Be aware that most of the legal free films online are available in the public domain because their copyrights have expired. Others are produced using open source software and are referred to as open content films or open source films. Another classification of free movies are those produced under Creative Commons licenses. Other movies are shown for free online by those that own the rights to the movies or have permission to show them from those who do.
These are the movies you want to search for to be sure they are legal.
Search the internet using a search engine of your liking. Use terms such as "free legal movies online", "free open source films", "watch free movies online legally", "free open content movies" etc.
This will bring up several results, but do not assume all of these web sites are showing movies legally. Read the disclaimers, terms and conditions on these sites and look for information stating how they are able to show the movies legally. If this is not stated somewhere, or if it says when you view movies you are being directed to another site you should use caution.
Check to see if your local library system has a website. Many libraries now offer several forms of free digital media online, including movies. Usually you will need to download the movies to your computer or media player using a specific software program. A current library card is also required. Check with your local library for details.
Look for websites that are allowed to offer free movies online because they own the movie rights or have permission to show the movies. One example of this type of website is Hulu.com. This is a free online video service that offers commercial supported streaming video of movies and television programs.
See the list of links below in the resources section for some examples of websites that offer hundreds of free legal movies online. Many other free movies can be found by using the steps above.
Some of the free movies are available for you to download to your computer or personal media player, while others are offered in streaming video format which allows you to watch them directly on the website from your computer. Choose whichever works best for you.