Why scroll through a catalogue of titles hoping to find something good to watch when you can get a cheat sheet of the best movies on Tubi right here from your friends at What to Watch? We’re doing the hard work for you and compiling the creme de la creme of what Tubi has to offer.
Tubi is a free, ad-supported streaming service that features more than 20,000 movies and TV shows, the company says. It is available on most major streaming platforms, including Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Android and iOS devices and a range of smart TV models.
Let’s break down some of the best movies that you can watch on Tubi right now.
A History of Violence (2005)
Viggo Mortensen and David Cronenberg have proven to be an exciting actor-director duo with films like Eastern Promises and A Dangerous Method — they also have a new project, Crimes of the Future, on the horizon. The two first came together though for A History of Violence.
Mortensen stars as Tom Stall, a mild-mannered man in a small town who becomes a local hero when he thwarts a hold-up. However, his actions bring mysterious visitors to the town claiming to know a secret about Tom’s past that could tear down his whole life.
Mario Bello, Ed Harris and William Hurt — who earned an Oscar nomination for his supporting work — co-star.
Amadeus (1984)
The story of arguably the greatest composer in history (played by Tom Hulce with one of cinema’s most annoying laughs) and that of his jealous contemporary (F. Murray Abraham) took the world by storm in the 80s. Though it was not without controversy.
Almost 40 years after its initial release, we know that Amadeus took some liberties with the facts regarding the life and death of Mozart and his rival Salieri, but that is why these movies open with “based on a true story.”
Despite its reported inaccuracies, Amadeus remains an enthralling and lavish story, making the 1800s opera scene in Vienna a world of intrigue, deceit and murder.
Attack the Block (2011)
Before John Boyega was hanging out with Chewbacca, he had to deal with another batch of aliens in the cult hit Attack the Block.
The film follows a gang of teenagers in South London who discover and then must defend their apartment block from an alien invasion. Starring alongside Boyega was a pre-Doctor Who Jodie Whitaker.
Attack the Block netted just a little more than $6 million at the worldwide box office, but critics gave it their stamp of approval and fans eventually found it as well. So much so that it was recently reported that Boyega and writer/director Joe Cornish are returning to make a sequel. Perfect excuse to catch up with Attack the Block, whether it’s your first or fourth time.
Best in Show (2000)
Whether you’re a fan of Schitt’s Creek or just a dog person, Best in Show is a great watch either way. The film is a Christopher Guest mockumentary featuring many of his stable of actors, including Eugene Levy and Catherine O’Hara, as well as Fred Willard, Jennifer Coolidge, Parker Posey, Bob Balaban, Jane Lynch and Michael McKean.
After tackling rock bands (This Is Spinal Tap) and local theater (Waiting for Guffman), Guest centered this film on the competitive world of dog shows and its menagerie of odd ducks.
Boogie Nights (1997)
Paul Thomas Anderson has become appointment viewing when he was a new film out, something that we’ll get later in 2021, but it’s just as exciting revisiting his previous work and watching a master craftsman.
Boogie Nights was his breakout film, an epic on the 1970s porn industry and the characters that inhabited the world with a cast featuring Mark Wahlberg, Julianne Moore, Burt Reynolds, Heather Graham, Don Cheadle, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, John C. Reilly and more.
If you haven’t seen it yet, it’s time to learn the legend of Dirk Diggler.
Brazil (1985)
Dystopian futures have always been interesting settings for movies and TV shows nowadays, but Brazil brought us a future from the unique mind of Terry Gilliam, making sure we get plenty of weird amid the bleak.
Jonathan Pryce (Game of Thrones) stars as a government bureaucrat who becomes an enemy of the state as he pursues the woman of his dreams. It has parallels to 1984, but only as Gilliam could do them.
Brazil is also one of those fun films to debate whether its a Christmas movie or not, considering its setting around the holiday.
Caddyshack (1980)
There are probably some things about Caddyshack that will make people watching it today cringe, but thankfully there’s much more that will make you crack up that you’ll ultimately give a mulligan for the less PC elements.
The classic snobs vs. slobs story heads to the golf course in this Harold Ramis-directed comedy classic that stars Chevy Chase, Rodney Dangerfield, Ted Knight and Bill Murray.
I could go on endlessly with Bill Murray quotes from this movie — “Big hitter, the Lama,” and “It’s in the hole” among his best — but while he may very well be the standout, it’s the whole cast that brings this wacky comedy together.
Tee it up when you’re in need of a laugh.
Her (2013)
Spike Jonze has been behind some of the most unique films in recent years, and Her, where Joaquin Phoenix falls in love with his phone’s operating system voiced by Scarlett Johnasson, is right up there.
The idea sounds too crazy to work, but amazingly the trio of Jonze, Phoenix and Johnasson pull off this intimate and beautiful relationship. Jonze was recognized for his work with a Best Original Screenplay Oscar, while both Phoenix and Johansson were snubbed from even getting nominations for two of their best-ever performances.
I’d go as far out as saying Her may very well feature one of the best romantic relationships put to screen in the last 10 years. But please, don’t try and form your own relationship with Alexa.
Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016)
Before Taika Waititi made the best Thor movie for Marvel or won an Oscar for Jojo Rabbit, he was an indie filmmaker from New Zealand making unique gems like Hunt for the Wilderpeople.
Starring Sam Neill and Julian Dennison, Hunt for the Wilderpeople follows a rebellious kid and his foster uncle as they try to create a new life for themselves in the New Zealand bush.
While it doesn’t have superheroes or vampires or a kid’s imaginary version of Adolf Hitler, Hunt for the Wilderpeople has the Waititi wit and weirdness in spades and is a must-see for anyone who is a fan of his work thus far.
James Bond Films
Daniel Craig’s last outing as James Bond is set to be released in theaters later this year, but if you feel like a Jame Bond marathon, you can almost knock it entirely out on Tubi.
All but one (For Your Eyes Only) of the James Bond films pre-Daniel Craig are available on Tubi. Here’s the breakdown by Bond:
Sean Connery: Dr. No, From Russia With Love, Goldfinger, Thunderball, You Only Live Twice, Diamonds Are Forever, Never Say Never Again
George Lazenby: On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
Roger Moore: Live and Let Die, The Man With the Golden Gun, The Spy Who Loved Me, Moonraker, Octopussy, A View to a Kill
Timothy Dalton: The Living Daylights, Licence to Kill
Pierce Brosnan: Goldeneye, Tomorrow Never Dies, The World Is Not Enough, Die Another Day
After the news that Amazon has bought the MGM library, which includes James Bond, it will be interesting to see how long the films are widely available on services like Tubi.
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)
Robert Downey Jr.’s comeback from near Hollywood outcast to the main star of the Marvel Cinematic Universe didn’t happen overnight. It actually got kick started with his work in the Christmas-time crime comedy Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.
Shane Black wrote and directed the film that sees a struggling private detective (Val Kilmer), a struggling actress (Michelle Monaghan) and a thief pretending to be an actor (Downey Jr.) coming together to solve a recent murder.
Downey’s charm and comedic edge that he would use to such great effect as Iron Man was on full display three years before he donned the armor.
Don’t wait till Christmas to unwrap this one.
Memento (2000)
Few do blockbusters like Christopher Nolan these days. But before he took on Batman or was messing with people’s dreams, he broke out with a small scale thriller that was big on concept.
Prior to making the inversion of time an actual thing in Tenet, Nolan simply played with the time for the audience of Memento, where the story of a man (Guy Pearce) unable to form new memories tries to solve the murder of his wife. The story, however, plays out mostly in reverse.
It’s a trick that has not worn off, as Memento holds up as an intense thriller 20 years after its release.
Short Term 12 (2013)
Brie Larson has an Oscar and heads up Captain Marvel, but for many her first attention grabbing role was in the indie drama Short Term 12.
Based on director Destin Daniel Cretton’s own experiences working in a residential treatment facility for kids, Short Term 12 sees Larson’s Grace try to help the kids that she under her care as well as her own issues.
The cast is full of future stars, including John Gallagher Jr., Kaitlyn Dever, Stephanie Beatriz, Rami Malek and LaKeith Stanfield.
Sing Street (2016)
Music is at the center of all of John Carney’s movies so far, which in addition to Once and Begin Again (also available on Tubi) includes Sing Street.
Set in Dublin, Sing Street pays homage to the music of the 1980s while also telling a fantastic story of a young artist coming into his own and the relationships that are most important to him.
Go ahead and try not to tap your feet or sing along to the original songs for the film, especially “Drive It Like You Stole It.”
Snowpiercer (2013)
The inspiration for the hit TNT show, the original Snowpiercer came from Bong Joon Ho, the Oscar-winning director of Parasite.
Snowpiercer is set in a future where a new ice age has taken place. The only survivors are onboard a train that circumvents the globe, but is divided into different class systems. Those in the back attempt to stage a revolution to change things.
Chris Evans, Tilda Swinton, Jamie Bell, Kang-Ho Song, Octavia Spencer, John Hurt and Ed Harris star.
No disrespect to the TV adaptation, but Bong Joon Ho and the scale of the action sequences make this version of Snowpiercer one you have to see.
Tucker and Dale vs. Evil (2010)
Unfortunately for Tucker and Dale, two good-hearted hillbillies just trying to enjoy their vacation, the college kids camping nearby mistake them for villainous characters in Deliverance. This misunderstanding is the base of the premise for Tucker and Dale vs. Evil; hilarious, gory circumstances ensue.
This comedy horror, starring Tyler Labine and Alan Tudyk, was passed over when it was first released by audiences, but unsurprisingly found a new wave of fans on streaming services and VOD.
Warrior (2011)
Ultimate Fighting was still relatively new to the mainstream in 2011, but rather than leaning entirely to the popularity of the growing sport, Warrior uses the fighting as the backdrop for a tough, resounding family drama.
Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton star as two estranged brothers, each dealing with personal issues in addition to their connected past, who are on a collision course in a major Ultimate Fighting tournament. Nick Nolte also stars as their alcoholic father, struggling to stay sober. These were breakout roles for both Hardy and Edgerton.
Gavin O’Connor, who has also directed Miracle and more recently The Way Back, may now hold the title for sports film director most likely to make grown men cry.
