3 terrific free movies to watch this weekend (March 6-8)

It’s never been more expensive to watch movies than it is today. Depending on where you live, theatrical tickets could cost north of $20. Throw in snacks and drinks, and you’re spending over $40 to watch one movie. It’s not much better at home thanks to an abundance of streaming services that constantly increase their fees.

It’s time to take advantage of free services now more than ever. Between FAST channels and free services, there are plenty of ways to watch high-quality movies for free. This weekend, the best free movie to watch features one of the greatest living action heroes, Sylvester Stallone. Switching genres, our other two picks include a dark comedy that predicted reality television and a charming rom-com with an unlikely duo.

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Long Shot

Stream for free on YouTube

In a hypothetical list of rom-com pairings, how far down the list would you get before settling on Seth Rogen and Charlize Theron? That’s not meant to be a diss at Rogen or Theron, two actors I enjoy. Rogen co-wrote Superbad, my favorite comedy of all time, so he’s golden in my book. Theron is a highly decorated actor whose performance as Furiosa in Mad Max: Fury Road is in the pantheon of action roles this century. I’m only pointing out that I would never have thought about placing Rogen and Theron in a fictional relationship. Thankfully, I did not make the casting decisions on Longshot.

Journalist Fred Flarsky (Rogen) believes in standing up for what’s right, even if it costs him his job. United States Secretary of State Charlotte Field (Theron) also lives by her Democratic principles. After a chance encounter, Fred remembers that Charlotte once babysat him as a kid. With aspirations for the presidency, Charlotte hires Fred as her speechwriter. Charlotte and Fred begin spending more time together, and the two surprisingly fall in love. Is Charlotte willing to risk her career for a chance at happiness with Fred?

Long Shot does not reinvent the wheel and uses the trope of opposites attract. Sometimes it’s enough for a movie to be really cute, and this romantic duo is extremely charming. Rogen has romantic lead abilities, and Theron has comedic instincts. This onscreen couple works. Deal with it, America.

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The Truman Show

Stream for free on Pluto TV

I will always defend Jim Carrey, an actor accused of hiring a stunt double for a recent public appearance. Leave him alone! Controversies aside, Carrey is a gifted comedic actor who became a box office sensation in the 1990s. In 1994, Carrey starred in Ace Ventura, The Mask, and Dumb and Dumber—three classics in one year. Comedy might be his specialty, but Carrey is an actor in every sense of the word. The Truman Show is when critics began taking Carrey seriously.

Truman Burbank (Carrey) lives an idyllic life in the town of Seahaven Island. Truman has a loving wife (Laura Linney), a respectable job, and good friends. What more could he want? Yet Truman’s life has been staged since his birth. He’s the star of The Truman Show, a 24/7 reality TV series that documents his entire life. The town is on a sound stage, and the show’s producer, Christof (Ed Harris), plays its god—the man who calls the shots. When Truman questions his sense of reality, Christof fights to keep his most prized possession inside his world.

The Truman Show is an acting showcase for Carrey, who brilliantly combines physical comedy with emotional vulnerability to play a man experiencing a crisis of faith. Peter Weir’s psychological drama is packed with themes of commercialism, artistic expression, and freedom. Its hidden cameras and emphasis on surveillance inspired the reality television wave of the 2000s. The Academy snubbing Carrey for an Oscar nomination still hurts to this day. “In case I don’t see ya, good afternoon, good evening, and good night.”

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First Blood

Stream for free on Tubi

In the 1970s, Sylvester Stallone went from zero to hero with the success of Rocky, the underdog drama about a down-and-out boxer who gets the opportunity to fight for the world title. Rocky won the Oscar for Best Picture and launched Stallone’s career. By the fall of 1982, Stallone was a megastar fresh off the success of Rocky III. His life would change again in October 1982 with the release of First Blood, which introduced audiences to John Rambo.

After learning about his friend’s death, Vietnam veteran John Rambo (Stallone) walks into Hope, Washington, where he’s viewed as a drifter and outcast by Sheriff Will Teasle (Brian Dennehy). The officers arrest Rambo and take him to jail. When they go to shave Rambo, it triggers his PTSD from his time in Vietnam, forcing him to fight back and escape to the woods. These officers messed with the wrong soldier, as Rambo refuses to surrender and unleashes havoc on anyone who crosses his path. Teasle’s only move is to bring him Rambo’s former commanding officer, Colonel Samuel Trautman (Richard Crenna), to try and tame his super soldier.

Stallone’s Rambo ushered in a different type of action hero—a gritty antihero who defends the weak and stands up to oppression. It also helped that Stallone looked like an action figure thanks to muscles carved from stone. Stallone clearly empathizes with Rocky Balboa and John Rambo because he, too, is a misunderstood underdog. Rocky and First Blood: not a bad career, if I do say so myself.


All three movies can be streamed on free services. YouTube, Pluto TV, and Tubi run ads during each presentation. That’s the trade-off for offering a free movie.

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If you’re looking for recommendations on a paid streaming service, try Alan Ritchson’s new action movie, War Machine, or Guy Ritchie’s Young Sherlock.

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