The era of streaming has, in many ways, been super convenient. Netflix has plenty of great movies, and Hulu has more shows than you could watch in an entire lifetime. If you’re looking for something great to watch, there are plenty of options, but not all of those options are free.
Subscription fees may seem small, but they can add up, and sometimes, you just might want a cheaper option. Tubi is one of the best free streaming services out there, and it has a pretty deep library of content. We’ve pulled together eight of the best movies available to watch on the service:
Recommended Videos
Coraline (2009)
100m
Genre
Animation, Family, Fantasy
Stars
Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, Jennifer Saunders
Directed by
Henry Selick
Watch on Tubi
A brilliant stop-motion odyssey from one of the masters of the form, Coraline follows a young girl who, after moving to a new town, discovers an alternate world that seems to be exactly what she wants her real life to be. This new world has alternate versions of her parents, but as she spends more time there, she discovers that everything is not as sweet as it seems, and she must eventually find her way out of the elaborate trap she finds herself in. Coraline is a stunning visual achievement, but it’s also a gripping story that’s also (mostly) pretty family-friendly.
Full Metal Jacket (1987)
117m
Genre
Drama, War
Stars
Matthew Modine, Adam Baldwin, Vincent D'Onofrio
Directed by
Stanley Kubrick
Watch on Tubi
Stanley Kubrick[/internal-link] didn’t really make bad movies, but Full Metal Jacket is one of his more divisive. The film tells the story of a soldier in Vietnam who makes his way through boot camp and eventually finds himself on the front lines of the war. The film’s opening section is its most well-regarded, as it tells a self-contained short story about a recruit being driven insane by an overbearing drill sergeant. The rest of the movie is just as riveting, though, and is equal parts acerbic and serious about the brutal violence that defines any war.
Knives Out (2019)
131m
Genre
Comedy, Crime, Mystery
Stars
Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas
Directed by
Rian Johnson
Watch on Tubi
A throwback murder mystery with plenty of modern flair, Knives Out takes place in the aftermath of the death of a family patriarch. When a detective shows up to investigate the case, he digs into the motives each member of the family might have had to commit the crime, and finds an ally in the nurse who was with him when he died. Featuring a star-making performance from Ana de Armas, and transformative work from Daniel Craig, Knives Out was so good that it launched an entire franchise.
Edge of Tomorrow (2014)
114m
Genre
Action, Science Fiction
Stars
Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Bill Paxton
Directed by
Doug Liman
Watch on Tubi
Tom Cruise[/internal-link] has become the king of action movies in the second half of his career, and Edge of Tomorrow is one of the best movies in that run. The film is set in a future where humanity is battling for its own survival against an invasive alien species. When a cowardly military PR flack suddenly finds himself on the front lines, he discovers that he’s living the same day over and over again. After he teams up with a legendary warrior who went through the same thing, the two of them must figure out how to take down the aliens before all hope is lost. It’s a thrilling, inventive, funn y movie, and one that pairs Cruise with Emily Blunt operating at the peak of her powers.
Love & Basketball (2000)
124m
Genre
Comedy, Drama, Romance
Stars
Sanaa Lathan, Omar Epps, Chris Warren
Directed by
Gina Prince-Bythewood
Watch on Tubi
One of the great love stories of the past 30 years, Love & Basketball tells the story of two aspiring professional basketball players who fall in and out of love over the course of years from high school and through college. As they both emerge as potential stars, though, a rift starts to form between them that could blow up everything they’ve built with one another. Love & Basketball is a love story, but it’s a love story about the love between two people and the love both of those people have for the game that defines their lives.
The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
119m
Genre
Crime, Drama, Thriller
Stars
Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Scott Glenn
Directed by
Jonathan Demme
Watch on Tubi
An old-fashioned crime drama with lots of modern twists, The Silence of the Lambs is a terrifying movie in which most of the horror is only implied. Telling the story of Clarice Sterling, a young FBI agent who works with an imprisoned serial killer to hunt down another killer still on the loose, Silence of the Lambs is basically a perfect movie. Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster are both incredible, and director Jonathan Demme knows how to make the film both tense and distinctly human, as if everything that’s happening is happening to people with real thoughts and feelings.
The Fugitive (1993)
131m
Genre
Action, Thriller, Drama
Stars
Harrison Ford, Tommy Lee Jones, Joe Pantoliano
Directed by
Andrew Davis
Watch on Tubi
Adapted from the television series of the same name, The Fugitive tells the story of a doctor who finds himself on the run after he’s accused of murdering his wife. As he works to clear his own name, he must also dodge the dogged US Marshals that have been sent to track him down, and famously don’t really care whether he’s guilty or not. The Fugitive is a perfect action movie anchored by outstanding central performances from Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones. It’s the kind of thriller that we don’t get enough of anymore.
Malcolm X (1992)
202m
Genre
Drama, History
Stars
Denzel Washington, Angela Bassett, Albert Hall
Directed by
Spike Lee
Watch on Tubi
One of the great biopics ever made, Malcolm X tells the story of its titular character from birth to death, but thanks to director Spike Lee, it never feels like a rote exercise. Instead, we come to appreciate the complexities of who he was, and the humanity that coursed through every decision he made. Denzel Washington delivers a career best performance in the role, and although it wasn’t enough to win him an Oscar, it will undoubtedly be the role he’s most closely associated with for the rest of his storied career.
