November is proving an exceptionally fruitful time for subscription-averse movie fans. We’ve already seen the likes of Aftersun, No Country for Old Men, and Boogie Nights arrive on the best free streaming services, and this week sees a load more top-tier titles vault the paywall.
Below, I’ve highlighted some of the best films to stream on Tubi, Pluto TV, Plex, and more this November – from underrated sci-fi thrillers to bombastic ’90s disaster movies.
1) District 9 (Pluto TV)
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Release date: 2009
Rotten Tomatoes score: 90%
Length: 112 minutes
Director: Neill Blomkamp
Main cast: Sharlto Copley, Jason Cope, Nathalie Boltt, Sylvaine Strike
If you’re keen on films that explore timely social issues (and you’ve already caught One Battle After Another), then Neill Blomkamp’s District 9 is worth a rewatch in 2025.
This mockumentary-style thriller centers on a South African government agent (Sharlto Copley) who finds himself caught between humanity and a mysterious alien species living in the slums of modern-day Johannesburg. At once a powerful allegory for xenophobia and a downright entertaining sci-fi movie, District 9 remains Blomkamp’s best movie and is just as powerful (if not more) today as it was on release in 2009.
2) The Firm (Pluto TV)
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Release date: 1993
Rotten Tomatoes score: 76%
Length: 154 minutes
Director: Sydney Pollack
Main cast: Tom Cruise, Gene Hackman, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Holly Hunter
For all its tension and intrigue, there’s something oddly comforting about Sydney Pollack’s The Firm (it’s probably the autumnal setting), and the film is now streaming for free on Pluto TV.
Adapted from John Grisham’s 1991 novel of the same name, this gripping legal thriller follows a talented lawyer (Tom Cruise) who relocates to Memphis for a big new job, only to discover that the firm he represents is embroiled in all sorts of badness. Holly Hunter, Jeanne Tripplehorn, and the late, great Gene Hackman also star in what is, for me, one of Pollack’s best movies.
3) Marcel the Shell with Shoes On (Plex)
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Release date: 2022
Rotten Tomatoes score: 98%
Length: 89 minutes
Director: Dean Fleischer-Camp
Main cast: Jenny Slate, Rosa Salazar, Thomas Mann, Isabella Rossellini
If you don’t already know the basic premise of Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, strap in: it’s a mockumentary about a walking, talking, one-inch seashell.
A feature-length extension of Dean Fleischer-Camp’s short film trilogy of the same name, this charming, A24-distributed movie – which is now streaming for free on Plex – centers on Marcel, an anthropomorphic shell who finds fame on YouTube and begins a quest to reunite with his long-lost family. Marcel the Shell with Shoes On was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2023, and for good reason: it’s a unique and hard-to-resist portrayal of loneliness and innocence.
4) Mid90s (Plex, Tubi)
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Release date: 2018
Rotten Tomatoes score: 81%
Length: 84 minutes
Director: Jonah Hill
Main cast: Sunny Suljic, Lucas Hedges, Na-Kel Smith, Olan Prenatt
I’ll level with you: I have not yet seen Johan Hill’s directorial debut, Mid90s. But now that it’s streaming for free on both Plex and Tubi, I’ve got no excuse (and neither do you!).
This taut comedy-drama follows thirteen-year-old Stevie (Sunny Suljic) as he navigates friendship, a troubled home life, and the Los Angeles skate scene in – you guessed it! – the mid-1990s. Critics described the film in the same terms as movies like American Graffiti and Lady Bird, which is to say that Mid90s feels both deeply personal and instantly relatable. I will be watching it this week to confirm that assessment.
5) Godzilla (Samsung TV Plus)
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Release date: 1998
Rotten Tomatoes score: 20%
Length: 139 minutes
Director: Roland Emmerich
Main cast: Matthew Broderick, Jean Reno, Maria Pitillo, Hank Azaria
Rotten Tomatoes scores be damned! Roland Emmerich’s Godzilla may not be the most well-paced, well-acted, or well-animated movie of all time, but it’s a good old-fashioned disaster flick that goes down easy on a miserable fall evening.
This rain-soaked action romp centers on a colossal monster (or kaiju) who surfaces in the ocean and begins to wreak havoc on New York City. Its appearance brings together a scientist (Matthew Broderick), a news reporter (Maria Pitillo), and an agent of the French secret service (Jean Reno), who attempt to figure out what the titular creature really wants (spoiler: it’s not human meat).
The best TVs for all budgets
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