For those times when you fall down the YouTube rabbit hole, trust us — you'll stumble upon some hidden gems and even popular "free" movies, just like we did! These films and documentaries aren't just great time-passers; they'll get your mind ticking and your thoughts flowing.
From feel-good docs to spine-chilling horror, here's a lineup you'll definitely want to add to your YouTube watchlist.
Jiro Dreams Of Sushi is a lovely food documentary that revolves around 85-year-old Sushi Master, Jiro Ono. It delves into the niceties of practising the art form of making sushi through in-depth interviews, vivid pictures of the preparation that goes into creating this beloved dish that the world loves. It also touches upon what a perfectionist Niro is giving into the angle of how the eldest son, Yoshikazu, has trouble living up to his father's legacy. The story is thought-provoking and immersive.
Cast: Jiro Ono, Masuhiro Yamamoto, Yoshikazu Ono
Duration: 1 hr 21 min
IMDb Rating: 7.8/10
Release Year: 2011
Genre: Documentary
We are personally recommending 12 Angry Men for its intense and gripping acting and intelligent story, though it's a really old film. It is a courtroom drama of a jury (the 12 angry men) debating for the young defendant charged with murdering his father. This movie keeps you interested not in its action but in its personality conflicts, dialogues and body language. The result is a depiction of a jury system that is as valid as ever and may even be more applicable to today's world scenario as opposed to back then.
Cast: Michael DeGrotta, Mark Hetelson, Todd Caster
Duration: 1 hr 44 min
IMDb Rating: 9/10
Release Year: 1957
Genre: Thriller/Crime
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This intense documentary deep dives into the factors that led to the biggest event in 2008, the Great Financial Crisis. An HBO original, the story shows us how the government saved the US from an economic collapse. It explores the challenges the officials faced, as well as the consequences of their decisions.
Cast: Gary Ackerman, Stephen Bannon, Ben Bernanke
Duration: 1 hr 35 min
IMDb Rating: 7.3/10
Release Year: 2018
Genre: Documentary
The Fall of the House of Usher — a classic Gothic horror tale you’ve likely heard of — has seen many versions over the years. Lucky for us, the iconic 1960 adaptation is up on YouTube! Set in a crumbling, eerie mansion, Roderick Usher is convinced that his family is cursed with madness, and the only way to stop it is to end the family line. So when his sister Madeline announces her engagement, he’ll go to disturbing lengths to stop it.
Cast: Vincent Price, Mark Damon, Myrna Fahey
Duration: 1 hr 18 min
IMDb Rating: 6.9/10
Release Year: 1960
Genre: Horror/Fantasy
If a movie stars talents like Irrfan Khan and Konkona Sen Sharma, you already know it’s going to be worth your time. Deadline begins with a heart surgeon and his wife preparing for their daughter’s birthday, until she’s suddenly abducted, and the couple is taken hostage. Though the doctor offers a hefty ransom, the kidnapper makes it clear that this isn’t about money. It’s about revenge, and he has no intention of letting them see their daughter alive again.
Cast: Irfan Khan, Konkana Sen Sharma, Ranjit Kapur
Duration: 2 hr 15 min
IMDb Rating: 6.3/10
Release Year: 2006
Genre: Thriller/Crime
The Kennedy Assassination is another gem on YouTube — a documentary masterpiece that’s free to watch. Split into 12 chapters, it plays out like a case study. Created by popular YouTuber LEMMiNO, the film dives deep into the events surrounding John F. Kennedy’s assassination, with a sharp focus on the Texas School Book Depository and the theories that still surround it.
Cast: LEMMiNO, Georgiana Anghel (voice), Jessica Fisher (voice)
Duration: 1 hr 38 min
IMDb Rating: 9.2/10
Release Year: 2023
Genre: Documentary
The Broken Table, a powerful short film that’s made it to the Oscars Longlist, stars Naseeruddin Shah as an elderly man battling Alzheimer’s. His caregiver, Deepti, deals with both his eccentricity and her own life. Their often tense relationship unfolds around an ordinary table (as the name suggests). It’s a story that pulls you in and leaves you sitting with its emotions long after the credits roll.
Cast: Naseeruddin Shah, Rasika Dugal, Gauri Nalawade
Duration: 24 min
IMDb Rating: 7.8/10
Release Year: 2023
Genre: Drama
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If you're in the mood to not sleep well tonight, we highly recommend the horror short film Childer. It follows an anxious, reclusive mother plagued by paranoia about the outside world. Lurking in the woods around her home is a gang of feral children who begin to stalk her, turning her fears into a chilling reality.
Cast: Dorothy Duffy, Luke Walford, Charlie Bonner
Duration: 19 min
IMDb Rating: 5.8/10
Release Year: 2016
Genre: Horror/Drama
Catch Me If You Can (Deadly Game) is one of those late-‘90s thrillers where a harmless prank snowballs into a deadly chase. It’s not flashy or over-the-top, but if you’re in the mood for a low-key suspense film, the kind you stumble upon and weirdly can’t stop watching, we say go for this one!
Cast: Tim Matheson, Ryan DeBoer, Carol Alt
Duration: 2 hr
IMDb Rating: 4.6/10
Release Year: 1998
Genre: Action/Comedy
This might just be one of the most underrated comedy films of all time. Nelson Hibbert, furious after being passed over for a promotion, threatens to kill his boss — only to later find said boss murdered. Naturally, he assumes he’s the prime suspect. What follows is his escape to a small town, and we’ll leave the rest of this absurdist masterpiece for you to unravel yourself!
Cast: Dave Foley, David Anthony Higgins, Jennifer Tilly
Duration: 1 hr 32 min
IMDb Rating: 6.8/10
Release Year: 1997
Genre: Comedy/Parody
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Mirror is like flipping through someone else’s old photo album —but the photos move and suddenly remind you of your own childhood, even if it looks nothing like yours. Tarkovsky doesn’t spoon-feed anything here; it’s all scattered memories, dreams, and grief. It might make you feel confused at first, but then out of nowhere, a moment hits you in the gut.
Cast: Nikolay Grinko, Yuri Nazarov, Anatoly Solonitsyn
Duration: 1 hr 47 min
IMDb Rating: 7.9/10
Release Year: 1975
Genre: Drama
Sorcerer is pure anxiety in movie form—and we mean that as a compliment. It’s about four desperate men from different corners of the world, stuck in a sweaty jungle, risking their lives to drive trucks full of nitroglycerin over the most dangerous terrain imaginable. Every bump feels like it might explode (literally), and you’re just white-knuckling it the whole way through.
Cast: Roy Scheider, Bruno Cremer, Francisco Rabal
Duration: 2 hr 1 min
IMDb Rating: 7.7/10
Release Year: 1977
Genre: Adventure/Thriller
