With the streaming wars hotter than ever, information technology'southward hard to decide which to subscribe for. Maybe yous've got a movie in mind, expect it up, and find out it's on HBO Max. But you've just got Netflix and Amazon Prime and Disney+ and Hulu and Starz and Showtime and Paramount+! What'll yous exercise?! These are hard days we're living in. Well-nigh of the states are bored with our DVD/Blu-ray collections, and when what nosotros want to spotter is only streaming somewhere else, and forking over the four dollars to view it is only out of the question because subscribing to all the streamers has rendered you broke. Simply, there is yet a refuge.

YouTube is that place. The online platform has a surprisingly robust library of ad-supported complimentary movies. Hither are the very best movies you can stream for costless on the site at the moment. And for more ideas on where to sentry movies for costless, hither'due south our handy guide.

Robin Hood: Men in Tights

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Image via 20th Century Pull a fast one on

Director: Mel Brooks

Writer: Mel Brooks, Evan Chandler, J. David Shapiro

Cast: Cary Elwes, Roger Rees, Richard Lewis, Amy Yasbeck, Dave Chappelle, Eric Allan Kramer, Tracey Ullman

The proper noun Mel Brooks is ubiquitous in the comedy globe, with the xc-five-year-old writer/director/histrion having busted the boundaries of genre barriers (say that five times fast) with films like Spaceballs , Blazing Saddles , and History of the World: Part I . But perhaps one of his all-time — and most overlooked — is 1993'southward Robin Hood: Men in Tights , featuring Hollywood heartthrob Cary Elwes as the titular archer. Putting a playful spin on the classic tale of dear and revenge, Men in Tights is perhaps the pinnacle of Brooks' attempts at parodying the genres that influenced his filmmaking, down to the goofy, Erstwhile Hollywood mode musical number about having to be a man to pull off wearing tights. Featuring stellar performances from an iconic supporting cast — including the belatedly Roger Rees equally the Sheriff of Rottingham, and a hilarious cameo from Patrick Stewart as Male monarch Richard I — the film is perfect for a dark in with a couple of drinks and a lot of laughs. — Maggie Boccella

Batman (1966)

Adam West and Burt Ward as Batman & Robin in Batman (1966)

Manager: Leslie H. Martinson

Author: Lorenzo Semple Jr., based on Bob Kane's characters

Cast: Adam West, Burt Ward, Cesar Romero, Burgess Meredith, Frank Gorshin

Who says the Dark Knight can't be fun? You lot don't have to write off 1966'due south Batman every bit a guilty pleasure, because the adaptation of the renowned television serial is completely self-enlightened. Information technology's packed with amazing jokes, featuring Batman'south shark repellent, The Riddler's ridiculous clues, and the irreplaceable chemistry of Adam West and Burt Ward. Everything that Joel Schumacher attempted to do with Batman & Robin was inspired past the original 1966 classic, simply Schumacher didn't capture the campy joy that Westward embodied. It remains a worthy entry in the DC catechism, and a fun picket after some of the darker recent films. — Liam Gaughan

The Illusionist

the-illusionist-jessica-biel-edward-norton
Paradigm via Bob Yari Productions

Managing director/ Writer: Neil Burger

Bandage: Edward Norton, Paul Giamatti, Jessica Biel, Eddie Marden

Released but a few months after The Prestige , another flow mystery centering on the life of a famous phase magician, The Illusionist is much less focused on crazy plot twists. The Prestige may exist the flashier of the two, but The Illusionist is a stirring romantic epic featuring 1 of Edward Norton's best performances. Norton stars equally Eduard Abramovich, a poor man who rises in prominence thanks to his engaging magic show. Eduard yearns for the love of his childhood flame (Jessica Biel), but the two are separated by class. Dick Pope's beautiful visuals earned him an Academy Laurels nomination for Best Cinematography. — Liam Gaughan

Mud

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Image via Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions

Director/Writer: Jeff Nichols

Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Tye Sheridan, Jacob Lofland

I of the films that helped to launch the Matthew McConaughey renaissance, Mud is a sturdy drama about a man on the run who finds unlikely friends in two young boys in Arkansas. Information technology is a motion picture that is helmed with a confident hand by one of the well-nigh underrated directors working today, Jeff Nichols. It is an extension of many of the themes almost male parent figures that Nichols has tackled in his other outstanding films Take Shelter and Midnight Special while still very much existence its own thing. Even as it is heartwarming and ultimately hopeful in its narrative construction, there is a whole lot of darkness looming in Mud that gives it a more melancholic element that sticks with you. Even as information technology follows some of the same beats here and there, it isn't just your typical coming-of-age story. Instead, it grapples with the fright of loss and finds an emotional depth that makes it i of the more impactful films y'all'll discover in the well-worn genre. — Hunt Hutchinson

Macbeth

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Prototype via StudioCanal

Manager: Justin Kurzel

Writers: Todd Louiso, Jacob Koskoff, Michael Lesslie, William Shakespeare

Bandage: Michael Fassbender, Marion Cotillard, David Thewlis, Jack Reynor, Sean Harris

A gritty still gorgeous accept on the classic story by William Shakespeare, 2015'southward Macbeth is i of the adaptations that fully leans into beingness cinematic with an epic scope and setting that makes it mesmerizing to sentry it all unfold. Information technology sees a broken Michael Fassbender every bit the titular mad king Macbeth himself and a nuanced Marion Cotillard as Lady Macbeth. Both are but outstanding, playing off each other and chewing upward every scene they get. Whether it is a large battle scene or a placidity funeral, they both fully inhabit their characters with a dedication that demands your respect. It is a film that is far bigger and louder than any others that have come before it, though such spectacle doesn't undercut the emotional stakes. It simply is quite different from anything else and becomes increasingly brutal in its vehement battles. Manager Justin Kurzel stages all of these sequences with an eye for tiresome motion and a whole lot of fog, making everything about feel like a nightmare come to life. Running at most 2 hours, it is a motion picture that hits nigh of the key elements of the story and gets to fully delve deep into Macbeth's descent into utter madness. — Chase Hutchinson

The Fighter

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Manager: David O. Russell

Writers: Scott Silver, Paul Tamasy, Eric Johnson

Bandage: Marking Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Melissa Leo

A moving-picture show that proves good acting can make a familiar story feel fresh, The Fighter is a battle drama that is elevated by its stiff performances. Most central to this is a dynamic Christian Bale every bit the real-life Dicky Eklund. A onetime boxer who now is struggling with drug habit, Dicky is largely coasting off of his half-blood brother Micky Ward (Marking Wahlbergh) who continues to fight to support his family. After deciding to hang up the gloves, Micky volition return to fighting for one large matchup that could alter his and his whole family'due south life. The film doesn't break whatsoever molds of the underdog boxing story though it fits into them so well that you won't be annihilation but locked into the story. Bale in particular puts on a masterclass in interim, diving into the depths of addiction and loss with a dedication that is every bit upsetting as information technology is enthralling. There is a humanity to the story and his struggle, making it one that finds a groove that is all its own even every bit the broader narrative itself is not. — Hunt Hutchinson

Frank

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Epitome via Artificial Eye

Director: Lenny Abrahamson

Writer: Peter Straughan, Jon Ronson

Cast: Michael Fassbender, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Domhall Gleeson, Scoot McNairy, François Ceremonious

Ah, how to describe Frank . Based on a newspaper commodity discovered by musician Jon Ronson, Frank is a delightfully quirky motion-picture show nigh Jon (Domhall Gleeson), an eager beau adamant to brand information technology as a musician and abound as an artist beyond the narrow walls of his small-scale town. During a walk on the beach, he bumps into Don (Scoot McNairy), a jaded creative person looking to find a replacement keyboardist for the very quirky pop ring The Soronprfbs. Feeling as though he walked into a golden opportunity, Jon agrees to make full the spot. He apace realizes he might exist in over his caput, however, when he meets Frank (Michael Fassbender), the enigmatic bandleader who can only part by wearing a giant papier-mâché mask over his caput. Soon, y'all'll learn to love the offbeat band only similar Jon. — Emily Bernard

Retrieve Me

Robert Pattinson and Emilie de Ravin in Remember Me
Image via IMDB

Director: Allen Coulter

Writer: Will Fetters

Bandage: Robert Pattinson, Emilie de Ravin, Chris Cooper, Lena Olin, Pierce Brosnan

In the midst of the Twilight Saga era, Robert Pattinson stars in this coming-of-age romantic drama. Coping with the decease of his blood brother and his strained human relationship with his father, Remember Me is a story about a college student who meets a swain classmate who understands his hurting. Through their human relationship, both Tyler and Ally (Emilie de Ravin) begin to heal from the pains of their past. What makes this movie stand apart from other romantic dramas at the time is the intense operation from Pattinson, highlighting his acting prowess outside of the vampire franchise at the time. Plus, in that location's an emotional twist at the end that will leave you in a pool of tears. (Please make sure you lot keep a box of tissues about you!) — Meredith Loftus

The Duchess

the-duchess
Image via Paramount

Director: Saul Dibb

Writer: Jeffrey Hatcher, Anders Thomas Jensen, and Saul Dibb

Cast: Keira Knightley, Ralph Fiennes, Charlotte Rampling, Dominic Cooper, Hayley Atwell

The Duchess chronicles the life of a high-ranking woman and her turbulent life. Based on the truthful story of an 18th century aristocrat, Keira Knightley stars as the titular duchess, who enters a loveless union with the Duke of Devonshire (Ralph Fiennes) with the sole purpose of providing a male heir. Her vibrant personality is threatened to be snuffed out when her husband starts an thing with her all-time friend who comes to alive with them. After enduring the abuses of a transactional marriage, she finds comfort in Charles Grey (Dominic Cooper), a radical politician who sparks passion into her heart one time more. An Oscar winner for Best Costume Pattern, The Duchess is a compelling flow drama where Knightley commands every scene she enters, anchoring her performance with the weight of cede that women were expected to make during these times, duty versus heart. — Meredith Loftus

Rain Man

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Prototype via MGM/UA

Director: Barry Levinson

Writers: Ronald Bass, Barry Morrow

Bandage: Dustin Hoffman, Tom Prowl, Valeria Golino

1988's All-time Picture took an old star and a young star and put them together—equally brothers. Dustin Hoffman, who won Best Actor, plays Raymond, the previously unknown brother of Tom Cruise's Charlie—a self-centered Los Angeles hustler. Simply later Charlie'southward estranged begetter dies and bequeaths the bulk of his fortune to Raymond, does Charlie learn of his blood brother's existence. Raymond, it turns out, is an autistic savant living in a mental establishment. Thinking it an injustice, Charlie ventures out to run into Raymond and conceive a way to get a hold of one-half of their father's $3 meg estate. Charlie is able to proceeds custody of Raymond, and the two take a road trip (with Charlie's girlfriend, played by Valeria Golino). The forcefulness of the film is Hoffman disappearing into the role, convincing you he is this person on probably the third level of the autism spectrum. Predictably, the picture show also has a lot of heart, which reveals itself every bit the duo spends more fourth dimension together, their bail tightening over that fourth dimension. — Brendan Michael

The Brothers Bloom

the-brothers-bloom
Image via Summit Entertainment

Director/Writer: Rian Johnson

Cast: Mark Ruffalo, Adrien Brody, Rachel Weisz

In betwixt his fashionable characteristic debut, Brick , and his splendid sci-fi time travel actioner, Looper , Rian Johnson made The Brothers Bloom , a tonally other kind of a film past comparing. In fact, there's about nil about these three movies that is anything alike, relieve for some camera angles. The Brothers Bloom is a quirky, funny picture show nearly a pair of con men—brothers Stephen Bloom (Mark Ruffalo) and Blossom Bloom (Adrien Brody)—who opt for a concluding chore wherein they'll swindle Penelope (Rachel Weisz), a rich New Bailiwick of jersey heiress, out of her fortune. It's a smartly written flick with shades of The Ladykillers and Muddy Rotten Scoundrels , but with more heart. Imagine if Wes Anderson did a re-write on i of those and y'all've got this moving-picture show. It's a two-pronged love story—romantic and brotherly—and it leaves you oddly satisfied, despite a affect of pathos. Though a box office bomb, the movie is worth checking out, if only to meet Johnson's creative range. — Brendan Michael

Mystery Engagement

Image via Orion Pictures

Director: Jonathan Wacks

Writers: Parker Bennett, Terry Runte

Cast: Ethan Hawke, Teri Polo, Brian McNamara, Fisher Stevens, BD Wong

Though it hit theaters in 1991, Mystery Date feels similar a comedy that came from the middle office of the decade that preceded it. Ethan Hawke plays Tom, who'southward got the hots for his neighbor Geena (Teri Polo), though actually talking to her is no easy task. Lucky for Tom, he's got a cool older brother (Brian McNamara) in law schoolhouse, who helps set up a engagement between the ii. But this date goes spectacularly sideways. Afterward Tom borrows his brother's car, it all goes downhill. He gets wrapped up in, and suspected of, a bevy of crimes, leaving Geena confused, but stuck with him for the night. The movie takes place across i wild evening, equally things screw out of control and more and more bad guys go after Tom, thinking he'southward his brother. It's the kind of shut-your-brain-off fare you just sort of need sometimes, not different Martin Scorsese's largely forgotten comedy, After Hours . — Brendan Michael

The Road Within

the road within zoe kravitz
Image via Well Go USA Entertainment

Director/Writer: Gren Wells

Bandage: Zoë Kravitz, Robert Sheehan, Dev Patel, Robert Patrick, Kyra Sedgwick

The divergence betwixt a proficient familiar story and a bad familiar story is often the characters. Gren Wells' The Road Within, a remake of a German film, takes a standard road movie and delivers something fresh cheers to the trio of oddballs making the trek. Vincent (Robert Sheehan) is a young man with Tourette's Syndrome who hopes to scatter his recently deceased mother's ashes in the Pacific. The problem is, he'south been placed in a special dispensary in order to go the treatment he needs past his father (Robert Patrick). But Vincent escapes, taking his roommate Alex (Dev Patel), who suffers from extreme OCD, and the anorexic Marie (Zoë Kravitz). The journey becomes ane of self-discovery for all three, even sparking a romance betwixt Vincent and Marie. But the big laughs are what make this charming indie a treat. You don't want to find sense of humour in the conditions of Vincent and Alex, but it's played so earnestly, you tin't help but crack up at their outbursts and idiosyncrasies, which are frequent, and consistently funny. — Brendan Michael

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