Affordability isn’t just a political buzzword — it’s a reality we all have to live in right now. Everything costs too much, from gas to mortgages and even subscription services like Netflix.
You know what doesn’t cost a single cent? Samsung TV Plus. Less well-known than other free streamers like Tubi and Pluto TV, Samsung TV Plus has a killer library of movies from different genres like action, thrillers and sci-fi.
This July, the platform added several cult classics that are worth watching, either for the first time or for the hundredth. From a haunting coming-of-age story starring River Phoenix to a ’90s comedy featuring Steve Martin and Diane Keaton, these films are perfect to stream on a lazy July afternoon.
‘Stand By Me’ (1986)
We recently ranked Stand by Me as one of 1986’s best movies, and one could easily argue it’s one of the best films of all time. It’s that good, and it remains the picture the late director Rob Reiner is best known for to this day. While it’s set in 1960s Oregon, Stand by Me has a timeless quality to it that makes it universally appealing — and endlessly enjoyable.
Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman and Jerry O’ Connell star as four childhood friends who hear about a dead body lying near some train tracks just outside of their small town. Believing they will be considered local heroes if they locate it, they set out on an adventure to find and retrieve it. But their journey brings them unexpected perils and surprising revelations, some of which will change their lives forever.
‘Father of the Bride’ (1991)
We all could use a laugh nowadays, and there are no two men better suited to do it than Steve Martin and Martin Short. The duo is currently killing it — sometimes literally — on the hit Hulu TV show Only Murders in the Building, but they’ve collaborated a few times before. Their best team-up occurs in Father of the Bride, a 1991 remake of the classic 1950 film starring Spencer Tracy and Elizabeth Taylor.
Martin stars as George Banks, a family man who must come to terms with the fact that his firstborn child, Annie (Kimberly Williams), is getting married. He also has to accept the fact that, as the father of the bride, he has to pay for her wedding, including hiring a very expensive wedding planner, Franck, who wants to spend George’s money to realize Annie’s dreams. Not everything goes according to plan, but George will do anything — including hold the wedding afterparty at his small Pasadena house — to make sure his little girl gets the send-off she deserves.
Diane Keaton stars as George’s exasperated wife, Nina, and Kieran Culkin appears as the Banks’ young son, Matty. Directed by Charles Shyler and written by Nancy Meyers, Father of the Bride is a heartwarming comedy about a dad saying goodbye to his child and welcoming the adult woman she’s about to become. It’s funny, it’s sweet and it’s perfect to watch during the idle days of the summer.
‘Molly’s Game’ (2017)
Jessica Chastain won an Oscar for her performance in The Eyes of Tammy Faye, but she deserved one for her terrific work in the poker thriller, Molly’s Game. Chastain stars as Molly Bloom, a former professional skier who gets involved with illegal gambling when an injury sidelines her athletic career. At first, she partners with Dean (Jeremy Strong) and helps him run his illegal side hustle, but soon, she’s operating her own backroom poker games that attract the enigmatic Player X (Michael Cera) and various members of the Russian and Italian mafia. Molly makes a lot of money very quickly, but she also gets into trouble with the FBI, who want to put her away for a long time. Is this one game she can’t win?
Molly’s Game is a lot of things at once: a sports movie, a crime thriller and a family drama about an estranged father and daughter. Kevin Costner stars as Molly’s distant dad, and his scenes with Chastain are the best ones in the movie. The film was written and directed by The West Wing and The Social Network‘s Aaron Sorkin, and his screenplay has his signature quick wit that won him multiple Emmys and an Oscar.
Samsung TV Plus’ free July content isn’t just limited to cult classics. Below is a full list of all the movies available to stream this month at no extra cost:
Patriots Day
Midway
The Best of Enemies
La La Land
Tombstone
Father of the Bride Part II
Godzilla 91998)
The Descent
The Descent Part 2
I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)
I Still Know What You Did Last Summer
The Internship
That Awkward Moment
Pride
Kick-Ass
Gremlins
Gremlins 2: The New Batch
Reign of Fire
Underwater
Exodus: Gods and Kings
