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3 great free movies to stream this weekend (May 2-4)

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Weekend Watchlist: Free Movies Ace Ventura: Pet Detective
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This story is part of Weekend Watchlist, a series that showcases hidden gems and underrated films tucked away in your favorite streaming libraries.

Are movie theaters back? They might be! Last weekend four movies — Sinners, Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, The Accountant 2, and A Minecraft Movie — all grossed over $20 million apiece. Considering one of those movies (Sith) came out 20 years ago, that’s a huge win for theaters. Things are about to get better with Thunderbolts* hitting theaters on May 2.

Spend some money at the theaters. Then, sit down, relax, and watch a free movie on a FAST service. Tubi and Pluto TV are some of the best FAST services, which do not cost money at sign-ups. Our three recommendations include a David Fincher thriller, a Jim Carrey comedy, and a culinary drama.

Recommended Videos

We also have guides to the best new movies to stream, the best movies on Netflix, the best movies on Hulu, the best movies on Amazon Prime Video, the best movies on Max, and the best movies on Disney+.

Panic Room (2002)

Give David Fincher one location to film, and he’ll turn it into a stylish thriller. Panic Room is predominantly set inside a New York brownstone, specifically a panic room — a secluded concrete room with an extensive security system inside. Meg Altman (Jodie Foster) and her young daughter Sarah (Kristen Stewart) now live in the house after a reclusive millionaire left.

On their first night, three intruders — Burnham (Forest Whitaker), Raoul (Dwight Yoakam), and Junior (Jared Leto) — break into the brownstone in hopes of stealing the bearer bonds located in the panic room’s safe. The only problem? Meg and Sarah take refuge in the panic room. It’s now a cat-and-mouse game between the mother-daughter duo and the intruders. Fincher shines behind the camera, while Foster brings a magnetic presence on screen.

Stream Panic Room on Pluto TV.

Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994)

Alrighty, then. Jim Carrey began his legendary 1994 with Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. Carrey injects his witty persona and physical comedy into the role of Ace Ventura, the eccentric private detective who tracks down missing animals. After the Miami Dolphins’ animal mascot is kidnapped, the organization calls in Ace to investigate the issue.

Despite his unorthodox antics, Ace makes headway in the investigation and believes the kidnapper is zeroing in on a famous Dolphins team from the 1980s. What Ace didn’t plan for is the kidnapping of player Dan Marino. Ace now has to find the prized dolphin and star quarterback before the Super Bowl. Be prepared to recite Ace’s memorable one-liners in normal conversation.

Stream Ace Ventura: Pet Detective for free on Tubi.

Burnt (2015)

Bradley Cooper channels the ferocity of Gordon Ramsay with the flair of Bobby Flay to play Adam Jones in Burnt. Adam is a hot-tempered two-star Michelin chef who imploded and tanked his career in Paris. After finishing his self-imposed exile, Adam heads to London and forces his way into the kitchen of his former colleague Tony Balerdi (Daniel Brühl).

Tony can’t afford to have his kitchen shut down, so he reluctantly hires Adam as the head chef. Adam runs a tight ship in the kitchen and isn’t afraid to shout at anyone who gets in his face, including the talented chef Helene (Sienna). There’s a method to madness, as Adam hopes to earn a third Michelin star. While not the best culinary movie, Burnt is a love letter to food and a satisfying B-movie.

Stream Burnt for free on Tubi.

Dan Girolamo
Former Entertainment Writer
Dan is a passionate and multitalented content creator with experience in pop culture, entertainment, and sports. Throughout…
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