The 5 best apps and websites to watch classic movies

 But what's the best way to watch those classic movies? Here are the best apps and websites to watch classic movies.

1. Turner Classic Movies

Turner Classic Movies, also known as TCM, is an American television channel with sub-networks in the United Kingdom, Latin America, Germany, Asia and Northern Europe.

Content sourced from the Turner Entertainment movie library. This library holds the distribution rights to Warner Bros. films. pre-1950 and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films before 1986, as well as North American licenses for films by RKO Pictures - one of the "Big Five" studios from Hollywood's golden age.

2. Pluto TV

Pluto TV is often associated with providing a free, ad-supported live TV service for people who want to ditch cable TV. However, did you know this service is also a great free app for watching classic movies? Pluto TV boasts several channels filled with old movies.

Some classic movie channels worth checking out on Pluto include Classic Movies, Classic Movie Westerns, Cult Films, and 70s Cinema.

3. Shout! TV

Shout! TV is home to classic movies and even some TV shows, animation, and live concerts. The platform offers more than 8,000 hours of movies and TV shows, all for free. You can also pay $3.99/month or $39.99/year to watch ad-free titles, as well as access to exclusive premium content.

The app has licensing agreements with several major networks and studios, including Universal Pictures, 20th Century Fox and Columbia Pictures, as well as iconic entertainment producers like the Jim Henson Company.

4. The Criterion Channel

The Criterion Channel is an American network dedicated to licensing "important classic and contemporary films," according to its mission statement. Taken together, the films they hold the rights to are called the Criterion Collection.

Today, the collection includes more than 1,500 films. You can watch it all on the app and website, including a constant mix of classic, international, art house and independent films from renowned studios and independent filmmakers. You'll also find plenty of bonus content, such as interviews and archival footage. The service will also feature special collections, sometimes curated by filmmakers.

The service isn't free, but its superbly curated collection is well worth the $10.99/month or $99.99/year subscription cost.

5. Library of Congress: National Screening Room

The Library of Congress's National Screening Room is a collection of historically or culturally significant films that can be viewed for free. The collection includes both copyrighted and public domain content.

Some of the videos in the collection include The Forbidden City from 1903, Pekin, Ghosts from 1915, and The Lost Battalion from World War I.

In total, more than 1,200 movies released before 1999 are available on the site. Note, however, that some videos reflect beliefs and attitudes from another era. In the modern context, some viewers may find parts of the content offensive. If anything, though, that only underscores the importance of the collection's place in history.

Samuel Daniel

Update 28 August 2024