30 of the Best Titles Now Streaming on Tubi

Arguably the best Robin Hood movie of all time, and certainly one of the all-time classic swashbucklers, The Adventures of Robin Hood stars Errol Flynn as the dashing thief from Sherwood Forest who robs from the rich and gives to the poor. Filled with gorgeous production design and thrilling stunts, The Adventures of Robin Hood was a critical and commercial success upon its release in 1938. In addition to Flynn, the film also stars Olivia de Havilland as the lovely Maid Marian and Basil Rathbone as the dastardly Guy of Gisbourne.

In this riff on Indiana Jones, Jackie Chan stars as “Asian Hawk,” a former pop star turned legendary treasure hunter. When a former bandmate’s girlfriend is kidnapped by an evil cult, Hawk must use all of his skills to rescue her. Armour of God isn’t as well known as Chan’s other ’80s films, like Wheels on Meals and Police Story, but it features some of Chan’s most enjoyable action scenes, including a bizarre subterranean brawl with four stiletto heel-wearing assassins.

Kurt Russell stars as Jack Burton, a cocky, loud-mouthed trucker who finds himself in way over his head (though he won’t admit it) when he’s caught up in a war between rival Chinatown gangs, a war that soon becomes supernatural. One of John Carpenter’s best films, Big Trouble in Little China is a rowdy, hilarious ode to classic kung fu films (read my review). As Burton, Russell delivers one of his most iconic performances, with James Hong and Victor Wong stealing the show as rival Chinese sorcerers.

In this movie that capitalized on the ’80s breakdancing craze, a greedy developer wants to demolish a community rec center in order to build a new shopping mall. It’s up to a group of scrappy breakdancing youth to stop him with the power of dance, as only happens in ’80s movies. Although Breakin’ 2 was panned by most critics, it was a box office success and one of Cannon Film’s most iconic releases.

This 1978 documentary about Japan’s various martial arts (e.g., aikido, judo, karate) offers a fascinating look at the intense training and discipline that they all require. But it’s not shot or edited like your typical documentary. Rather, Budo: The Art of Killing often feels more like an abstract arthouse film thanks to its surreal visuals and ominous voiceovers. In any case, it’s a fascinating watch and a must-see for martial arts cinema fans.

After she survives a terrible car accident, Mary Henry moves to Salt Lake City to work as a church organist. But upon arriving at her new home, she’s beset by strange and terrifying visions. Is she losing her mind, or is something more sinister going on? Although it was largely overlooked when it was originally released in 1962, Carnival of Souls has since come to be regarded as a horror classic.

Jon Lovitz provides the voice of film critic Jay Sherman, who alternates between savaging Hollywood’s latest atrocities and dealing with his family’s various quirks and dysfunctions. Originally created by a couple of Simpsons writers — Al Jean and Mike Reiss — The Critic had the distinction of the being “the first major non-family sitcom animated program to appear in primetime” when it debuted on ABC in 1994. The series ultimately lasted two seasons, but has since become a cult classic thanks to its skewed sense of humor and colorful characters, like Jay’s egotistical boss Duke Phillips.

A decade has passed since brothers Justin and Aaron escaped the cult in which they grew up, but life on the outside hasn’t been easy for them. After returning for a brief visit, the brothers begin experiencing bizarre phenomena that hint at a malevolent entity’s presence — an experience that could end up driving the brothers apart. With its ominous atmosphere and bizarre visuals, The Endless is a fantastic indie sci-fi/horror film (read my review).

It’s a well-known fact that David Hasselhoff’s most iconic role is Knight Rider’s Michael Knight. But I’d argue that The Final Alliance’s Will Colton is a close second. When Colton returns to his hometown, he discovers that it’s now terrorized by a biker gang. Unfortunately for them, Colton is an ex-Marine with commando training and a ninja outfit. Aaaaand a pet cougar. (Did my 11-year-old self write this movie?) The Final Alliance is prime, grade “A” direct-to-video nonsense.

If you grew up in the ’80s, here’s a chance to relive your favorite Saturday morning memories. Tubi’s library contains a host of classic cartoons, including the one and only GI Joe. Watch Duke, Snake Eyes, Scarlett, and the rest of the Joe team battle the terrorist organization Cobra, led by the diabolical Cobra Commander, who launches increasingly elaborate schemes to rule the world. Classic ’80s cartoons don’t get much better than this.

Based on Masamune Shirow’s cyberpunk manga, Ghost in the Shell is one of the most acclaimed anime titles of all time, and along with Akira, helped establish anime’s popularity in the West. A major influence on the Matrix movies, Ghost in the Shell follows a group of elite government agents trying to track down a master hacker, a mission that involves both thrilling action sequences and deeply philosophical discussions about memory, existence, and the human soul.

Based on Daniel Clowes’ acclaimed comic book, Ghost World is a dark comedy following the exploits of Enid (Thora Birch), a world-weary teen who finds herself facing a long summer and strikes up an unlikely relationship with an older man. That makes it sound like Ghost World is pretty salacious, but nothing could be further from the truth due to its deep sense of pathos, drily offbeat humor, and solid performances from Birch, Steve Buscemi, and Scarlett Johansson.

Ishirō Honda’s Godzilla still works as a classic monster movie, even after all these years. But with its radiation-powered monster that’s an obvious metaphor for the dangers of nuclear power, and in particular, the nuclear devastation that Japan experienced during World War II, Godzilla clearly has more on its mind than mere movie monster mayhem. Given the franchise’s cultural popularity, and the many forms that it’s taken over the decades, it’s easy to forget that the original Godzilla is more akin to a tragedy and a horror movie (read my review).

Hackers is completely unrealistic in its depiction of computers and technology. And yet, it’s one of the best computer movies ever made because of its over-the-top sense of style and joyful, anarchistic idealism. (I highly recommend reading this oral history of the film’s genesis and production.) Yeah, I can nitpick and mock its depiction of hacking and how computer networks and interfaces work. But secretly, I totally wish all of that stuff really did work (and look) like it does in Hackers.

Bong Joon-ho’s 2006 film certainly works as a monster movie replete with scenes of widespread chaos and destruction — and an appropriately horrifying monster design. But as is the case with all of Bong’s films, there’s more going on beneath the surface. In The Host’s case, it also works as a brilliant black comedy and scathing satire of South Korean society and government as well as America’s influence in South Korea.

Hundreds of guerillas led by a dangerous Soviet operative are preparing to attack the United States, and there’s only one man who can stop them: Chuck Norris. (Who else could it be?) Invasion U.S.A. might be a bit hard to watch given our current political climate and the rhetoric surrounding illegal immigrants and border concerns, but this Cannon Films production is Norris in his ’80s prime, taking down bad guys with machine guns and roundhouse kicks aplenty.

In this, one of my favorite anime OVAs from the ’90s, a headstrong young bounty hunter is determined to capture and destroy the alien monster that killed her brother. With its exotic-looking artwork and design, sci-fi action, funky music, and solid hand-drawn animation, Iria is a true gem that deserves a much wider audience (read my review).

In an alternate version of Japan, a member of the country’s elite police force is traumatized after he witnesses a suicide bomber. But when he befriends the bomber’s sister, he sets in motion a series of events that will test his humanity. Jin-Roh is a perfect example of mature anime for adults; while it’s filled with intense action sequences, its melancholy pace and solemn tone will haunt you long after the credits stop rolling. Jin-Roh was written by Mamoru Oshii, based on his own Kerberos Panzer Cop manga.

Alain Delon never looked cooler or more suave than when he played Jef Costello, the unflappable hitman in Jean-Pierre Melville’s Le Samourai. When his latest hit doesn’t quite go according to plan, Jef finds himself being chased by both the police and his employers, and must rely on his methodical attention to detail to survive long enough to learn the truth. Thanks to Delon’s ice-cold performance and its stylish, atmospheric feel, Le Samourai is widely considered a world cinema classic, and has influenced numerous other films, most notably John Woo’s The Killer.

In the distant future, the last humans enjoy an idyllic existence within a computer-controlled utopia. Those who attempt to escape this utopia are hunted down by special agents called “Sandmen.” But when one of these Sandmen is sent on a mission to destroy a subversive group, he starts to uncover the true nature of his utopia, and begins to question everything that he’s known about his life. Along with titles like Soylent Green, THX 1138, and Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Logan’s Run is one of the great sci-fi films from the ’70s.

I never saw the appeal of the Taken movies starring Liam Neeson, especially considering The Man From Nowhere is such a better former-special-agent-out-for-revenge kind of movie. The Man From Nowhere slow burns for the first 30 minutes or so, and then bang! — all hell breaks loose as the hero takes on an organ-trafficking gang to save a young girl. Won Bin is excellent as the emotionally damaged yet extremely lethal agent (he won “Best Actor” at the 2010 Korea Film Awards for this role), the villains are appropriately slimy and despicable, and the action is fast and brutal. Being a South Korean film, there’s plenty of melodrama but that only enhances the film’s intensity and poignancy.

After their mother is wooed by a charismatic preacher, her two young children soon realize that he’s up to no good and only searching for their father’s buried treasure. What follows is a truly remarkable film, filled with chilling performances — especially Robert Mitchum as the evil preacher and Lillian Gish as the children’s only hope — and striking, dreamlike visuals that imbue the film with a fairy tale-ish vibe (read my review).

Directed by George A. Romero, Night of the Living Dead might not have been the first zombie movie, but it’s arguably the first movie that comes to mind when somebody mentions the undead. Blending genuine scares with social commentary, Romero’s movie serves as a template for all modern zombie flicks.

In this classic Alfred Hitchcock thriller, an innocent man (Cary Grant) is mistaken for a spy and pursued by a mysterious organization trying to leak American intelligence secrets. One of Hitchcock’s best-known films, North by Northwest features some of cinema’s most famous action sequences, including one where our hero is attacked by a crop-dusting airplane and the climactic chase across the top of Mount Rushmore.

Roger Corman’s name is usually associated with cheesy “B” movies like Attack of the Crab Monsters and She Gods of Shark Reef. But in the early ’60s, Corman directed a series of lavish horror films based on the writings of Edgar Allen Poe. Released in 1961, The Pit and the Pendulum was the second of these movies, and stars the great Vincent Price as a man who believes that he’s haunted by his wife’s ghost.

After an unnamed secret agent resigns from his position, he’s kidnapped and finds himself held captive in a bizarre-yet-idyllic village. There, he must do everything he can to maintain his individuality while matching wits with the village’s authoritarian leaders. With its surreal aesthetics and countercultural themes of rebellion, The Prisoner is one of the greatest cult classic TV shows of all time, and its influence can be seen throughout popular culture.

Over here, you’ve got RiffTrax, the movie-riffing commentary service featuring a post-MST3K Mike Nelson, Kevin Murphy, and Bill Corbett. And over there, you’ve got Miami Connection, a so-bad-it’s-awesome film about a taekwondo rock band battling a drug-dealing ninja motorcycle gang. It’s a match made in pop culture heaven.

In this classic film noir directed by Fritz Lang, Edward G. Robinson plays a hapless painter who becomes the target of two crooks hoping to steal his art. But this being a film noir, you know that things will go horribly, horribly wrong for everyone involved. Fun bit of trivia: Scarlet Street was banned in several cities including New York and Atlanta because of its dark plot.

The first film in Park Chan-wook’s famous “Vengeance” trilogy, Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance is a brutal, no holds barred piece of filmmaking. After a man kidnaps a wealthy executive’s daughter in order to get money to pay for his sister’s kidney transplant, things quickly spiral out of control — with disastrous and bloody consequences for everyone. Directed with style and intensity by Park, the film stars some of South Korea’s best actors: Song Kang-ho, Shin Ha-kyun, and Bae Doona.

Based on Harper Lee’s beloved novel, To Kill a Mockingbird is a beautiful coming-of-age story set 1930s-era Alabama. There, young Scout Finch starts to comprehend the racism and poverty that permeates her town. To Kill a Mockingbird is arguably best known for Gregory Peck’s performance as Atticus Finch, Scout’s father and a respected lawyer dedicated to exposing and battling the town’s racism. In 2003, the American Film Institute put Atticus Finch at the top of their list of the 20th century’s greatest movie heroes.