With all the streaming content available that movie lovers can pay to watch, it’s difficult to find something good that is also free. The paid streaming apps are wonderful for those who can afford the extra cost of multiple apps and charges. That said, many streaming apps are also increasing their monthly prices as their libraries of content increase and improve.
Overall, there are always going to be film fans who want to watch great movies for free. Despite having a smaller selection than other premium streaming services, YouTube nonetheless has a sizable collection of no-cost, ad-supported films in a variety of genres. Here are some of the best free movies on YouTube to watch next.
10 Independence Day (1996)
20th Century Studios
You could be right if you feel that the alien movie genre is oversaturated. However, this sci-fi subgenre can still be used to develop fresh storylines, as seen by this excellent movie by filmmaker Roland Emmerich. Independence Day is the story of a classic alien invasion and how the world responds to the idea that there are other lifeforms out there. After a strong alien species attacks the whole globe, a number of individuals and groups, including the military and scientists, congregate in the Nevada desert and ultimately decide to mount a counterattack.
9 Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993)
20th Century Films
With this 1993 classic remake directed by Mel Brooks, Cary Elwes transitioned from a minor supporting actor to a famous movie star. Robin Hood: Men in Tights showcases how humor can help or hurt a movie. While parodying earlier versions of Robin Hood and the original narrative, the film, in reality, has gained cult status. Even the consensus review on Rotten Tomatoes describes the movie as “undisciplined, scatological, profoundly silly, and often utterly groan-worthy,” but it also adds that it has an “anything-goes goofiness that has made it a cult favorite.”
8 Salt (2010)
Sony Pictures Releasing
In this film, Angelina Jolie plays Evelyn Salt, a woman who is suspected of being a Russian sleeper agent and who flees to attempt to clear her reputation. The action parts in this movie were mostly conducted using actual stunts, while the digital landscapes were mostly created with computer-generated imagery, which gives it a unique style. Salt received several nominations for awards and established itself as a respectable action-thriller movie. Salt 2, a sequel, was in the works, but has since died out.
7 Super Size Me (2004)
Samuel Goldwyn Films
Morgan Spurlock became a household name in 2004 thanks to his wild documentary, Super Size Me, about a man who, over a 30-day period, only eats McDonald’s food. The dramatic impact on Spurlock’s physical and mental health and wellbeing is shown in the movie. The corporate impact of the fast food business is also examined, particularly how it promotes bad nutrition for its own financial advantage. According to Variety, the movie received the Writers Guild of America’s award for Best Documentary Screenplay, making it well worth a watch. Spurlock released a sequel, Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken!, in 2017, documenting the changes in the fast food industry after his first film’s release.
6 Practical Magic (1998)
Warner Bros.
Practical Magic is based on an Alice Hoffman novel of the same name. The film stars Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman. Two sisters in Hoffman’s narrative only want to get away from the gossip in their little Massachusetts town, where, for the past 100 years, their family has been held responsible for all the wrongdoings. The sisters must band together to defend their family reputation and one another when the witchcraft rumors turn out to be true and cause even more issues.
5 The Iron Giant (1999)
Warner Bros. Pictures
The Iron Giant is based on Ted Hughes’ The Iron Man, published in 1968. The movie, which takes place in 1957 during the Cold War, is about a little kid named Hogarth Hughes (voiced by Eli Marienthal), who meets and becomes friends with a huge extraterrestrial robot (voiced by Vin Diesel). Hogarth makes an effort to thwart the efforts of the American military and paranoid federal agent Kent Mansley (voiced by Christopher McDonald), along with the aid of a beatnik artist named Dean McCoppin (Harry Connick Jr.). Despite being animated, The Iron Giant will put you through emotional turmoil while imparting valuable lessons about love and perseverance.
4 Girl in Progress (2012)
Lionsgate
The themes of Girl in Progress are tenacity and conquering challenges. Grace Gutierrez (Eva Mendes), a single mother raising her teenage daughter Ansiedad (Cierra Ramirez), is central to the story. Ansiedad is frequently left to care for herself and her mother since Grace is too busy managing her job, her financial obligations, and her relationship with the married Dr. Harford (Matthew Modine). Both mother and daughter learn valuable life lessons about what it really means to be family and how to grow up in a world that never stops fighting back. According to Huffpost, the movie received the Favorite Movie Award at the 2012 ALMA Awards, which celebrate Hispanic achievements in music, cinema, and television.
3 Free Birds (2013)
Relativity Media
The voices of Owen Wilson, Woody Harrelson, and Amy Poehler may be heard in this 2013 computer-animated science fiction movie featuring humor and time travel aspects. The movie centers on two turkeys who travel back to the first Thanksgiving to banish turkeys from the table. Funnily enough, in 1621, the turkey characters try to persuade the settlers and Native Americans that pizza is a better option than turkeys. The primary pulls in this movie are the time travel and a few solid animated action scenes. For Outstanding Achievement for Music in a Feature Production, Free Birds received an Annie Award nomination.
2 A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004)
Paramount Pictures
Jim Carrey, Emily Browning, Liam Aiken, Kara Hoffman, and Shelby Hoffman, star in this movie, based on the first three novels of the book series A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket (the pen name of author Daniel Handler). The three young Baudelaire children are taken to live with their distant uncle, Count Olaf, who’s not the kindest guy on earth, after a fire in their estate leaves them orphaned. The Netflix original series, also titled A Series of Unfortunate Events, adapting the full novel series, debuted in 2017 with a brand-new cast.
1 The Prince & Me (2004)
Try viewing The Prince & Me if you thought the corny romances from the 2000s were over. It embodies all we cherished about that era and then some. In this film starring Luke Mably and Julia Stiles, a Wisconsin pre-med student is being seduced by a Danish prince who is secretly passing himself off as a regular college student. What happens when she learns the truth? Three direct-to-video sequels to the movie were produced, with writer, director, and cast replacements. For anyone looking for a bit of wish fulfillment and a classic happily ever after fairy tale set in a more modern world, this is your movie.
