Free films: where to stream movies and TV shows without paying

Want to tighten your streaming spend? There are lots of ways to watch legally for free in Australia – you just have to know where to look.
Photo by Adrian Swancar on Unsplash.

Let’s face it, the cost of living right now is making it tough to keep multiple streaming subscriptions going, not to mention the recent crackdown on password sharing.

Whether you’re feeling the brunt of price hikes on your weekly entertainment offerings or not, we’ve scrounged up a number of excellent and completely free alternatives to paid streaming subscriptions.

Each service below offers a number of different feature films, shorts, and TV series for absolutely nothing – all you need is an email address.

ABC iView

ABC iView. Screenshot by ScreenHub

What’s on ABC iView at a glance: The Newsreader, Bluey, Bay of Fires, Utopia, Fisk, Carol, Her, The King’s Speech, Limbo, Strictly Ballroom, Brooklyn

Sign up with: Your email address.

Read: ABC iview: new shows streaming in January 2024

Beamafilm

Beamafilm. Screenshot by ScreenHub

What’s on Beamafilm at a glance: Skippy and the Intruders, The Novelist, Head On, The Last Days of Chez Nous, Dingo, The Adventures of Barry McKenzie

Sign up with: Your email address & library card.

Brollie

Brollie. Screenshot by ScreenHub

What’s on Brollie at a glance: Bad Boy Bubby, Death in Brunswick, Terrifier, Lucky, Puberty Blues, A Hard Day’s Night, Possession, Shine

Sign up with: Your email address.

iQIYI

iQIYI. Screenschot by ScreenHub

What’s on iQIYI at a glance: Western audiences might not recognise most of the titles here, but iQIYI has a sizeable collection of Chinese, Korean, Thai, and Japanese series and films that you can watch for free, available in categories like ‘Fairy Tale’, ‘PRIDE’, ‘Costume Drama’, and ‘Adorable Children’.

Sign up with: Your email address.

Kanopy

Kanopy. Screenshot by ScreenHub

What’s on Kanopy at a glance: Lady Bird, Eighth Grade, The Florida Project, Her Smell, 20th Century Women, Chinatown, Moonlight, The Witch, The Truman Show

Sign up with: Your email address & library card.

Plex

Plex. Screenshot by ScreenHub

What’s on Plex at a glance: Farscape, RoboCop, It’s A Wonderful Life, Lady Chatterly’s Lover, Fern Gully, Harvie Krumpet, The General, BMX Bandits …

Sign up with: Your email address.

SBS on Demand

SBS On Demand. Screenshot by ScreenHub

What’s on SBS on Demand at a glance: The Quiet Girl, Hereditary, Reservoir Dogs, Drive, An Education, The Great Dictator, Rabbit Proof Fence, Super Mario Bros., Bring It On …

Sign up with: Your email address.

Read: SBS On Demand: new shows streaming January 2024

Tubi

Tubi. Screenshot by ScreenHub

What’s on Tubi at a glance: Midsomer Murders, Unsolved Mysteries, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Mr. Bean, The Revenant, The Inbetweeners, Man on Fire …

Sign up with: Your email address

YouTube Movies

What’s on YouTube Movies at a glance: Memento, The Savages, But I’m A Cheerleader, Supersize Me, Jabberwocky, Oklahoma (1999), South Pacific, Existenz …

Sign up with: Your email address

Silvi Vann-Wall is a journalist, podcaster, and filmmaker. They joined ScreenHub as Film Content Lead in 2022. Twitter: @SilviReports