21 terrific free movies you can watch right now on YouTube

YouTube offers a veritable treasure trove of free movies ready to watch at your convenience. Comedies, dramas, hidden gems, black-and-white classics. They’re all there to stream, gratis, with the occasional interruption from ads; hey, nothing is truly free in life, right?. We skimmed the impressive list and are here with 21 recommendations from across the board. Here goes, with the films listed by year of release…

Oklahoma! (1955)

Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Broadway musical Oklahoma! received the big screen treatment courtesy of director Fred Zinnemann. He followed his success with the dramas High Noon and From Here to Eternity with this, his only musical. The singing and dancing is joyous and the cinematography eye-popping, while the story benefits from the edge that Rod Steiger brings to the proceedings as Jud, a hothead who keeps coming between the romantic leads, Curly (Gordon MacRae) and Laurey (Shirley Jones). Some folks pigeonhole Jones as the matriarch on The Partridge Family, but she excelled here (her film debut) and also in Carousel (which reteamed her with MacRae), and The Music Man, and won an Oscar for her dramatic turn in Elmer Gantry.

The Incredible Mr. Limpet (1964)

If you enjoy the kind of pure silliness embodied by Don Knotts, you’ll love The Incredible Mr. Limpet, an outlandish comedy that casts Knotts as Henry Limpet, a man who transforms into a fish … and helps the United States Navy battle Nazis (and their submarines) during World War II. Yes, you read that right. The film, not surprisingly, is realized in both live-action and animation. Again, it’s not for everyone, or better phrased, Knotts for everyone, as a little of him goes a long way for some folks. Hollywood has wanted to remake The Incredible Mr. Limpet for almost three decades, with everyone from Jim Carrey and Zach Galifianakis attached to star at one point or another.

Fiddler On The Roof (1971)

Director Norman Jewison transformed Fiddler On The Roof from a popular Broadway musical into a cinematic experience, giving it scope and a sense of scale that could only be hinted at on stage. But he retained the heart of story: love … love of family, of country, of a people’s faith, and, of course, of tradition, The mighty Topol provides a commanding yet warm presence as the milkman/husband/father Tevye, while Molly Picon charms as the matchmaker, Yente. And we are treated to all the classic songs, including “Tradition,” “Matchmaker, Matchmaker,” “If I Were a Rich Man,” and “Sunrise, Sunset.” The film earned eight Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, and won three, including for Best Cinematography.

The Long Riders (1980)

After watching The Long Riders, you might be checking for dirt in your hair and shoes. That’s how gritty and immersive Walter Hill’s old-school Western feels. The story centers on the James-Younger gang and a couple of robberies gone very, very wrong. Hill’s best gambit? Casting brothers as brothers. So, you’ve got James and Stacy Keach as Jesse and Frank James, Dennis and Randy Quaid as Ed and Clell Miller, Christopher and Nicholas Guest as Charley and Robert Ford, and David, Robert, and Keith Carradine as Cole, Bob, and Jim Younger. Actors can play brothers, but nothing can quite replicate brothers playing brothers, and Hill mines those bonds perfectly.

Gloria (1980)

The great Gena Rowlands absolutely kicks ass in this relatively overlooked thriller Gloria, directed by her late husband, John Cassavetes. Rowlands stars as the title character, a mobster’s ex-girlfriend, who reluctantly agrees to protect Phil (John Adames), the son of a neighbor whose family is then rubbed out, sending them on the run. Rowlands goes full action hero, part mama bear and part vigilante. Cassavetes, who also wrote the movie, captures Manhattan’s grittiness and elicits a terrific star turn from Rowlands, who earned an Oscar nomination for her performance. The film, arguably the most commercial project Cassavetes ever made, bombed at the box office. Check it out. The Sharon Stone remake, also available on YouTube, falls flat.

The NeverEnding Story (1984)

More than a few adults consider this fantasy film THE MOVIE of their youth. In The NeverEnding Story, a bullied boy (Barret Oliver) whose mom recently died, becomes immersed in a tale he’s reading about a magical world in need of saving. Enter a brave young warrior (Noah Hathaway), a beautiful empress (Tami Stronach), and an assortment of creatures ranging from a helpful luckdragon, Falkor, to the wolf-like Gmork to the giant Rockbiter. While the film is remembered fondly by so many, be warned that the visual effects, fairly unconvincing back in the day, are really laughable today. And speaking of the passage of time Oliver, Hathaway, and Stronach are each 50 or older!

Killer Klowns From Outer Space (1988)

Sometimes a movie’s title tells you everything you need to know. Killer Klowns From Outer Space follows aliens that look like clowns, land on Earth and start killing people; they harvest humans for their blood. It’s a supremely dopey B-movie with too much bad acting and too many unintentional laughs. And yet… And yet… those killer Klowns are awesome, from their colorful costumes to their popcorn-shooting weapons to the inventive ways director Stephen Chiodo films the Klowns. Add in a mercifully short 88-minute running time and a craptastic performance by Animal House’s Dean Wormer, John Vernon, and you’ve got a certified cult favorite.

Die Hard (1988)

Bruce Willis launched his career as a movie icon with Die Hard, an action thriller about John McClane (Willis), a New York City cop who will do anything to save his estranged wife (the priceless Bonnie Bedelia) when a bunch of baddies take over the building where she works. John McTiernan masterfully oversees the action, lets Willis do his snarky thing, and elicits a star-making performance from Alan Rickman as the villainous Hans Gruber. Shit blows up impressively, the sardonic humor lands, and the action scenes still make us gasp. And, for the record, we consider this a Christmas movie.

Nothing But Trouble (1991)

There are bad movies aplenty on YouTube, many of them low-budget indie features starring once-prominent actors cashing in on what’s left of their name value. Then there are the epically bad studio films, movies with big stars and bigger expectations that crashed and burned. If you’ve got 93 minutes to spare, knowing you will never, ever get them back, try—and try is the operative word here—watching Nothing But Trouble, a prime example of the latter. Mixing dark horror and comedy, it sends Chevy Chase and Demi Moore to a town called Valkenvania, where they—and the audience—endure a variety of terrors, gross-out moments, and grotesque characters. Dan Aykroyd not only wrote and directed this ambitious, costly ($45 million) misfire, but he plays two roles in it, as does John Candy.

What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (1993)

One of the finest and most-overlooked credits in the careers of both Johnny Depp and Leonardo DiCaprio, this Lasse Hallström drama casts Depp as Gilbert Grape, a 20-something guy trying to hold his family together. That family includes his dangerously overweight mom (Darlene Cates), his mentally challenged brother, Arnie (DiCaprio), and two sisters. Beautifully acted, heartbreakingly sad, yet somehow hopeful, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape lets us bear witness to a dysfunctional family becoming something resembling functional. And check out the supporting cast: Juliette Lewis, John C. Reilly, Mary Steenburgen, and Kevin Tighe.

Hoop Dreams (1994)

YouTube offers a number of documentaries, including Marley, The September Issue, and Man On A Wire, but nothing beats Hoop Dreams. Directed by Steve James and running nearly three hours, it tracks the lives and experiences of Arthur Agee and William Gates, two Black teen basketball prospects. Agee and Gates contend with everything you can imagine: expectations, family issues, schoolwork, injuries, competition, racism, and more. It’s tough, revealing stuff. For anyone wondering, Agee and Gates reunited decades later for a podcast called—what else?—Hoop Dreams: The Podcast. The upcoming third season will have a new name: Agee and Gates: The Podcast.

The Spitfire Grill (1996)

Some movies just don’t find the audience they deserve. Case in point, The Spitfire Grill, an unshowy, vivid drama which audiences at the Sundance Film Festival showered with love. It follows a 20-something woman, Percy (Alison Elliott), just released from prison, who seeks a fresh start in a small Ohio town. She lands a job working as a waitress at the Spitfire Grill and bonds with its owner, Hannah (Ellen Burstyn). Soon, though, the locals start to distrust Percy, leading to accusations, confrontation, and tragedy. It all feels real, with the proceedings anchored by Elliott, Burstyn, and Marcia Gay Harden (whose character befriends Percy).

The Fifth Element (1997)

There’s not a subtle moment anywhere in director Luc Besson’s outlandish— and outlandishly entertaining—sci-fi saga The Fifth Element. Bruce Willis plays the reluctant hero, a cabbie named Korben Dallas, who finds himself trying to save Earth after unexpectedly encountering the much-sought-after Fifth Element, a/k/a Leeloo (Milla Jovovich). Cue the craziness: Jovovich’s barely-there outfit, and over-the-top performances from Gary Oldman, Brion James, Tiny Lister, Ian Holm, and especially Chris Tucker (which is saying something since Oldman chews the scenery with reckless abandon), incredible visual effects, and one of the most unforgettable opera sequences ever captured on film.

The Truman Show (1998)

What if your whole life was just a show—for the consumption of countless millions of viewers? That’s the plight of Truman Burbank (Jim Carrey), who slowly comes to realize what’s happening around him: that his friends and family are all actors, that his town is a set, and that one man, the show’s enigmatic creator, Christof (a chilling Ed Harris), is essentially playing God, manipulating events to control Truman and to sell product. Part biting satire, part sci-fi drama, The Truman Show rates as one of Carrey’s best films overall and provides an illuminating showcase for him as an actor rather than just as a comedian.

The Iron Giant (1999)

Most movie aficionados consider The Iron Giant a modern classic, one of the best animated features of the past 25 years not made by Disney. Upon its release, however, it bombed. The story follows a boy, Hogarth (Eli Marienthal), who befriends the title character, a massive alien robot (Vin Diesel), and tries to save it from the clutches of a government agent (Christopher McDonald) determined to destroy it. Brad Bird, making his directorial debut, assuredly unfolds the story across a fast-paced 87 minutes, helped greatly by stunning animation, a winsome Michael Kamen score, and strong vocal work not just from Marienthal, Diesel, and McDonald, but also Jennifer Aniston, Harry Connick Jr., Cloris Leachman, John Mahoney, and James Gammon.

Return To Me (2000)

Bonnie Hunt made her directing debut with Return To Me, an effective, low-key tearjerker. David Duchovny stars as Bob, whose wife Elizabeth (Joely Richardson) dies in a car accident. More than a year later, Bob, though still mourning, tries to get on with his life. He soon falls for Grace (Minnie Driver), a waitress who— unbeknownst to either of them—received Elizabeth’s heart via a lifesaving transplant. Hunt co-wrote the script and plays a supporting role in the film, and as a director. She showcases Chicago, capitalizes on the wondrous chemistry between Duchovny and Driver, and elicits charming performances from Carol O’Connor, James Belushi, David Greer, and Robert Loggia.

The Score (2001)

The sleek thriller The Score, directed by Frank Oz, traces and oft-told story. A career criminal swears to his girlfriend that he’s out of the game … or will be after one last, big score. The heist involves a priceless scepter, an old friend/fence, and a heist crew member who can’t be trusted. Now, check out the actors in those roles: Robert De Niro as the criminal, Angela Bassett as the girlfriend, Marlon Brando as the fence, and Edward Norton as the possibly devious accomplice. The actors dig deep and draw you in, compelling you to like and even root for the bad guys. Brando, in his final film, delivers a sharp, spry, eccentric performance, though he and Oz reportedly clashed from the get-go.

The Wild Thornberrys Movie (2002)

Eliza (Lacey Chabert), Sir Nigel (Tim Curry), Marianne (Jodi Carlisle), Debbie (Danielle Harris), Donnie (Flea), and Darwin (Tom Kane) made the leap from the small screen to the big one with this animated adventure that’s sweet, funny, and touching, while also brimming with positives messages about the importance of family and nature. The Wild Thornberrys Movie did surprisingly disappointing business at the box office, but with all of the above and its bright and cheery animation, and fun guess-that-actor guest cast (Marisa Tomei, Rupert Everett, Lynn Redgrave, Cree Summer, Mae Whitman, Brenda Blethyn, and Alfre Woodard), it deserved far better. Perfect for young kids.

16 Blocks (2006)

Bruce Willis takes on a bunch of crooked cops as he races the clock to escort a witness (Mos Def) to a Manhattan court in time to testify in—say it with us—a high-profile cop corruption case. 16 Blocks plays much like 48 Hours but with more realistic action (which unfolds in real time) and less overt buddy comedy bits, and that’s a good thing. The film marked the final effort from director Richard Donner, whose long list of hits included The Omen, Superman, The Goonies, and all four Lethal Weapon installments. It’s no classic, but it’s an engaging, tense, well-acted, and honorable exit for a respected filmmaker.

Moon (2009)

Moon, the first film directed by Duncan Jones, is a smart, powerful sci-fi drama. Sam Rockwell stars as Sam Bell, a man who works solo as a helium-3 miner on the Moon and falls ill just as his three-year-long gig nears its end, prompting doubts about what’s going on. It turns out that… well, that demands major spoilers. Let’s just say that Rockwell delivers multiple intriguing, relatable performances. And kudos to Jones—who is, yes, the son of David Bowie—for convincingly whisking moviegoers to the Moon despite a super-modest budget of just $5 million.

Warwick Davis & The Seven Dwarves Of Auschwitz (2013)

Audiences recognize Warwick Davis as the versatile actor whose many roles include Flitwick and Griphook in the Harry Potter movies, Wicket in Return Of The Jedi, and the title character in Willow. He’s one of the most famous and successful little people in movie history. In Warwick Davis & The Seven Dwares Of Auschwitz, a harrowing and hopeful documentary, Davis narrates the story of seven Jewish dwarf siblings who survived the Holocaust and the cruel experiments Josef Mengele conducted on them at Auschwitz. It’s a remarkable story, told movingly by Davis.