Stream all the movies and TV you want without paying a dime. Here's the scoop on Crackle, IMDb TV, Plex, Pluto and more.
Sony's Crackle is an ad-supported streaming service, one that offers both movies and TV shows -- including some original content. It's available on a wide variety of devices and doesn't even require you to set up an account, though doing so enables you to save favorites, get recommendations and resume playback if you switch between devices.
Top picks as of March 2020: Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Adaptation, The Big Chill, Dr. Strangelove, Glory, It Happened One Night, La Bamba, Little Women, The Natural, The Social Network, Star Trek: First Contact
IMDb TV
This relative newcomer, formerly known as FreeDrive, is part of IMDb, the Internet Movie Database, which is owned by Amazon. In other words, IMDb TV is Amazon's way of offering ad-supported movie streaming independent of Amazon Prime. And it's not limited to movies; there are TV shows available as well. Unfortunately, there's a viewing limitation: The service can be accessed only on PCs and within Prime Video and IMDb apps.
Top picks as of March 2020: Bull Durham, Get Shorty, Memento (and shout-outs for TV series Friday Night Lights and The Middle)
Hoopla
Got a library card? Check to see if your library has partnered with Hoopla. This digital-media service allows you to check out all kinds of stuff -- including movies. When you "borrow" one, you have 72 hours in which to watch it. Your library determines the total number of movies you can borrow each month.
Surprisingly, Hoopla's mobile apps offer not only streaming, but also a download option for offline viewing.
Top picks as of March 2020: Ex Machina, The Illusionist, Life is Beautiful, The Sting, Good Will Hunting, The Commitments, Thelma & Louise, What We Do in the Shadows
Internet Archive
The Internet Archive is home to all things public domain, including thousands of feature-length movies. Perhaps unsurprisingly, there's no cost to use the service, nor do you need an account (though you can create one if you want to mark favorites and such).
"Public domain" is code for "old" or "mostly black-and-white," making this the place for folks interested strictly in classic films. Thus you'll find the likes of His Girl Friday, Plan 9 from Outer Space and Gulliver's Travels. The archive exists only on the web, though, so you'll need a browser to access it. (Most mobile browsers should work.)
Kanopy
If your library doesn't offer Hoopla, maybe it has Kanopy? This commercial-free (yay!) service, which began life in Australia, has made its way to thousands of college campuses worldwide and, more recently, various US libraries. Check the website to see if your library has it -- and ask for it if it doesn't.
Kanopy offers some mainstream stuff, but also a large selection of indie films and documentaries from the likes of PBS and The Great Courses. Its library also includes titles from the esteemed Criterion Collection, which is code for "films." There's also a new Kanopy Kids section with loads of family-friendly content.
Top picks as of March 2020: Captain Fantastic, Eighth Grade, Logan Lucky, Super Size Me 2, The Gold Rush
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