Travel through the decades: free classic films by era
Explore cinema era by era. Every film below is legally free to watch, from the silent 1920s to studio uploads of the 2020s.
The 1920s: 6 films, led by silent
The catalogue holds six films from the 1920s, from Haxan (1922) to Steamboat Bill, Jr. (1928). All of them are English-language films. The commonest labels are silent, horror and adventure. Every one of them is in the public domain in the United States and streams with no advertising. The shortest is The Lost World at 1h 8m; the longest, The Phantom of the Opera, runs 1h 46m.
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A 105-minute English documentary film from 1922, held in full on the Internet Archive as a public-domain title.
- Documentary
- Horror
- 1920s
Haxan
1922 1h 45m
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At the Opera of Paris, a mysterious phantom threatens a famous lyric singer…
- Horror
- Silent
- 1920s
The Phantom of the Opera
1925 1h 46m
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Steamboat Bill, Jr. is the story of a naive, college-educated dandy who must prove himself to his working-class father…
- Comedy
- Silent
- 1920s
Steamboat Bill, Jr.
1928 1h 9m
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The 1930s: 11 films, led by drama
The catalogue holds 11 films from the 1930s, from The Front Page (1931) to The Little Princess (1939). All of them are English-language films. The commonest labels are drama, romance and comedy. Every one of them is in the public domain in the United States and streams with no advertising. The shortest is White Zombie at 1h 5m; the longest, The Front Page, runs 1h 40m.
Browse every filmFeatured 1930s films
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Hildy Johnson (Pat O'Brien), newspaper reporter, is engaged to Peggy Grant and planning to move to New York for a higher paying advertising job.
- Comedy
- Drama
- 1930s
The Front Page
1931 1h 40m
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In this film Charley Grapewin has the lead role as Jasper Whyte, a crotchety head of a family…
- Mystery
- Comedy
- 1930s
One Frightened Night
1935 1h 6m
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In 1899, the young Sarah Crewe (Shirley Temple) is placed into an exclusive London boarding school by her widowed father…
- Family
- Drama
- 1930s
The Little Princess
1939 1h 33m
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The 1940s: 28 films, led by film noir
The catalogue holds 28 films from the 1940s, from His Girl Friday (1940) to Too Late for Tears (1949). All of them are English-language films. The commonest labels are film noir, drama and comedy. Every one of them is in the public domain in the United States and streams with no advertising. The shortest is Detour at 1h 8m; the longest, Till the Clouds Roll By, runs 2h 15m.
Browse every filmFeatured 1940s films
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Hilarious romantic comedy starring Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell.
- Comedy
- Romance
- 1940s
His Girl Friday
1940 1h 32m
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Set in Connecticut after World War II, The Stranger is a cat and mouse game between Wilson (Edward G. Robinson)…
- Film Noir
- Thriller
- 1940s
The Stranger
1946 1h 31m
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A 101-minute English film noir from 1949, held in full on the Internet Archive as a public-domain title.
- Film Noir
- 1940s
Too Late for Tears
1949 1h 41m
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The 1950s: 19 films, led by film noir
The catalogue holds 19 films from the 1950s, from Cyrano de Bergerac (1950) to The Wasp Woman (1959). All of them are English-language films. The commonest labels are film noir, thriller and horror. Every one of them is in the public domain in the United States and streams with no advertising. The shortest is The Painted Hills at 1h 8m; the longest, The Man with the Golden Arm, runs 1h 59m.
Browse every filmFeatured 1950s films
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France, 1640: Cyrano, the charismatic swordsman-poet with the absurd nose, hopelessly loves the beauteous Roxane; she, in turn…
- Drama
- Romance
- 1950s
Cyrano de Bergerac
1950 1h 53m
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Edmond O'Brien and Frank Lovejoy pick up a hitch-hiker (William Talman) who turns out to be an insane escaped convict.
- Film Noir
- Thriller
- 1950s
The Hitch-Hiker
1953 1h 11m
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A beautiful woman by day - a lusting queen wasp by night.
- Horror
- Science Fiction
- 1950s
The Wasp Woman
1959 1h 13m
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Next stop: The 1960s
14 films, from The Little Shop of Horrors to Night of the Living Dead.
Explore the 1960sThe 1960s: 14 films, led by horror
The catalogue holds 14 films from the 1960s, from The Little Shop of Horrors (1960) to Night of the Living Dead (1968). ten in English, three in Tamil and one in Telugu. The commonest labels are horror, science fiction and drama. Ten are in the public domain and stream with no adverts; the other four are studio uploads paid for by advertising. The shortest is The Little Shop of Horrors at 1h 12m; the longest, Desa Drohulu, runs 2h 54m.
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Seymour is picked on by everybody in his life until he discovers a strange plant that makes him a media sensation.
- Horror
- Comedy
- 1960s
The Little Shop of Horrors
1960 1h 12m
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Desa Drohulu (1964) is a classic Telugu action drama starring N.T. Rama Rao, Devika, Kanta Rao, Rajanala, and Relangi.
- Drama
- Action
- 1960s
Desa Drohulu
1964 2h 54m
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A 96-minute English horror film from 1968, held in full on the Internet Archive as a public-domain title.
- Horror
- 1960s
Night of the Living Dead
1968 1h 36m
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The 1970s: 5 films, led by drama
The catalogue holds five films from the 1970s, from Nootrukku Nooru (1971) to Punniya Bhoomi (1978). three in Tamil and two in Hindi. The commonest labels are drama and thriller. Every one is a studio’s own upload, free with advertising, which the rights holder can withdraw at any time. The shortest is Punniya Bhoomi at 2h 15m; the longest, Nootrukku Nooru, runs 2h 39m.
Browse every filmFeatured 1970s films
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Nootrukku Nooru (1971), directed and written by K. Balachander, is a gripping Tamil psychological thriller starring Jaishankar and Lakshmi.
- Drama
- Thriller
- 1970s
Nootrukku Nooru
1971 2h 39m
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Aandhi (1975) is a classic political drama exploring the conflict between ambition and personal relationships.
- Drama
- 1970s
Aandhi
1975 2h 19m
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Punniya Bhoomi (1978) is a classic Tamil drama starring Sivaji Ganesan, Vanisri, Manorama, M. N. Nambiar, and other veteran actors.
- Drama
- 1970s
Punniya Bhoomi
1978 2h 15m
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The 1980s: 9 films, led by drama
The catalogue holds nine films from the 1980s, from Maria My Darling (1980) to Dana Paani (1989). six in Tamil and three in Hindi. The commonest labels are drama, action and romance. Every one is a studio’s own upload, free with advertising, which the rights holder can withdraw at any time. The shortest is Maria My Darling at 1h 56m; the longest, Jeete Hain Shaan Se, runs 2h 39m.
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Maria is a bold and determined woman seeking justice and revenge for her mother's murder.
- Drama
- Action
- 1980s
Maria My Darling
1980 1h 56m
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Chameli Ki Shaadi (1986) is a classic satirical romantic comedy directed by Basu Chatterjee.
- Comedy
- Romance
- 1980s
Chameli Ki Shaadi
1986 2h 22m
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Dana Paani (1989) is an emotionally charged Hindi social drama starring Mithun Chakraborty and Padmini Kolhapure.
- Drama
- 1980s
Dana Paani
1989 2h 38m
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The 1990s: 14 films, led by drama
The catalogue holds 14 films from the 1990s, from Keladi Kanmani (1990) to Jeans (1998). six in Tamil, six in Hindi and one in Gujarati. The commonest labels are drama, romance and action. Every one is a studio’s own upload, free with advertising, which the rights holder can withdraw at any time. The shortest is Koi Kisise Kum Nahin at 2h 1m; the longest, Jeans, runs 2h 46m.
Browse every filmFeatured 1990s films
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Keladi Kanmani (1990) is a memorable Tamil romantic drama starring S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, Radhika, Ramesh Aravind, and Anju.
- Drama
- Romance
- 1990s
Keladi Kanmani
1990 2h 21m
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Maahir (1996) is an action-packed Hindi drama featuring high-voltage emotion, revenge, and justice.
- Drama
- Action
- 1990s
Maahir
1996 2h 13m
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A young woman from India, visiting the United States with her family, falls for one of a pair of identical twin brothers.
- Romance
- Comedy
- 1990s
Jeans
1998 2h 46m
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The 2000s: 24 films, led by drama
The catalogue holds 24 films from the 2000s, from Palayathu Amman (2000) to Naai Kutty (2009). 11 in Tamil, seven in Hindi and two in Malayalam. The commonest labels are drama, action and romance. One is in the public domain and stream with no adverts; the other 23 are studio uploads paid for by advertising. The shortest is Sita Sings the Blues at 1h 22m; the longest, Nayak, runs 3h 12m.
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Palayathu Amman (2000) is a popular Tamil devotional drama starring Meena, Ramki, Divya Unni, Charan Raj, Vivek, and Senthil.
- Drama
- Action
- 2000s
Palayathu Amman
2000 2h 7m
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Security Tight is a Punjabi comedy project featuring actors like Gurchet Chitarkar, built around a chaotic cat-and-mouse chase.
- Comedy
- Drama
- 2000s
Security Tight
2007 1h 31m
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Naai Kutty (2009) is a Tamil drama starring Selvin, Nicole, Soori, and Jaikumar.
- Drama
- 2000s
Naai Kutty
2009 2h 1m
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The 2010s: 15 films, led by drama
The catalogue holds 15 films from the 2010s, from Anandhapurathu Veedu (2010) to Ganagandharvan (2019). seven in Tamil, six in Hindi and one in English. The commonest labels are drama, thriller and horror. Every one is a studio’s own upload, free with advertising, which the rights holder can withdraw at any time. The shortest is The Invoking at 1h 17m; the longest, Holiday: A Soldier Is Never Off Duty, runs 2h 40m.
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Anandhapurathu Veedu (2010) is a Tamil supernatural mystery thriller starring Nandha, Chaya Singh, and Master Aryan.
- Thriller
- Horror
- 2010s
Anandhapurathu Veedu
2010 2h 13m
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Released in 2012, this stylish period romantic comedy-drama explores the timeless power of soulmates across generations—1910 Sargodha during…
- Comedy
- Drama
- 2010s
Teri Meri Kahaani
2012 1h 56m
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Ganagandharvan (2019) is a Malayalam comedy-drama starring Mammootty, Vanditha Manoharan, Manoj K. Jayan, Ramesh Pisharody, and Deepti Sati.
- Comedy
- Drama
- 2010s
Ganagandharvan
2019 2h 19m
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The 2020s: 5 films, led by drama
The catalogue holds five films from the 2020s, from Unlock (2020) to United Kacche (2023). All of them are Hindi-language films. The commonest labels are drama, thriller and comedy. Every one is a studio’s own upload, free with advertising, which the rights holder can withdraw at any time. The shortest is Unlock at 1h 4m; the longest, United Kacche, runs 3h 27m.
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In Unlock (2020), Suhani is determined to win the affection of her crush, Amar.
- Thriller
- 2020s
Unlock
2020 1h 4m
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The desire to execute one big heist and an extra-marital affair land Bhaskar, a Xerox store employee as well as a petty thief…
- Drama
- 2020s
Raja Raja Chora
2021 2h 16m
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As his visa expires, he navigates life as an immigrant ("Kaccha") alongside an eccentric group of South Asian roommates, blending humor, chaos…
- Comedy
- 2020s
United Kacche
2023 3h 27m
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Questions people ask
Why are so many of the free films from the 1940s and 1950s?
Because of how American copyright worked before 1964. A film had to have its copyright renewed after 28 years, and many owners never filed the renewal, so a large share of the studio output of those two decades lost protection. The public domain guide explains the rule.
Where do the newer films come from?
From studios and labels that publish their own films free on their own channels, paid for by advertising. Nearly all the films from the 2000s onwards on this page are of that kind, and the owner can take any of them down again.
Do the decades follow the release year or the upload year?
The release year, as the provider’s record or the film’s own credits give it. An upload made in 2023 of a 1975 film is filed under the 1970s, and a studio upload whose record names no release year is left out of the timeline rather than guessed.
Why is a film missing from every decade?
Some studio uploads do not state the year the film was released, and a year is printed only where a record gives it. 52 films have no year and appear on the browse page instead.