Fall is now well underway, and with Halloween fast approaching, you’ll forgive me for picking several family-unfriendly options in this week’s roundup of free movies to stream.
Below, I’ve highlighted five of the best films available on the best free streaming services this October – from critically acclaimed thrillers to underrated biographical dramas.
1) At Eternity's Gate (Plex)
Release date: 2018
Rotten Tomatoes score: 79%
Length: 111 minutes
Director: Julian Schnabel
Main cast: Willem Dafoe, Rupert Friend, Oscar Isaac and Mads Mikkelsen
If you’ve spent any time on social media in the past five years, you’ve probably come across the ‘Willem Dafoe Looking Up’ meme. Well, that meme comes from the criminally little-known film At Eternity's Gate, which is now streaming for free on Plex.
This unconventionally shot movie follows painter Vincent van Gogh (Willem Dafoe) in the final years of his life, as he developed his artistic style (and grappled with his deteriorating mental health) in rural France. At Eternity's Gate is a must-watch for classic art fans, but it’s also a perfect showcase for the enduring acting talents of its lead star, Willem Dafoe.
2) Nightcrawler (Plex)
Release date: 2014
Rotten Tomatoes score: 95%
Length: 117 minutes
Director: Dan Gilroy
Main cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Rene Russo, Riz Ahmed and Bill Paxton
Don’t let Jake Gyllenhaal’s recent filmography sway you: he is still one of the best actors of his generation, and Nightcrawler – which is now streaming for free on Plex – remains one of his very best performances.
This eerie thriller centers on Lou Bloom, a petty thief and social outcast who finds himself sucked into the morally compromised world of Los Angeles photojournalism. Gripping from start to finish, utterly unique, and nothing to do with the X-Men character, Nightcrawler is a dark and unsettling movie that’s perfect for a gloomy Fall evening.
3) Serenity (Tubi)
Release date: 2005
Rotten Tomatoes score: 82%
Length: 119 minutes
Director: Joss Whedon
Main cast: Nathan Fillion, Alan Tudyk, Adam Baldwin and Summer Glau
If Alien: Earth has got you in the mood for more spacefaring adventures, Joss Whedon’s 2005 space western Serenity is worth a visit (or re-visit) on Tubi.
This feature-length continuation of TV series Firefly follows the crew of the titular Serenity as they attempt to protect a secret government experiment – namely a young girl with telepathic powers – from a ruthless assassin. Nathan Fillion, Alan Tudyk, Adam Baldwin, Morena Baccarin, and Summer Glau reprise their roles from Whedon’s cult classic series, while Chiwetel Ejiofor joins the cast the menacing Operative.
4) Layer Cake (Pluto TV)
Release date: 2004
Rotten Tomatoes score: 76%
Length: 105 minutes
Director: Matthew Vaughn
Main cast: Daniel Craig, Michael Gambon, Sienna Miller and Colm Meaney
I’ve highlighted Matthew Vaughn’s Layer Cake in one of these roundups before, and the director’s slick crime thriller is now once again streaming for free on Pluto TV.
This Snatch-style movie follows an unnamed London drug dealer (Daniel Craig) whose retirement plans are scuppered when a ruthless mob boss (Kenneth Cranham) tasks him with one final job. Tom Hardy, Michael Gambon, and Sienna Miller also star in Layer Cake, which proved that Vaughn could make a successful Guy Ritchie movie without Guy Ritchie.
5) The Sixth Sense (Samsung TV Plus)
Release date: 1999
Rotten Tomatoes score: 86%
Length: 107 minutes
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Main cast: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Olivia Williams and Haley Joel Osment
You know the line. You know the twist. But if you haven’t seen The Sixth Sense for a few years, the film’s arrival on Samsung TV Plus gives you the perfect opportunity to re-watch it (provided you own one of the best Samsung TVs, of course).
M. Night Shyamalan’s 1999 classic centers on a child psychologist (Bruce Willis) who begins working with a troubled young boy, Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment). The trouble in question? Cole claims that he can see and talk to the dead. As a director, Shyamalan is an acquired taste, but The Sixth Sense – which was nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture – remains the most universally adored movie in the filmmaker’s vast filmography.
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