Best Free Movies on Tubi Canada

The best part about the streaming service Tubi is that viewers can watch content for free, with no subscription required. As one of the most popular free advertising-supported streaming television services, Tubi delivers the occasional ad while you watch. That short interruption is the perfect time to refill a drink or take a quick bathroom break. The selection of free movies on Tubi changes constantly and includes plenty of classics, B-movies, movies that have won awards, and ones that might be considered hidden gems. This curated list includes the best free movies on Tubi Canada right now, available to viewers north of the border.

10 Platoon (1986)

A classic and realistic war film, Platoon follows U.S. Army volunteer Chris Taylor who arrives in South Vietnam to work with an infantry platoon. While a younger lieutenant is supposed to be in charge, the soldiers look to the two more experienced sergeants for guidance. But these two sergeants couldn’t be more different from one another, one a cynic and the other more compassionate. The movie follows Taylor, the team, and the drama that unfolds within the unit because of these differing views.

Based on a Real Story

What makes Platoon more exciting than if it were a pure work of fiction is that the story is based on writer and director Oliver Stone’s real-life experiences. The discord between the two sergeants isn’t just about their overall personalities: they have differing views on morality and war, making Platoon a deep social commentary on the military and war. The movie made history as the first Hollywood movie to be written and directed by an actual Vietnam War veteran. For those who love the war movie genre, Platoon is among the best, nominated for eight Academy Awards and winning four, including Best Picture.

9 Hot Tub Time Machine (2010)

Time travel stories have been told again and again, but never quite like in Hot Tub Time Machine. The hilarious sci-fi comedy is about three middle-aged friends who aren’t doing too well in life. When they reunite to escape to a ski resort for a reset, an energy drink is accidentally dumped into the hot tub’s control panel, and they end up being sent back in time to 1986. They’re also now in their younger bodies. Tempted to change history but told it’s too dangerous, they try their best to re-enact their past experiences as closely as possible. This leads to some unsavory moments: think breaking up with a girl and getting beaten up by a bully. What happens once the men return might not be what fans expect.

A Silly Sci-Fi Bro Comedy

Sometimes, all that’s needed is a silly sci-fi comedy that doesn’t require too many brain cells to pay attention to. Hot Tub Time Machine isn’t going to be praised for its brilliant writing. But the cast, which includes John Cusack, Rob Corddry, Craig Robinson, Chevy Chase, and Lizzy Caplan, all pros in the comedy business, make it worth the watch. The premise is silly, but it’s fun to see yet another creative way that people can get sent back in time. A perfect movie to watch with old high school friends, it will have viewers waxing nostalgic.

8 Hannibal (2001)

Before the popular TV series, Ridley Scott directed Hannibal, a psychological horror crime thriller starring Anthony Hopkins as the titular serial killer. Julianne Moore takes over the role of FBI special agent Clarice Starling that Jodie Foster originated in the 1991 movie The Silence of the Lambs, one of many movies about the character of Hannibal Lecter. Now escaped, Hannibal Lecter’s one surviving victim, Mason Verger, is desperate to catch him, but Starling needs to get to him first.

A Cat and Mouse Game Like No Other

Not only does Starling have to help find a serial killer, but she’s also trying to save him from being tortured and mutilated as he had done to many of his own victims. Hopkins is a marvel in this role, even a decade after first playing the sadistic, manipulative killer. While Moore doesn’t quite have the same charm as Foster, she brings a new dimension to an iconic character. It’s a fabulous cat-and-mouse game that might not live up to the reputation of The Silence of the Lambs, but it’s a gripping follow-up worth watching, nonetheless.

7 King Kong (2005)

Peter Jackson created this eighth entry in the King Kong franchise, which also serves as the second remake of the 1933 movie following the film in 1976 of the same name. Set in the 1930s, when a filmmaker brings his entire cast and crew to Skull Island to film, they realize there are prehistoric creatures inhabiting the land, including a giant gorilla called Kong. The ape captures New York City vaudeville performer Ann, but she surprisingly manages to create a bond with the otherwise vicious killer. Later, when Kong is captured and brought to New York to be marveled at, things go awry. Viewers can guess how the story goes from here.

A Sweet Yet Terrifying Tale of a Misunderstood Monster

King Kong might be an epic adventure monster movie, but it’s the relationship between Kong and Ann that’s really the star of the show. As one of the most expensive movies ever made, King Kong is a marvel of cinematography, CGI, and special effects. There’s, of course, the iconic Empire State Building scene as a stand-out. The cast, meanwhile — including motion capture expert Andy Serkis as Kong along with Naomi Watts as Ann and Adrien Brody as screenwriter Jack — does a wonderful job of creating that sense of intensity and urgency. With Jackson behind the movie, called upon to reignite his desire to make it following the success of The Lord of the Rings, the movie has his directing signature all over it.

6 The Big Lebowski (1998)

A cult classic movie, The Big Lebowski is all about a case of mistaken identity. Jeff Bridges is Jeffrey “The Dude” Lebowski, who is assaulted when someone believes him to be another person of the same name. The other Lebowski (David Huddleston) is a millionaire, and he’s trying to get back his kidnapped wife. He commissions The Dude, a slacker, to pose as him and deliver a ransom in exchange for her. But the plan takes unintended twists and turns when The Dude’s friend Walter Sobchak (John Goodman) decides they should grab the money for themselves and run.

Comedy, Crime, and A Fabulous Cast

Raymond Chandler was a famous novelist and screenwriter in the 1930s, specializing in detective fiction. The Big Lebowski is loosely inspired by his works, and it does his writing justice. From the incredible cast that includes other big names like Julianne Moore, Steve Buscemi, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Sam Elliott, to the complex plot and the mystery at its heart, The Big Lebowski has all the elements of a fabulous crime comedy. Further solidifying this movie as one worth watching is the eccentricity of the main characters, the funny dream sequences, and the top-notch soundtrack.

5 Apollo 13 (1995)

Telling the story of the aborted Apollo 13 mission to the moon in 1970, Apollo 13 is tense and filled with drama. It also has a killer cast that includes Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, Bill Paxton, Ed Harris, and Gary Sinise. When the astronauts experience a devastating explosion while en route to their lunar destination, they lose oxygen and power. It’s now a race to frantically find a way safely back to Earth before it’s too late.

A Thrilling, Heart-wrenching True Story

Apollo 13, one of the best movies about astronauts, is actually a docudrama, serving as a dramatization of the real story of Jim Lovell, Jack Swigert, and Fred Haise, who were attempting to make the fifth crew mission to the moon. Directed by Ron Howard, he reportedly spent a great deal of time and effort to make the movie as technically accurate as possible, even working with NASA and having the cast trained in flight control. Some scenes were filmed on an actual reduced-gravity aircraft, so the sense of weightlessness is fully real. A cinematic marvel, Apollo 13 was nominated for nine Academy Awards and is widely considered to be one of the best movies of all time.

4 Blue Velvet (1986)

Named after the 1951 song of the same name, Kyle MacLachlan, Isabella Rossellini, Dennis Hopper, and Laura Dern star in Blue Velvet, a story about a young college student who returns home to visit his sick father. When he discovers a severed human ear in a field nearby, however, it leads him to a massive criminal conspiracy and a budding relationship with a lounge singer.

Dark, Twisted, and Disturbing

Written and directed by David Lynch, this neo-noir mystery thriller is not for the faint of heart, with plenty of violence and strong sexual content. But it’s a dark and twisted story with elements of both psychological horror and film noir. One of many movies in history that didn’t perform well at the box office but went on to become a cult classic, Blue Velvet is now considered to be one of the best mystery movies in history.

3 Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016)

Hailing from New Zealand, Hunt for the Wilderpeople is an underrated adventure comedy-drama about an unlikely duo of an older man and his young foster son. The two are caught up in a misunderstanding when authorities think the man has kidnapped the child he has been caring for alongside his now-deceased wife. The chase sends the pair out into the wild where they bond in new ways. Directed by Taika Waititi, the movie stars Sam Neill and Julian Dennison.

A Dynamic Father-Son Duo

Despite only having a limited release in North America, Hunt for the Wilderpeople is one of New Zealand’s highest-grossing movies. The chemistry between the two leads creates a wonderful dynamic that makes it endearing to watch. It’s also a heartwarming story of a hardened man who, when learning that a foster child he never really got close to might be sent back to the foster system, does whatever it takes to ensure this little boy has a home and someone who loves him.

2 Searching for Sugar Man (2012)

Celebrity death hoaxes seem to happen on an almost regular basis. Searching for Sugar Man is all about the journey of two men, Stephen “Sugar” Sugerman and Craig Bartholomew Strydom, and their amateur investigation into the death of musician Sixto Rodriguez. Oddly, while Rodriguez was a Mexican American, he never gained fame in his home country, but was considered to be almost as big, if not bigger, than Elvis in South Africa.

A Fascinating Investigation

The story of fans setting out to discover if the rumors of the musician’s death were real, only to find him and help revive his music career, is so fascinating and heartwarming. Rodriguez lived a very quiet life, but his talents and the political stance he took in his music resonated with fans from this country. Considering Rodriguez really passed on at the age of 81 in 2023, Searching for Sugar Man is a fitting tribute to the talented musician whose music moved people.

1 Short Term 12 (2013)

An independent drama, Short Term 12 is one of Brie Larson’s earlier (and best) works. She stars as Grace, a group home supervisor who works with troubled teenagers. The movie follows Grace’s interactions with the various kids at the home as well as her live-in boyfriend and co-worker Mason. She suspects one of the girls was abused by her father and helps an older resident come to terms with the fact that he’s about to age out of the system. Short Term 12 is a deep and heartbreaking examination of the experience of young kids from broken homes.

A Moving, Empathetic Story About Personal Demons

Short Term 12 is based on writer and director Destin Daniel Cretton’s own experiences working in a group home for teenagers. Unsurprisingly, Larson steals the show, delivering a performance that solidifies her as a leading lady. But she’s surrounded by other wonderful actors in supporting roles as well, including John Gallagher Jr., Kaitlyn Dever, Rami Malek, and LaKeith Stanfield. The movie might be triggering for some, but it could also be cathartic for others. Lending to the authenticity is that most of the group home kids in Short Term 12 were hired from a casting call and had no prior acting experience. It’s a raw, emotional look at both the kids and Grace herself coming to terms with their trauma.