Streaming services are constantly adding new gems and old favorites to their film libraries. With more streaming services now than ever before, the amount and quality of streaming content is almost overwhelming. (Speaking of quality content, here are the best picture nominees and winners you can stream right now.)
While most of the bigger streaming services require a subscription fee, there are still a few platforms that allow viewers to stream movies for free. To determine the best movies to nestream for free this month, 24/7 Tempo developed an index using average ratings on IMDb, an online movie database owned by Amazon, and a combination of audience scores and Tomatometer scores on Rotten Tomatoes, an online movie and TV review aggregator. Ratings were collected April 2022 and were all weighted equally.
We considered only movies with at least 5,000 audience votes on either IMDb or Rotten Tomatoes and those that are streaming on Tubi, Pluto TV, Plex, IMDb TV, Peacock, Vudu, and Crackle. Documentaries were not considered. (Data on streaming availability, current as of this month, comes from the streaming guide Reelgood, and directorial credits are from IMDb.)
From the early Charlie Chaplin silent classic “The Kid” (1921) to the recent critically acclaimed indie film “The Peanut Butter Falcon” (2019), the best movies to stream this month cover a broad range of eras and genres. Classics lovers can choose from numerous films by Alfred Hitchcock and Billy Wilder or watch “The General” (1926), starring master of visual comedy Buster Keaton.
Thrillers on the list include David Fincher’s “Gone Girl” (2014) as well as Dan Gilroy’s “Nightcrawler” (2014) starring Jake Gyllenhaal as a sociopathic cameraman who is out to catch the most grisly crimes on film. Cult classics that deserve endless rewatches include “Dazed and Confused” (1993), “The Big Lebowski” (1998), “Blue Velvet” (1986), and “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” (2004). Sofia Coppola’s romantic comedy “Lost in Translation” (2003), which won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay as well as three Golden Globes, is one of the best movies starring Bill Murray.
In addition to films from big name directors like Stanley Kubrick and Paul Thomas Anderson, the list also includes some indie features from up and coming directors, including “Short Term 12” (2013) by Destin Daniel Cretton. The low budget hit about a group home for teens stars, at the time, relatively unknown young actors Brie Larson, LaKeith Stanfield, Rami Malek, and John Gallagher Jr. – all of whom have gone on to become stars. Here are movie roles that launched some of Hollywood’s biggest stars.
Click here for the best movies you can stream for free this month
Source: Courtesy of The Weinstein Company
50. Lion (2016)
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (224,618 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (39,877 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 84% (267 reviews)
> Directed by: Garth Davis
> Streaming on: Pluto TV, Plex, IMDb TV, Vudu
[in-text-ad]
Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
49. Gone Girl (2014)
> IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (908,882 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (128,693 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 87% (365 reviews)
> Directed by: David Fincher
> Streaming on: Tubi
Source: Courtesy of Artisan Entertainment
48. Requiem for a Dream (2000)
> IMDb user rating: 8.3/10 (795,904 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (328,609 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 79% (138 reviews)
> Directed by: Darren Aronofsky
> Streaming on: Tubi, Pluto TV, Plex
Source: Courtesy of Focus Features
47. Lost in Translation (2003)
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (432,805 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 85% (337,639 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (232 reviews)
> Directed by: Sofia Coppola
> Streaming on: Tubi, IMDb TV
[in-text-ad-2]
Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
46. Gandhi (1982)
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (223,630 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92% (49,867 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 85% (62 reviews)
> Directed by: Richard Attenborough
> Streaming on: Peacock
Source: Courtesy of Gramercy Pictures
45. Dazed and Confused (1993)
> IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (174,013 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (236,467 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (62 reviews)
> Directed by: Richard Linklater
> Streaming on: Peacock
[in-text-ad]
Source: Courtesy of Gramercy Pictures
44. The Big Lebowski (1998)
> IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (766,228 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (356,600 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 83% (109 reviews)
> Directed by: Joel & Ethan Coen
> Streaming on: Peacock
Source: Courtesy of De Laurentiis Entertainment Group
43. Blue Velvet (1986)
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (189,207 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (77,108 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (76 reviews)
> Directed by: David Lynch
> Streaming on: Tubi, Pluto TV
Source: Courtesy of Open Road Films
42. Nightcrawler (2014)
> IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (495,525 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86% (86,557 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (274 reviews)
> Directed by: Dan Gilroy
> Streaming on: IMDb TV
[in-text-ad-2]
Source: Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics
41. Call Me by Your Name (2017)
> IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (236,339 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86% (16,258 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (363 reviews)
> Directed by: Luca Guadagnino
> Streaming on: Tubi
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
40. Scarface (1983)
> IMDb user rating: 8.3/10 (778,547 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (488,892 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 82% (71 reviews)
> Directed by: Brian De Palma
> Streaming on: Peacock
[in-text-ad]
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Vantage
39. There Will Be Blood (2007)
> IMDb user rating: 8.2/10 (544,988 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86% (255,474 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 91% (243 reviews)
> Directed by: Paul Thomas Anderson
> Streaming on: Pluto TV
Source: Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics
38. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
> IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (260,773 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86% (427,499 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (158 reviews)
> Directed by: Ang Lee
> Streaming on: Peacock
Source: Courtesy of The Weinstein Company
37. The Artist (2011)
> IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (235,905 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (58,691 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (320 reviews)
> Directed by: Michel Hazanavicius
> Streaming on: Tubi, Pluto TV
[in-text-ad-2]
Source: Courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures
36. Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (818,017 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (1,155,878 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 91% (289 reviews)
> Directed by: Danny Boyle
> Streaming on: Tubi
Source: Frederick M. Brown / Getty Images
35. A Little Princess (1995)
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (33,377 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (240,459 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (35 reviews)
> Directed by: Alfonso Cuarón
> Streaming on: Tubi
[in-text-ad]
Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
34. The Remains of the Day (1993)
> IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (69,929 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (24,404 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (43 reviews)
> Directed by: James Ivory
> Streaming on: Tubi
Source: Courtesy of Continental Distributing
33. Night of the Living Dead (1968)
> IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (121,700 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (130,710 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (74 reviews)
> Directed by: George A. Romero
> Streaming on: Tubi, Pluto TV, Plex, IMDb TV, Peacock, Vudu
Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
32. Sense and Sensibility (1995)
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (109,172 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (130,924 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (64 reviews)
> Directed by: Ang Lee
> Streaming on: Tubi
[in-text-ad-2]
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
31. Dial M for Murder (1954)
> IMDb user rating: 8.2/10 (166,706 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92% (38,208 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 89% (47 reviews)
> Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock
> Streaming on: Tubi
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
30. Heat (1995)
> IMDb user rating: 8.2/10 (606,225 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (222,169 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 87% (84 reviews)
> Directed by: Michael Mann
> Streaming on: Pluto TV
[in-text-ad]
Source: Courtesy of Anchor Bay Entertainment
29. The Man from Earth (2007)
> IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (180,871 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 85% (19,142 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (5 reviews)
> Directed by: Richard Schenkman
> Streaming on: Tubi, IMDb TV, Vudu, Crackle
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
28. Rope (1948)
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (136,102 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (39,058 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (50 reviews)
> Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock
> Streaming on: Peacock
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
27. Charade (1963)
> IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (72,875 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92% (42,943 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (50 reviews)
> Directed by: Stanley Donen
> Streaming on: Pluto TV, IMDb TV, Vudu
[in-text-ad-2]
Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
26. Fight Club (1999)
> IMDb user rating: 8.8/10 (1,940,882 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 96% (1,093,796 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 79% (179 reviews)
> Directed by: David Fincher
> Streaming on: Tubi
Source: Courtesy of Batrax Entertainment
25. The Peanut Butter Falcon (2019)
> IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (82,141 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 96% (4,708 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (220 reviews)
> Directed by: Tyler Nilson & Michael Schwartz
> Streaming on: IMDb TV
[in-text-ad]
Source: Courtesy of Miramax
24. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007)
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (105,646 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92% (150,034 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (176 reviews)
> Directed by: Julian Schnabel
> Streaming on: Pluto TV
Source: Courtesy of United Artists
23. The General (1926)
> IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (86,816 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92% (11,542 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (59 reviews)
> Directed by: Clyde Bruckman & Buster Keaton
> Streaming on: IMDb TV
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
22. Shadow of a Doubt (1943)
> IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (62,588 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (19,508 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (48 reviews)
> Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock
> Streaming on: Peacock
[in-text-ad-2]
Source: Courtesy of RKO Radio Pictures
21. Notorious (1946)
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (97,303 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (35,835 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (48 reviews)
> Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock
> Streaming on: Tubi
Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
20. His Girl Friday (1940)
> IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (56,106 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (24,333 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 99% (67 reviews)
> Directed by: Howard Hawks
> Streaming on: Tubi, Pluto TV, Plex, IMDb TV, Vudu
[in-text-ad]
Source: Courtesy of Orion Pictures
19. The Terminator (1984)
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (820,969 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (776,923 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (65 reviews)
> Directed by: James Cameron
> Streaming on: Tubi, Pluto TV
Source: Courtesy of Focus Features
18. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
> IMDb user rating: 8.3/10 (948,653 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (571,910 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (250 reviews)
> Directed by: Michel Gondry
> Streaming on: Peacock
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
17. Stalag 17 (1953)
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (54,031 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (13,214 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (37 reviews)
> Directed by: Billy Wilder
> Streaming on: Tubi
[in-text-ad-2]
Source: Courtesy of Cinedigm Entertainment Group
16. Short Term 12 (2013)
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (85,013 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92% (21,553 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 98% (174 reviews)
> Directed by: Destin Daniel Cretton
> Streaming on: Tubi, Pluto TV, Plex, IMDb TV, Peacock, Vudu
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
15. Roman Holiday (1953)
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (133,359 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (63,537 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (60 reviews)
> Directed by: William Wyler
> Streaming on: Pluto TV
[in-text-ad]
Source: Courtesy of United Artists
14. The Killing (1956)
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (85,754 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92% (22,285 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 98% (42 reviews)
> Directed by: Stanley Kubrick
> Streaming on: Tubi, Pluto TV
Source: Courtesy of Gramercy Pictures
13. The Usual Suspects (1995)
> IMDb user rating: 8.5/10 (1,028,997 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 96% (435,145 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 88% (77 reviews)
> Directed by: Bryan Singer
> Streaming on: Tubi, Pluto TV
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
12. Vertigo (1958)
> IMDb user rating: 8.3/10 (382,223 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (102,724 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (83 reviews)
> Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock
> Streaming on: Peacock
[in-text-ad-2]
Source: Courtesy of RKO Radio Pictures
11. The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
> IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (60,985 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (10,855 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 98% (91 reviews)
> Directed by: William Wyler
> Streaming on: Pluto TV
Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
10. The Princess Bride (1987)
> IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (408,278 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (527,843 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (78 reviews)
> Directed by: Rob Reiner
> Streaming on: IMDb TV
[in-text-ad]
Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
9. Aliens (1986)
> IMDb user rating: 8.3/10 (678,602 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (430,019 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (77 reviews)
> Directed by: James Cameron
> Streaming on: Tubi
Source: Courtesy of United Artists
8. Paths of Glory (1957)
> IMDb user rating: 8.4/10 (187,198 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95% (35,412 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (62 reviews)
> Directed by: Stanley Kubrick
> Streaming on: Tubi, Pluto TV
Source: Courtesy of United Artists
7. The Gold Rush (1925)
> IMDb user rating: 8.2/10 (106,473 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (20,591 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (50 reviews)
> Directed by: Charles Chaplin
> Streaming on: IMDb TV
[in-text-ad-2]
Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
6. Alien (1979)
> IMDb user rating: 8.4/10 (823,459 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (460,436 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 98% (126 reviews)
> Directed by: Ridley Scott
> Streaming on: Tubi
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
5. Psycho (1960)
> IMDb user rating: 8.5/10 (630,728 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95% (240,418 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (104 reviews)
> Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock
> Streaming on: Tubi, Peacock
[in-text-ad]
Source: Courtesy of First National Pictures
4. The Kid (1921)
> IMDb user rating: 8.3/10 (120,168 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95% (15,470 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (48 reviews)
> Directed by: Charles Chaplin
> Streaming on: Pluto TV, IMDb TV
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
3. Rear Window (1954)
> IMDb user rating: 8.5/10 (465,467 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95% (151,019 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 98% (122 reviews)
> Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock
> Streaming on: Peacock
Source: Courtesy of United Artists
2. Witness for the Prosecution (1957)
> IMDb user rating: 8.4/10 (116,454 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95% (9,011 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (33 reviews)
> Directed by: Billy Wilder
> Streaming on: Tubi, Pluto TV
[in-text-ad-2]
Source: Courtesy of United Artists
1. 12 Angry Men (1957)
> IMDb user rating: 9.0/10 (702,293 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 97% (105,515 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (55 reviews)
> Directed by: Sidney Lumet
> Streaming on: Pluto TV
Essential Tips for Investing: Sponsored
A financial advisor can help you understand the advantages and disadvantages of investment properties. Finding a qualified financial advisor doesn’t have to be hard. SmartAsset’s free tool matches you with up to three financial advisors who serve your area, and you can interview your advisor matches at no cost to decide which one is right for you. If you’re ready to find an advisor who can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now.
Investing in real estate can diversify your portfolio. But expanding your horizons may add additional costs. If you’re an investor looking to minimize expenses, consider checking out online brokerages. They often offer low investment fees, helping you maximize your profit.
Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.
Editors' Picks
