We’ve got a fresh batch of free movie picks this week, and there really is something for everyone. From slick crime thrillers and space-set suspense to a cult comedy classic, this lineup spans genres without sacrificing on quality.
The best free streaming services, like Pluto TV, Plex, Kanopy, Hoopla, and Samsung TV Plus, are becoming increasingly popular as more people realize you don’t need to splash out on yet another subscription to watch something great. Sure, the libraries are smaller compared to the best streaming services, like Netflix and Prime Video, but that’s where we come in.
This week’s highlights include dark love stories, chaotic whodunnits, and a superhero flick that throws the rulebook out of the window.
1. Sunshine (Samsung TV Plus)
Release date: 2007
Rotten Tomatoes score: 76%
Length: 107 minutes
Director: Danny Boyle
Main cast: Cillian Murphy, Chris Evans, Rose Byrne, Michelle Yeoh, Hiroyuki Sanada
Sunshine is a stunning psychological sci-fi thriller that imagines a future where Earth is freezing and a desperate mission is launched to reignite the dying sun.
As you might expect, it’s not all plain sailing. Things go wrong, really wrong. Directed by Danny Boyle (28 Days Later) and written by Alex Garland (Ex Machina, The Beach), the film follows the story of a team of astronauts who find their mission spiralling into obsession, paranoia, and something far darker.
The visuals are breathtaking, the score is haunting, and the cast delivers across the board. It does take a wild third-act turn, but if you like your sci-fi tense, existential, and tinged with horror – think Solaris meets Event Horizon – it’s well worth the ride.
2. Reservoir Dogs (Plex)
Release date: 1992
Rotten Tomatoes score: 90%
Length: 105 minutes
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Main cast: Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Chris Penn, Steve Buscemi
Reservoir Dogs is where it all began. Tarantino’s first feature is a gritty, sharp crime drama about a diamond heist gone very wrong. The movie flips the heist genre on its head – we never actually see the heist. Instead, we’re thrown into a warehouse with the aftermath, a wounded men, mounting paranoia, and a traitor in their midst.
The dialogue is fantastic, the soundtrack is iconic, and the tension ramps up minute by minute. It’s violent, yes, but also surprisingly theatrical. It’s more about betrayal and power dynamics than shootouts. Whether you’ve never seen it or want to revisit where Tarantino’s film-making style began, this is essential viewing.
3. Clue (Pluto TV, Hoopla)
Release date: 1985
Rotten Tomatoes score: 72%
Length: 96 minutes
Director: Jonathan Lynn
Main cast: Ellen Brennan, Tim Curry, Martin Mull, Lesley Ann Warren, Madeline Kahn
Is it a great movie? No. Is it hilarious, chaotic fun? Absolutely. Clue turns the murder mystery board game into a campy comedy caper filled with secret passages, suspicious dinner guests, and Tim Curry in top form as a manic butler.
When Mr. Boddy turns up dead at a mysterious mansion, six guests with shady pasts scramble to figure out who did it, and with what. The result is a wonderfully silly farce that’s packed with one-liners and not one, but three possible endings. You could argue it didn’t get the love it deserved on release, but Clue has since become a cult classic. If you like Knives Out, this is the vintage version.
4. Kick-Ass (Plex, Favesome)
Release date: 2010
Rotten Tomatoes score: 78%
Length: 117 minutes
Director: Matthew Vaughn
Main cast: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Mark Strong, Chloë Grace Moretz, Clark Duke
Kick-Ass takes the superhero genre, throws out the rules and combines it with teen angst and extreme violence. Aaron Taylor-Johnson stars as Dave, a regular (and slightly delusional) teenager who decides to become a masked vigilante, despite having zero training or powers. What starts as a naive superhero fantasy quickly spirals into a real battle with dangerous criminals.
Chloë Grace Moretz arguably steals the show as Hit-Girl, a foul-mouthed, acrobatic assassin-in-training, and Nicolas Cage does his best Adam West impression as her dad, Big Daddy. It’s irreverent and stylish, definitely not your standard best Marvel movie, but that’s kind of the whole point.
5. Monster’s Ball (Hoopla, Pluto TV, Plex)
Release date: 2001
Rotten Tomatoes score: 85%
Length: 111 minutes
Director: Marc Forster
Main cast: Halle Berry, Billy Bob Thornton, Heath Ledger, Peter Boyle
This is a heavy one. Emotionally raw and unflinchingly honest, Monster’s Ball is a deeply intimate drama about grief, racism, and redemption. Billy Bob Thornton plays Hank, a hardened corrections officer, and Halle Berry is Leticia, the widow of a man he helped execute. Their paths cross at a moment of personal tragedy, and then a very unlikely relationship begins to form between them.
Berry won an Oscar for her performance in Monster’s Ball, and it’s easy to see why, she’s phenomenal, bringing heartbreak, fury, and vulnerability to every scene. This is not an easy watch, but it’s a powerful exploration of pain and human connection. We’re not alone in considering it one of the most compelling dramas of the early 2000s.
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