Happy New Year, folks! If you’re keen to cut down on your streaming service bills in 2025, the best free streaming services – think Tubi, Pluto TV, and Plex – are excellent, subscription-free alternatives to the likes of Netflix, Max, and Prime Video.
These free-to-access platforms are becoming increasingly popular as consumers look to tighten their purse strings, and below, I’ve highlighted five of the best free movies to stream this week – from box office-breaking family adventures to iconic crime thrillers.
Wonka (Tubi)
Release date: October 2023
RT Score: 82%
Length: 116 minutes
Director: Paul King
Main cast: Timothée Chalamet, Calah Lane, Keegan-Michael Key, Paterson Joseph
Wonka was among the most commercially successful films of 2023, and just over a year later, Paul King’s fantastical family adventure is available to stream for free on Tubi.
Starring Timothée Chalamet in the lead role, Wonka depicts the early, dream-filled days of literature’s most famous chocolatier. Upon arriving at the fictitious Galéries Gourmet, a naïve Willy Wonka finds himself at odds with a trio of corrupt businessmen and a pair of unscrupulous launderette owners. The film’s star-studded cast also includes Sally Hawkins, Rowan Atkinson, Olivia Colman, and Hugh Grant.
I’m Not There (Hoopla, Pluto TV, Kanopy, Plex)
Release date: September 2007
RT Score: 76%
Length: 135 minutes
Director: Todd Haynes
Main cast: Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Marcus Carl Franklin, Richard Gere
Speaking of Timothée Chalamet, Hollywood’s man-of-the-moment is currently starring in the new Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown, and a forerunner to that film, Todd Haynes’ I’m Not There, is currently streaming for free on almost all free streaming platforms, including Hoopla, Pluto, Kanopy, and Plex.
Inspired by the life and music of Dylan but not actually referencing him by name, I’m Not There sees six different actors – Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Marcus Carl Franklin, Richard Gere, and Heath Ledger – embodying a different aspect of the musician’s life and work. A unique and experimental film, Haynes’ biopic-of-sorts is a perfect companion piece to Chalamet’s more conventional take on one of music’s most fascinating figures.
Heat (Plex)
Release date: December 1995
RT Score: 83%
Length: 170 minutes
Director: Michael Mann
Main cast: Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Tom Sizemore, Diane Venora
When Al Pacino and Robert De Niro act alongside one another, sparks tend to fly (see The Godfather Part II, Casino, The Irishman, etc.) and Heat is perhaps the best example of the iconic pair in action together.
Michael Mann’s seminal crime thriller centers on the conflict between LA detective Vincent Hanna and career thief Neil McCauley, both of whom allow their chosen professions to negatively influence their personal lives. Having inspired everything from The Dark Knight to the Grand Theft Auto video game series, Heat is now firmly established as one of the best films of the 1990s and a must-watch for fans of either of its lead actors.
Almost Famous (Hoopla)
Release date: September 2000
RT Score: 91%
Length: 122 minutes
Director: Cameron Crowe
Main cast: Patrick Fugit, Billy Crudup, Frances McDormand, Kate Hudson
Big news (for me): perhaps my favorite film of all time (though I change my mind like the wind), Almost Famous, is now streaming for free on digital library platform Hoopla.
Based loosely on the early writing career of its director, Cameron Crowe, this 1970s-set drama follows a teenage music fan-turned-Rolling Stone reporter (Patrick Fugit) who unexpectedly embarks on a cross-country road trip with the fictitious rock band Stillwater.
Starring Billy Crudup, Kate Hudson, Frances McDormand, and Philip Seymour Hoffman, Almost Famous is a charming ode to the romance of rock & roll and an absolute treat for film-loving music fans. Necessary viewing!
The Pianist (Hoopla, Pluto TV, Plex)
Release date: May 2002
RT Score: 95%
Length: 143 minutes
Director: Roman Polanski
Main cast: Adrien Brody, Thomas Kretschmann, Frank Finlay, Maureen Lipman
Adrian Brody is earning plaudits aplenty for his latest performance as a Holocaust-surviving Jewish architect in The Brutalist (not least a 2025 Golden Globe), and the actor’s turn as László Tóth is drawing comparisons with his Oscar-winning portrayal of Władysław Szpilman in 2002’s The Pianist.
Now streaming on Hoopla, Pluto TV, and Plex, Roman Polanski’s celebrated biographical film recounts the harrowing true story of the acclaimed Polish musician, who hid in the ruins of Warsaw during WWII to evade Nazi capture. This is a moving, damning, and brilliantly shot film that deserves repeat viewing.
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axel.metz@futurenet.com (Axel Metz)
