If you’ve already caught Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, Ballerina, and 28 Years Later in theaters this month, why not give your wallet a rest and check out what the best free streaming services have to offer?
Below, I’ve highlighted five of the best free movies to stream on Tubi, Samsung TV Plus, Pluto TV, and more this week – from Oscar-winning historical epics to tender rom-coms.
1. 28 Weeks Later (Tubi)
Release date: May 2007
Rotten Tomatoes score: 72%
Length: 99 minutes
Director: Juan Carlos Fresnadillo
Main cast: Robert Carlyle, Rose Byrne, Jeremy Renner, Imogen Poots
Earlier this month, I highlighted 28 Days Later as one of the best free movies to stream in June, and now that movie’s sequel, 28 Weeks Later, is also streaming for free on Tubi.
Set – you guessed it! – six months after the events of Danny Boyle’s 2002 original film, this Juan Carlos Fresnadillo-directed follow-up centers on the US Army’s efforts to establish a safe zone in zombie-infested London. 28 Weeks Later doesn’t hold a candle to its predecessor in terms of originality – and the latest entry in the franchise, 28 Years Later, largely ignores it – but this 2007 movie is still a fun watch for zombie genre fans.
2. Days of Thunder (Pluto TV)
Release date: June 1990
Rotten Tomatoes score: 38%
Length: 108 minutes
Director: Tony Scott
Main cast: Tom Cruise, Robert Duvall, Nicole Kidman, Randy Quaid
Given the runaway (or should that be runway?) success of Top Gun: Maverick in 2022, it’s no wonder that Tom Cruise is reportedly eyeing a sequel to another of his early action hits, Days of Thunder, which is now streaming for free on Pluto TV.
Like the original Top Gun, Days of Thunder is directed by Tony Scott and stars Cruise as a talented hotshot who refuses to play by the rules. In this movie, though, the then-young actor swaps the US Navy base for a NASCAR track. In truth, Days of Thunder suffers because of its similarity to the largely superior Top Gun, but it’s still an enjoyable shot of '90s silliness.
3. Gladiator (Kanopy, Hoopla)
Release date: May 2000
Rotten Tomatoes score: 77%
Length: 155 minutes
Director: Ridley Scott
Main cast: Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Oliver Reed
I’ve drawn attention to Gladiator’s free-to-stream status before, but Ridley Scott’s 2000 classic is now once again accessible for free via Kanopy or Hoopla.
This iconic riches-to-rags tale centers on Maximus (Russell Crowe), a Roman general-turned-enslaved gladiator who must fight for his freedom under the watchful eye of a corrupt and daddy-killing emperor (Joaquin Phoenix). The scale is huge, the quotes are epic, and the loincloths are plentiful – Gladiator remains a stunning movie that’s been made to look even better by its paint-by-numbers successor.
4. 50/50 (Plex)
Release date: September 2011
Rotten Tomatoes score: 93%
Length: 100 minutes
Directors: Jonathan Levine
Main cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen, Anna Kendrick, Bryce Dallas Howard
If you’re after something a little more lighthearted than swords and sandals, check out Jonathan Levine’s comedy-drama 50/50, which is currently streaming for free on Plex.
The film stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt as a twenty-something radio journalist whose life is upended when he’s diagnosed with an aggressive form of spinal cancer. I know what you’re thinking: “What’s ‘light-hearded’ about cancer?” But 50/50 is a genuinely funny (and touching) tale about the value of friendship and humor in times of crisis.
5. The Rock (Samsung TV Plus)
Release date: June 1996
Rotten Tomatoes score: 66%
Length: 136 minutes
Director: Michael Bay
Main cast: Sean Connery, Nicolas Cage, Ed Harris, John Spencer
The second of several OTT action movies to be directed by Michael Bay throughout the ‘90s, The Rock is now streaming for free on Samsung TV Plus.
Starring Sean Connery, Nicolas Cage, and Ed Harris, this commando-style thriller follows an FBI chemical weapons expert and former SAS soldier as they break into Alcatraz prison to thwart the plans of a rogue military general. Yes, The Rock is as nonsensical as it sounds, but that’s all part of its ‘Dad movie’ charm.
