YouTube is known for hosting vlogs, music videos and excellent animal content, and it isn’t likely your first choice for full-length movies. However, the video-sharing platform has a number of free, ad-supported films that are worth checking out.
All of the following are either free with advertisements or ad-free with Red Premium. We genuinely don’t know when they will leave the service, but we suspect it will be within the next month. Here are our recommendations for the highly regarded films because it would be utterly impossible to watch them all in that time and because the majority of them are terrible filler.
We are unable to embed the free movies here, for obvious reasons. For the most part since it would simply not work and take you to the individual YouTube links, but we linked them in the title of each movie and included a trailer for each one.
This list is presented in the order that YouTube presented them, from top to bottom. There is no rhyme or reason as to why the movies were included in that list, but you can view them all for free here.
Some honorable mentions: “In the Heat of the Night”, “Up in the Air”, “Das Boot”, “The Magnificent Seven”, “Wargames”, and “The Net” just for fun.
The Mask
A ’90s classic, and one of the early Jim Carrey vehicles that made him a blockbuster comedian, this has a lot of nostalgia for us Digg editors. Somebody STOP ME!
Speed
One of the best (going to say that a lot, get used to it) action movies ever made. Keanu, Sandra Bullock in her star-making debut, and Dennis Hopper star in the perfect log line for a plot.
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Wes Anderson is a filmmaker you either love or pay zero attention to. And even within his filmography, his animated childfare is divisive. But this is still a worthwhile endeavor if you’ve never seen it (we like it).
Mortal Kombat
Much like the film listed above, this is the greatest of all time………well, the best video game movie ever made. Way better than it has any right to be, and the music and cast are perfect. This one is still a lot of fun.
Train To Busan
This was a mini sensation when it came out, and has a real cult following. This is a Korean zombie action film that is getting an American remake (it’s in the works but may never come out of development hell) but this is definitely worth watching, it’s a great time.
Lawrence Of Arabia
Do I even have to say it? Yadda yadda one of the best films ever made yadda yadda. It’s a real long one, so if you have like four hours free and want to see the best match cut in editing history, you should check this one out.
Groundhog Day
Okay, sit down for this one: this is one of the greatest comedies of all time. Yeah, YouTube picked some real bangers for their free service. This screenplay is ironclad and peerless, it’s still funny and sad in the right moments, and Bill Murray is a living legend.
2001: A Space Odyssey
Stanley Kubrick’s sci-fi masterpiece might be the single greatest work of art ever made. Among the best films ever produced. It is a must watch. Bar none. You will not go another lifetime and see something better than this. Pure cinema at its finest.
Super Size Me
You could credit this documentary from Morgan Spurlock for kicking off our country’s obsession with dieting and healthy food options, going vegan, and more. But it def kicked off a real national conversation about the role of fast food in our lives, the health risks associated with them, getting McDonald’s to change its menus, and helping to improve the obesity epidemic that happened to the US twenty years ago. It’s a fascinating premise and an eye opening look at gonzo journalism.
The Naked Gun
Okay take a sip of your drink………….this is also one of the best comedies ever made. Might be top three, if we had to make a list. They truly do not make these like they used to, or really at all. Leslie Nielsen is a treasure and we miss him every single day of our godforsaken lives.
