Yahoo Movies The best films to see on Amazon Prime, Netflix and MUBI
Streaming services might never beat the immersive and captive experience that comes with going to the cinema, but they certainly pose a challenge. During lockdown streaming sites with their endless options surged in popularity as the cinemas shut their doors.
The tug of war between streaming services and the cinema have changed the film industry and many prolific Hollywood filmmakers have shown their disdain. Steven Spielberg said streaming services are a "challenge" to cinema and Martin Scorsese in a lengthy essay said they are devaluing” cinema by reducing films to “content.”
Even so, there's no doubt that streaming services offer a more accessible and never-ending options, from much-needed laughs to wistful escapism and cathartic scares. Adding to their catalogue of films, MUBI has snapped up rights to Made In England: The Films Of Powell And Pressburger, the Martin Scorsese narrated documentary about the legendary filmmaking duo, which is set to premiere as part of the Glasgow Film Festival this month. Amazon Prime promises a slate of new films and TV shows this spring and Netflix viewers saw the release of a new batch of content, including the highly-anticipated Guy Ritchie's The Gentlemen.
If you’re not sure where to start, here's our list of guides to the best films to be found on streaming services, from Netflix to Amazon Prime, MUBI and more.
Netflix
It’s one of the most popular streaming sites in the world for a reason. With bucket-loads of original content and a constantly updating library of films, you get an awful lot for your money with Netflix, with a monthly subscription setting you back anything from £4.99 (the cheapest option) to £17.99. There's a huge selection, covering all bases from major releases to indie gems, foreign-language favourites and more.
Prime Video
Amazon’s Prime Video works on a number of levels. The subscription service allows instant access to thousands of movies, while there’s also a massive selection of films to rent and buy individually. Subscription is £8.99 and there’s pretty much every film you could ever hope to watch in the archives to purchase individually, so there’s nothing to stop you exploring new titles and finding new favourites.
Sky Cinema
For crowd-pleasing choices, there are few better options than Sky Cinema and Now TV. The choice of family-friendly options and big franchises is really impressive, with enough blockbuster choices to keep fans going through lockdown. If you’re not a Sky customer, a Sky Cinema pass is available from £8, featuring more than 1,000 of the same films online for subscribers.
Disney+
The one to challenge Netflix’s crown? As you might expect, fans get all the shows and films Disney has produced since the 1930s with this new service, with 500 films due to land on the service in the first year - not least Hamilton and Frozen 2. There are also new originals based on Marvel and Star Wars content like The Mandalorian, as well as every series of the Simpsons. Subscription costs £4.99 a month.
BFI Player
A cinephile's dream: BFI Player boasts a back catalogue of classic foreign-language cinema and cult favourites, and plenty of critically adored releases. The site’s monthly subscription allows viewers to an archive of movies, while a larger selection of films including recent releases are available to rent on a one-off basis. It’s affordable too, at £4.99 a month.
MUBI
One of the streaming platforms to have really come into its own over recent weeks is MUBI, home of foreign-language favourites, cult hits and undiscovered gems. For years, the service worked by recommending new movies each day, with a rolling selection of movies that expired after 30 days. Now though, the service has expanded its selection with a permanent library of films, with hundreds of films available on demand. Subscription costs £7.99 a month.
Rakuten TV
For film fans looking to catch up with those movies they missed before cinemas closed, Rakuten TV is a great option. The streaming service works best for seeing recent releases you might have just missed during their initial run. Rakuten doesn't work on a monthly fee model; instead, it charges per movie, with most films available to rent for around £4.99.
