Three free movies are available for streaming this weekend, offering a mix of sports drama, biopic, and horror for viewers seeking entertainment without cost. These selections include Varsity Blues on YouTube, I, Tonya on Tubi, and Scream on Pluto TV, all available at no charge with ads.

Varsity Blues: A Football Drama with a Tragic Backdrop

Varsity Blues, now streaming for free on YouTube, is a football drama that has taken on new meaning following the passing of James Van Der Beek, who played the lead role of Jonathan ‘Mox’ Moxon. Van Der Beek, who died on February 11 at 48 after a long battle with colorectal cancer, was best known for his role in Dawson’s Creek, a teen drama that ran from 1998 to 2003.

Released in 1999, Varsity Blues follows Mox, a backup quarterback who rises to the position of starting QB after the team’s star player is injured. The film explores themes of corruption in high school sports and features a standout performance from Jon Voight as the authoritarian football coach. The movie also includes a memorable halftime speech by Mox that has become a fan favorite.

I, Tonya: A Biographical Drama with Dark Humor

I, Tonya, now available for free on Tubi, is a biographical drama about Tonya Harding, the troubled figure skater who became a central figure in a notorious sports scandal. Directed by Craig Gillespie, the film stars Margot Robbie as Harding and features a standout performance from Allison Janney as her abusive mother, LaVona.

The film, released in 2017, was critically acclaimed and earned Robbie her first Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. The movie is both darkly humorous and poignant, offering insight into the abuse Harding endured while also acknowledging her role in the attack on her rival, Nancy Kerrigan.

According to the film’s director, Craig Gillespie, the movie was designed to humanize Harding while not shying away from her actions. ‘It’s a story that’s both tragic and funny,’ Gillespie said in an interview with Vulture.

Scream: A Horror Classic with Meta Commentary

Scream, a horror classic now streaming for free on Pluto TV, is a slasher film that redefined the genre with its meta commentary on horror tropes. Released in 1996, the film introduced the masked killer Ghostface, who terrorizes high school students in the town of Woodsboro.

The film, directed by Wes Craven and written by Kevin Williamson, features a memorable opening scene that introduces the Ghostface killer. The movie also includes a character, Randy Meeks, who provides a humorous guide to surviving a horror movie. ‘Don’t have sex, don’t do drugs, and never say, ‘I’ll be right back,’’ he says, offering a tongue-in-cheek take on horror clichés.

According to Craven, Scream was designed to be both scary and funny. ‘I wanted to make a movie that was a little bit of both,’ he said in a 2019 interview with Entertainment Weekly.

These three free movies offer a diverse selection for viewers looking for entertainment this weekend. Varsity Blues is available on YouTube, I, Tonya on Tubi, and Scream on Pluto TV. Each film features ads, but the content itself is free to watch.

For those who enjoy Scream, the seventh installment of the franchise, Scream 7, is set to release on February 27, offering a continuation of the horror series that redefined the genre in the 1990s.

Other free movie options include Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning, which is often considered one of Tom Cruise’s most misunderstood action films, and Pulp Fiction, which will be leaving Netflix at the end of February. Viewers are encouraged to watch these films before they become unavailable.