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. Who doesn't enjoy "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. They also update their free movie selection frequently, so be sure to check often and see what else might have been added. Here are some of the best free movies on YouTube to watch next.
Updated May 9, 2023: If you're a fan of free movies, you'll be happy to know that this article has been updated with additional content by Katie Downey.
10 Thunder and the House of Magic (2013)
This adorable movie, Thunder and the House of Magic features a magical house in which an elderly magician lives. He takes in poor Thunder, the kitten when he's found wandering in the house to escape the rain and introduces him to his magical house companions. The old man is taken to a nursing home against his wishes, and it's up to Thunder and the gang to save him and the house.
This heartwarming feature is one of those obscure animal animations that tend to get overlooked. Definitely check this movie out. You won't regret it, and if you have children, they are also sure to love this cute movie.
9 Free Willy (1993)
Free Willy is an amazing classic about a killer whale who has lived his life in captivity and desperately desires to be free, and a little boy determined to help him get that freedom no matter what the cost. Keiko the Killer Whale was featured in this fantastic animal welfare movie and was also released. This is truly a heartwarming tale about the friendship between a twelve-year-old boy and a killer whale whose fate is destined when the aquarium owners decided to kill him. This beautiful movie is based on a true story about Keiko the killer whale.
The movie was applauded by PETA with the hopes that the general public would see the darkness behind the Seaworld tour and boycott it altogether. Sometime after the movie Free Willy was released, another movie about the welfare of captive aquatic sea life, Blackfish, was released. The 2013 Sundance movie told the story of Tilikum, a killer whale who was responsible for the deaths of three people, and why this should have been avoided by never having an orca in captivity forced to entertain the public.
8 The Accidental Husband (2008)
In The Accidental Husband, we meet Emma, a sweet but sensible engaged radio show host. It is brought to her attention that a prank has been played on her, resulting in her already being married to an adorable firefighter who is her polar opposite. This creates quite a problem for her upcoming wedding to her predictable and rather boring fiancé. She must find the person responsible for the prank immediately and demand an annulment before her real wedding can take place. Of course, you can probably guess the plot from that point.
This is another of those overlooked movies with an awesome cast. Uma Thurman, Colin Firth, and Jeffery Dean Morgan star in The Accidental Husband.
7 Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019)
Guillermo del Toro wrote the screen stories for this take on the children's book series by Alvin Schwartz, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. This is a depiction of the award-winning children's book series that scared a generation with its chilling and very creepy short stories about ghosts, the dead, and all that is supernatural. This story follows the life of a girl who lives in an extra creepy house and wrote the stories that haunt us today. Though she has passed on, her stories and tomb still exist for some kids to find.
The books were very creepy many years ago, and children were afraid to turn the lights off at sleepovers after reading them. This adaptation of the book has taken on a bit of a new and even creepier twist, with Toro writing his pieces into the stories.
6 My Cousin Vinny (1992)
My Cousin Vinny is a story about Vinny Gambini standing in as a lawyer to help his cousin and cousin's friend get out of trouble when they are falsely accused of murder and robbery. The two were heading off to college when they stop at a gas station. When the cops pull them over later, they think they are being arrested for shoplifting. Luckily, Vinny's cousin knows exactly who to make his one phone call to while incarcerated.
Vinny has very little experience and has never actually defended anyone in court, so the comedic tone of this drama is ensured. Even Mona Lisa Vito, his fiancé, can't seem to do much right during the time he spends in court or keep her mouth shut.
5 Arrival (2016)
This brilliant and engaging science fiction movie, Arrival, about the arrival of aliens, is definitely worth watching. It isn't like your other alien movies out there and is very captivating. We meet linguistics professor Louise Banks who leads a team to investigate the recent arrival of alien spacecraft that has landed in numerous locations in the US. Nations are poised and ready to fight, but Banks does everything she can to communicate with the aliens before that can happen. This is definitely a more intelligent take on communicating with aliens than has been seen in previous movies about such. This is less "blood and guts" and more of what could happen if we peacefully approach alien life.
4 Sequoia (2014)
Sequoia is a coming-of-age movie about life and death. This is a movie that will absolutely have you crying big tears, but it's also beautiful and does have a good ending. This is an indie presentation and is definitely more artistic than your average big-screen movie. The friendship between Riley and Ogden is really something we all strive for, and when our time is out, we wish to have it by our side.
Riley makes videos throughout the movie that she plans to send to her absent mom about being diagnosed with oral cancer and more as the movie progresses. Don't miss this one. Starring in this wonderful movie about hope are Aly Michalka and Dustin Milligan, who play the roles of the main characters, Riley and Ogden.
3 The Girl with All the Gifts (2016)
The Girl with All the Gifts is a fantastic zombie movie because it's original and not entirely focused on zombies. The children are zombies, but some of them really want to be good zombies. They are referred to as "hungries." Some of the children are able to retain some of their human emotions and qualities. The school tries to save humanity, even though they are torturing these zombie children in cruel experiments. Melanie and her teacher Helen are close, and Helen believes that Melanie can help them all after there is a terrible attack at the school.
The movie will have you wishing it were longer because it is actually that good. You can, however, read the book that the movie is based on by Mike Carey. He also has written a sequel to it called The Boy on the Bridge.
2 Tim Burton's Corpse Bride (2005)
Corpse Bride is just another Tim Burton stop-motion animated masterpiece on his long list of excellent films. It is incredibly rare that Burton even comes close to disappointing in his movies.
This particular film is based on a 17th-century Jewish folktale, which follows a man, voiced by Burton's friend Johnny Depp, who accidentally marries a corpse bride instead of his real bride while pacing in the woods and practicing his vows. The corpse bride was murdered and desperately wants justice and also to be loved. The movie is bittersweet and will leave you pondering what-ifs all the way to the end.
1 The Dark Crystal (1982)
This timeless classic is something most have seen at some point in their lives. Netflix pushed out a sequel not long ago, but nothing can touch the original movie, The Dark Crystal. Though the visuals might be better than the actual storyline, this Jim Henson production does not disappoint. Watching some old-school puppeteer work in a memorable film is refreshing in a world where we only see computer-animated entertainment anymore. This movie will take you back 40+ years to a simpler time.