If you’re looking for a fresh selection of the best free movies to stream this week, we’ve got you covered. We’ve picked five movies from a range of genres, but the common theme is that they’re all serving up something darker, sharper or just plain weirder than previous weeks. Each of our film choices explore the strange or the unsettling, from cerebral sci-fi and psychological horror to thrillers with teeth and jet-black comedy. Twisted relationships, time-bending aliens, edge-of-your-seat chase scenes, existential dread, it’s all here.
Each film in this list is available to stream for free on top ad-supported platforms like Tubi, Pluto TV, Plex, Kanopy, and more. You might have to sit through a few ads, but there’s no subscription, no cost and often no sign-up required to watch any of the best free streaming services, which makes them well worth your time. Read on for our selection of five of the best free movies to stream this week.
1) Suspiria (Kanopy, Hoopla, FlixHouse, Plex, Darkroom, Fawesome)
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Release date: 1977
Rotten Tomatoes score: 94%
Length: 92 minutes
Director: Dario Argento
Main cast: Jessica Harper, Stefania Casini, Flavio Bucci, Miguel Bosé, Barbara Magnolfi, Susanna Javicoli, Eva Axén, Alida Valli, Joan Bennett
Age rating: R
Suspiria really is a fever dream of a horror film. It’s incredibly strange, stylish and soaked in blood red light. It follows the story of a young American ballerina called Suzy Bannion (played by Jessica Harper) who arrives at a famous dance school in Germany, only to discover it may be run by a coven of witches.
Directed by “Master of Horror” Dario Argento, Suspiria is a cult classic that’s known for its wild color palette, eerie Goblin score and surreal set-pieces that feel like something out of a nightmare. More haunting than terrifying, it’s horror as visual art and one of the most influential genre films ever made. There is a newer version made in 2018 starring Dakota Johnson in the leading role that is worth a watch, but we prefer the original.
2) Eden Lake (Kanopy, Prime Video, Hoopla, Fandango, Plex)
Release date: 2008
Rotten Tomatoes score: 78%
Length: 91 minutes
Director: James Watkins
Main cast: Kelly Reilly, Michael Fassbender, Jack O’Connell, James Gandhi, Thomas Turgoose, Bronson Webb, Shaun Dooley, Finn Atkins
Age rating: R
If you’re in the mood for something brutal, bleak and genuinely unnerving, Eden Lake delivers on all counts. This British survival horror stars Kelly Reilly (Yellowstone) and a pre-fame Michael Fassbender as a couple on a romantic weekend that turns into a terrifying fight for their lives.
With sharp social commentary and escalating tension that doesn’t let up for a single second, Eden Lake is one of those films that will leave your stomach in knots. It’s pretty grim. It’s very intense. And what makes matters so much worse is it’s terrifyingly plausible. Watch at your own risk, it’s impossible to unsee this one.
3) Arrival (Kanopy, Hoopla)
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Release date: 2016
Rotten Tomatoes score: 94%
Length: 116 minutes
Director: Denis Villeneuve
Main cast: Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Forest Whitaker, Michael Stuhlbarg, Tzi Ma
Age rating: PG-13
More of a meditative sci-fi movie than an explosive or flashy one, Arrival is the rare cerebral film that asks some big questions and earns every bit of its huge emotional payoff. Amy Adams stars as Louise Banks, a linguist tasked with deciphering an alien language when mysterious spacecraft appear around the world.
There’s no typical alien invasion story here. Instead, it’s a quieter, more thoughtful exploration of time, language and relationships. It’s beautifully directed by Denis Villeneuve (Dune, Blade Runner 2049), and, like most of the picks this week, it’s the kind of movie that lingers with you long after the credits roll. At which point we recommend you go and seek out author Ted Chiang’s other short stories, as Arrival is based on one of them.
4) Ba (Roku, Kanopy, Prime Video, Plex, Fawesome)
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Release date: 2024
Rotten Tomatoes score: 90%
Length: 79 minutes
Director: Benjamin Wong
Main cast: Lawrence Kao, Kai Cech, Michael Paul Chan, Brian Thompson, Shelli Boone
Age rating: Not rated yet
Ba is a haunting but heartfelt indie gem that blends supernatural folklore with a deeply human story. It follows the story of Daniel (played by Lawrence Kao), a struggling single father, who stumbles into a mysterious gig as a modern-day grim reaper. All the while, his sharp young daughter, Collette (Kai Cech), grows suspicious of his strange behavior.
Directed by Benjamin Wong, Ba is part thriller, part emotional drama and totally original. It’s got eerie visuals, clever world-building and standout performances from Kao and Cech, whose father-daughter dynamic really is the emotional heart of the film.
5) Secretary (Hoopla, Fandango, Plex, Tubi, Fawesome, Prime Video)
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Release date: 1998
Rotten Tomatoes score: 77%
Length: 112 minutes
Director: Steven Shainberg
Main cast: James Spader, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jeremy Davies, Patrick Bauchau, Stephen McHattie, Lesley Ann Warren
Age rating: R
Secretary is a dark romantic comedy with a masochistic twist. Maggie Gyllenhaal plays Lee, a young woman fresh out of a psychiatric hospital who lands a job as a legal assistant to Mr. Grey, played by a very intense James Spader. What follows is a complicated, and surprisingly tender, BDSM relationship.
It’s certainly not your typical rom-com, but Secretary handles kink, power and emotional connection with more nuance than most mainstream movies. It’s weird, provocative and unexpectedly sweet, too. It’s become a cult favorite for a reason and both Gyllenhaal and Spader are on top form here.
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