Amazon is releasing one of the greatest sci-fi movies ever made and other classics for free online
2001: A Space Odyssey and more are free to stream
UPDATE: 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Christmas Story, The Replacements, and Ernest Saves Christmas are no longer available (as of March 29) for free on this offer as Amazon says the price marking was a mistake.
Amazon has made four classic feature films free to stream and download for free.
2001: A Space Odyssey, A Christmas Story, The Replacements, and Ernest Saves Christmas are now available to rent or buy for free on Prime Video. It previously cost $14.99 to digitally own each one.
2001: A Space Odyssey, directed by none other than Stanley Kubrick, is arguably the greatest science fiction movie of all time. The award-winning pic follows a group of astronauts and scientists (and their sentient computer HAL) who embark on an interplanetary adventure. 2001 received four Oscar nominations, including Best Film, with Kubrick taking home the Academy Award for Best Special Effects.
A Christmas Story, one of the most famous holiday flicks ever made, follows a little boy named Ralphie who just wants a BB gun for Christmas...but the adults around him don't make it very easy (and neither does the scary Mall Santa, for that matter). It has some of the most iconic imagery in pop culture history (hello, leg lamp) and, like 2001: A Space Odyssey, is preserved in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.
Perhaps the most cult-classic-y of the bunch is The Replacements, a 2000 sports comedy starring Keanu Reeves, Gene Hackman, and Jon Favreau. The sports comedy sees the owner of a Washington football team scramble to find a solution after the entire team goes on strike just before playoff season starts.
Why Amazon decided to make these particular movies free, we don't know, and we're not complaining. We also don't know how long the free option will last, so you should grab your digital copies now before they return to the original price.
Sign up for the Total Film Newsletter
Bringing all the latest movie news, features, and reviews to your inbox
For more, check out our list of the best Prime Video movies to stream right now.
Lauren Milici is a Senior Entertainment Writer for 12DOVE currently based in the Midwest. She previously reported on breaking news for The Independent's Indy100 and created TV and film listicles for Ranker. Her work has been published in Fandom, Nerdist, Paste Magazine, Vulture, PopSugar, Fangoria, and more.