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35 brilliant movies to stream right now at no extra cost
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You’ll find plenty of superb film entertainment on BBC iPlayer, ITVX and Channel 4, so it won’t cost you a penny more to immerse yourself in some of the best movies of recent years and all time
By Chris Miller, Feature Writer
- Published
- 6 August 2025
“The magic of the movies” is a phrase that’s overused – particularly around awards season – but it retains an essential truth. You really cannot beat a good film: the finest creative minds bringing you intricate, gripping stories, enhanced by the finely honed talents and effortless charisma of the biggest stars, not to mention the mind-blowing special effects and fantastic production design that keep your eyes locked on the screen.
And there’s an abundance of superb movies at your fingertips right now, ready to be watched whenever you want, on the streaming services available to all UK TV licence fee payers: namely BBC iPlayer, ITVX and Channel 4. You don’t need to head out to your local multiplex to find a huge range of films, from blockbusters to indies, from horror to comedy, from Hollywood, the UK and all around the world. Whatever your preference, you’ll find a movie to enjoy.
The BBC iPlayer, ITVX and Channel 4 streaming apps are available to Virgin Media customers who watch on a Virgin TV 360 or Stream box. If you watch TV on our TiVo® box or our Virgin TV V6 box (powered by TiVo®), you can’t currently access these services on Virgin TV. But it’s super-simple to upgrade to our latest Virgin TV box by contacting us on 0345 454 1111 (or call 150 from a Virgin Media phone).
We’ve picked 35 top-drawer features across seven categories, but there are plenty more where they came from. Scroll down to see our choices.
Blockbuster Action
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Avengers: Infinity War
Stream it in Apps > BBC iPlayer until Bank Holiday Monday (25 August)
Superhero struggles spill across the universe as Iron Man, Captain America, Thor and co face down Thanos, the Titan determined to wipe out half of all living things, in this epic action movie.
Skyfall
Stream it in Apps > ITVX
Daniel Craig’s third and arguably most affecting outing as James Bond takes in dazzling locations from London to Macau and Shanghai before a breathtaking final sequence in the Scottish Highlands.
Spider-Man: No Way Home
Stream it in Apps > BBC iPlayer until Saturday 30 August
Peter Parker (Tom Holland) must deal with enemies both from his past and from other universes – with a little help from parallel-world Spider-Men – in this huge hit superhero flick.
Top Gun: Maverick
Stream it in Apps > Channel 4
Could Tom Cruise recapture the Maverick magic after more than 30 years? Very much so, as this supersonic sequel outdoes the original with airborne thrills galore plus an emotionally resonant story.
Guardians Of The Galaxy
Stream it in Apps > ITVX
James Gunn, the man behind this summer’s Superman, put a new slant on superheroes with this witty tale of a ramshackle team of misfits on the run from both the authorities and ruthless baddies.
Star-Powered Hits
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Babylon
Stream it in Apps > Channel 4
Margot Robbie and Brad Pitt lead this energetic and ambitious story of two movie stars – one on the rise, one fading fast – in Hollywood’s Golden Age, from Oscar-winning director Damien Chazelle.
Gone Girl
Stream it in Apps > ITVX
Ben Affleck is a man whose wife (Rosamund Pike), a former child star, has gone missing – but is there another, more complicated story? Gillian Flynn adapted her own phenomenal best-selling novel for this hit thriller.
The Banshees Of Inisherin
Stream it in Apps > Channel 4
In a small Irish town, Colin Farrell’s Pádraic is confused because his best friend Colm (Brendan Gleeson) suddenly wants nothing to do with him. Tempers flare and secrets are exposed, with devastating consequences.
The Edge Of Seventeen
Stream it in Apps > BBC iPlayer until Sunday 24 August
Hailee Steinfeld (Bumblebee, Hawkeye, Sinners) nabbed her breakout role with this funny and heartfelt story of a bereaved teenager navigating the vagaries of high school life.
The Nice Guys
Stream it in Apps > ITVX
Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling make an unlikely but effective pair of unorthodox private detectives in this riotous, 1970s-set comedy thriller that should have at least two sequels by now.
Ghosts And Monsters
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Godzilla v Kong
Stream it in Apps > ITVX
The movies’ two most legendary monsters face off as Kong tries to find his true home but is challenged by an enraged Godzilla in a spectacular battle, with incredible CGI effects.
Halloween
Stream it in Apps > BBC iPlayer
From horror maestro John Carpenter, the story of a masked murderer stalking a small town is the daddy of all slasher films and introduced both Michael Myers and Jamie Lee Curtis to the world.
Pan’s Labyrinth
Stream it in Apps > BBC iPlayer until Bank Holiday Monday (25 August)
A young girl with a troubled life is drawn into a dark and fantastical world of nightmarish beings in this atmospheric, utterly unique movie from film-making visionary Guillermo del Toro.
You Are Not My Mother
Stream it in Apps > Channel 4
In this eerie Irish psychological horror movie, a teenage girl’s mother goes missing – and reappears acting entirely differently. Are there sinister forces at work? Profoundly chilling.
The Thing
Stream it in Apps > ITVX
It’s John Carpenter again with his other masterpiece, in which a group of Antarctic researchers encounter an amorphous being whose menacing presence eventually provokes them to turn on each other. Who is the real monster?!
Family Favourites
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Lyle, Lyle Crocodile
Stream it in Apps > BBC iPlayer until Sunday 24 August
The Greatest Showman’s songwriters score another big hit with this hit musical version of a beloved American children's book about a talented croc that’ll have you humming the tunes for weeks.
Tad The Lost Explorer: Curse Of The Mummy
Stream it in Apps > Channel 4
The world’s clumsiest archaeologist breaks a relic and releases a curse, sending Tad and his friends on a wacky adventure around the world in this madcap animation.
The Bad Guys
Stream it in Apps > ITVX
A group of animal hoodlums are forced to change their criminal ways, only to discover that they like doing good in this hilarious comedy with the voices of Sam Rockwell, Richard Ayoade and more.
Bill
Stream it in Apps > BBC iPlayer
The anarchic gang of writers and performers behind Horrible Histories and Ghosts offer their mischievous take on the life of William Shakespeare, with outrageously funny results.
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
Stream it in Apps > BBC iPlayer
The first feature-length outing for the legendary claymation duo is an instant classic, as Wallace’s smart gnome malfunctions and Gromit is locked in combat with the villainous Feathers McGraw.
Award Winners
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Everything Everywhere All At Once
Stream it in Apps > Channel 4
Can a bizarre sci-fi movie about people slipping between freakish dimensions also be poignant and profound? Yes, and it can win seven Oscars to boot. Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan star.
Triangle Of Sadness
Stream it in Apps > BBC iPlayer
It’s smart, satirical, sometimes silly and it won the Palme D’Or at Cannes. The super-rich are skewered in this off-kilter comedy starring Woody Harrelson and Harris Dickinson.
Aftersun
Stream it in Apps > BBC iPlayer
Paul Mescal is wonderful in this captivating film about a man taking his young daughter on a sun-drenched holiday, which nabbed a BAFTA for writer/director Charlotte Wells.
Priscilla
Stream it in Apps > BBC iPlayer until Monday 18 August
Cailee Spaeny (Civil War) took the best actress award at the Venice film festival for her performance as Priscilla Beaulieu, a young woman in a difficult relationship with a superstar. The clothes alone make it worth watching.
Winter’s Bone
Stream it in Apps > ITVX
Before she was an Oscar-winning, franchise-leading star, Jennifer Lawrence shone in this bleakly brilliant film about a young woman surviving poverty, which was lavished with awards by juries and critics around the world.
Under The Radar
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Decision To Leave
Stream it in Apps > BBC iPlayer until Wednesday 13 August
A gorgeous and oddly romantic mystery about a detective (Park Hae-il) who becomes entranced by the widow (Tang Wei) of a man whose death he is investigating.
Enys Men
Stream it in Apps > Channel 4
This Cornish folk horror, shot on a tiny budget during the Covid lockdown, juxtaposes the beautiful and the nightmarish as a wildlife lover finds herself transfixed by a rare flower.
The Raid 2
Stream it in Apps > ITVX
A highly trained officer goes undercover to expose corrupt officials in this fast-paced and relentless crime thriller from Indonesia, written and directed by Welsh film-maker Gareth Evans.
The Quiet Girl
Stream it in Apps > Channel 4
A melancholy and lyrical coming-of-age film, in English and Irish, about a neglected child who finds contentment in a new environment. Oscar- and BAFTA-nominated, it won seven Irish Film & TV Awards including best film.
Final Cut
Stream it in Apps > BBC iPlayer
This French gem manages to be an effectively scary zombie movie and a meta-commentary on entertainment itself – as well as ridiculously entertaining.
All-Time Classics
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The Third Man
Stream it in Apps > ITVX
This hugely influential, gripping film noir set in post-war Vienna comes with a brief but memorable performance from Orson Welles. “What did that produce? The cuckoo clock…”
Deliverance
Stream it in Apps > BBC iPlayer until Sunday 17 August
Four businessmen get a lot more than they bargained for when they venture into the wilderness in John Boorman’s tense 1972 thriller starring Burt Reynolds and Ned Beatty.
The Terminator
Stream it in Apps > ITVX
It doesn’t get much more iconic than Arnold Schwarzenegger as the implacable cyborg assassin time-travelling to 1980s LA to pre-emptively snuff out resistance to the rise of the machines. Groundbreaking effects, superb soundtrack. Perfect.
Heathers
Stream it in Apps > ITVX
They were mean girls long before Mean Girls. Winona Ryder stars in the cult 80s black comedy about a trio of high-school Heathers whose bullying ways prompt a spate of disquieting deaths.
Gosford Park
Stream it in Apps > BBC iPlayer until Bank Holiday Monday (25 August)
Move over Agatha Christie – this all-star, Oscar-winning movie is the paramount stately-home murder mystery of our time, with Helen Mirren, Clive Owen, Maggie Smith, Michael Gambon and many more.
All movies available on the streaming service indicated on 5 August 2025.
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