Denzel Washington and Eva Mendes team up for a hot crime thriller movie that you can stream for free right now

(Image credit: Alamy) The Tom's Guide Verdict: 'Out of Time'Rating: 2.5/5 starsVerdict: If I could grade this movie's two halves, I'd give the first half one star and the second half at least three-and-a-half stars. There's a lot of mundane romance drama and character building that happens in the first 45 minutes. Even worse, not all of it feels necessary. But once this movie fully turns into a crime flick, it becomes an enjoyable thrill ride.Where to watch: Stream "Out of Time" for free (with ads) on Tubi, Pluto TV, Fandango, Amazon and YouTube"Out of Time" is a part of the Denzel Watchathon I had very few preconceptions about. I knew of it, but had never watched it. It's right at the apex of Denzel Washington's career (well, one of the apexes), but it's never talked about among his best movies. It's not even really considered a cult classic like "Fallen." But it's also not considered a true disaster like "Carbon Copy" or "Heart Condition."Now that I've seen this movie, I know why it never really gets an overly positive or negative mention when discussing Denzel's career. It's not a great movie, but at times it's a good movie. At times, it's also a movie that will struggle to get your attention.In terms of performances, it's got Denzel, and he's being his usual charming self while flashing some action star chops. Eva Mendes is the other star of this movie. She plays Denzel's wife, who is also a detective, and she is peak Eva Mendes: smart but also stunning. But again, despite these two being at the top of their game, the script doesn't ever really give them enough to work with to be incredible. Thankfully, it also rarely undercuts them with cringeworthy dialogue.Here's the great news, though: you can stream it for free. And given it's now the middle of the summer, there's never been a better time to check out a hot Florida crime thriller like "Out of Time." Having seen it for myself, I can say that it's still worth checking out ... mostly for the movie's second half, which is genuinely entertaining.If you want to watch this movie before you read on, I have great news. "Out of Time" isn't currently streaming on any of the best streaming services, but it is one many of the best free streaming services. You can stream "Out of Time" for free (with ads) on Tubi, Pluto TV, Fandango, Amazon or YouTube right now. Malcolm has been with the Streaming team at Tom's Guide since 2023, reviewing dozens of movies each year so you don't have to watch the bad ones. 'Out of Time' is a slow burn that really heats upIf you're totally unfamiliar with "Out of Time," here's the quick synopsis. The movie stars Denzel as Banyan Key Police Chief Matt Whitlock. He's recently separated from his police detective wife, Alex (Mendes). So he's decided to hook up with Ann (Sanaa Lathan), an old high school crush with an abusive husband, Chris (Dean Cain).As if that relationship wasn't complicated enough, Ann learns that her cancer is no longer in remission. Instead, she now has just five to six months to live. So Matt decides to help her go to Switzerland for an experimental treatment. To finance the trip, he steals $485,000 from a pending drug bust case and gives it to her, thinking it'll be months before anyone looks for it.Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips.Read more Denzel WatchathonWhat Matt didn't count on, though, is everything that happens next. Because as soon as he gives her the money, she dies. Not from the cancer. She dies because a sudden house fire takes her and Chris.Or does it?See, it turns out she's not dead. She didn't even have cancer. Instead, she and Chris scammed Matt out of the money and then set him up for the fall.This is where "Out of Time" truly begins, and it's a shame it takes 45 minutes to get there. Because once this movie transitions from a sad, unengaging romance drama into a crime thriller, it becomes instantly better. I was struggling to pay attention for the first part of the movie, but I was hooked from the second Matt realizes he's been set up.That's not to say that the movie is suddenly perfect. There are a lot of convenient moments that keep Matt from being caught before he can solve the case. If you renamed this movie "Deus Ex Machina," you wouldn't be wrong to do so. It really is staggering that nobody realizes all the things he's doing to stay ahead of not just Ann and Chris, but the DEA and his estranged police detective wife as well. Everyone is closing in on him.This plot structure allows Denzel to play both hero and villain, which you can't say about most of his movies. "Remember the Titans"? He's undeniably a hero. "Training Day"? The best villain performance of his career. But in "Out of Time," he has to commit a fair number of crimes to stay ahead (he even kills a guy!). Still, you know deep down that he's been doing everything from an (incredibly) misguided desire to do good.Verdict: This crime thriller is worth streaming while it's free Out of Time (2003) | Official Trailer | MGM Studios - YouTube Watch On If I had to pay to stream this movie, I'd perhaps be annoyed. The first 45 minutes are a real drag, and I was worried I'd be unable to recommend a movie you can literally watch for free.Thankfully, the final hour of this movie is entertaining, and often lives up to its thriller billing. If you struggle to look up from your phone in the first half of "Out of Time," you'll hardly consider picking it up in the second half.So, since it's streaming for free, stay indoors during this hot summer weekend and hit play on this crime thriller. Keep the heat in South Florida and on your TV screen, rather than going out into the heat yourself. This movie is around for a good time, not a long time, and by the end, a good time is exactly what you'll have.Stream "Out of Time" for free (with ads) on Tubi or the free streaming service of your choice now Follow Tom's Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Subscribe to Tom's Guide on YouTube and follow us on TikTok.More from Tom's GuideI review TV shows for a living and these are the 10 shows from 2026 I’d actually recommend streaming right now'The Odyssey’ is the best movie of 2026 so far — and maybe topples my favorite Christopher Nolan filmDenzel's directorial debut is a biopic drama movie you've probably never heard of, but it's a must-watch Malcolm has been with Tom's Guide since 2022, and has been covering the latest in streaming shows and movies since 2023. He's not one to shy away from a hot take, including that "John Wick" is one of the four greatest films ever made.