Your broke bestie's watchlist: 3 feel-good (and free!) new movies I'm streaming on Tubi this week
Streaming prices are out of control, and it's got me turning to the best free streaming services more and more these days. But finding a movie that moves you without disturbing your wallet is like striking gold. Tubi added over 100 new movies in August, but there's no need to waste your evening sifting through the entire lineup to figure out what's worth adding to your watchlist. Let me do that heavy-lifting for you.
Looking over everything that just landed on Tubi this month, most of it is worth skipping. That's why I've rounded up the three best movies to watch right now, and with despair running rampant in these Unprecedented Times, they're all feel-good picks that won't take your mood.
First up, I recommend you check out "Marcel the Shell With Shoes," a darling mockumentary starring Jenny Slate that can't help but tug at your heartstrings. Then there's "Big Fish," a criminally underrated Tim Burton film led by Ewan McGregor as an Odysseus-style trickster. Finally, "Diary of a Mad Black Woman" remains one of Tyler Perry's best films to date, and it's one I used to watch with my mom all the time.
So let's dive into the three newly added movies to Tubi that you need to be streaming right now.
Alyse has been covering the latest in streaming shows and movies since 2023. Every week, she hunts down the best new shows and movies to decide which streaming services are actually worth the price.
'Marcel the Shell With Shoes On' (2021)
The vibe: Playing at a sleepover with your best friends
Based on a series of darling viral YouTube shorts from the early 2010s, "Marcel the Shell with Shoes On" is a mockumentary that follows the adventures of Marcel: a one-inch-tall, talking seashell in sneakers (voiced by Jenny Slate). Director Dean Fleischer Camp, who also led the new "Lilo & Stitch" live-action remake, offers a window into Marcel’s bite-sized world through interviews and slice-of-life videos that show being a little guy is a lot harder than you think.
Camp plays a filmmaker who moves into the Airbnb that Marcel and his grandmother, Nana Connie (Isabella Rossellini), call home. Captivated by Marcel’s charm (who wouldn't be?) Dean starts documenting his whimsical, often unexpectedly thoughtful outlook on the world. The duo set out on a journey to find Marcel's long-lost family and learn some powerful messages about life along the way.
Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95%
Watch "Marcel the Shell With Shoes On" on Tubi now
'Big Fish' (2003)
![Big Fish (2003) Original Trailer [FHD] - YouTube](https://img.youtube.com/vi/T6M-jwyz28U/maxresdefault.jpg)
The vibe: A Tim Burton cousin of the Coen brothers that dads will love
Tim Burton has built a career around making movies unlike anyone else's. Love 'em or hate 'em, his work never lacks for imagination, and nowhere is that clearer than in "Big Fish." It's also one of Burton's most personal movies; when filming began, he'd lost both his parents within the last two years. At the heart of "Big Fish" is a deeply moving message: Parents aren’t perfect, but they're trying, and we all only get so much time.
This fantasy drama stars Ewan McGregor as Edward Bloom, a tall-tale-telling charlatan who's seen his fair share of witches and werewolves, mermaids and enchanted villages while on the hunt for his true love. Or maybe he's just pulling your leg, spinning you the story you want to hear. McGregor is in top form as our charming yet unreliable narrator, and he's backed by an outstanding cast that includes Albert Finney, Jessica Lange, Helena Bonham Carter, Danny DeVito and Steve Buscemi.
Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89%
Watch "Big Fish" on Tubi now
'Diary of a Mad Black Woman' (2005)
The vibe: A romantic comedy-drama with Madea, not to be confused with a full-on cornball Madea movie
"Diary of a Mad Black Woman" first introduced us to Tyler Perry's larger-than-life character Madea, and history was never the same. I didn't realize critics hated this one as much as they did until I saw its abysmal 15% compared to its glowing 86% from audiences. I'm not the biggest Madea fan myself (my mom was though, so I've seen a lot of them) and even I thought that was kinda harsh. "Diary of a Mad Black Women" is just about the only one I'd rewatch without much complaining, since the Madea schtick doesn't feel as played out, and the slapstick takes a backseat to the core drama.
Directed by Darren Grant and written by Tyler Perry, it stars Helen McCarter as Kimberly Elise, a wife in the middle of divorcing her cheating husband (Steve Harris). After getting thrown out of her home, she goes on a journey of self-discovery and healing with her family and foul-mouthed yet profound grandmother Madea (Perry). Get ready to laugh and pray in the next 90 minutes.
Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86%
Watch "Diary of a Mad Black Women" on Tubi now
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