spider-Man trilogy (and, more recently, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness). But his first go at a trilogy—the Evil Dead films, starring Bruce Campbell—were much more formative for who he would eventually become as a filmmaker. The best of these is Evil Dead II, which is something of a sequel, something of a remake, and totally campy, bizarre, and scary in all the best possible ways. You actually don't even need to have seen the first Evil Dead to enjoy this one, either.
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Frances Ha (2012)
We all know about Barbie (and Little Women, and Lady Bird), but the most formative movie of Greta Gerwig's early career was Frances Ha. This delightful coming-of-age movie (which she stars in and co-wrote with her partner, Noah Baumbach, who directed it) is a hilarious and relatable story of someone flailing through their 20s and trying to find their place. Keep an eye out for appearances from young Adam Driver and Justine Lupe (Willa from Succession).
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Incendies (2010)
Since making his debut in Hollywood with Prisoners, director Denis Villeneuve has been on an unbelievable hot streak: he followed Prisoners with Enemy, Sicario, Arrival, Blade Runner 2049, and Dune. As we wait for Dune: Part Two (which was unfortunately delayed to 2024), though, it's worth returning to his pre-Hollywood films, including 2010's stunning Incendies. The Canadian production is in French, so you'll likely have to watch with subtitles. But you'll see that all that directorial talent didn't come from nowhere (and are in for one hell of a story).
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Boyhood (2014)
Filmed over the course of 12 years, Richard Linklater's Boyhood is a one-of-a-kind movie. Taking you through 12 years in the life of a boy (and his parents and sister), this is a coming-of-age story that's as real as anything else—in that you can literally see the characters age throughout the movie. Patricia Arquette won the Oscar and Ethan Hawke was nominated for playing the boy's parents.
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Dead Ringers (1988)
With Dead Ringers, one of our greatest creepy/horror/weird directors (David Cronenberg) gave us one of his creepiest, weirdest, horror-est movies. As twin gynecologists who essentially share a life (until a woman gets between them), Jeremy Irons gives an unbelievable performance. And if you want to compare, after you watch the original Dead Ringers, you can check out the Prime Video TV version—starring Rachel Weisz—that came out earlier in 2023.
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Looper (2012)
Before he created Poker Face, before he made Knives Out, before he made Star Wars: The Last Jedi, hell, even before he directed the "Ozymandias" episode of Breaking Bad, Rian Johnson directed Looper, one of the most intense and high-concept time-travel sci-fi movies you'll find. Gripping, visually stunning, and with great acting (particularly from leads Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Bruce Willis), Looper is yet another must-watch (and starkly different from most of the other Johnson projects we mentioned earlier).
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Full Metal Jacket (1987)
One of Stanley Kubrick's masterpieces. We don't need to say much more, but we will anyway—the story has always gone that Full Metal Jacket is, essentially, two movies merged into one; the first half a slow, gripping, build-up, and the second half a more traditional war story. Regardless of that basic breakdown, the film fits together as two pieces of a full idea, and is one of the best war movies you'll ever see. Matthew Modine anchors the movie in a way you won't forget, but it's supporting players Vincent D'Onofrio and R. Lee Ermey who stand out more than anyone else.
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Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002)
You kind of get the idea behind the first part of director Park Chan-wook's "Vengeance Trilogy"—three films that have similar themes but aren't connected otherwise—just from the title. This thriller is a story of desperation and violence, told through the lens of a director who has made this kind of story his bread and butter.
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Lady Vengeance (2005)
While the middle film of Park Chan-wook's "Vengeance Trilogy," Oldboy, isn't currently on Tubi (though you can see it re-released in theaters for its 20th anniversary), the third installment, Lady Vengeance (sometimes called Sympathy for Lady Vengeance) is. Much like the other two films in the trilogy, this movie is about revenge and the desperate things that people will do to enact it. If you wanted to see what a woman would do after spending more than a decade in prison for a murder she didn't commit... this is your movie.
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Get Out (2017)
Jordan Peele's Get Out is unquestionably one of the best movies of the last 20 years, and is perhaps the best debut feature in that same timeframe. If you haven't seen it, we won't want to spoil much else, other than to say this is a movie that will have you on the edge of your seat for the entire time, and is just as funny and sharp as it is scary and dreadful. And it can be quite scary and dreadful! That's largely driven by the incredible characters that Peele creates along with his cast, including Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Catherine Keener, and Bradley Whitford.
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Unforgiven (1992)
Clint Eastwood was already an unquestioned legend of the Western genre in 1992 when he released Unforgiven, which... may have turned out to be his best movie of all time. Eastwood (who stars and directs) plays an old outlaw/mercenary who takes on one last job: to take on a corrupt sheriff (Gene Hackman) in an old Saloon town. This is one of the most tense and gripping Westerns you'll see, and any fan of the genre should watch it. And then watch it again. Unforgiven won Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor (for Hackman), and Best Editing.
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The Lincoln Lawyer (2011)
You may know The Lincoln Lawyer best nowadays for the hit Netflix series (based on author Michael Connelly's book/series of the same name). But back in 2011, The Lincoln Lawyer was a top-notch legal drama film starring Matthew McConaughey as the title character. Not much that needs to be spelled out here: if you're into legal drama and mystery, this flick does a damn good job at it.
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21 Jump Street (2012)
Most of the movies on this list are pretty heavy, so we thought it would be nice to leave you with one of the best comedies of the 21st century: 21 Jump Street. Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum make for an incredible comedic duo, here playing to both of their strengths as a pair of police officers forced to go undercover into a high school to solve a case. Other cast members—including Rob Riggle, Dave Franco, Ice Cube, and Brie Larson—are impressive (and, of course very funny) as well.
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