Not just Netflix: the best alternative US streaming services
As people throughout the US and around the world continue to hunker inside their homes and apartments in order to combat the spread of coronavirus, they have become even more reliant on streaming services than they were before the pandemic. Film lovers looking for escapism and/or artistic sustenance currently have nowhere else to turn for the fix, so the question for many becomes: what streaming services offer the best selection?
The answer, of course, depends on what you’re looking for. The problem with most of the big on-demand platforms – Netflix, Hulu, Disney+ – is that for all their seemingly limitless content, their selection is actually … quite limited. This is especially true of films that fit into niche categories: while classic, foreign, independent, cult and experimental cinema aren’t entirely absent from these services, they certainly aren’t to be found in abundance. Meanwhile, Amazon Prime has a deeper and more eclectic selection to choose from, but the complete lack of curation ensures much of it will go completely overlooked.
Obviously, it’s easy to search for the availability of any particular title, but when it comes to discovering films, restless cinephiles and movie buffs may want to venture beyond their current subscriptions and consider one or more of the following on-demand streaming services. The Criterion Channel
The premier distributer of arthouse, foreign and classic films for over 35 years, the Criterion Collection has always been on the forefront of new technology, from Laserdisc, to DVD and Blu-ray, to, more recently, streaming. The brand has set up shop across a number of platforms over the last decade, including Netflix, Hulu and the sadly shuttered Filmstruck (which boasted the single best film library of any platform). Now, finally, there is the Criterion Channel, which debuted last year. It’s the single most essential streaming service for cinephiles, thanks to an immense library of classic and modern titles from around the world and an expert curation that includes bonus features, original programming and thematic presentations such as spotlight series, double features and more.
Subscription prices are $10.99 a month or $99.99 a year, with a 14-day free trial Mubi
Staying in the realm of the arthouse, Mubi offers “forgotten gems to festivalfresh cinema … cult classics to awardwinning masterpieces”. What makes Mubi so unique is their highly specific curation model: they offer a selection of 30 films at a time, with each film available for only 30 days. This mean that every day, one movie is swapped out for a new title. While some may scoff at such an intentionally limited selection, others will find it a welcome change of pace, as it narrows down the often-overwhelming process of deciding what to watch. Mubi subscribers also get access to their online journal the Notebook, and as well as their community forum comprised of fellow film lovers.
In response to the global lockdown, Mubi is currently offering athree-month subscription for only $1 Kanopy
Kanopy offers over a selection of more than 30,000 films, documentaries and children’s programming, all commercial free, to those with a public library card or currently enrolled in college. Their documentary catalogue is particularly impressive, containing not only feature-length films, but also those produced for television and for educational purposes. A Kanopy membership should make for a particularly appealing prospect for those who want to use their newfound downtime to
educate themselves on new subject matter, as well as parents looking for more substantive programming for their children.
If your library or university doesn’t offer access, Kanopy provides you with an online request form IndieFlix
For many in the film industry, one of the long-term worries caused by the coronavirus is the dire effect it may have on the independent scene, which is reliant on not-for-profit run theaters and film festivals, many of which don’t have the means to whether a prolonged shutdown. One of the ways individual viewers can support independent filmmakers is through IndieFlix, a streaming distributer of microbudget features, shorts and documentaries, as well as a collection of classic film and television content. IndieFlix’s distribution model works with film-makers to ensure they earn payment every time their work is streamed.
An IndieFlix subscription is priced at $4.99/month, with aseven-day free trial Urban Movie Channel
On Demand has not only disrupted the market for theatrical and home video film releases, but also for television. Whereas previously viewers knew what channels to turn to find programming tailored to their particular demographic, that has become trickier in the streaming age. Now though, several services have stepped up to fill that gap, one such example being the Urban Movie Channel. Created by BET co-founder Robert L Johnson, this subscription service offers a wide selection of black-centric films, television, comedy specials and more.
UMC subscription costs $4.99 a month or $49.99 a year, with asevenday free trial Dekkoo
Dekko meets a similar demographic demand by offering the “largest collection of gay entertainment available anywhere”. Their selection is surprisingly diverse, offering mainstream fare alongside experimental, erotica, camp, documentary, horror, history and more. They also produce original films and series dedicated to telling “great gay stories” from around the world
Dekko costs $9.99/month, with aseven-day free trial Spuul
India produces the largest number of feature films each year, so we’d be remiss not to list the No 1 streaming platform for that nation’s cinema. Spuul offers a massive, but carefully curated, selection of Indian films, in a variety of languages and from several regionspecific industries, including, but not limited to Bollywood. It also offers television series, live channels and movies to rent.
Spuul subscriptions cost $4.99 a month or $49.99 a year, with a 30-day free trial Shudder
There are many finely curated ondemand services tailored to specific genres, but Shudder is the current gold standard. Specializing in horror, thriller and suspense, their library of films runs the gamut in terms of clas
sics and new (sometimes even current) releases, foreign and domestic, classics and deep cuts. Their platform is one of the easier to navigate ones out there, featuring highlighted selections divided into neat subgenres such as giallo(mystery fiction), queer horror, revenge and so forth. They also provide a wide and eclectic selection of original programming, including features, documentaries, shows, live viewing and highly anticipated specials, such as their immensely popular recurring series The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs.
Shudder offers plans starting at $4.75/month, with aseven-day free trial Full Moon Features
For adventurous movie lovers who want to dive even deeper into cinematic esoterica, there’s Full Moon Features, which offers a mind-melting selection of horror, exploitation and all other manner of cult and trash classics. Bolstered by their partnership with several boutique distributors such as Something Weird and Blue Underground, Full Moon Features is probably the closest streaming has come to replicating the experience of the grindhouse. The only thing they can’t provide are the sticky floors, though depending on how quarantine has affected your standard of housekeeping,
you may already have those.
Full Moon Features is $6.99 a month or $59.99 a year Tubi TV
For viewers interested in a broad selection of modern mainstream movies, Tubi TV offers an enjoyably meat and potatoes selection reminiscent of the display cases you used to find at Blockbuster thanks to their partnership with major studios such as Paramount, MGM, Lionsgate and others. One giant plus is that the service is free to all, although subscribers do have to put up with commercial breaks. For viewers of a certain age this shouldn’t prove too distracting (they might even get a nostalgic kick out of it), although it may take some getting used to for members of Gen Z, who know not but uninterrupted service, with previews only ever running over the end credits.
Tubi TV is free
funny thing to say, but I’m very proud of our divorce,” Moore wrote last year in her bestselling memoir, Inside Out.
What are they doing in their mass isolation? Moore has had a few issues in the past with substance abuse, and that put a strain on her relationship with her daughters. That’s over now and this is a great opportunity to continue their renewed relationship. Moore once revealed to the New York Times that she and her daughters are very into “spiritual psychology” and “soul-centred
living”.
Beats Scrabble, I suppose. What a very Cheam remark.
Do say: “What a wonderfully heartwarming story in these dark times.”
Don’t say: “You don’t think they did it just to sell the fancy pyjamas, do you?”