It’s a new year, and if you’re trying to cut back on streaming costs, the best free movies on YouTube right now can help. Believe it or not, YouTube has a large library of ad-supported free movies and TV shows that are available to all users — free of charge.
However, as you might expect, it’s not on par with paid services. It changes frequently each month, but there are usually at least a few good options each month. We keep an eye on it when the calendar turns and keep it updated so you can always find the best free movies on YouTube at any given time.
Looking for more stuff you can watch for free? Check out our guides to the best free shows on YouTube and the best sites for watching free movies online.
Recently added to YouTube
Arrival (2016) new
116m
Genre
Drama, Science Fiction, Mystery
Stars
Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Forest Whitaker
Directed by
Denis Villeneuve
Nominated for 8 Oscars, Arrival is the rare sci-fi movie to make a major impact in the critical mainstream. When mysterious spacecraft appear worldwide without warning, an elite team is put together to investigate what’s going on. Language expert Louise Banks (Amy Adams) is among the group, hoping to find a way to communicate with the visitors before the panic gripping mankind bubbles over into global war. Against that backdrop, Banks risks her own life — and possibly all of humanity — to bridge the communication gap.
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011) new
105m
Genre
Thriller, Action, Drama, Science Fiction
Stars
Andy Serkis, James Franco, Freida Pinto
Directed by
Rupert Wyatt
The first film in the prequel trilogy, Rise of the Planet of the Apes introduces us to Caesar (Andy Serkis), a highly intelligent chimpanzee who has been living a peaceful suburban life with a human family since he was born. A beneficiary of genetic engineering that makes him extremely intelligent, Caesar is taken to a cruel primate facility and sees the true pecking order of the world, which prompts him to organize a revolt against the facility’s human owners. And in the process, he kicks off a revolution that will end mankind’s rule.
The Way of the Dragon (1972) new
100m
Genre
Action, Crime
Stars
Bruce Lee, Nora Miao, Chuck Norris
Directed by
Bruce Lee
In the mood for a Kung Fu movie? Try out this Bruce Lee classic. Lee’s debut as a producer, The Way of the Dragon stars Lee as Tang Lung, a visitor in Italy. But when mobsters decide they want the land Lung’s family’s restaurant is built upon, they start a harassment campaign to force them out. Now, it’s up to Lung to defend his family the only way he can: with his fists. It leads him into a matchup with US karate expert, Colt (Chuck Norris).
Star Trek (2009) new
127m
Genre
Science Fiction, Action, Adventure
Stars
Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban
Directed by
J.J. Abrams
JJ Abrams’ Star Trek reboot brings a new energy (and special effects) to the classic adventure of the USS Enterprise. On the debut voyage of the most advanced starship ever created, a host of green new recruits find themselves on a collision course with a vengeful evil that threatens to wipe out all mankind. Now, bitter rivals James T. Kirk (Dungeons & Dragons star Chris Pine) and Spock (Zachary Quinto) must learn how to navigate the differences of gut instinct and logical reason to build a partnership that will lead the Enterprise — and humanity — to safety.
I Kill Giants (2018)
106m
Genre
Fantasy, Drama
Stars
Madison Wolfe, Imogen Poots, Sydney Wade
Directed by
Anders Walter
This fantasy film follows Barbara Thorson (Madison Wolfe), a young girl who finds solace from the realities of her difficult family life by retreating into a magical world where she is the greatest giant fighter the world has ever seen. But as the giants’ threat to her world grows, Barbara finds help in the form of her new friend Sophia (Sydney Wade) and her school counselor, Mrs. Mollé (Avatar: The Way of Water‘s Zoe Saldana).
My Friend Dahmer (2017)
107m
Genre
Drama, History, Crime
Stars
Ross Lynch, Alex Wolff, Anne Heche
Directed by
Marc Meyers
Someone at YouTube has very deftly picked up on the renewed interest in Jeffrey Dahmer by getting the rights to stream My Friend Dahmer. This serial killer movie is based upon the true story of John “Derf” Backderf (Alex Wolff), a cartoonist who was the closest friend that Jeffrey Dahmer (Ross Lynch) had in high school. In this adaptation of Backderf’s graphic novel, he and his fellow outcasts befriend Dahmer, but they aren’t blind to his bizarre behavior. However, they couldn’t have predicted that the awkward young man that they knew would go on to become one of the most infamous serial killers of the last century. It’s also a tragic tale, as no one notices how monstrous Dahmer has become until it’s far too late to stop him.
Train to Busan (2016)
118m
Genre
Action, Horror, Thriller
Stars
Gong Yoo, Jung Yu-mi, Ma Dong-seok
Directed by
Yeon Sang-ho
Train To Busan is a Korean action film that may be the best zombie movie of the last 10 years. An American remake is already in the works, with the less memorable title of The Last Train To New York. In the original film, Seok-woo (Gong Yoo) regrets his failures as a father, which is why he takes his daughter, Su-an (Kim Su-an), on a trip to Busan to see his estranged ex-wife, who is also Su-an’s mom, on her birthday. Wouldn’t you know it, but a zombie plague breaks out on the bullet train at the same time it’s happening everywhere else. But inside the train, there’s less room to run. Seok-woo, Su-an, and the other passengers also come to realize that their fellow survivors may become threats as well.
The Illusionist (2006)
110m
Genre
Fantasy, Drama, Thriller, Romance
Stars
Edward Norton, Paul Giamatti, Jessica Biel
Directed by
Neil Burger
The Illusionist beat the similarly themed film, The Prestige, to theaters by about two months, but Christopher Nolan’s movie is the superior of the two. Regardless, The Illusionist has its charms, largely in the core trio of Edward Norton, Jessica Biel, and Paul Giamatti. When they were young, Eduard Abramovich (Norton) and Duchess Sophie Von Teschen (Biel) had a passion for each other that was forbidden by her parents. Upon adulthood, Edward reinvented himself as Eisenheim The Illusionist and reunited with Sophie before she could be married to the malevolent Prince Leopold (Rufus Sewell). When Sophie is murdered, Chief Inspector Walter Uhl (Giamatti) is unnerved when Eisenheim appears to be able to summon Sophie’s spirit at will.
Dear Mr. Watterson (2013)
89m
Genre
Documentary
Stars
Seth Green, Berkeley Breathed, Stephan Pastis
Directed by
Joel Allen Schroeder
If you’ve never read the comic strip Calvin and Hobbes, then you’ve missed out on one of the all-time greats. Writer and artist Bill Watterson ended his incredible creation in 1995 and stepped away from a life in public. Nearly a quarter century later, documentarian Joel Allen Schroeder’s film Dear Mr. Watterson explores the ongoing impact of Calvin and Hobbes even years after its conclusion. Don’t expect any on-camera interviews with Watterson himself. He was quite serious about not wanting to be a public figure any longer. But several of Watterson’s colleagues and admirers do share their perspectives on his seminal work.
More Streaming Roundups
Free to Play (2014)
75m
Genre
Documentary
Stars
Benedict Lim, Danil Ishutin, Clinton Loomis
Directed by
Valve Company
More than a year after the Overwatch League was founded, e-sports are still carving out a niche and establishing itself as a legitimate form of entertainment. Those who don’t game on a competitive level might not understand the level of dedication required for such endeavors, not to mention the physical and mental tolls placed on young players who train for hours on end each day. Free to Play, a documentary from game developer/distributor Valve Entertainment, focuses on two athletes and one coach who are competing in the 2011 International Defense of the Ancients (DotA) tournament. It explores the stresses the players are forced to deal with and deftly compares the struggles of e-sports athletes to those of traditional athletes.
Kung Fury (2015)
31m
Genre
Action, Comedy, Science Fiction, Fantasy
Stars
David Sandberg, Jorma Taccone, Leopold Nilsson
Directed by
David Sandberg
A rare example of a successful Kickstarter film, Kung Fury promised its backers a spectacular homage to ’80s action films, and it delivered. Director David Sandberg also plays the lead, Kung Fury, a detective who gained superhuman fighting abilities after being simultaneously struck by a bolt of lightning and bitten by a cobra. Kung Fury uses his supreme combat skills to clean up the filthy streets of Miami but faces his greatest challenge when no less a villain than Adolf Hitler (Jorma Taccone) arrives, intent on conquering all of time through his own mastery of kung fu. If it’s not apparent already, Kung Fury is a film that makes no attempts at seriousness. That’s not all, either; a full-length sequel is on its way, with Michael Fassbender, FUBAR‘s Arnold Schwarzenegger, and David Hasselhoff involved in varying capacities. Yeah.
Night of the Living Dead (1968)
96m
Genre
Horror, Thriller
Stars
Duane Jones, Judith O'Dea, Karl Hardman
Directed by
George A. Romero
A seminal entry for American horror cinema, George A. Romero’s classic horror movie follows seven people who find themselves trapped in Pennsylvania as the terrifying walking dead surround them. They have to try to survive without understanding the terror that lurks outside.
The movie has been noted as the first zombie film, and its influences can be seen in everything from 28 Days Later to Shaun of the Dead. Romero’s debut — he wrote, directed, edited, and acted in the film — made him into a superstar, quickly revolutionizing the genre on a budget of a mere $114,000.
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