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There’s so much to enjoy when it comes to the best free streaming services. You might assume that because they’re free, the selection isn’t as good as some of the best streaming services with monthly fees, but you’d be amazed how good the options are. Every week we been round up the best free movies for you to enjoy!
Last week’s roundup of the best free movies to stream included Frank Darabont’s masterpiece The Shawshank Redemption, iconic psychological comedy The Truman Show, and one of the best horror movies, The Babadook.
This week’s selection has everything from animation to thrillers. Below, I’ve highlighted five of the best free movies to stream on Tubi, Pluto TV, Amazon Freevee, and other free streaming services in October.
The Invitation (Amazon Freevee)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 90%
Length: 100 minutes
Director: Karyn Kusama
Main cast: Logan Marshall-Green, Tammy Blanchard, Michiel Huisman, Emayatzy Corinealdi
The Invitation was where I first saw Logan Marshall-Green, who you may know from his work in the stellar action flick Upgrade (one of our Prime Video movie of the day recommendations). Here, he plays a man who takes his new girlfriend to his ex-wife’s dinner party. To be honest, that’s kind of awkward and complicated before we even consider the horror elements.
The dinner party soon takes a dark turn and characters begin to realise they should’ve turned down the invite and stayed at home with a pizza instead. Don’t say I didn’t warn you, it gets very dark…
It Follows (Tubi)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 95%
Length: 100 minutes
Director: David Robert Mitchell
Main cast: Maika Monroe, Keir Gilchrist, Olivia Luccardi, Lili Sepe
It Follows is a must-watch for every horror fan. It’s got plenty of jarring visuals that I’m still thinking about nine years after it was released, especially the one in the opening scene (you have been warned). Instead of a slasher villain stalking teens, the threat is something that only those affected can see and it can take the form of anyone. Oh, and it’s sexually transmitted so you know, that’s fun.
It’s worthy of its impressive Rotten Tomatoes score and somehow, this never gets old. It’s still as effective as the first time I watched it, and I’m always impressed by just how effective it is. It also features the brilliant Maika Monroe, who starred in the equally eerie Longlegs this year.
Cabaret (Tubi)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 92%
Length: 124 minutes
Director: Bob Fosse
Main cast: Liza Minnelli, Michael York, Helmut Griem
Cabaret features my favorite Liza Minnelli role that landed her the Academy Award for Best Actress in 1973. That’s not the only award it won either, as the beloved movie also picked up eight other Academy Awards that year, and director Bob Fosse beat Frances Ford Coppola, who was nominated for The Godfather. So if the Rotten Tomatoes score won’t convince you to give it a go, maybe the fact it cleaned up at the Oscars will.
Cabaret tells the story of two doomed romances while simultaneously exploring the twilight of the Jazz Age and personal freedoms as the Nazis rose to power in pre-WWII Germany, set around the seedy nightlife of Berlin’s Kit Kat Klub. It swings between being a fun romp and a careful look at the looming danger of what’s on the horizon. It’s perhaps never been more timely than now.
Halloween (XumoPlay)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 96%
Length: October 1978
Director: John Carpenter
Main cast: Donald Pleasence, Jamie Lee Curtis, P. J. Soles, Nancy Loomis
It’s Halloween on Thursday, so it would be rude not to include this! Yes, you can stream the 1978 John Carpenter classic for free thanks to Pluto TV. Widely regarded as one of the best slasher movies of all time, it’s the introduction of the now iconic fictional serial killer, Michael Myers. In my opinion, it has one of the greatest horror opening sequences of all time, perhaps rivalled only by the original Scream.
If you haven’t seen Halloween or you just want a rewatch, it’s available on demand whether you want to watch it on the day itself, or save it for when you’re feeling brave.
Buried (Plex)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 87%
Length: 95 minutes
Director: Rodrigo Cortés
Main cast: Ryan Reynolds
“Ryan Reynolds buried in a coffin for 95 minutes” might not seem particularly exciting, but Buried absolutely nails the one-location thriller and there’s constant nail-biting tension throughout. If you’re claustrophobic, you may want to give this one a miss, because the entire movie takes place trapped within a wooden box.
Although Reynolds is best known for his comedy work and roles like Deadpool, his serious portrayal of someone ambushed while working in Iraq is some of his finest work yet. In a similar vein to Locke, dialogue between characters happens exclusively via cellphone (in a nod to the lost world of 2010, in this case a BlackBerry). If nothing else, I’m just impressed he managed to get signal underground.
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