Pardon us while we wax philosophical, but one might call the modern era of streaming both a gift and a curse. On the positive side, home viewers have never before gained this kind of access to such a wide spectrum of free content. On the negative side, that very same access can undervalue the specialness of the movie-going experience. Whereas one is likely to pay close attention when they’ve invested a certain amount of time and money into a film, then surely the opposite can hold true.
Hence, we ask that you approach cinema’s best offerings as though you paid for them, even when they come to you free of charge. Put the phone and computer away. Get some popcorn ready. Dim the lights. Watch them with a loved one. Treat the experience as if you’re going to the movies in the comfort of your own home in an effort to conjure a certain magic. Now free from distractions, prepare for absolute immersion. (Short on time? Though not necessarily free, these are the best 90-minutes-or-less movies you can stream right now.)
To determine the best movies to stream 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, as of July 2022, weighting all ratings equally. We considered only movies with at least 5,000 audience votes on either IMDb or Rotten Tomatoes that are streaming on Tubi, Pluto TV, Plex, Amazon Freevee, Peacock, Vudu, and/or 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.)
Click here to see the 50 best movies to stream for free this month
There’s a ton of cinematic treasure on this list – for instance, Stephen Chow’s 2004 action comedy masterpiece “Kung Fu Hustle.” On the more serious side of the aisle is “The Wailing,” a South Korean thriller with a supernatural twist. Then we have domestic classics such as “Jaws,” “Stand By Me,” Chaplin’s “The Gold Rush,” and so much more – all the way up to Billy Wilder’s 1957 courtroom classic “Witness for the Prosecution.” (Here’s where to stream 50 great movies you’ve probably never seen.)
And remember: just because you’re not paying for it, that doesn’t mean you can’t treat it like an investment. Happy viewing.
50. A Fish Called Wanda (1988)
> IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (136,693 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 84% (181,269 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (66 reviews)
> Directed by: Charles Crichton
> Streaming on: Amazon Freevee
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49. Into the Wild (2007)
> IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (594,510 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (179,594 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 83% (200 reviews)
> Directed by: Sean Penn
> Streaming on: Amazon Freevee
48. Control (2007)
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (63,385 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (48,485 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 88% (116 reviews)
> Directed by: Anton Corbijn
> Streaming on: Amazon Freevee
47. Wind River (2017)
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (223,961 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (29,613 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 87% (253 reviews)
> Directed by: Taylor Sheridan
> Streaming on: Amazon Freevee
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46. The Wailing (2016)
> IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (59,362 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 81% (7,116 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 99% (83 reviews)
> Directed by: Hong-jin Na
> Streaming on: Amazon Freevee
45. Searching (2018)
> IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (151,373 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (7,008 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (256 reviews)
> Directed by: Aneesh Chaganty
> Streaming on: Amazon Freevee
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44. Clerks (1994)
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (216,399 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (285,512 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 89% (57 reviews)
> Directed by: Kevin Smith
> Streaming on: Amazon Freevee
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43. Love, Simon (2018)
> IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (106,016 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (7,815 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (239 reviews)
> Directed by: Greg Berlanti
> Streaming on: Amazon Freevee
42. 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: Amazon Freevee
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41. Malcolm X (1992)
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (90,113 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (57,040 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 89% (62 reviews)
> Directed by: Spike Lee
> Streaming on: Amazon Freevee
40. Kung Fu Hustle (2004)
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (132,732 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (228,109 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 91% (190 reviews)
> Directed by: Stephen Chow
> Streaming on: Amazon Freevee
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39. Midnight Express (1978)
> IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (76,584 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (31,124 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (27 reviews)
> Directed by: Alan Parker
> Streaming on: Amazon Freevee
38. The Sixth Sense (1999)
> IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (942,340 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (1,036,884 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 86% (158 reviews)
> Directed by: M. Night Shyamalan
> Streaming on: Amazon Freevee
37. The Station Agent (2003)
> IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (68,931 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (34,815 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (160 reviews)
> Directed by: Tom McCarthy
> Streaming on: Amazon Freevee
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36. Days of Heaven (1978)
> IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (55,552 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (16,348 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (53 reviews)
> Directed by: Terrence Malick
> Streaming on: Amazon Freevee
35. Dark Waters (2019)
> IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (73,532 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95% (2,642 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 89% (229 reviews)
> Directed by: Todd Haynes
> Streaming on: Amazon Freevee
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34. Glengarry Glen Ross (1992)
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (100,832 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (41,047 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (55 reviews)
> Directed by: James Foley
> Streaming on: Amazon Freevee
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33. The Green Mile (1999)
> IMDb user rating: 8.6/10 (1,204,006 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (814,054 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 78% (134 reviews)
> Directed by: Frank Darabont
> Streaming on: Amazon Freevee
32. Evil Dead II (1987)
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (154,088 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (148,534 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (60 reviews)
> Directed by: Sam Raimi
> Streaming on: Amazon Freevee
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31. 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: Amazon Freevee
30. 1917 (2019)
> IMDb user rating: 8.3/10 (491,524 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (30,525 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 89% (458 reviews)
> Directed by: Sam Mendes
> Streaming on: Amazon Freevee
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29. 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: Amazon Freevee
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28. The Matrix (1999)
> IMDb user rating: 8.7/10 (1,759,161 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 85% (33,324,202 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 88% (155 reviews)
> Directed by: Lana & Lilly Wachowski
> Streaming on: Amazon Freevee
27. 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: Amazon Freevee
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26. Enter the Dragon (1973)
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (100,869 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (105,412 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (55 reviews)
> Directed by: Robert Clouse
> Streaming on: Amazon Freevee
25. A Clockwork Orange (1971)
> IMDb user rating: 8.3/10 (785,984 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (437,137 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 86% (73 reviews)
> Directed by: Stanley Kubrick
> Streaming on: Amazon Freevee
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24. 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: Amazon Freevee
23. 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: Amazon Freevee
22. 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: Amazon Freevee
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21. American Beauty (1999)
> IMDb user rating: 8.3/10 (1,104,561 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (660,797 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 87% (190 reviews)
> Directed by: Sam Mendes
> Streaming on: Amazon Freevee
20. Groundhog Day (1993)
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (595,765 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (416,991 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (84 reviews)
> Directed by: Harold Ramis
> Streaming on: Amazon Freevee
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19. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
> IMDb user rating: 8.3/10 (629,868 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (299,429 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (113 reviews)
> Directed by: Stanley Kubrick
> Streaming on: Amazon Freevee
18. Manhattan (1979)
> IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (136,504 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92% (51,871 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (69 reviews)
> Directed by: Woody Allen
> Streaming on: Amazon Freevee
17. 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: Amazon Freevee
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16. The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
> IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (73,496 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (31,403 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (60 reviews)
> Directed by: John Frankenheimer
> Streaming on: Amazon Freevee
15. 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: Amazon Freevee
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14. All the President’s Men (1976)
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (109,442 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92% (50,360 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (65 reviews)
> Directed by: Alan J. Pakula
> Streaming on: Amazon Freevee
13. Stand by Me (1986)
> IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (380,190 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (270,467 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 91% (57 reviews)
> Directed by: Rob Reiner
> Streaming on: Amazon Freevee
12. Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)
> IMDb user rating: 8.2/10 (73,742 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (8,681 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 91% (23 reviews)
> Directed by: Stanley Kramer
> Streaming on: Amazon Freevee
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11. 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: Amazon Freevee
10. 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: Amazon Freevee
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9. Jaws (1975)
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (565,147 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (945,011 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 98% (93 reviews)
> Directed by: Steven Spielberg
> Streaming on: Amazon Freevee
8. Inception (2010)
> IMDb user rating: 8.8/10 (2,171,143 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (571,783 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 87% (361 reviews)
> Directed by: Christopher Nolan
> Streaming on: Amazon Freevee
7. 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: Amazon Freevee
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6. How to Train Your Dragon (2010)
> IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (693,881 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (312,983 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 99% (212 reviews)
> Directed by: Chris Sanders & Dean DeBlois
> Streaming on: Amazon Freevee
5. 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: Amazon Freevee
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4. 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: Amazon Freevee
3. It’s A Wonderful Life (1946)
> IMDb user rating: 8.6/10 (422,428 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95% (219,179 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (87 reviews)
> Directed by: Frank Capra
> Streaming on: Amazon Freevee
2. 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: Amazon Freevee
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1. 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: Amazon Freevee
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