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Free movies to suit the whole family during lockdown

Photo credit: Film4/Digital Spy/ST - StudioCanal
Photo credit: Film4/Digital Spy/ST - StudioCanal

From Digital Spy

We're not sure if you've heard, but we're all spending A LOT more time at home right now given... well, we're not going to get into all of that.

But what we are going to do is give you a round-up of some of the best films on the good ol' telly box for those of you who don't subscribe to Netflix, Amazon, Disney+ or any of the others.

From BBC to ITV, there's something to suit everyone.

BBC iPlayer

Paddington 2

In the Paddington sequel, the marmalade-loving bear has settled nicely into his new home with the Brown family. But a spanner is thrown in the works when he's arrested for a crime he didn't commit and thrown in jail.

With the help of his fellow prisoners, Paddington must hunt down the real culprit and clear his name.

The Damned United

If you enjoyed Michael Sheen as Chris Tarrant in ITV's Quiz, you'll lap up his performance as Brian Clough, the manager of Leeds United FC, in The Damned United.

Clough, never one to mince his words, took up the mantle after Don Revie left to take on the England job, and he didn't hold back, ruffling more than a few feathers along the way.

The Deer Hunter

The Deer Hunter stars Robert De Niro, John Savage and Christopher Walken as a group of friends and Pennsylvania steel-workers who are drafted to fight in the Vietnam War. But when they return, the devastating effects of their time overseas is laid bare for all to see.

Shaun the Sheep: The Movie

Shaun the Sheep is up to his old tricks again. Life on the farm is a tough gig and he decides that he's earned a day off. But chaos ensues when he ends up in the big city with the rest of the flock. Using every ounce of his noggin, he must get them all back.

Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa

Steve Coogan brings his iconic comedy alter-ego to the silver screen in Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa. But tensions run high when the titular character is held hostage by a disgruntled employee, along with the rest of the Norwich radio station's staff...

A Monster Calls

A 12-year-old boy is struggling to cope during his mother's illness. He keeps having the same nightmare, over and over: a tree monster visits him when he's asleep and tells him a series of stories. In return, Connor must tell him the true meaning behind his bad dream. If he doesn't, the monster will eat him.

The Conversation

Gene Hackman plays a surveillance expert who is hired by the aide of an enigmatic client (Harrison Ford) to follow a young couple. But he records a strange conversation between them that reminds him of a previous case that ended in disaster. In turn, he becomes obsessed with the recording and keeping them safe.

The Elephant Man

Doctor Sir Frederick Treves comes across a facially disfigured man in a circus freak show and decides to take him under his wing, offering him a job and an education. But he soon learns that his new life might not be so different from the one he used to lead.

King Lear

An all star cast – Anthony Hopkins, Emma Thompson, Florence Pugh and Andrew Scott, among others – appear in the adaptation of William Shakespeare's King Lear, set in the 21st century.

Hopkins plays the eponymous character, who gathers his family to announce that he is giving his three daughters a portion of his kingdom equal to the affection that they each show him. But when one daughter refuses, she is banished and a devastating domino effect ensues.

The Man in the White Suit

Alec Guinness plays Sidney Stratton, a man who dreams of creating a fabric that never wears thin or gets dirty.

After he is banned from his work laboratory when his bosses find out what he's up to, a woman called Daphne (Joan Greenwood) convinces her father to allow him to develop the technology. But while his passion project sounds great in theory, it kickstarts protests from those who will lose out on work because of the magic fabric, and other business owners who don't like the competition.

Source Code

After hundreds are killed following a bomb explosion on a Chicago train, Captain Colter Stevens (Jake Gyllenhaal) decides to take part in a secret government operation, titled "Source Code", to find the person/s responsible and stop any further attacks.

Through the technology employed by the powers that be, Stevens is able to put himself in the body of a male passenger just eight minutes before the explosion takes place.

Timbuktu

Timbuktu tells the story of cattle herder Kidane (Ibrahim Ahmed aka Pino), his wife Satima (Toulou Kiki), their daughter Toya (Layla Walet Mohamed), and Issan (Mehdi Ag Mohamed), their 12-year-old shepherd.

They live close to the Malian city of Timbuktu, which is under the rule of religious fundamentalists.

ITV Hub

The Queen


Hellen Mirren stars as Elizabeth II in The Queen, a film which picks up after the death of Princess Diana in 1997.

Michael Sheen also appears as Labour leader and newly-elected prime minister Tony Blair.

Channel 4

My Life as a Courgette


My Life as a Courgette is a stop-motion film which follows a young boy called Icare who is sent to live at a foster home after the death of his mum with other orphans.

Trainspotting

Ewan McGregor plays Mark 'Rent Boy' Renton, a heroin addict living in Edinburgh who decides, after countless drug-fuelled escapades and multiple brushes with the law, to move to London and get his house in order.

But that's easier said than done and when people from his past come calling, he quickly learns that the past has a way of following you wherever you go.

Wonder

Wonder, which is based on RJ Palacio's novel of the same name, tells the story of August Pullman, a boy with Treacher Collins syndrome, a condition that affects the development of bones and tissues of the face.

We meet August as he enters a mainstream school for the first time.

Loveless

A 12-year-old Russian boy runs away from home after witnessing a fight between his estranged parents, who are going through a toxic divorce.

Best movies on TV – schedule

Back to the Future Part II – Film 4, Thursday, April 30, 4.35pm


In the Back to the Future sequel, Marty McFly heads back to 2015, with the help of Doc Brown, to stop his son from making a grave mistake that will destroy Marty's family.

But Biff nicks the DeLorean, leaving Marty and Doc to clean up one hell of a mess.

Hotel Transylvania – ITV2, April 30, 7.25pm

Count Dracula throws an 118th birthday party for his daughter Mavis at Hotel Transylvania, his human-free lodgings. But 21-year-old Jonathan, a human, accidentally stumbles into their lives and Drac is determined to stop his child from falling in love with the new arrival.

Lincoln – Film4, April 30, 9pm


Daniel Day-Lewis stars as President Abraham Lincoln in the imaginatively-titled Lincoln, directed and produced by Steven Spielberg.

The film charts the final months of his life, tackling the passage of the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery, Confederate General Robert E Lee's surrender to Union General Ulysses S Grant, which ended the US Civil War, and Lincoln's assassination.

Ocean's 11 – 5STAR, April 30, 9pm


George Clooney is Danny Ocean, a man who wants to pull off the greatest heist the world has ever seen.

Following his release from prison, he sticks two fingers up to his parole and heads to California where he formulates a plan to rob the Bellagio, the Mirage, and the MGM Grand casinos with his crew of con men.

Back to the Future Part III – Film 4, Friday, May 1, 4.45pm


In the final chapter, Marty McFly is trapped in 1955 when he receives word of Doc Brown's death... in 1885, killed by a member of the Tannen clan.

He must head back in time to the Old West to save him.

Paul – ITV2, May 1, 9pm


After heading to San Diego, California for Comic-Con, sci-fi enthusiasts Graeme (Simon Pegg) and Clive (Nick Frost) rent an RV and head to a number of sites where UFOs have supposedly been spotted. But it's on their way to Area 51 when they meet Paul, an alien who was captured and taken prisoner by the military in 1947.

With their help, the titular character will try and return to his home planet.

The Full Monty – BBC One, Friday, May 1, 10.45pm


The Full Monty, set in Sheffield, follows the story of six steel workers who all end up without a job after the city hits hard times and the factories are closed down.

But after finding themselves in a Chippendales dance club and seeing how much women are willing to pay for the performances, they decide to do it themselves.

Ever After: A Cinderella Story – E4, May 2, 10am


Following the sudden death of her father a decade ago, Danielle's step-mother and sisters took over the manor and forced her to be a maid.

But her luck changes when the nearby Prince Henry falls in love with her.

The pair embark on a secret love affair but there comes a time when Danielle must decided to either follow her heart, or live the life she has always known.

The Mask – Channel 5, Saturday, May 2, 12.05pm


Jim Carrey plays Stanley Ipkiss, a bank clerk/shrinking violet who discovers a magical mask that contains the spirit of Norse god Loki.

Whenever he wears the mystical accessory, his timid self disappears and he becomes an uber-confident playboy with enough charm to power a small country.

But it also lands him in a spot of bother with crime lord Dorian Tyrell (Peter Greene).


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