One of the Greatest Dark Thrillers Ever Just Returned to Tubi

We’re well into a new month which means new things to stream and while February is the month of love thanks to Valentine’s Day and there are plenty of romantic movies and television offerings to indulge in, romance isn’t everyone’s vibe. With winter still in full swing for many (and more to come if the groundhog is to be believed), for some the vibe is dark and twisty thriller when it comes to settling in for something to stream and one of the greatest such films ever made has just returned to Tubi making it a perfect time to watch.

Stanley Kubrick’s final movie, Eyes Wide Shut, just returned to stream free on Tubi as of February 1st. The film, which stars Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman, had previously been streaming on the platform in December before departing briefly. The film, released in 1999, is a dark, twisty, erotic psychological thriller that was a bit controversial when it was released, but is a worthy watch and one of Kubrick’s most interesting films.

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In Eyes Wide Shut, after Dr. Bill Hartford’s (Cruise) wife Alice (Kidman) reveals she’s having sexual fantasies about another man, Bill grows obsessed with having a sexual encounter and ends up infiltrating an underground sex club only to find himself in way over his head when it turns out to be a twisted and powerful secret society. It’s a fascinating movie, one that is both about the relationship between Bill and Alice, but also one that doesn’t shy away from depictions of sexual depravity. It makes for an unusual tone. The film is extremely serious, but also has moments of unexpected humor, part of it coming from the strange juxtaposition of the film’s dark subject matter and it’s Christmas setting, which is amplified by the use of Christmas lights and decor throughout the film and in some especially disturbing scenes. It’s a weird, unexpected balance between the perverse and holiday cheer that almost speaks to the human experience on its own.

Eyes Wide Shut is also a fascinating movie not because of what happens on screen, but the controversies around the film, one of the biggest ones being the film’s state of completion. Eyes Wide Shut was Kubrick’s final film, with the filmmaker dying unexpectedly of a heart attack just six days after submitting his final cut to Warner Bros. However, there was post production that resumed a week after the director’s passing and with Kubrick being known to work on and edit his films up until the very last minute before its release some have questioned the final product. There has also been controversy over how Kubrick actually felt about the film, with his family claiming that he was pleased with the work while R. Lee Ermey, who had starred in Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket, claimed that Kubrick hated the film.

As for the final product, the film was met with critical acclaim with some calling it a masterpiece and some even going so far as to declare it one of Kubrick’s best. The film didn’t go over as well with audiences at the time and while it was a box office success many viewers didn’t know quite how to take the film and some of its darker, more complicated themes. In the years since, the film has gotten a new life as more and more people discover it on streaming — and with it back on Tubi, now is a great time for you to do so as well.

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