If your weekend plans include some time chilling on the couch — and we hope, for your sake, that they do — you’ll need a perfect movie to entertain you while you relax.
Luckily, YouTube has a surprisingly large library of movies available to watch for free with ads — no subscription needed.
Check out these three hit movies that Watch With Us is recommending for the weekend of May 9.
They’re all available on YouTube, and they’re all free to watch — for now.
‘Catch Me If You Can’ (2002)Inspired by his memoir of the same name, Catch Me If You Can is the story of Frank Abagnale Jr., a criminal who claims to have performed cons worth millions of dollars by writing phony checks and posing as a pilot, a doctor and more in the 1960s.
Though the true story behind Abagnale’s memoir has been disputed since the movie was released, the Steven Spielberg-directed film is incredibly entertaining. Leonardo DiCaprio stars as Frank, while Tom Hanks plays Carl Hanratty, the FBI agent tasked with tracking him down. The ever-evolving relationship between agent and crook makes for a highly enjoyable game of cat and mouse. Frank concocts ever-escalating schemes to escape Carl’s clutches, and Carl reluctantly grows more and more fond of the clever young man.
Hanks and DiCaprio are two of the most magnetic performers of the 21st century, and their playfully adversarial relationship is the heart of this fun, breezy movie. Whatever the true story of Abagnale Jr. may be, Catch Me If You Can is by far the most enjoyable version.
‘Hairspray’ (2007)In a musical mood? Head on down to 1960s Baltimore by watching Hairspray, the clever and poignant musical based on John Waters’ movie of the same name. Tracy Turnblad (Nikki Blonsky) is an overweight teenage girl with a big heart, big hair and big dreams. Her goal: to become one of the dancers on The Corny Collins Show, a local daytime TV program (James Marsden plays the smooth-talking host, while Michelle Pfeiffer is the venomous station manager). Her parents, played by Christopher Walken and John Travolta (in female drag), doubt that she’ll be accepted as a star because of her weight, but Tracy’s determination and talent soon get her in front of the camera.
It also helps her catch the attention of the dreamy Link Larkin (Zac Efron). But once she’s in the public eye, Tracy’s own eyes are opened to the injustices of segregation. With help from Link and her best friend Penny (Amanda Bynes), she joins DJ “Motormouth” Maybelle Stubbs (Queen Latifah) and her kids to fight for integration.
Don’t let the musical numbers and bright colors fool you — this is a musical about prejudice and standing up for what’s right. It’s an inspirational good time, and the songs will stick with you like, well, hairspray.
If you saw Sinners last weekend and you’re craving another insightful horror film with a fascinating take on race in America, your first watch should be the groundbreaking Get Out. Jordan Peele’s brilliant thriller is always smart, often funny, and constantly disturbing in the best way. When Chris (Daniel Kaluuya), a Black photographer, goes to spend the weekend with his white girlfriend Rose’s (Allison Williams) family, he discovers something sinister that’s underbeath their friendly exterior.
Get Out is one of those amazing films where you notice some new, brilliant detail on every viewing, so if you’ve seen it before, keep an eye out for foreshadowing. If you’re watching it for the first time, be ready. Your nightmares may end up more thought-provoking than usual.
