Best Free Movies on YouTube You Can Stream Now (March 2023)
With the streaming wars hotter than ever, it’s hard to decide which to subscribe for. Maybe you’ve got a movie in mind, look it up, and find out it’s on HBO Max. But you’ve only got Netflix and Amazon Prime and Disney+ and Hulu and Starz and Showtime and Paramount+! What’ll you do?! These are hard days we’re living in. Most of us are bored with our DVD/Blu-ray collections, and when what we want to watch is only streaming somewhere else, and forking over the four dollars to view it is simply out of the question because subscribing to all the streamers has rendered you broke. But, there is still a refuge.
YouTube is that place. The online platform has a surprisingly robust library of ad-supported free movies. Here are the very best movies you can stream for free on the site at the moment.
For more recommendations, check out our list of the best movies on Netflix, Hulu, and Prime Video.
Editor’s note: This article was updated March 2023 to include The Help, Waves, Great Gatsby, Aquamarine, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Spinning Man, Outlaws and Angels, My Friend Dahmer, Good Burger, and Space Jam.
RELATED: The Best Movies on Netflix Right Now
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The Prince & Me (2004)
Image via Paramount Pictures
Run Time: 1 hr 51 min | Genre: Romantic Comedy Family | Director: Martha Coolidge
Cast: Julia Stiles, Luke Mably, Miranda Richardson
The Prince & Me stars Julia Stiles(The Bourne Identity) at the height of her romantic comedy stardom as college student Paige, who meets and ultimately falls for Danish student and secret prince Eddie (Luke Mably). The Prince and Me is a predictably cute and sweet romance that can be perceived as wish fulfillment to many young girls but is undoubtedly a family-friendly fairy tale. Director Martha Coolidge (Valley Girl) maintains an enjoyable couple of hours where her actors are safe to play without taking many risks or pushing boundaries to be edgy. – Yael Tygiel
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The Help (2011)
Run Time: 2 hr 26 min | Genre: Drama | Director: Tate Taylor
Cast: Viola Davis, Emma Stone, Octavia Spencer
Adapted by writer and director Tate Taylor, this star-studded period drama based on the novel by Kathryn Stockett features award-winning performances by Octavia Spencer (Hidden Figures) and Viola Davis (Fences) — as well as one of the most cathartic pie scenes in cinema. The Help is the story of Skeeter (Emma Stone), a young socialite in the 1960s American south who aspires to be a writer. She chooses to interview the Black maids in her town to share their side of the story in her new book. As she gets to know the Black women propping up her upper-class society, she comes to understand the racism they face and the issues plaguing the Black community as a whole. – Tauri Miller
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Waves (2019)
Run Time: 2 hr 15 min | Genre: Sports, Romance | Director: Trey Edward Shults
Cast: Taylor Russell, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Alexa Demie, Sterling K. Brown
Waves is a beautifully nuanced film with captivating performances from start to finish. Written and directed by Trey Edward Shults (It Comes at Night), the emotional story follows a Black family in the South Florida suburbs who starts to unravel when the oldest son Tyler (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) gets injured and his life starts to spin out of control. The film wrestles with issues like drug use, societal expectations of African Americans, and the push and pull of parents wanting the best for their children while fearing for their future. It’s a slice of life served with a heaping dollop of heartbreak, but the tragedy is what makes it so impactful. – Tauri Miller
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The Great Gatsby (2013)
Run Time: 2 hr 23 min | Genre: Drama, Romance | Director: Baz Luhrmann
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan, Joel Edgerton
Auteur director Baz Luhrmann (Moulin Rouge!) brings his signature style to a shiny new adaptation of the classic F. Scott Fitzgerald novel. The Great Gatsby follows Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire) as he recounts his time stepping into the nouveau riche world surrounding his neighbor Jay Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio). DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan bring a delightful and understated grace to the roles that breathe new life into characters that have been put to film since the 1920s. As you would expect of a Luhrmann film, the cinematography is breathtaking, and the soundtrack is full of bangers that, although sometimes anachronistic, perfectly match his sleek style. – Tauri Miller
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Aquamarine (2006)
Image via 20th Century Fox
Run Time: 1 hr 50 min | Genre: Family, Comedy | Director: Elizabeth Allen Rosenbaum
Cast: Emma Roberts, JoJo, Sara Paxton
Emma Roberts (Scream Queens) and JoJo (All American) make a splash in this loose adaptation of the young adult Alice Hoffman novel. Roberts and Jojo play two teens who stumble upon a mermaid named Aquamarine (Sara Paxton). Aquamarine promises to grant them one wish if they help her find love, so the three set out on an adventure to help her court a handsome lifeguard she’s had her eye on. Aquamarine is a delightful family film that plays in the contemporary fantasy genre in fun ways. Kids will love the hijinx these teens get into and the heartfelt friendship that pushes the story forward. – Tauri Miller
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Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)
Image via Paramount Pictures
Run Time: 1 hr 55 min | Genre: Romance, Comedy | Director: Blake Edwards
Cast: Audrey Hepburn, George Peppard, Patricia Neal
Breakfast at Tiffany’s is Audrey Hepburn at her best, and the film mostly holds up after all this time as an endearing romance adapted from the novella by Truman Capote. Hepburn and George Peppard are the perfect duo as their characters, Holly Golightly and Paul Varjak, dance around one another in a duet of lovers trying to be together while hiding their past from each other. Feel free to skip past the “Asian” neighbor parts and just enjoy the charm of the old New York City backdrop while this couple shines like diamonds in this Academy Award-winning romance. – Tauri Miller
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Spinning Man (2018)
Image via Lionsgate
Run Time: 1 hr 40 min | Genre: Mystery, Thriller | Director: Simon Kaijser
Cast: Guy Pearce, Pierce Brosnan, Minnie Driver
When esteemed professor Evan Birch (Guy Pearce) is implicated in the disappearance of a high school student, his life gets flipped upside down by the tenacious Detective Robert Malloy (Pierce Brosnan), who won’t stop until he gets his man. Spinning Man is a film based on the George Harrar novel of the same name that carefully unspools the web of lies the main character has built around himself in a mystery that keeps audiences guessing. Pearce and Brosnan are excellent as they circle around one another in a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse, constantly moving the plot along using their wits and feats of deception. – Tauri Miller
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Outlaws and Angels (2016)
Image via Sundance
Run Time: 2 hr | Genre: Western, Action | Director: JT Mollner
Cast: Frances Fisher, Chad Michael Murray, Luke Wilson
The feature film debut of writer and director JT Mollner, Outlaws and Angels is an American Western that sidesteps the traditional tropes of the genre and dives into a much grittier world. The film takes place in a small house in New Mexico, where four bank robbers take a family hostage to hide out from the law. However, the robbers slowly find that the innocent family they’ve stowed away with has secrets of their own. Be warned: This film contains sexual assault and extreme violence — it’s definitely not for the squeamish. Francesca Eastwood (Old) takes the lead and transforms masterfully in this harrowing tale of sex, murder, and revenge. – Tauri Miller
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My Friend Dahmer (2017)
Run Time: 1 hr 47 min | Genre: Biographical, Horror | Director: Marc Meyers
Cast: Ross Lynch, Alex Wolff, Anne Heche
My Friend Dahmer is an adaptation of the John “Derf” Backderf graphic novel brought to you by writer and director Marc Meyers (All My Life) about the serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer. Alex Wolff (Hereditary) plays Backderf, who was a friend of Dahmer’s growing up, and the film chronicles that time of his life before Dahmer began killing. Unlike most Dahmer stories that simply paint him as a monster, this one portrays him as an oft-bullied kid struggling with his own mind who wasn’t able to get the help he needed. Ross Lynch (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina) as Dahmer is reserved and vulnerable, which adds a new layer to the child who eventually becomes an infamous murderer. – Tauri Miller
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Good Burger (1997)
Run Time: 1 hr 35 min | Genre: Family, Comedy | Director: Brian Robbins
Cast: Kel Mitchell, Kenan Thompson, Sinbad
A creation of the hit Nickelodeon series All That, Good Burger takes the whacky comedy bit about two fast food workers and injects mondo stakes into this humble restaurant. The film is a soft origin story for Ed (Kel Mitchell) and Dexter (Kenan Thompson), who are the face of the recurring Good Burger sketches, and introduces a corporate rival for them to fight against. When megacorporation Mondo Burger opens up across the street from the Good Burger, it threatens to put the little mom-and-pop shop out of business. In order to save their restaurant, Ed and Dexter have to infiltrate the new chain and uncover their dark secret. – Tauri Miller
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Space Jam (1996)
Image via Warner Bros.
Run Time: 1 hr 28 min | Genre: Animation, Comedy | Director: Joe Pytka
Cast: Michael Jordan, Wayne Knight, Theresa Randle
If you want to slam, then this movie is your jam! Michael Jordan and the Looney Tunes play a high-stakes game of basketball to determine the fate of the toons. An alien amusement park owner wants to spice up his failing attractions by enslaving the Looney Tunes, but Bugs Bunny and the crew trick the tiny extraterrestrials into agreeing to play for their freedom. Since none of the toons have any skill on the court, they enlist Jordan, one of the greatest players of all time, to give them the edge they need. Space Jam combines the wonder of live-action and animation sharing the screen like its predecessor Roger Rabbit with the gripping underdog story of a sports flick. Also, the soundtrack is a huge slam dunk. – Tauri Miller
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Beauty Shop (2005)
Image via MGM
Run Time: 1 hr 45 min | Genre: Comedy | Director: Bille Woodruff
Cast: Queen Latifah, Alicia Silverstone, Djimon Hounsou
Queen Latifah dominates in Beauty Shop, an uproarious comedy about an ambitious and talented hairdresser who opens her own business in Atlanta after she quits working for her shady and incompetent former boss (Kevin Bacon). Supporting Latifah is the star power of Sherri Shepherd, Alicia Silverstone, and icon Alfre Woodard, and on top of the non-stop laughs, Beauty Shop leans into the romantic comedy genre with love interest Joe, played by Djimon Hounsou (Shazam). Directed by Bille Woodruff (Black Lightning), Beauty Shop comes from the producers of the Barber Shop series, as well as a previous Queen Latifah film Bringing Down the House. – Yael Tygiel
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Girl in Progress (2012)
Image via Lionsgate
Run Time: 1 hr 33 min | Genre: Comedy Drama | Director: Patricia Riggen
Cast: Eva Mendes, Cierra Ramirez, Patricia Arquette
Exploring intricate themes of womanhood, adulting, and maturity, Girl in Progress is a beautifully complex film directed delicately by Patricia Riggen (Dopesick) from a screenplay by Hiram Martinez (Snowpiercer). Eva Mendes (Hitch) stars in the touching coming-of-age dramedy as a single mother struggling to be a role model for her teenage daughter (Cierra Ramirez), who is blossoming into a young woman. In her debut role, Ramirez stands sturdy in scenes facing veterans like Patricia Arquette, who plays her teacher, and Matthew Modine(Stranger Things), a married doctor who is also her mother’s lover. Girl in Progress is an authentic look at growing up and finding your way, be it alone or with the support of loved ones. – Yael Tygiel
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Freaks (2018)
Image via Well Go USA
Run Time: 1 hr 45 min | Genre: Sci-Fi Thriller | Director: Zach Lipovsky, Adam B. Stein
Cast: Emile Hirsch, Bruce Dern, Grace Park, Amanda Crew
I’m going to save one of the major things that wows me about Zach Lipovsky and Adam B. Stein’sFreaks for the very end of this blurb because I would suggest jumping into this story knowing as little as possible. But, do know that this is one of the best character-driven sci-fi thrillers of 2019. The movie features a show-stopping performance from Lexy Kolker as seven-year-old Chloe. She’s spent her entire life completely isolated from the world inside her home with her father, Henry (Emile Hirsch). He’s always told her that the outside world is a dangerous place, but the older Chloe gets, the more tempted she becomes to venture out – and then she finally does. Okay, are you ready for that semi-spoilery detail to further emphasize how wildly impressive this film is? Here it goes; I love a good big-budget superhero film as much as anyone, but if you’re looking to see what can be accomplished with a limited budget in the genre, Freaks is an absolute must-see. It’s one of those movies that’ll have you leaning in more and more with its early curiosities before absolutely exploding with creativity as Chloe discovers more and more about her reality. — Perri Nemiroff
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The Illusionist (2006)
Image via Bob Yari Productions
Run Time: 1 hr 48 min | Genre: Drama Mystery | Director: Neil Burger
Cast: Edward Norton, Paul Giamatti, Jessica Biel, Eddie Marden
Released only a few months after The Prestige, another period mystery centering on the life of a famous stage magician, The Illusionist is much less focused on crazy plot twists. The Prestige may be the flashier of the two, but The Illusionist is a stirring romantic epic featuring one of Edward Norton’s best performances. Norton stars as Eduard Abramovich, a poor man who rises in prominence thanks to his engaging magic show. Eduard yearns for the love of his childhood flame (Jessica Biel), but the two are separated by class. Dick Pope’s beautiful visuals earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Cinematography. — Liam Gaughan
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The Road Within (2014)
Image via Well Go USA Entertainment
Run Time: 1 hr 41 min | Genre: Drama Comedy | Director: Gren Wells
Cast: Zoë Kravitz, Robert Sheehan, Dev Patel
The difference between a good familiar story and a bad familiar story is often the characters. Gren Wells’ The Road Within, a remake of a German film, takes a standard road movie and delivers something fresh thanks to the trio of oddballs making the trek. Vincent (Robert Sheehan) is a young man with Tourette’s Syndrome who hopes to scatter his recently deceased mother’s ashes in the Pacific. The problem is, he’s been placed in a special clinic in order to get the treatment he needs by his father (Robert Patrick). But Vincent escapes, taking his roommate Alex (Dev Patel), who suffers from extreme OCD, and the anorexic Marie (Zoë Kravitz). The journey becomes one of self-discovery for all three, even sparking a romance between Vincent and Marie. But the big laughs are what make this charming indie a treat. You don’t want to find humor in the conditions of Vincent and Alex, but it’s played so earnestly, you can’t help but crack up at their outbursts and idiosyncrasies, which are frequent, and consistently funny. — Brendan Michael
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