Free streamer Tubi quietly loaded up on nostalgia this month: over 200 movies joined its library in September, and buried in that pile are three of the 1990s’ most beloved blockbusters — The Mummy (1999), The Addams Family (1991) and The Fifth Element (1997). All three stream at no cost, no subscription required, as Tom’s Guide spotted while sifting through the new arrivals.
The headliner is The Mummy, and the timing could hardly be better. Writer-director Stephen Sommers took the premise of Universal’s 1932 classic and rebuilt it as a spectacle-heavy adventure. Set in 1926, it follows librarian and Egyptologist Evelyn (Rachel Weisz), who recruits former mercenary Rick O’Connell (Brendan Fraser) to help her and her brother Jonathan (John Hannah) find the legendary Egyptian city of Hamunaptra — where they promptly awaken Imhotep (Arnold Vosloo), a far more terrifying mummy than Boris Karloff’s original. The franchise is rising again: Universal Pictures has a new Mummy film in the works with Fraser and Weisz reprising their roles, directed by Radio Silence duo Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett from a script by David Coggeshall. The sequel was originally dated May 19, 2028, but has been moved up to October 15, 2027 — so a free rewatch now counts as homework.
The Addams Family delivers the macabre counterweight. The 1991 classic stars Raul Julia and Anjelica Huston as Gomez and Morticia, presiding over a household where every member — from Cousin Itt to Lurch — is bizarre in their own wonderfully weird way. The plot kicks off when a man claiming to be long-lost Uncle Fester (Christopher Lloyd) reappears after 25 years; the celebration sours as the family notices he can’t recall the details of Fester’s life and seems awfully interested in the family fortune.
Rounding out the trio is Luc Besson’s gloriously goofy sci-fi epic The Fifth Element. Bruce Willis plays New York City cab driver Korben Dallas, whose life takes a wild turn when Leeloo (Milla Jovovich), a mysterious alien savior, literally falls out of the sky and into his cab — landing him at the center of a convoluted plan to save 23rd-century Earth from a cosmic weapon that could wipe out all life. Gary Oldman’s villain, complete with a bizarre Southern accent, and Chris Tucker’s flamboyant radio host supply the kookiness while Willis anchors it all as the straight man.
In short:
- The Mummy (1999) — Fraser vs. an ancient curse, with the sequel due October 15, 2027
- The Addams Family (1991) — Julia, Huston and Lloyd at their deliciously macabre best
- The Fifth Element (1997) — Besson’s neon-soaked space opera
All three are streaming free with ads on Tubi now.
