These days, if you’re looking for a good movie to watch, you don’t always have to pay for it. The rise of ad-supported streaming has made it easier than ever to access old favorites, and that includes YouTube, which has its own running catalog of free movies streaming every month.
In July, it’s a particularly good month for fans of 90s cinema, with a bunch of classics from the decade streaming free right now (we picked our favorites, but “Tank Girl,” “Edward Scissorhands,” “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Encino Man” and “Enemy of the State” are also free on YouTube this month).
We’ve handpicked a quick list of the best movies streaming on YouTube right now, from one of the best animated movies ever made to a relatively recent former Hulu title that doesn’t skimp on the action.
The Iron Giant (1999)
Before the Oscars and acclaim of his Pixar mega-hits “Incredibles” and “Ratatouille,” Brad Bird made his feature debut with the 2D animated masterpiece, “The Iron Giant.” Set during the Cold War, the film follows a giant robot alien who crash-lands on Earth and strikes up a friendship with a young boy while government agents make it their mission to destroy him. Despite being an animated film for the whole family, “The Iron Giant” touches on some of the toughest topics in life and death: war, mortality, self-determination and sacrifice. It’s one of the greats, and there’s never a bad time to watch it, just make sure you’ve got some tissues on hand.
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)
Before “The Batman,” filmmaker Matt Reeves took on another iconic American franchise with “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.” The second film in the then newly revived franchise, “Dawn,” followed “Rise of the Planet of the Apes,” which was well-received but very much a prequel set before the Simian Flu wiped out mankind and left the world inhabited by intelligent, genetically enhanced apes. “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” leveled everything up and fully delivered on the franchise’s signature Ape-run world, with stunning effects and outstanding performances.
Ever After (1998)
Super sweet and fearlessly feel-good, “Ever After” is the pick if you’re looking for a mood-boosting blast of whimsy. A reimagining of the Cinderella fairytale, “Ever After” drops the fantasy elements and drops the viewer into Renaissance France, where the kindly Danielle de Barbarac (Drew Barrymore) has been forced into a life of servitude to her stepsisters and cruel stepmother (Angelica Huston) … until, of course, she catches the eye of the Prince of France (Dougray Scott). There’s no fairy godmother — instead, Danielle gets a little help from Leonardo Da Vinci — and one of the stepsisters is almost as sweet as Danielle herself, but all the changes “Ever After” makes to the familiar tale only make it more endearing.
Point Break (1991)
If it’s summer, it must be time for “Point Break,” Kathryn Bigelow’s saltwater-soaked heist thriller about a bank-robbing surf gang and the hot young cop who infiltrates them. Patrick Swayze is megawatt charming as Bodhi, the tanned titan of the unexpected thieves who strikes up a bond with Johnny Utah (Keanu Reeves), unaware his new pal is an undercover federal agent. Sexy, summery cops-and-robbers antics ensue, with a signature West Coast surf bro energy all its own. Bonus points for an excellent use of Lori Petty.
Uptown Girls (2003)
One of the all-time great divides between audience and critical reaction belongs to “Uptown Girls,” the early-2000s dramedy that was all but universally panned upon release and has since become a beloved coming-of-age favorite of its era. The late, lovely Brittany Murphy stars as a privileged rock heiress who falls on hard times after her manager steals her father’s remaining money after his death. To get by, free-wheeling Molly (Murphy) takes up the thankless job as nanny to an ultra-uptight 8-year-old, Ray (Dakota Fanning). The two strike up a strange, sometimes outright prickly bond that gives “Uptown Girls” its tender-not-treacly heart. Plus, it’s got one of the catchiest fake movie songs of all time (nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah, sheets of Egyptian cotton).
The Truman Show (1998)
If you’re looking for something a bit more existential and acclaimed, “The Truman Show” might be more your speed. The Oscar-nominated drama from legendary Australian director Peter Weir (“The Year of Living Dangerously”) stars Jim Carrey as Truman Burbank, a man who slowly begins to realize that everything about his life is fake — all part of an elaborately constructed TV show. In “The Truman Show,” you see what it is for a film to be truly ahead of its time, confronting aspects of the human experience that very quickly became definitive of life in the 2000s and beyond. (Vanity Fair summed the sentiment up rather succinctly several years ago with their excellent anniversary headline: “20 Years Later, Everything Is The Truman Show”) It’s impossible to overstate how much this movie absolutely rocked people when it was released, but it’s one of the rare ones that hits even harder with the lived context of what really happened next.
The Princess (2022)
The most recent movie on this list, “The Princess” debuted as a Hulu exclusive in 2022 and was gone from the service by 2023 when streamers started culling their overstuffed original content. It’s a bit of a harsh fate for a fun film that’s so game to deliver one action-packed set piece after the next. Fortunately, “The Princess” hasn’t fully followed some of the less fortunate former streaming titles into nonexistent oblivion and you can catch it streaming free now on YouTube. Joey King stars as a princess, trained to be a hell of a fighter, who’s forced to defend her family’s castle when she walks away from a cruel marriage at the altar. It’s a silly, set-piece heavy watch for those who might be craving something a little light and action-packed this holiday weekend.
