YouTube is a surprisingly decent source for free movies. And no, I'm not talking about films illegally uploaded to YouTube. I'm talking about legitimately free movies on YouTube that you can watch now.
Now, Warner Bros. Discovery is adding to the list of free movies on YouTube. On Friday, Warner Bros. Discovery published a YouTube playlist of 31 free movies from its catalog that you can stream (h/t Variety). As of this writing, that number has already grown to 39 free Warner Bros. movies, including a few hidden gems.
Granted, this isn't on par with the deep libraries of the best free streaming services available. But there are some must-watch movies on this list and at least a dozen others worth your time. So here are our top picks for the free Warner Bros. movies you can watch on YouTube right now and the full list of 39 free movies.
Top picks
'Waiting for Guffman' (1996)
Fans of "Best in Show" and "This is Spinal Tap" will definitely want to watch "Waiting for Guffman." While not as famous as those two movies, this is another mockumentary comedy with writer/director Christopher Guest at his best.
"Waiting for Guffman" stars Guest as a quirky community theater director in small-town Blaine, Missouri. He's putting on a musical about the town's history titled "Red, White and Blaine" and has used his "off-off-off-off-Broadway" connections to invite Broadway producer Mort Guffman to review the play. Come for the talented cast that includes Eugene Levy, Fred Willard, Catherine O'Hara and more, but stay for this movie's clever take on the Samuel Beckett play "Waiting for Godot."
Watch on YouTube
'The Year of Living Dangerously' (1982)
"The Year of Living Dangerously" is a romantic comedy set in Indonesia during the overthrow of President Sukarno. It follows a group of foreign journalists in Jakarta, including Mel Gibson as newly arrived Australian correspondent Guy Hamilton. He's working with Chinese-Australian photojournalist Billy Kwan (Linda Hunt) to cover the ongoing political unrest in the country, but things take an unexpected turn once he's introduced to Jill Bryant (Sigourney Weaver).
This movie was banned in Indonesia until 2000, but that's not what makes it a must-watch movie. The reason this makes the cut as a top pick is Linda Hunt playing the male role of Billy Kwan so well that she won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. That's a truly remarkable feat, and there's no reason not to check out her performance for free on YouTube right now.
Watch on YouTube
'The Accidental Tourist' (1989)
"The Accidental Tourist" stars Willaim Hurt as Macon Leary. Author of "The Accidental Tourist" travel guides, he's struggling despite his success due to the sudden loss of his 12-year-old son and the subsequent breakdown of his marriage to his wife Sarah (Kathleen Turner). He retreats into a solitary life until a meet-cute with dog trainer Muriel Pritchett (Geena Davis) forces him to connect with someone again.
This romantic drama was a critical success when it debuted in 1989, earning praise for its direction, script and more. It would go on to be nominated for four Oscars at the Academy Awards — Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Original Score — winning one for Davis's performance as the eccentric dog trainer Muriel.
Watch on YouTube
'Michael Collins' (1996)
"Michael Collins" stars Liam Neeson as the titular Irish revolutionary. Starting with the Easter Rising in 1916, this biopic war drama follows Collins's life as one of the foundational leaders of the Irish Republic through the 1918 declaration of Irish independence and into the depths of the subsequent Irish Civil War. It also stars Aidan Quinn, Stephen Rea and Alan Rickman as Irish leaders Harry Boland, Ned Broy and Éamon de Valera as well as Julia Roberts as Collins's love interest Kitty Kiernan.
This movie scored largely well with critics, with many effusive in their praise. The biggest knock on it is its historical accuracy, which is often a criticism of historical dramas. "Michael Collins" earned the Golden Lion award at the Venice Film Festival as well as a Best Actor win for Neeson. It would go on to be nominated for Best Cinematography and Best Original Dramatic Score at the Academy Awards, so definitely don't miss this movie while you can stream it for free.
Watch on YouTube
Full list of free Warner Bros. Movies on YouTube
- "Mr. Nice Guy"
- "The Wind and the Lion"
- "Michael Collins"
- "City Heat"
- "The Adventures of Pluto Nash"
- "Mutiny on the Bounty"
- "Chaos Theory"
- "Dungeons & Dragons"
- "The Bonfire of the Vanities"
- "Return of the Living Dead Part II"
- "The Accidental Tourist" (1989)
- "Murder in the First"
- "The Year of Living Dangerously" (1982)
- "Critters 4"
- "December Boys"
- "American Ninja V"
- "Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes"
- "Deathtrap"
- "Waiting for Guffman" (1996)
- "Lionheart"
- "Price of Glory"
- "Oh, God"
- "Crossing Delancey"
- "Deal of the Century"
- "Flight of the Living Dead: Outbreak on a Plane"
- "The Mission"
- "The Incredible Mr. Limpet"
- "The 11th Hour"
- "SubUrbia"
- "Hot to Trot"
- "True Stories"
- "The Avengers"
- "The Science of Sleep"
- "Overnight Delivery"
- "The Phantom Tollbooth"
- "The Big Tease"
- "Curly Sue"
- "A Sound of Thunder"
- "Being Human"
Stream the full list right now on YouTube
