Forget Netflix, watch these free movies on YouTube instead

Netflix is not the cheapest video streaming service and can get quite expensive, depending on your plan. So why not save money by ditching your Netflix subscription and watching free movies (with ads) on YouTube instead? There are plenty to choose from.

We’ve compiled a list of the 31 best free movies on YouTube from different genres, including comedy, action, and drama. But keep in mind that they are not available in every country. Like Netflix, YouTube has location restrictions, likely due to licensing rights. So if you can’t watch any of the movies on this list, you’ll need to connect to the internet via a VPN server in the US.

Also, Google has recently added some free YouTube TV series to watch, and you can check them out as well. Keep in mind that if you decide to sign up for a YouTube Premium subscription, these movies will still be there, but you can watch them without ads.

The best free movies on YouTube

Editor’s note: We’ll regularly update this list of the best free movies on YouTube.

Train to Busan (2016)

What you need to know:

• Rating: NR
• Run time: 118 minutes
• Director: Yeon Sang-ho
• Main cast: Gong Yoo, Jung Yu-mi, Ma Dong-seok
• Genre: Horror/action
• Ratings: 7.6 – IMDb / 94% – Rotten Tomatoes

On a train traveling from Seoul to Busan in South Korea, there are more problems than stale nuts as snacks. The train’s passengers also have to contend with a massive outbreak of fast-moving members of the undead. 

If you think the zombie movie genre is overstuffed, you might be right. However, the horror sub-genre can still be used to develop new plotlines like this terrific film from South Korea. It has action, and gore, but also a surprising amount of heart.

Ready to watch? You can find the movie right here on YouTube.

Fanboys (2009)

What you need to know:

• Rating: R
• Run time: 90 minutes
• Director: Kyle Newman
• Main cast: Sam Huntington, Dan Fogler, Jay Baruchel
• Genre: Comedy
• Ratings: 6.5 – IMDb / 32% – Rotten Tomatoes

In 1999, a group of friends go on a unique road trip. Their goal is to travel to Skywalker Ranch, the home of Lucasfilm, to see an advanced screening of Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. The reason: one of these friends is suffering from a terminal illness.

While this movie didn’t get the best critical reception upon release, it has since developed a cult following for its Star Wars-based fan humor. It’s also a touching story about how real friends stick up for each other

Ready to watch? You can find the movie right here on YouTube.

Capricorn One (1978)

What you need to know:

• Rating: PG
• Run time: 123 minutes
• Director: Peter Hyams
• Main cast: Elliott Gould, James Brolin, Hal Holbrook
• Genre: Thriller
• Ratings: 6.8 – IMDb / 64% – Rotten Tomatoes

NASA secretly fakes the voyage of the first manned mission to Mars. They send the ship into space unmanned but film the Martian landing on a sound stage. A journalist starts questioning the mission, just as other events put this conspiracy into overdrive.

If you think the Apollo moon landing was faked, you should love this thriller, which combines space travel with a conspiracy storyline. It also has a great cast, including Hal Holbrook, the wholesome-looking but secretly evil head of NASA

Ready to watch? You can find the movie right here on YouTube.

4 Minute Mile (2014)

What you need to know:

• Rating: PG-13
• Run time: 86 minutes
• Director: Charles-Olivier Michaud
• Main cast: Kelly Blatz, Richard Jenkins, Cam Gigandet
• Genre: Spy/adventure
• Ratings: 6.2 – IMDb / 29% – Rotten Tomatoes

 A teenager on the wrong side of the tracks is working for a drug dealer connected with his brother. However, the teen dreams of being a great runner to gain a college scholarship and get out of his current situation.

This movie is all about perseverance and overcoming obstacles. Many people have talents but also have circumstances that keep them from using those talents. While this free YouTube movie has some dark turns, it’s ultimately a positive film about fulfilling your dreams.

Ready to watch? You can find the movie right here on YouTube.

Cast Away (2000)

What you need to know:

• Rating: 10
• Runtime: 143 minutes
• Director: Robert Zemeckis
• Main cast: Tom Hanks, Helen Hunt, Chris Noth, Paul Sanchez, Lari White, Leonid Citer, David Allen Brooks
• Genre:  Adventure, Drama
• IMDB rating: 7.8

Chuck Nolan is alone on an island, stranded after his plane crashes on his way to Malaysia. He’s the only survivor and has a whole life waiting for him at home with his fiancee. Will he survive? Will he make it home? Join Tom Hanks in this laugh-cry-get-angry drama, streaming for free on YouTube. 

Ready to watch? You can find the movie right here on YouTube.

Fearless (1993)

What you need to know:

• Rating: R
• Run time: 122 minutes
• Director: Peter Weir
• Main cast: Jeff Bridges, Isabella Rossellini, Rosie Perez
• Genre: Drama
• Ratings: 7.1 – IMDb / 85% – Rotten Tomatoes

A man emerges unscathed from a plane crash that kills everyone else on board. He now feels a new sense of exhilaration in life and starts trying to do things that he normally would not do. That decision could be the thing that finally kills him.

This movie is a showcase for Jeff Bridges, as he plays a character who no longer fears death, and tries to do things that might put himself in danger. He’s definitely the best thing about this drama movie.

Ready to watch? You can find the movie right here on YouTube.

The Girl with All the Gifts (2016)

What you need to know:

• Rating: R
• Run time: 111 minutes
• Director: Colm McCarthy
• Main cast: Sennia Nanua, Gemma Arterton, Paddy Considine, Glenn Close
• Genre: Horror/sci-fi/drama
• Ratings: 6.6 – IMDb / 85% – Rotten Tomatoes

When the world is overrun by cannibalistic zombies born out of a fungal infection, a scientist goes on a journey with a child who is immune, hoping to create a cure and protect the world’s remaining surVivors.

A beautiful story of resilience and anger in the face of injustice, The Girl with All the Gifts imagines a dystopian future in which a child may hold the key to humanity’s survival, even as she’s treated with very little humanity by her captors. If you like HBO’s The Last of Us, you should definitely give it a try.

Ready to watch? You can find the movie right here on YouTube.

Tokyo Godfathers (2003)

What you need to know:

• Rating: PG-13
• Run time: 92 minutes
• Director: Satoshi Kon
• Main cast: Tōru Emori, Yoshiaki Umegaki, Aya Okamoto
• Genre: Drama/comedy/adventure
• Ratings: 7.8 – IMDb / 91% – Rotten Tomatoes

On Christmas eve, three homeless misfits come across a new born baby in the trash. The trio takes it upon themselves to care for the child as they wander the streets of Tokyo seeking out the baby’s parents.

Based loosely 1948 American western film 3 Godfathers, directed by the legendary John Ford, Tokyo Godfathers was an immediate hit with critics and audiences in Japan and the U.S. Hailed as a beautiful and moving if unconventional animated Christmas story, the anime film is among the best free movies on YouTube.

Ready to watch? You can find the movie right here on YouTube.

Masters of The Universe (1987)

What you need to know:

• Rating: PG
• Run time: 1 hour 56 minutes
• Director: Gary Goddard
• Main cast: Dolph Lundgren, Frank Langella, Meg Foster
• Genre: Action
• Ratings: 5.3 – IMDb / 22% – Rotten Tomatoes

The evil warlord Skeletor wants control of the planet Eternia. The forces of good, led by He-Man, oppose his efforts, and their battle spills over to Earth, where a powerful device called the Cosmic Key is now in the hands of two teenagers.

You have to have some guilty pleasure movies on your best free YouTube movie list. This film is great for watching on a Saturday afternoon. It’s not exactly good, but the film, based on the toy line and animated series, is entertaining and has a great villain performance by Frank Langella as Skeletor.

Ready to watch? You can find the movie right here on YouTube.

Godzilla: King of the Monsters (1956)

What you need to know:

• Rating: NR
• Run time: 80 minutes
• Director: Ishirô Honda, Terry O. Morse
• Main cast: Raymond Burr, Takashi Shimura, Momoko Kochi
• Genre: Disaster/sci-fi/action
• Ratings: 6.3 – IMDb / 83% – Rotten Tomatoes

US nuclear bomb testing off the Japanese coast in the 1950s has awakened a previously unknown 400-foot creature. The massive dinosaur-like being slowly makes its way to Toyko, and it seems nothing can stop it.

While previous movies like King Kong have featured giant monsters, this Japanese film took that concept to a whole new level. The first true Kaiju movie is pretty serious and frightening, unlike most of its sequels and spinoffs. It’s also a commentary on the aftereffects of nuclear war.

Ready to watch? You can find the movie right here on YouTube.

The Infiltrator (2015)

What you need to know:

• Rating: R
• Run time: 127 minutes
• Director: Brad Furman
• Main cast: Bryan Cranston, Diane Kruger, John Alberto Leguizamo
• Genre: Crime/drama
• Ratings: 7.0 – IMDb / 71% – Rotten Tomatoes

In the mid-1980s, a US Customs agent discovers that a money laundering ring has the infamous Colombian drug kingpin Pablo Escobar as its center. The agent is assigned to pose as a crooked businessman to infiltrate Escobar’s circle to find the evidence that will put him away.

Based on a true story, this is a great crime drama with some unexpected humorous moments. Much of that humor comes from Bryan Cranston, who is great as the somewhat reluctant customs agent who’s ultimately made to go undercover to defeat the crime ring.

Ready to watch? You can find the movie right here on YouTube.

Moby Dick (1956)

What you need to know:

• Rating: NR
• Run time: 116 minutes
• Director: John Huston
• Main cast: Gregory Peck, Richard Basehart, Leo Genn
• Genre: Drama/adventure
• Ratings: 7.3 – IMDb / 83% – Rotten Tomatoes

In the 19th century, the whaling ship known as the Pequod is going on a very different hunt. Led by the obsessive Captain Ahab, the crew is forced to fight the massive white whale known as Moby Dick

This classic movie is not only based on the Herman Melville novel, it has a screenplay written by Ray Bradbury. John Huston directed this adaptation which still holds up today, thanks in part to Gregory Peck’s performance as Ahab.

Ready to watch? You can find the movie right here on YouTube.

Support Your Local Sheriff! (1969)

What you need to know:

• Rating: G
• Run time: 93 minutes
• Director: Burt Kennedy
• Main cast: James Garner, Joan Hackett, Walter Brennan
• Genre: Western Comedy
• Ratings: 7.5 – IMDb / 72% – Rotten Tomatoes

In a small Colorado frontier town in the 19th century, the discovery of gold sends tons of people, including criminals, to the area. A visiting gunslinger becomes the local sheriff, but he has to eventually deal with the threat of an infamous gang coming into town.

James Garner brings some of the comedy and energy of his character in the Western TV series Maverick to this role. He’s certainly the main reason to watch this comedy, but Jack Elan also gives a funny performance as the local town eccentric.

Ready to watch? You can find the movie right here on YouTube.

Glengarry Glen Ross (1992)

What you need to know:

• Rating: R
• Run time: 100 minutes
• Director: James Foley
• Main cast: Al Pacino, Jack Lemmon, Alec Baldwin
• Genre: Drama
• Ratings: 7.7 – IMDb / 95% – Rotten Tomatoes

Four real estate salesmen are given a speech by one of the firm’s best pitchmen. Within a week, the top two agents keep their jobs; everyone else gets fired. The salesmen get desperate to get access to the best leads so they can get to the top of the list.

This might be the best movie adaptation of a play by the legendary David Mamet. It also has an all-star cast, including Ed Harris and Jack Lemmon. The highlight is near the beginning of the movie, when we see Alec Baldwin’s brief but memorable turn as the top salesman, berating the others in a ruthless fashion. It’s definitely one of the best free movies on YouTube.

Ready to watch? You can find the movie right here on YouTube.

Of Mice and Men (1992)

What you need to know:

• Rating: PG-13
• Run time: 104 minutes
• Director: Gary Sinise
• Main cast: John Malkovich, Gary Sinise, Ray Walston
• Genre: Historical Drama
• Ratings: 7.5 – IMDb / 97% – Rotten Tomatoes

Two nomadic farm workers travel the roads of the US during the Great Depression. Their friendship is tested to the limits after the childlike giant Lenny becomes obsessed with the farm owners’ daughter-in-law

This is perhaps the best adaptation of John Steinbeck’s classic novel. John Malkovich is heartbreaking as the tragic Lenny, and Gary Sinise — who also directed — became a major movie actor thanks to his role as George.

Ready to watch? You can find the movie right here on YouTube.

The Lawnmower Man (1992)

What you need to know:

• Rating: R
• Run time: 108 minutes
• Director: Brett Leonard
• Main cast: Jeff Fahey, Pierce Brosnan, Jenny Wright, Geoffrey Lewis
• Genre: Sci-fi/horror
• Ratings: 5.4 – IMDb / 37% – Rotten Tomatoes

An eccentric scientist begins experimenting on a man with intellectual disabilities. He puts the man on a regimen of pills and computer simulations that eventually increase his intelligence, leading him to plot revenge on those who mistreated him and took advantage of his disabilities.

Hardly a beloved classic, The Lawnmower Man bombed with critics and audiences in 1992. Stephen King famously sued its creators to have his name removed from the film, stating it bore virtually no resemblance to his original story. Still, The film is a fascinating look back at early CGI effects, and it’s a dark and interesting techno-Frankenstein tale that’s worth a watch.

Ready to watch? You can find the movie right here on YouTube.

The Hunger Games (2012)

What you need to know:

• Rating: 12
• Runtime: 142 minutes
• Director: Gary Ross
• Main cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Lenny Kravitz, Stanley Tucci
• Genre:  Action, Adventure, Science Fiction
• IMDB rating: 7.2

Kill or be killed? In a dystopian future North America called Panem, 12 districts are forced to send a boy and girl to compete in the televised Hunger Games every year. This brutal contest requires the chosen Tributes to fight to the death until only one remains. Katniss, from District 12, must navigate this deadly arena using her instincts and guidance from a former winner, Haymitch. As she faces skilled opponents, Katniss grapples with tough decisions about survival, humanity, and love. The entire nation watches her every move.

Ready to watch? You can find the movie right here on YouTube.

Skiptrace (2016)

What you need to know:

• Rating: 12
• Runtime: 107 minutes
• Director: Renny Harlin
• Main cast: Jackie Chan, Johnny Knoxville, Fan Bingbing, Eric Tsang, Eve Torres, Winston Chao, Yeon Jeong-hun
• Genre:  Action, Adventure, Comedy
• IMDB rating: 5.6

In 2007, Hong Kong detective Bennie Chan chases crime boss Matador, thought to be businessman Victor Wong. Bennie’s partner Yung dies but gives him a watch. Nine years later, Bennie must save Yung’s daughter Samantha from Wong. To do this, he teams up with conman Connor Watts, who has seen a crime and has an important phone. Together, they face dangers from Russia to Mongolia.

Ready to watch? You can find the movie right here on YouTube.

The Illusionist (2006)

What you need to know:

• Rating: 10
• Runtime: 110 minutes
• Director: Neil Burger
• Main cast: Edward Norton, Paul Giamatti, Jessica Biel, Rufus Sewell, Eddie Marsan, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Eleanor Tomlinson
• Genre:  Drama, Fantasy, Mystery
• IMDB rating: 7.5

Talented magician Eisenheim falls for a beautiful aristocrat. Using his illusions, he tries to win her heart, drawing her away from her fiancé, the crown prince. This stirs chaos in the royal court and attracts the attention of a determined detective.

Ready to watch? You can find the movie right here on YouTube.

Lord of the Flies (1990)

What you need to know:

• Rating: R
• Run time: 90 minutes
• Director: Harry Hook
• Main cast: Balthazar Getty, Chris Furrh, Danuel Pipoly, James Badge Dale
• Genre: Drama/survival
• Ratings: 6.4 – IMDb / 57% – Rotten Tomatoes

An updated take on the literary classic, Lord of the Flies tells the story of a group of American military schoolboys marooned on an island after a plane crash. At first, the boys work together, dividing responsibilities between them, but as factions form, the boys descend into territoriality and animalistic cruelty.

If you’re from a certain generation, you were likely made to watch this one in English class with your peers after reading the classic novel of the same name by William Golding. I can picture the high school TV cart now, the wheels squeaking as its rolled in for an afternoon. It’s not exactly a classic and wasn’t even reviewed particularly well, but if you want a blast from the past, you can check it out on YouTube for free.

Ready to watch? You can find the movie right here on YouTube.

Dear Mr. Watterson (2013)

What you need to know:

• Rating: 7
• Runtime: 89 minutes
• Director: Joel Allen Schroeder
• Main cast: Seth Green, Berkeley Breathed, Stephan Pastis, Bill Amend, Jef Mallett, Dave Kellett, Jan Eliot
• Genre:  Documentary
• IMDB rating: 6.3

In Dear Mr. Watterson (2013), two decades after the end of the iconic comic strip Calvin and Hobbes, director Joel Allen Schroeder delves into its enduring popularity and devoted fan base.

Ready to watch? You can find the movie right here on YouTube.

Kung Fury (2015)

What you need to know:

• Rating: 17
• Runtime: 32 minutes
• Director: David Sandberg
• Main cast: David Sandberg, Jorma Taccone, Leopold Nilsson, Andreas Cahling, Helene Ahlson, Eos Karlsson, Eleni Young
• Genre:  Short, Action, Comedy
• IMDB rating: 8

In Kung Fury (2015), when Kung Fury’s friend is killed by Adolf Hitler, also called Kung Führer, Kung Fury goes back in time to Nazi Germany to stop Hitler and end his rule.

Ready to watch? You can find the movie right here on YouTube.

Everything Must Go (2010)

What you need to know:

• Rating: R
• Run time: 97 minutes
• Director: Dan Rush
• Main cast: Will Ferrell, Christopher Jordan Wallace, Rebecca Hall
• Genre: Drama
• Ratings: 6.4 – IMDb / 73% – Rotten Tomatoes

 An alcoholic salesman loses his job, and his wife leaves him and dumps all his possessions in front of his house. So he naturally decides to sell all his stuff in an impromptu yard sale.

Will Ferrell gets a serious dramatic role in this movie, and he’s very believable as a man who really does want to lose everything about himself. The yard sale is a nice metaphor for string to get a new lease on life, and it works for this movie.

Ready to watch? You can find the movie right here on YouTube.

Ghost In The Shell (1995)

What you need to know:

• Rating: TV-MA
• Run time: 85 minutes
• Director: Mamoru Oshii
• Main cast: Richard George, Mimi Woods, William Frederick
• Genre: Animated Sci-fi Action
• Ratings: 7.9 – IMDb / 95% – Rotten Tomatoes

The year is 2029, and the city of Tokyo is dealing with a computer hacker who can even enter electronically modified human minds. A member of the city’s Section Nine group is assigned to take him down, but this cyborg is also wondering if her memories are real.

Along with Akira, this movie helped to bring Japanese anime movies to a whole new audience worldwide. The story and animation still hold up today, and it’s definitely one of the best free YouTube movies. Just don’t bother with the more recent live-action version.

Ready to watch? You can find the movie right here on YouTube.

Free to Play (2014)

What you need to know:

• Rating: 12
• Runtime: 75 minutes
• Director:
• Main cast: Benedict Lim, Danil Ishutin, Clinton Loomis
• Genre:  Documentary, Action
• IMDB rating: 7.6

In Free to Play (2014), three pro video game players face personal challenges and family pressures. They compete in a million-dollar tournament, a chance that could transform their futures.

Ready to watch? You can find the movie right here on YouTube.

Dark Star (1974)

What you need to know:

• Rating: G
• Run time: 83 minutes
• Director: John Carpenter
• Main cast: Brian Narelle, Dan O’Bannon, Cal Kuniholm
• Genre: Sci-fi Comedy
• Ratings: 6.2 – IMDb / 77% – Rotten Tomatoes

A spaceship and its crew are commanded to destroy rogue planets. However, one of the bombs that actually blows up planets has an AI, and it’s starting to question its life.

John Carpenter, who went on to direct classic movies like Halloween, Escape From New York, and The Thing, expanded his student film into this full-fledged feature. It definitely has a low budget but this spoof of 2001 is still funny.

Ready to watch? You can find the movie right here on YouTube.

My Friend Dahmer (2017)

What you need to know:

• Rating: R
• Run time: 107 minutes
• Director: Marc Meyers
• Main cast: Ross Lynch, Anne Heche, Alex Wolff, Dallas Roberts, Tommy Nelson, Vincent Kartheiser
• Genre: Drama/horror/biography
• Ratings: 6.2 – IMDb / 86% – Rotten Tomatoes

My Friend Dahmer explores the teen years of Jeffrey Dahmer, who would go on to become a notorious serial killer. As a teen, Dahmer was an outsider, but he did have friends, and the story is told in part from their perspective.

Based on the 2012 graphic novel of the same name by Derf Backderf, My Friend Dahmer doesn’t shy away from the true horrors of Jeffrey Dahmer’s crimes but offers the pecular vantage point of his classmates, who saw sides of the future killer that are haunting an enlightening. A must see film if you watched Netflix’s Monster.

Ready to watch? You can find the movie right here on YouTube.

Pumping Iron (1977)

What you need to know:

• Rating: PG
• Run time: 1 hour 25 minutes
• Director: George Butler, Robert Fiore
• Main cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Lou Ferrigno, Roger Callard
• Genre: Documentary
• Ratings: 7.3 — IMDB / 92% — Rotten Tomatoes

In the early to mid-1970s, bodybuilding was becoming more popular to a wider audience. The documentary shows the athletes as they compete for the title of Mr. Olympia.

Arnold Schwarzenegger became a mainstream star with this documentary, showing not only his muscles but his confident personality. We also see future Hulk actor Lou Ferrigno in the same movie, competing against Arnold. It’s one of the best documentaries ever made and one of the best free movies on YouTube.

Ready to watch? You can find the movie right here on YouTube.

Tracks (2013)

What you need to know:

• Rating: PG-13
• Run time: 112 minutes
• Director: John Curran
• Main cast: Mia Wasikowska, Adam Driver
• Genre: Drama/survival
• Ratings: 7.1 – IMDB / 82% – Rotten Tomatoes

Accompanied by her dog and four dromedary camels, a woman travels from Alice Springs to the Indian Ocean, making her way across 1,700 miles of Australian deserts in 1977. Rick Smolan, A National Geographic photographer, follows along to document her journey.

Based on Robyn Davidson’s memoir of the same name, Tracks features gorgeous cinematography, capturing the majesty of the Australian wilderness, along with stellar performances by its two leads. It’s a terrific choice for fans of films like Wild and Into the Wild. It’s one of the best free movies on YouTube.

Ready to watch? You can find the movie right here on YouTube.

These are the best free movies on YouTube, in our opinion, although there are plenty of other great ones available as well. You can check out more of them by visiting the YouTube Movies channel on the platform via the button below.