Looking for the best free films to watch without a subscription? Channel 4 has a catalogue of award winning films available. I can personally recommend See How They Run.
More free to watch movies and TV shows:
Films To Watch On ITVX / Movies & TV Shows On Tubi / Free Movies & TV Shows On Amazon Prime / Thrillers On ITVX / Films On BBC iPlayer / Comedies On BBC iPlayer / Comedies On Channel 4
Award Winning Films
Hidden Figures (2016) – Drama/Biopic
For fans of: The Imitation Game, Selma, Apollo 13
Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monáe star as NASA mathematicians whose brilliance helped launch John Glenn into orbit. The film was Oscar-nominated and won the SAG Award for Best Cast.
Bridge of Spies (2015) – Historical/Thriller
For fans of: Munich, The Lives of Others, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Tom Hanks plays a lawyer negotiating a Cold War prisoner exchange in Spielberg’s restrained espionage drama. Mark Rylance won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Glory (1989) – War/Drama
For fans of: 12 Years a Slave, Lincoln, Paths of Glory
Denzel Washington, Morgan Freeman, and Matthew Broderick lead this Civil War epic about the first all-Black regiment in the Union Army. It won three Oscars, including Best Supporting Actor for Washington.
Io Capitano (2023) – Drama/Adventure
For fans of: The Kite Runner, Beasts of No Nation, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
This Italian-Senegalese odyssey follows two teens journeying from Dakar to Europe in search of a better life. It won the Silver Lion for Best Director at Venice.
Two Black Boys in Paradise (2025) – Drama/Short
For fans of: Moonlight, Aftersun, The Last Black Man in San Francisco
This poetic short explores queer Black identity through dreamlike vignettes and intimate performances. It qualified for Oscar consideration and won multiple festival awards including Best Narrative Short at Tribeca.
Mean Streets (1973) – Crime/Drama
For fans of: Goodfellas, Raging Bull, Serpico
Martin Scorsese’s breakout film stars Harvey Keitel and Robert De Niro in a gritty tale of loyalty and violence in Little Italy. It was honored by the National Film Registry and won NYFCC and NSFC awards.
Happening (2021) – Drama
For fans of: 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days, Never Rarely Sometimes Always, Portrait of a Lady on Fire
Anamaria Vartolomei stars as a student seeking an illegal abortion in 1960s France in Audrey Diwan’s haunting adaptation. It won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival.
And Then We Danced (2019) – Romance/Drama
For fans of: Call Me by Your Name, BPM, The Way He Looks
Set in Georgia’s conservative dance world, this tender queer love story stars Levan Gelbakhiani and was nominated for the Cannes Queer Palm.
Joyland (2022) – Drama
For fans of: Lingua Franca, Rafiki, A Fantastic Woman
This Pakistani film follows a man who joins a dance troupe led by a transgender woman, challenging family and societal norms. It won the Cannes Jury Prize in the Un Certain Regard section.
I Am Not a Witch (2017) – Satire/Drama
For fans of: The White Ribbon, Timbuktu, The Babadook
Zambian-born director Rungano Nyoni tells the surreal story of a girl accused of witchcraft in rural Africa. It won the BAFTA for Outstanding Debut.
Top Gun: Maverick (2022) – Action/Drama
For fans of: Dunkirk, Ford v Ferrari, Mission: Impossible
Tom Cruise returns as Pete “Maverick” Mitchell in this high-octane sequel that blends nostalgia with aerial spectacle. It won the Academy Award for Best Sound.
Critically Acclaimed Films
Saint Maud (2019) – Horror/Psychological
For fans of: The Babadook, Hereditary, Rosemary’s Baby
Morfydd Clark plays a devout hospice nurse whose religious fervor spirals into psychological horror. The film was BAFTA-nominated for Outstanding British Film and earned Clark a Rising Star nomination.
The Menu (2022) – Thriller/Satire
For fans of: Triangle of Sadness, Ready or Not, The Hunt
Ralph Fiennes and Anya Taylor-Joy star in this darkly comic takedown of haute cuisine and class performance. It was nominated for a Golden Globe and praised for its ensemble and biting tone.
Pearl (2022) – Horror/Character Study
For fans of: Carrie, Black Swan, The Witch
Mia Goth delivers a tour-de-force performance as a farm girl unraveling into madness in this Technicolor slasher prequel.
Last Night in Soho (2021) – Horror/Thriller
For fans of: The Neon Demon, Repulsion, The Others
Thomasin McKenzie and Anya Taylor-Joy anchor Edgar Wright’s stylish time-travel mystery set in swinging London. It was BAFTA-nominated for Best Production Design.
The Black Phone (2021) – Horror/Thriller
For fans of: Sinister, It, The Sixth Sense
Ethan Hawke plays a masked child abductor in this supernatural thriller that blends dread with emotional catharsis.
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (2022) – Comedy/Meta
For fans of: Adaptation, JCVD, Tropic Thunder
Nicolas Cage plays a fictionalized version of himself caught in a spy plot while grappling with his legacy.
Passing (2021) – Drama/Period
For fans of: Carol, Far From Heaven, The Piano
Tessa Thompson and Ruth Negga star in Rebecca Hall’s adaptation of Nella Larsen’s novel about racial identity and secrecy. It won the Sundance Cinematography Award and was nominated for Gotham and BAFTA honors.
Memoria (2021) – Drama/Experimental
For fans of: Uncle Boonmee, Jeanne Dielman, The Tree of Life
Tilda Swinton wanders Colombia haunted by a mysterious sound in Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s meditative slow cinema. It won the Cannes Jury Prize and was praised for its immersive sound design.
Corsage (2022) – Drama/Period
For fans of: Spencer, Marie Antoinette, Portrait of a Lady on Fire
Vicky Krieps plays Empress Elisabeth of Austria in this revisionist portrait of royal defiance and melancholy. It won the Cannes Un Certain Regard Best Performance award.
Hit the Road (2021) – Drama/Road Movie
For fans of: Little Miss Sunshine, The Florida Project, Taste of Cherry
Panah Panahi’s debut follows a chaotic Iranian family on a mysterious journey, blending humor with heartbreak. It was a standout at Cannes Directors’ Fortnight.
Stillwater (2021) – Drama/Thriller
For fans of: The Secret in Their Eyes, Prisoners, A Separation
Matt Damon plays an American father navigating French legal systems to help his imprisoned daughter. It premiered at Cannes and was praised for its grounded performances.
See How They Run (2022) – Comedy/Mystery
For fans of: Knives Out, Gosford Park, The Grand Budapest Hotel
Saoirse Ronan and Sam Rockwell star in this playful whodunit set around a West End murder investigation.
Berberian Sound Studio (2012) – Horror/Psychological
For fans of: Suspiria, Possession, Inland Empire
Toby Jones plays a sound engineer unraveling while working on a giallo film in this cult British horror. It won Best Director at the BIFAs and became a genre touchstone.
Kill List (2011) – Horror/Thriller
For fans of: The Wicker Man, The Ritual, The Babadook
Neil Maskell and Michael Smiley star in this disturbing blend of hitman thriller and occult horror that defies genre expectations.
Bone Tomahawk (2015) – Horror/Western
For fans of: The Proposition, Ravenous, The Hateful Eight
Kurt Russell leads a posse into cannibal territory in this grisly, slow-burning genre hybrid with cult acclaim.
Climax (2018) – Horror/Experimental
For fans of: Enter the Void, Suspiria, Mother!
Gaspar Noé’s dance-fueled descent into drug-induced chaos premiered at Cannes and polarized critics with its intensity.
Piggy (2022) – Horror/Drama
For fans of: Carrie, Raw, Revenge
Laura Galán stars as an overweight teen caught between bullying and vengeance in this Spanish thriller. It was nominated for a Goya and premiered at Sundance.
Deerskin (2019) – Comedy/Horror
For fans of: Rubber, The Lobster, The Greasy Strangler
Jean Dujardin plays a man obsessed with his jacket in this absurdist descent into fashion-fueled madness. It premiered at Cannes Directors’ Fortnight and became a cult favorite.
Cult Classics & Genre Standouts
Barbarian (2022) – Horror/Thriller
For fans of: The Rental, Malignant, The Descent
What begins as a double-booked Airbnb spirals into a subterranean nightmare in this structurally daring horror hit starring Georgina Campbell and Bill Skarsgård.
M3GAN (2022) – Horror/Satire
For fans of: Child’s Play, Ex Machina, Orphan
Allison Williams faces off against a lifelike AI doll with dance moves and deadly instincts in this viral camp sensation.
A Knight’s Tale (2001) – Comedy/Adventure
For fans of: Robin Hood: Men in Tights, Stardust, The Princess Bride
Heath Ledger jousts his way through medieval Europe with Queen songs and swagger in this genre-bending sports comedy.
Sleepless in Seattle (1993) – Romance/Comedy
For fans of: When Harry Met Sally, You’ve Got Mail, Notting Hill
Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan connect across coasts and heartbreak in this beloved rom-com classic from Nora Ephron.
Anna and the Apocalypse (2017) – Horror/Musical
For fans of: Shaun of the Dead, La La Land, Sweeney Todd
A zombie outbreak hits a Scottish high school just in time for Christmas — and yes, they sing through it.
Let the Wrong One In (2021) – Horror/Comedy
For fans of: What We Do in the Shadows, Dead Snow, Fright Night
This Irish vampire comedy pits a supermarket worker against his undead brother in a bloody, irreverent family feud.
Werewolves Within (2021) – Horror/Mystery
For fans of: Knives Out, The Thing, Tucker & Dale vs. Evil
Sam Richardson leads a quirky ensemble trapped in a snowy town with a lycanthropic killer on the loose.
Jethica (2022) – Horror/Indie
For fans of: She Dies Tomorrow, The Strange Thing About the Johnsons, I Blame Society
A stalker’s ghost haunts the New Mexico desert in this minimalist, deadpan indie praised for its originality and tone.
The Innocents (1961) – Horror/Psychological
For fans of: The Others, The Haunting, Don’t Look Now
Deborah Kerr stars in this eerie adaptation of Henry James’ “The Turn of the Screw,” where spectral children and repressed desire collide.
The Double (2013) – Drama/Surreal
For fans of: Brazil, Enemy, Synecdoche, New York
Jesse Eisenberg plays a man whose life unravels when his confident doppelgänger appears in this Dostoevsky-inspired dark comedy from Richard Ayoade.
Notable Mentions
In Flames (2023) – Horror/Drama
For fans of: Relic, Saint Maud, Under the Shadow
This Pakistani horror blends supernatural dread with psychological trauma as a grieving woman confronts both ghosts and patriarchy. It premiered at Cannes and earned acclaim for its feminist lens and atmospheric tension.
Banel & Adama (2023) – Drama/Romance
For fans of: Atlantics, The Power of the Dog, The World to Come
In a remote Senegalese village, a couple’s defiance of tradition leads to emotional and environmental collapse. The film competed at Cannes and was praised for its visual poetry and bold storytelling.
Little Richard: I Am Everything (2023) – Documentary/Music
For fans of: Summer of Soul, Amy, Moonage Daydream
This vibrant doc traces the life, legacy, and contradictions of rock pioneer Little Richard, blending archival footage with cultural commentary.
The Future (2011) – Drama/Experimental
For fans of: Synecdoche, New York, Frances Ha, Kajillionaire
Miranda July directs and stars in this whimsical meditation on time, relationships, and a talking cat named Paw Paw.
American Woman (2018) – Drama/Thriller
For fans of: Gone Baby Gone, Three Billboards, The Lost Daughter
Sienna Miller plays a mother searching for her missing daughter while rebuilding her life in this emotionally raw character study. It premiered at TIFF and was praised for Miller’s career-best performance.
The Field (2018) – Horror/Drama
For fans of: The Witch, The Wind, A Ghost Story
Set in rural India, this atmospheric indie explores grief and isolation as a woman’s reality begins to unravel.
I for India (2005) – Documentary
For fans of: The Namesake, Home Movie, Flee
Using decades of home video footage, this intimate doc chronicles one family’s experience of migration, identity, and longing across continents.
The Winter Guest (1997) – Drama
For fans of: 45 Years, The Hours, The Ice Storm
Emma Thompson and Phyllida Law star in Alan Rickman’s directorial debut, a quiet meditation on grief and connection set in a wintry Scottish town. It premiered at Venice and was praised for its visual restraint and emotional depth.
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