Another Bank Holiday weekend is upon us in the UK, which means more time to relax and spend time on our hobbies. Now, if you’re anything like me, I like to use at least one of those days to catch up on my ever-growing watchlist. Believe it or not, even entertainment journalists sometimes find their lists getting out of hand.
Imagine my joy, then, when I found these high-rated movies available to stream completely free thanks to Tubi UK, which recently launched here with an impressive library. Some of these I’ve seen, some of these I really want to, and there’s a great mix.
Whether you want a comedy about a struggling dancer, a historical drama directed by George Clooney, or a meta Aubrey Plaza movie, it’s all here, and it’s sure to keep you entertained over the next few days.
Frances Ha
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RT Score: 92%
Length: 85 minutes
Director: Noah Baumbach
Main cast: Greta Gerwig, Mickey Sumner, Adam Driver, Michael Zegen
Greta Gerwig is big in the directing world right now with hits such as Barbie, Little Women, and Lady Bird, but she’s also a very impressive actress. In Frances Ha, she plays a struggling dancer apartment hopping across New York City while trying to navigate life as a 20-something.
It’s a movie that many of us can relate to. Trying to feel at home in a big city while chasing a dream, it’s a tale as old as time and this character-driven script will reel you in with its often painfully accurate representation of trying to make it on your own. It’s not all bad, though, as the overall message of Frances Ha is a surprisingly uplifting one, and there’s plenty of comedic moments too.
Black Bear
RT Score: 89%
Length: 104 minutes
Director: Lawrence Michael Levine
Main cast: Aubrey Plaza, Christopher Abbott, Sarah Gadon, Paola Lázaro
Aubrey Plaza of Parks and Recreation fame has a very different vibe in this movie. Billed as a “film about filmmaking”, prepare yourself for quite the confusing journey as we follow Plaza’s independent filmmaker character Allison who ends up at a couple’s remote house set in the mountains.
She soon finds herself entangled in their complicated relationship and that’s when it gets weird (in a good way). You’ll have to watch it to get what I mean, but it’s a unique movie in every sense of the word, which is probably why there’s such a division between the critic (89%) and audience (65%) score on Rotten Tomatoes. If nothing else, it’ll get you talking!
Good Night, and Good Luck
RT Score: 93%
Length: 93 minutes
Director: George Clooney,
Main cast: David Strathairn, Patricia Clarkson, George Clooney, Jeff Daniels, Robert Downey Jr.
Hollywood legend George Clooney has directed nine movies to date, with Good Night, and Good Luck standing out as the best of them. If you’re after some historical drama this weekend, the critics’ consensus says it “has plenty to say about today’s political and cultural climate, and its ensemble cast is stellar”.
Here, we explore the conflict between veteran journalist Edward R. Murrow (Strathairn) and U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin. The movie features archive footage of McCarthy himself, as well as footage from the televised Army-McCarthy hearings.
Cinema Paradiso
RT Score: 91%
Length: 155 minutes
Director: Giuseppe Tornatore
Main cast: Philippe Noiret, Jacques Perrin, Antonella Attili, Pupella Maggio
With music by the great composer Ennio Morricone and his son Andrea, Cinema Paradiso is a real cinematic treat for the senses and a love letter to the art of filmmaking.
Set in a small Sicilian town, it’s about the friendship between a young boy and an ageing projectionist who works at the titular movie theatre. The movie is certainly an influential one and has even been credited for revitalizing Italy’s film industry, winning the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival.
Insomnia
RT Score: 92%
Length: 118 minutes
Director: Christopher Nolan
Main cast: Al Pacino, Robin Williams, Hilary Swank, Maura Tierney, Martin Donovan
It might not be one of Nolan’s biggest movies, often overshadowed by the likes of Inception or The Dark Knight trilogy, but this underrated gem is absolutely worth your time if you haven’t seen it, especially if you’re in the mood for a solid thriller.
With an excellent cast including the late, great Robin Williams facing off against Al Pacino, the movie film follows two detectives investigating a murder in Alaska. But tensions are high when the killer witnesses an accidental shooting committed by one of the detectives, changing their relationship. It is the only movie directed by Nolan that he did not write or co-write, and is instead a remake of the 1997 Norwegian film of the same name.
