Weekend Watchlist
This story is part of Weekend Watchlist, a series that showcases hidden gems and underrated films tucked away in your favorite streaming libraries.
Updated less than 33 seconds ago
I’m an avid movie watcher, and some of my favorite movie nights have cost me absolutely nothing. This weekend’s picks are all free to stream, and they don’t hold anything back. One traps you in a room with grieving parents, another throws punk rock at suburbia, and the last might wreck you beautifully.
We also have guides to the best new movies to stream, the best movies on Netflix, the best movies on Hulu, the best free movies, and the best movies on Amazon Prime Video.
Mass (2021)
Genre:Drama
MDb: 7.5/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 95%
Two sets of grieving parents meet in a church basement years after a devastating school shooting. Gail (Martha Plimpton) and Jay (Jason Isaacs) lost their son that day. Across the table sit Linda (Ann Dowd) and Richard (Reed Birney), the parents of the boy responsible. Both couples sit across from each other hoping to find some measure of closure or answers.
The entire movie unfolds in that single room through an uninterrupted conversation. The four actors deliver heartbreaking performances, and Ann Dowd earned a BAFTA nomination, though all the leads deserve one. It’s a tough watch, yet it leaves you believing people can still reach each other after the worst.
You can stream Mass for free on Tubi and Plex.
Dinner in America (2020)
Genre: Comedy, drama, romance
IMDb: 7.5/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 91%
Simon (Kyle Gallner) is a singer who is running from the cops with nowhere to hide. He crashes into Patty’s (Emily Skeggs) life, an awkward young woman stuck in a dead-end job. She has no idea the stranger on her couch fronts the punk band she worships. The two embark on a chaotic road trip across the state.
At heart, it’s a love story about misfits who find out that sometimes the weirdest people turn out to be exactly who we need. Kyle Gallner and Emily Skeggs have wild chemistry that swings from savage insults to real tenderness in one scene. It was fun to watch the incredibly sweet and unconventional romance between two total outcasts.
You can stream Dinner in America for free on Tubi and Plex.
Mommy (2014)
Genre: Drama
IMDb: 8.0/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 89%
A widowed mother (Anne Dorval) suddenly has full custody of her 15-year-old son, Steve (Antoine Olivier Pilon). Steve has ADHD and a hair-trigger temper, and he’s just been kicked out of a youth facility. Money is tight, and every day is a struggle. Their chaotic household catches a lucky break when a mysterious neighbor, Kyla (Suzanne Clément), steps in to help. The three form a makeshift family inside a tense suburban home.
What hooked me first was the frame itself. Xavier Dolan shot this French film in a cramped square aspect ratio that boxes you in right alongside these characters. When they get rare moments of freedom, the frame literally stretches to match their joy. That visual choice captures the suffocating chaos of their lives better than dialogue ever could. You should bring tissues, and maybe someone to hug after watching this movie.
You can stream Mommy for free onTubi.
