Best Free Movies on YouTube (June 2023)

Arrival (2016): Not Your Average First Contact Film

When an extraterrestrial species tries to make first contact, linguist Louise Banks (Amy Adams) and physicist Ian Donnelly (Jeremy Renner) are recruited to decode their alien language.

If you're expecting an action-packed invasion flick, then look elsewhere. Arrival is a cerebral sci-fi story that takes its time but ultimately pays off.

Life of a King (2013): Most Inspirational Redemption Story

Cuba Gooding Jr. plays Eugene Brown, an ex-convict who goes to work for the Washington, D.C. school system after finishing his prison sentence. This true story details how Eugene inspired inner-city teenagers by using chess as an analogy for life itself.

Eugene's competed against some of the best high-school chess players in the country. This movie details the trials and setbacks Eugene faced as he worked to help his students understand what it truly means to be a king in all aspects of their lives.

On Golden Pond (1981): A Wistful Drama From Two Hollywood Icons

In this classic drama, Hollywood legends Peter Fonda and Katharine Hepburn star as an aging married couple. When their estranged daughter (Jane Fonda) leaves her boyfriend's son in their care, they start to form new bonds and repair old ones. A great showcase for Fonda and Hepburn's talent in their later years, this film requires a box of tissues.

Dungeons & Dragons (2000): Wackiest Big Screen Adaptation of a Board Game

To save humanity from destruction by dragons, Empress Savina (Thora Birch) sends two young thieves on a quest to wrest the Rod of Savrille from the evil mage Profion (Jeremy Irons).

Critics and actual Dungeons & Dragons fans didn't like this movie, but it's gained a cult following thanks to its hokey acting, bad early-2000s CGI, and overall campy production.

The Last Descent (2016): Best True Tragedy Movie

The Last Descent is the story of John Jones (played by Chadwick Hopson) and his adventures with a friend in the Nutty Putty Cave in Utah. During their trip, John became wedged in an 18-inch hole 150 feet under the ground. This movie details the many attempts of rescue crews to free John from the cave.

Frozen (2010): Best Reason to Never Go Skiing Again

If you're looking for a feel-good movie to watch with your kids, it's crucial not to confuse this one with the animated Disney film of the same name. Rather than a colorful adventure with instantly classic songs, 2010's Frozen is a harrowing tale of survival about three friends stranded on a ski lift with days before anyone will know they're there.

Rather than coming to terms with their amazing cryokinetic powers, these people contend with frostbite, infighting, and a pack of hungry wolves circling below their perilous seat. Ignore everything that must go wrong for people to get into this situation, and you're in for a good, if stressful, time.

Waves (2019): A Portrait of an American Family

High school senior Tyler Williams (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) has a promising future as a wrestler until a tragic accident sends his life in a different direction. Tyler's sister Emily (Taylor Russell) grows to resent her family for what happened to her brother while their parents blame each other.

Planet of the Apes (1968): A Kong-Sized Allegory for Prejudice

Astronaut Taylor (Charlton Heston) and his crew crash land on a planet run by an advanced civilization of apes. If you somehow don't know how this movie ends, don't read any further reviews or spoilers so that you can fully enjoy the story as it unfolds.

Children of the Corn (1984): Corniest Stephen King Triller

On their way to the big city, Vicky (Linda Hamilton) and Burt (Peter Horton) pass through a rural town with no adults. When they make the mistake of trying to help one of the orphaned children, the couple is captured by a cult of killer kids.

By modern standards, Children of the Corn is funnier than it is scary, but it's still worth watching for the timeless performance by John Franklin as leader of the corn cult.