YouTube is now one of the best platforms where everyone can watch different movies. From thriller to classic romance, it is a platform where one can select thousands of movies from their chosen platform.
Google search engine is a door to practically all the internet-based data available around the globe. And yet, somehow, they could have done a better job of letting everyone know just how much YouTube (video-sharing platform) has to offer.
For those who want to avoid paying for streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, HBO Max, and many more. YouTube provides a bunch of free movies and TV shows that are updated and upgraded every month on their server.
You don’t even have to provide your credit card information. Moreover, it is one of the best places to watch free movies (with ads). There are free movies as well as paid movies that are available on the premium version of YouTube. But what are the best ones that are must-watch?
Here’s our list of the 20 best movies on YouTube (Free and Paid) right now:
20. Sita Sings the Blues (2008)
Directed by Nina Paley, Sita Sings The Blue is an animated version of an epic Indian tale, Ramayana.
Ramayana is one of the most renowned tales in the world, and Nina has created a beautiful version of it.
The movie is perfect, imaginative, and jaw-dropping, which will be loved by kids as well as elders.
19. Tortilla Soup (2001)
Tortilla Soup is an American comedy-drama movie directed by Maria Ripoll in 2001. The movie is a recreation of the Taiwanese-based comedy-drama film.
In the movie, a retired Mexican-American chef lives with his three grown-up daughters in Los Angeles, California. Hector Elizondo plays a role of a Mexican-American chef who has lost the sense of taste and smell ever since his wife’s demise.
Still, he uses his passion for food to reunite his three different daughters. Leticia (the oldest and the most conservative), Carmen (a middle daughter), who shares the same love towards food as her father does and dreams of owning a restaurant, and the youngest, Maribel, the most rebellious.
Even though Martin has already lost his sense of taste, he still cooks lavish dinners for his family while they explore their personal challenges. Even though the daughters make fun of their father for having old ways of living, each is seeking fulfillment outside the family.
While the daughters explore their romantic situations too, Tortilla Soup suggests that the ways people are witnessed, through the love of their chosen family, give them the courage to demand mightier and more fulfilling love in all aspects of their lives.
18. The Last Man On Earth (1964)
When a plague spreads all around, it turns humanity into vampire-like creatures who deeply fear mirrors and sunlight. And yes, they are sent away with the help of garlic. The time period is 1986, and Dr. Robert Morgan whose daily routine is waking up and killing the vampires during the day and locking himself inside at night.
The movie is inspired by Robert Matheson’s I Am Legend, and the movie has wonderfully been shot around Rome and has that scary gothic and horror setting.
Morgan is the only person immune to the deadly vampire bite, as he had already been infected by a vampire bat when he was in Panama a few years back.
Morgan knows a way to kill the vampires through a wooden stake. The movie depicts the series of Morgan’s survival throughout the years in the deadly community filled with vampires.
Sidney Salkow and Ubaldo B. Ragona directed The Last Man On Earth and did not miss to showcase the perfect fictional horror scenes.
17. Ip Man (2008)
Ip Man was released back in 2008, and the movie is based on Hongkong famous biographical martial arts. The movie is based on the biography of Ip Man, a grandmaster of the famous martial art called Wing Chun, and a teacher of Bruce Lee.
The movie focuses on the scenarios of Ip’s life, which occurred during the Sino-Japanese War in Foshan City, which is the main place for different types of martial arts. Directed by Wilson Yip, Donnie Yen plays the role of Ip Man, and the martial arts choreography in the movie was done by Sammo Hung.
The movie portrays Japan’s 1937 invasion of China peacefully, but it gets brutal as well. The movie is completely nerve-wracking, filled with different actions, and is perfect for martial arts lovers. The movie was a huge success and is available in different languages too.
16. Night Of The Living (1968)
George Romeo’s Night of the Living is considered one of the most important horrors as well as an independent movie ever made. The major theme of the movie is about seven people who are locked in a farmhouse in rural Pennsylvania and are under attack by a group of flesh-eating ghouls. The movie was released back in 1968 and is based on B&W cinematography. The movie begins when two siblings get attacked by a tatted man. After Barbara manages to escape the chaos, she gets saved by a man named Ben who protects her from the ghoul’s attack and they stay in an old farmhouse.
Even though the movie has some boring parts, it is recommended for people who love fiction and horror movies. The movie does have an unexpected ending but the cast of the movie did an amazing job to make it the most profitable movie back then.
15. The Kid (2000)
Who wouldn’t love Charlie Chaplin’s movies? He is the world’s most-loved comedian and actor, and his movies have always been major hits. His movie carries meaningful story, and just like that, his movie The Kid is one of them.
It is a silent movie directed, produced, and written by Charlie Chaplin. After the baby gets abandoned by his mother, he is founded by The Tramp (Charlie’s On-Screen Character). He names the baby John, and they live in a tiny room with less money, but they have the perfect bonding and love.
The movie consists of the mother’s regret for abandoning her child but later on, they cross paths again after a few years.
The Kid was considered the second-highest-earning movie back in 1921, and like always, Charlie Chaplin never failed to amaze his audiences.
14. Pumping Iron (1977)
Directed by George Butler and Robert Fiore, the movie Pumping Iron is a docudrama starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Lou Ferrigno, where they compete for the title of Mr. Olympia.
The movie beautifully explains Arnold’s achievements, his journey towards lifting weights and flirting with many women.
People portray him as someone so perfect that his physical build seems unattainable, and his weightlifting status is one of a kind. Portraying their journey toward weightlifting, the directors have also included their stories in between, which makes sense in the end.
The movie has also included the stories of other famous bodybuilders and has been able to make a huge amount from the box office. The movie created a different type of hype in the USA after its release and has a fascinating ending.
13. Blackmail (1929)
1929 British thriller movie, Blackmail was directed by Alfred Hitchcock and was inspired by the play with the same title by Charles Bennet. The movie has an amazing storyline and is perfect for people who love thrillers and crime series.
Alice has a boyfriend named Frank Webber, who is more interested in his profession as a detective than he is in her. One night, Frank decides to take Alice out for a date, but at the same time, she has the plan to meet another man.
The same night, she decides to see him and goes to his studio, but that’s when the worse happens. The man has other plans and tried to assault Alice, but while defending herself, she accidentally stabs him with a knife.
When the police investigate the body, Frank is assigned as a detective where he finds out that Alice is the real killer, but there is someone else who knows about the incident and starts to blackmail Alice.
12. Bernie (2011)
Bernie has a story that is unbelievable to be true. Released in 2011 by Richard Linklater, Bernie is a famous biographical comedy crime movie. Bernie Tiede is a prime suspect in the murder of the town’s most hated citizen.
However, Bernie is loved by all. The movie has a well-played mystery and many dark senses of humor, and the story is intertwined with interviews with the community’s residents.
All the scenes make sense after Bernie gets sentenced to life imprisonment.
11. The Scarecrow (1920)
Released in 1920, Scarecrow is a silent movie starring Buster Keaton. The movie has a perfect sense of humor and many chase scenes.
Scarecrow is basically about two farmhands, Keaton and Roberts, who compete with each other to win their farmer’s daughter. One of the scenes that store the moment was the appearance made by Luke the dog and the different scenes between Keaton and Roberts.
Keaton is disguised as a scarecrow who causes trouble for the farmer and Roberts.
The ending of the movie is pretty sweet! One of the two rivals stops to tie his shoes, but the farmer’s daughter thinks he got down on his knees to propose to her.
10. The Navigator (1988)
What happens when two wealthy people find themselves trapped in an empty passenger ship?
The Navigator is another amazing movie directed by Buster Keaton and Donald Crisp. After Keaton gets rejected by his sweetheart Betsy. His plan to go to Honolulu is still on, but he boards the wrong ship that Betsy’s father owns. Betsy is completely unaware of this situation and decides to look for her father on the same ship, but it sails right away.
These two rich elites don’t even know how to open a canned food but are compelled to be in a situation where they have to operate everything together. These two are completely unaware of each other’s existence on the ship, but the creepy moment gets the best of them one night.
9. Dirty Work (1998)
Dirty Work is an American buddy comedy movie that became one of the hits. Directed by Bob Saget, the movie consists of the story of two best friends, Mitch and Sam who needs $50,000, and that needs to happen as soon as possible.
The main problem is that neither of them has a good job. Finally, two of them come up with their only idea, and that business is called “Revenge For Hire.”
8. Nosferatu (1922)
Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror is a Silent German movie starring Max Sherck, who is a vampire hunting after the wife of his estate agent.
Max plays the role of Count Orlok, and the story begins with him meeting Thomas Hutter, an employer of Herr Knock, a real estate agent. Hutter meets Orlok at one of the castles, but while they were having dinner, he cuts his finger by mistake.
The following day, Hutter realizes he has bite marks on his neck, but he takes it as a mosquito bite. While they do the paperwork for owning a house, Count Orlok comes across the picture of Herr Knock’s wife and mentions that she has a “lovely neck”.
The movie has a fantastic vampire story and is at least required to watch once a year.
7. Safety Last (1923)
When a country boy named Harold leaves for a big city to find success, he promises his sweetheart Mildred to get married to her as soon as he achieves his goals.
After moving to the city, Harold finds a job as a salesman at the departmental store, but after pawning his roommate Bill’s phonograph, he buys a lavaliere and writes Mildred that he found a job as a manager.
Harold and Bill face many funny yet scary incidents while they were together. For example, pushing the wrong policeman, thinking it was a friend. One day.
Mildred’s mother tells her to visit Harold as a surprise, and when she reaches there, Harold acts as a manager of the departmental store. The movie is extremely humorous and comes with different surprises, making it worth watching.
6. The General (1926)
The General is an America Silent Film released in 1926 and was directed by all-time famous Buster Keaton. The movie is based on a real-life incident during the American Civil War.
Johnnie is the main character in the movie, and he has two loves of his life. One being his sweetheart Anabelle and the other being The General, the train. When the Civil War starts, he is turned down to give service because they consider him better off as an engineer.
However, Annabelle thinks the reason behind his rejection is due to his cowardness. When three of them get caught on board, Johnnie has to rescue his lovers.
5. Sherlock Jr. (1924)
Sherlock Jr. is Buster Keaton’s classic silent movie. Nothing would be better than being a private detective.
Sherlock is engaged to a pretty woman, but their man knows that Sherlock wants her attention. Her man tries to get rid of Sherlock by stealing her father’s pocketwatch and using it to buy expensive candy.
He then slips the ticket into Sherlock’s pocket and gets caught in an investigation. Sherlock is, however, a renowned detective who solves different crimes. The movie is thrilling and reveals much suspense.
4. Our Hospitality (1923)
What happens when a man falls in love with a woman on his way back home but later on realizes that her family has vowed to kill his family members?
Young boy Willie is taken to New York by a woman hoping he will never have any idea that her husband Joan Mckay was killed in a fight with the Canfield family.
After 20 years, Wille is all grown up and needs to come and get his father’s passed-on estate and wealth. On the way back, he meets a beautiful woman and finds out that she is a Canfield.
She invites him to the dinner but later on, things take a turn when he finds out that Canfields are after him.
3. Fear And Desire (1953)
The movie focus on the war situation in an unidentified country where four soldiers are trapped under their enemy’s control, and they must admit their fear and desire.
After getting into a plane crash in their enemy’s territory, they plan on escaping through a river around midnight.
However, on their way back, they meet a woman who gets them sidetracked. They find that they are nearby an enemy general whom one of the four soldiers is determined to kill.
2. Sunrise (1927)
When a married man with a child has a secret affair with a sophisticated woman from the city, his marriage and family life face a downfall. When he mentions that he is married, the woman from the city wants him to murder his wife and stay with her in the city. Even with hesitation, a farmer decides to kill his wife by drowning her. But they end up rekindling their relationship which brings a huge storm in their life.
1. Steamboat Bill Jr. (1928)
After owing a promise to his mother, William goes back to meet his father, whom he has never met since his childhood.
William is something that his father had never expected. The older man has bigger problems as he is put out of business. But the bigger storm comes on the way when the family’s life has to be saved.
Summary
We hope you enjoyed our list of the 20 best movies on YouTube (Free and Paid).
Here’s a quick recap:
1. Steamboat Bill Jr. (1928)
2. Sunrise (1927)
3. Fear And Desire (1953)
4. Our Hospitality (1923)
5. Sherlock Jr. (1924)
6. The General (1926)
7. Safety Last (1923)
8. Nosferatu (1922)
9. Dirty Work (1998)
10. The Navigator (1988)
11. The Scarecrow (1920)
12. Bernie (2011)
13. Blackmail (1929)
14. Pumping Iron (1977)
15. The Kid (2000)
16. Night Of The Living (1968)
17. Ip Man (2008)
18. The Last Man On Earth (1964)
19. Tortilla Soup (2001)
20. Sita Sings the Blues (2008)