While popular streaming services such as Netflix and Hulu come with a monthly price tag, Tubi is a similar platform that is absolutely free.
Although it may not have as wide of an array of options, Tubi can be a great time killer for a broke college student like myself.
Tubi is an ad-supported video streaming service. So instead of a monthly subscription, viewers pay for their entertainment with a little bit of their time.
The streaming service is available in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. So even though it cannot completely replace paid subscriptions, it can fill in some gaps and give viewers another option.
Even though some of their television shows and movies are available on other streaming sites, some are rarer finds.
I learned about Tubi from one of my favorite YouTubers, Sarah Hawkinson, who talks horror on her channel, PossessedbyHorror. Her video “BEST HORROR MOVIES ON TUBI RIGHT NOW,” which she posted earlier this summer, inspired me to explore what the site had to offer.
Like you would expect with a free streaming site, a large part of Tubi’s collection are strange knock-offs of other movies or other, more obscure fare. But I found a lot of hidden gems — horror and non-horror — and I thought I would compile them into a list.
1. Donnie Darko
Cult classic “Donnie Darko” is one of my all-time favorite movies. So I was surprised and saddened when it was removed from Netflix.
While it is also available using an Amazon Prime account with advertisements, Tubi offers the suspense movie starring a teenage Jake Gyllenhaal to anyone with an internet connection.
When I was an angsty, artistic 15-year-old, the appeal of “Donnie Darko” was instant. As I matured, I realized that the movie can come off as a bit pretentious.
Still, the macabre fantasy of a gigantic, end-of-the-world predicting rabbit juxtaposed against the setting of middle-class suburbia appealed to my inner emo kid. I was delighted by the ‘80s pop soundtrack and cameos from actors such as Patrick Swayze and Drew Barrymore.
The quirky cast of characters, a dark coming-of-age plot with a twinge of science fiction and the David Lynch-esque atmosphere make “Donnie Darko” a quintessential film kid pick.
2. Whale Rider
The New Zealand-German independent film “Whale Rider” is an empowering and uplifting family drama that you should definitely check out if you still haven’t watched it yet. In fact, the movie received critical acclaim after premiering in 2002 at the Toronto Film Festival.
“Whale Rider” tells the story of Pai, a 12-year-old Maori girl who believes she could take over as chief for her grandfather, who opposes the idea because of her gender. The village leader must be a first-born son and of direct patrilineal descent of Paikea, known for riding atop a whale.
The film succeeds not only through its inspiring story but also its portrayal of the everyday rhythms of life for the Maori people.
When it first came out, “Whale Rider” increased New Zealand’s whale watching tourism industry as well as conservation efforts.
3. Suspiria (1977)
Dario Argento’s 1977 “Suspiria” is part gothic arthouse film, part cheese-filled and gory slasher flick, part supernatural fairytale and a hundred percent an unforgettable masterpiece.
While audiences know the Italian filmmaker as the “Master of Horror” or “Master of Thrill” for his entire filmography, “Suspiria” continues to be one of his most influential films.
With a cast made up of almost entirely women, “Suspiria” follows an American ballet student who travels to a prestigious dance academy in Germany only to face the grisly murders of her peers.
The fantastical colors and cinematography, thanks to the cinematographer Luciano Tovoli, as well as the alarming progressive rock score by Goblin, make “Suspiria” unique.
Tubi is one of the only streaming sites that I have been able to find that hosts this feminist horror classic. However, it should not be confused with the 2018 remake of the same name that is currently available on Amazon Prime.
4. We Need to Talk About Kevin
Based on Lionel Shriver’s 2003 novel of the same name, the 2011 psychological thriller and drama “We Need to Talk About Kevin” is a portrait of a mother’s deteriorating mind. The film is built on fragments of time, weaving together images from a woman’s past and present.
Tilda Swinton’s character is a mother gripping on the edge of sanity and attempting to move on with her life after her teenage son commits a massacre at his high school. Although his name is in the title, the movie is less about Kevin, played by a young Ezra Miller, and more about his mother, Eva (Swinton).
The film explores the impossible psychological question: nature versus nurture? What could Eva have done to prevent her son’s actions — if she could do anything?
However, the soul of the film is their mother-son relationship. There is resentment, hatred and regret but there is some love still left.
Although I first watched this film on Netflix, “We Need to Talk About Kevin” is now available on Hulu as well as Tubi.
5. Memento
“Memento” is an inexplicable psychological thriller. Directed by Christopher Nolan, the movie follows an intricate and detailed, non-linear plot line.
It is the kind of movie that makes complete and total sense while you are watching it, but then it’s over and you have no clue how to explain it to your friends who have never seen it.
Without giving away too much, “Memento” follows a man trying to solve the puzzle that is his own memory. That’s all I want to say about it.
If you still haven’t seen “Memento,” I highly suggest you go into it without looking anything else up or watching a trailer.
The film is also available to watch with ads on Amazon Prime in addition to Tubi.
At the moment, you cannot watch any of these movies with a Netflix account. And even if you don’t have an account with Netflix or any other paid streaming services, you can use Tubi to watch hundreds more.
