Summary
- Tubi, the free streaming service, has over 200,000 titles currently available.
- The best movies on Tubi include a healthy mix of blockbuster hits and cult classics across a wide range of genres.
- With the library of movies on Tubi constantly changing, it’s always worth checking in to see what’s available.
Tubi has seen its user base grow significantly over the last few years thanks to offering an incredible array of movies completely free of charge thanks to ads. Initially launching in 2014, Tubi is the Fox Corporation’s free-to-access streaming platform, and as of 2024 has over 80 million users.
The best movies on Tubi include some incredibly well-known and blockbuster titles, with the library of available films constantly changing to include fresh titles for users to enjoy free of charge thanks to ad sponsorship. With the movies available on Tubi always changing, it’s always worth checking in to see what the best films on the platform are, as there’s always a solid selection of top-tier titles within the 200,000+ available.
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With so many streaming platforms rising in prices, viewers still have the option to watch their favorite films and tv shows legally, free of charge.
Goodfellas (1990)
The Quintessential Martin Scorsese Gangster Movie
Goodfellas R Where to Watch
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Goodfellas is a 1990 crime film starring Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, and Ray Liotta. The film was directed by Martin Scorsese and outlines the life and times of mobster Henry Hill. It’s based on the book Wiseguy, written by Nicholas Pileggi.
Director Martin Scorsese Release Date September 21, 1990 Cast Robert De Niro , Ray Liotta , Joe Pesci , Lorraine Bracco , Paul Sorvino , Frank Sivero Runtime 145 Minutes
Martin Scorsese is a director forever synonymous with gangster movies, and one of his most prominent to date is currently among the vast selection of movies on Tubi — 1990’s Goodfellas. The movie was nominated for multiple awards when it released, including several Golden Globes and Oscars (though it only landed the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, which went to Joe Pesci). Many modern critics still rank Goodfellas in their lists of best movies of all time, and it’s clear why it’s currently one of the most watched films on Tubi.
To this day, it’s regarded as one of the best gangster movies ever made, laying the foundations for movies and shows that followed such as The Sopranos. The cast of Goodfellas also features many names considered staples of the genre, including the likes of Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta, and Joe Pesci in the vast ensemble. The plot adapts the nonfiction book Wiseguy, by Nicholas Pileggi, who also co-wrote the script alongside Scorcese.
Jurassic Park (1993)
Steven Spielberg’s Epic Dinosaur Movie
Jurassic Park PG-13 Where to Watch
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Huge advancements in scientific technology have enabled a mogul to create an island full of living dinosaurs. John Hammond has invited four individuals, along with his two grandchildren, to join him at Jurassic Park. But will everything go according to plan? A park employee attempts to steal dinosaur embryos, critical security systems are shut down and it now becomes a race for survival with dinosaurs roaming freely over the island.
Director Steven Spielberg Release Date June 11, 1993 Cast Sam Neill , Laura Dern , Jeff Goldblum , Richard Attenborough , Bob Peck , Martin Ferrero Runtime 127 minutes
1993’s Jurassic Park is considered a highlight of director Steven Spielberg’s career, and the news that Jurassic Park is available to stream on Tubi has undoubtedly brought more than a few users to the platform. The story of Jurassic Park is, by the 2020s, incredibly well known — an eccentric billionaire uses cloning technology to bring dinosaurs back to life. While his goal is to open a theme park, the movie shows that prehistoric life has no interest in being a tourist attraction.
The premise alone is intriguing enough, but it isn’t the key reason Jurassic Park is considered a classic. Aside from Spielberg’s incredible abilities as a director, both the practical and CGI visual effects in this movie on Tubi have stood the test of time, even over three decades after it initially debuted. Throw in some career-defining performances from the likes of Sam Neill, Jeff Goldblum, and Laura Dern, and it’s easy to see why Jurassic Park still stands proud as one of the best dinosaur movies ever made (including its sequels and the follow-up franchise Jurassic World).
The Terminator (1984)
The Relentless Sci-Fi That Kickstarted The Hit Schwarzenegger Franchise
The Terminator (1984) R Where to Watch
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The Terminator is a sci-fi action film directed by James Cameron. Arnold Schwarzenegger stars as a cyborg assassin sent from the future to kill Sarah Connor, played by Linda Hamilton, whose son will lead a resistance against machine domination. Michael Biehn portrays Kyle Reese, a soldier also sent back in time to protect Sarah. The film explores themes of time travel, artificial intelligence, and survival.
Director James Cameron Release Date October 26, 1984 Cast Arnold Schwarzenegger , Michael Biehn , Linda Hamilton , Paul Winfield , Lance Henriksen , Bess Motta Runtime 107 Minutes
Arnold Schwarzenegger and director James Cameron are both household names in the 2020s, and among the titles that put both on the map is 1984’s The Terminator. There’s no shortage of action and sci-fi movies available on Tubi, but The Terminator stands out as one of the most definitive titles in either genre. It was the movie that arguably popularized the idea of rogue A.I. being an existential threat to humanity, with the rise of SkyNet feeling especially poignant given that, in the present day, comparable technologies are already in active development.
However, the story of The Terminator doesn’t take place in the future, but in the then-present-day of the 1980s. The movie focuses on Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton), a waitress at a diner who discovers that she’ll one day give birth to the man who will lead the last vestiges of humanity in an uprising against the machines. Unfortunately for Sarah, she learns this due to a cyborg assassin, the T800 (Schwarzenegger), traveling back in time to kill her before her son is ever born.
The Usual Suspects (1995)
The Gangster Movie With An Unrivaled Twist
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Written by Christopher McQuarrie and directed by Bryan Singer, The Usual Suspects is a Mystery film that features Stephen Baldwin, Kevin Spacey, and Benicio del Toro. The plot unfolds during an interrogation in which a con man speaks to investigators about what happened, being one of only two men that survived a massacre at the Port of Los Angeles.
Director Bryan Singer Release Date August 16, 1995 Cast Kevin Spacey , Kevin Pollak , Benicio Del Toro , Gabriel Byrne , stephen baldwin , Chazz Palminteri Runtime 106 minutes
Gangster films have been a staple of cinema for decades, and while it may not have the mainstream recognition of the likes of The Godfather or Scarface, 1995’s The Usual Suspects is inarguably one of the best titles in both the wider genre and among the crime movies currently available on Tubi. The Usual Suspects was directed by Bryan Singer and stars the likes of Kevin Spacey, Gabriel Byrne, Stephen Baldwin, and Kevin Pollak. The five play a group of unrelated criminals (the titular suspects) who find themselves thrown together after first meeting in a shared police lineup.
The plot of
The Usual Suspects
ends up running far deeper than most gangster movies, and — thanks to the mystery of the identity of the feared mobster Keyser Söze — has one of the best twist endings in cinematic history.
From there, the group decides to team up for a heist to get revenge on the NYPD, each taking chagrin with the fact they were accused of being part of a hijacking they had no involvement in. However, the plot of The Usual Suspects ends up running far deeper than most gangster movies, and — thanks to the mystery of the identity of the feared mobster Keyser Söze — has one of the best twist endings in cinematic history.
American Psycho (2000)
The Incredibly Cryptic Horror-Satire
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Based on the book of the same name by Bret Easton Ellis, American Psycho follows Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale) an investment banker in New York in 1987 who leads a double life as a serial killer. As investigators circle Bateman after the disappearance of a colleague, he finds himself trapped in a spiral of murder and excess, unable to stop himself from giving in to his increasingly dark urges. Also stars Willem Dafoe, Jared Leto, Justin Theroux, and Reese Witherspoon.
Director Mary Harron Release Date April 14, 2000 Cast Jared Leto , Reese Witherspoon , Chloe Sevigny , Willem Dafoe , Justin Theroux , Christian Bale Runtime 101 minutes
Director Mary Harron’s American Psycho is still one of the most widely discussed and dissected movies of the 2000s despite releasing almost 25 years ago, and thanks to Tubi, it’s easy for those who have yet to see it to find out why. Based on the novel of the same name by Bret Easton Ellis, American Psycho is both a scathing critique of Wall Street capitalism and an incredibly surreal horror — and both of these elements are carried throughout by the career-defining performance of Christian Bale as central character Patrick Bateman.
It’s easy to see why many critics and viewers alike count it among the best satirical films ever made.
Bateman is a Wall Street broker who finds himself drawn to committing gruesome and atrocious murders to find some degree of escape from the numbing detachment of his life at the highest rungs of investment banking. He finds his sanity slowly slipping away throughout American Psycho, and his mental state is fractured even further by the seeming lack of care and interest of his peers during the moments he admits to his murderous inclinations. The movie continues to have an incredible amount of cultural influence, and it’s easy to see why many critics and viewers alike count it among the best satirical films ever made.
Life (2017)
The Modern Sci-Fi Horror That Channels 1979’s Alien
Life R
Set in the near future on a spaceship returning from a mission to Mars, Life follows the crew of the ship as they inadvertently awaken an alien lifeform in one of their Martian soil samples. Not only intelligent but extremely hostile, the alien begins to attack the crew, who end up in a fight for their lives as they attempt to eliminate the threat their ship now poses to Earth. The film features an ensemble cast that includes Jake Gyllenhaal, Ryan Reynolds, Rebecca Ferguson, Olga Dihovichnaya, Hiroyuki Sanada, and Ariyon Bakare.
Director Daniel Espinosa Release Date March 24, 2017 Writers Paul Wernick , Rhett Reese Cast Ryan Reynolds , Alexandre Nguyen , Rebecca Ferguson , Hiroyuki Sanada , Ariyon Bakare , Olga Dihovichnaya , Jake Gyllenhaal Runtime 104 Minutes
Sci-fi and horror are two genres that have always blended exceptionally well, and 2017’s Life from director Daniel Espinosa is a fitting addition to this fine tradition. With a cast that includes the likes of Rebecca Ferguson, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Ryan Reynolds, Life gained no shortage of interest from the moment it was announced, and despite some mixed reviews, it didn’t disappoint fans expecting a solid sci-fi adventure with tense moments and disturbing visuals throughout.
The plot is reminiscent of 1979’s
Alien,
which is by no means a critique, and Tubi users hoping for a similarly tense ride will find
Life
certainly satisfies.
The plot of Life sees the crew of the ISS International Space Station analyzing soil samples from Mars in the near future. They are, at first, thrilled to discover the samples contain evidence of alien life on the Red Planet. The crew are able to cultivate a multicellular life form from the soil, which they name Calvin.
However, the birth of Calvin is when Life switches from sci-fi to horror, as the creature quickly becomes incredibly dangerous, picking off the crew of the ISS one by one. The plot is reminiscent of 1979’s Alien, which is by no means a critique, and Tubi users hoping for a similarly tense ride will find Life certainly satisfies.
St. Elmo’s Fire (1985)
The Cult Classic Brat Pack Coming-Of-Age Movie
St. Elmo’s Fire
A group of close-knit college graduates navigates the challenges of adulthood, balancing careers, relationships, and personal growth. Amidst the backdrop of their favorite bar, they confront their fears, ambitions, and the complexities of growing up, discovering the true meaning of friendship and resilience.
Director Joel Schumacher Release Date June 28, 1985 Writers Joel Schumacher , Carl Kurlander Cast Rob Lowe , Demi Moore , Emilio Estevez , Ally Sheedy , Judd Nelson , Mare Winningham , Andrew McCarthy , Martin Balsam , Andie MacDowell Runtime 110 Minutes
There was no shortage of coming-of-age movies in the 1980s, as the subgenre seemed to be entering into its own. Among teen films about the trials of entering adulthood that still stands up today is 1985’s St Elmo’s Fire, the drama from director Joel Schumacher starring decade-legends like Emilio Estevez, Judd Nelson, Demi Moore, Ally Sheedy, and Rob Lowe. While St Elmo’s Fire was initially panned by critics, it has since gone on to achieve cult status, with the same criticisms about its script and (at times) incredibly vacuous characters becoming the reasons that it’s so beloved by its fans.
The plot of St. Elmo’s Fire is relatively straightforward, as it focuses on a group of recent college graduates trying to make their way in the world after finally leaving the education system. However, the charm of St. Elmo’s Fire isn’t in its plot so much but in its characters, with the likes of Emilio Estevez’s Kirby and Demi Moore’s party-girl Jules being hilariously two-dimensional yet still, somehow, near-impossible not to find endearing.
Donnie Darko (2001)
The Cerebral And Highly Debated Psychological Thriller
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After troubled teen Donnie Darko (Jake Gyllenhaal) wakes on a local golf course after a night of sleepwalking, he has a vision of a man in a rabbit suit telling him that the world will end in 28 days. Returning home, Donnie sees that a jet engine has fallen on his bedroom in the night, and begins to feel increasingly detached from reality. Scrambling to make sense of the bizarre and unexplainable events that have altered his life, Donnie finds himself unravelling a tangled web of disaster and fate.
Director Richard Kelly Release Date October 26, 2001 Writers Richard Kelly Cast Jake Gyllenhaal , Holmes Osborne , Maggie Gyllenhaal , Daveigh Chase , Mary McDonnell , James Duval Runtime 113 minutes
Few movies are as misunderstood or as hotly debated as director Richard Kelly’s 2001 sci-fi thriller Donnie Darko. So ambiguous is the plot that there are even disagreements on what Donnie Darko is even about, though this only serves to make the movie even more endearing (and one that definitely counts among the “must watch” titles on Tubi). The story focuses on titular troubled teen Donnie Darko (Jake Gyllenhaal), a young man who finds himself consistently at odds with the 1988 suburban community he and his family reside in.
Donnie’s psychological problems cause him to have visions of a man in a grotesque bunny costume who he knows of Frank, who constantly forewarns him about the end of the world. However, when Donnie escapes death by following a vision of Frank to a golf course on the night a jet engine crashes through the ceiling of their family home, Donnie realizes his “visions” may be more prophetic than first appears. Notably, Jake Gyllenhaal’s real-life sibling Maggie Gyllenhaal plays Donnie’s sister Elizabeth, and the pair manage to bring plenty of their shared dynamic to the arguments between the two characters.
Terrifier (2016)
The Feature-Length Debut Of Art The Clown
Terrifier Unrated Where to Watch
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Terrifier is a horror-slasher movie that follows two sisters that hop between parties on Halloween night, hunted relentlessly by a sadistic serial killer known as Art the Clown. Art, who has been slowly building his body count and terrorizing the town, finds a girl he becomes infatuated with, beginning a long string of victims for anyone who either stands in his way or is at the wrong place at the wrong time.
Director Damien Leone Release Date March 15, 2018 Writers Damien Leone Cast David Howard Thornton , Jenna Kanell , Samantha Scaffidi , Catherine Corcoran Runtime 86 Minutes
Director Damien Leone reinvigorated the slasher horror subgenre in 2022 with the sleeper-hit Terrifier 2, which gained notoriety thanks to some of its incredibly brutal scenes. With Terrifier 3 on the way in 2024 and already creating no shortage of conversation, many uninitiated with the villainous antagonist Art the Clown are wondering where the franchise began — and Tubi is one of the best places to catch up thanks to 2016’s Terrifier currently being available to stream on the platform.
It’s a slasher movie that pulls no punches, and Leone’s career history as a practical effects wizard prior to taking the director’s chair is evident throughout.
The plot of Terrifier sees various characters stalked and murdered by the truly diabolical silent killer Art the Clown (David Howard Thornton), a character Leone first debuted in his 2008 short movie The 9th Circle. 2016’s Terrifier is a far grittier and lower-budget movie than Terrifier 2, though it’s quickly gaining its own fanbase thanks to the prominence of the sequel.
It’s a slasher movie that pulls no punches, and Leone’s career history as a practical effects wizard prior to taking the director’s chair is evident throughout. While not hugely critically acclaimed upon its release, Terrifier is quickly defining its own legacy years later thanks both to the success of its sequel and its many brutal kills appearing in horror-fandom circles on social media platforms like TikTok and YouTube.
The Road (2009)
The Incredibly Bleak Apocalypse Movie
The Road R Where to Watch
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Based on Cormac McCarthy’s novel of the same name, The Road centers on a father and son who attempt to make it to the coast after a global apocalypse wipes out all plant and animal life on Earth. The Road was directed by John Hillcoat and stars Viggo Mortensen and Kodi Smit-McPhee.
Director John Hillcoat Release Date November 25, 2009 Writers Joe Penhall Cast Kodi Smit-McPhee , Guy Pearce , Viggo Mortensen , Robert Duvall , Charlize Theron Runtime 111 minutes
Movies detailing life after an apocalyptic event are nothing new, but few have managed to pull off the concept as deftly (or, indeed, as bleakly) as 2009’s The Road. Starring Viggo Mortensen as “Man” and Kodi Smit-McPhee as “Boy”, The Road is remarkably light when it comes to character backstories or any information about the specific event that nearly destroyed the world. Instead, The Road focuses on the psychological and emotional impact that the struggle to survive has on its two central characters. It’s this focus, combined with the masterful direction of John Hillcoat, that makes the road such a gripping and, at the same time, harrowing watch.
While some post-apocalyptic movies like the Mad Max saga or The Book of Eli mix visions of life after societal collapse with intense action and uplifting moments, there’s none of either to be found in The Road. It’s a truly unflinching movie that pulls no punches, though this doesn’t make it any less watchable. There are few movies on Tubi, or any other platform, quite like it, and the performances of both Mortensen and the young Smit-McPhee, as well as Charlize Theron in various flashback sequences, make it easily one of the best films currently available on the platform.