MUBI is an ideal streaming service for those who crave more than mainstream cinema. The distributor is best known for their new and old films from around the world, curated for a crowd who loves engaging pictures. They’ve grown from a small operation to hosting major award contenders.
With MUBI’s selections updated daily, narrowing the choice can be difficult. The best way to start watching is to jump into some of their most recent hits. If you’re looking to catch up on the latest in arthouse cinema, be sure to stream these movies first.
2024
Runtime
1 hour 46 minutes
Crossingis an unorthodox adventure about independence, growing up, and gender. The elderly Lia is hoping to track down her missing niece, who has fled to Istanbul. On her journey, she’ll make a travel companion with the young Achi and learn the troubles of the streets through the lawyer, Evrim, a transwoman fighting for her rights.
For a Georgian/Turkish production,Crossingwas a remarkably earnest and poignant film about our modern world. It gets lost within the corners of Istanbul, depicting a broader world where it’s easy to get caught up in conversations or linger with relationships, long and short. There’s great empathy flowing through this film’s veins, from the reluctant dance of an elderly woman to the bluntness of a transwoman trying to do the right thing.
2 hours 9 minutes
Director Miguel Gomes has composed another enchanting film to get lost within, with the historical dramaGrand Tour. The film takes place in 1918 Rangoon, where the civil servant Edward is getting cold feet about getting married. His fiancée, Molly, isn’t willing to accept his escape and pursues him through the city.
There’s an old-fashioned quality to how Gomes uses black-and-white staging, revealing narration, and colorful detours for this adventure. It’s a richly wondrous experience that is intoxicating for the eyes, but also a treat for the years with its boldly written passages on the nature of dreams and passion. It’s the type of film that reminds you of the medium’s full potential, proving that quality filmmaking is alive and well in the 2020s.
1 hour 59 minutes
Andrea Arnold’sBirdis a tragic yet heartfelt tale of growing up. The 12-year-old Bailey is having a tough time taking care of her brother, Hunter, amid her single dad, Bug’s (Barry Keoghan), absence. Into her life comes Bird (Franz Rogowski), a strange yet charming man who makes life worth living during the darker points of lower-class living in the slums of Kent.
Birdis one of those films that engrosses you so much with its characters and setting that it’s fascinating to watch the routes it takes. Bailey is given agency with her quiet plight, and her failing father is given a surprising amount of depth beyond the simplistic stereotype of a deadbeat parent. The story also takes a more fantastical route, ultimately ending up more emotionally satisfying than grounded in a firm reality.
1 hour 8 minutes
Mixing documentary and spiritual narrative,Dahomeycenters around the return of 26 art pieces taken by the French from the Kingdom of Dahomey. Upon their return to the current country of Benin, the museum showcasing the artifacts opens up a dialogue about the slow progress made in addressing colonialism. At the same time, the film also features a narrative of spirits that loom over these pivotal pieces of history.
Dahomeyforces the viewer to take a look at this return of art beyond the tangible ownership. Director Mati Diop paints a more complete picture by daring our imagination to see something more intimate and spiritual in this shift back to Benin’s roots. You’ll get a stirring story of a spirit’s homecoming, while also engaging in a genuine discussion with the people of Benin and hearing their thoughts on reclaiming their history.
There’s danger amid the rural Irish countryside in the slow-burn drama ofBring Them Down. Michael (Christopher Abbott) is a shepherd struggling with family and economic issues. At the same time, the trouble-making Jack (Barry Keoghan) has taken to a dangerous lifestyle of stealing local livestock for profit. All their endeavors swirl in tragedy and violence, leading towards a dark conclusion.
This is the type of thriller that is equally moody and brutal in its progression of crime, manslaughter, and decaying connections. You get to spend a lot of time in this rural community, embracing its quiet desperation and bursts of fury. Spoken in both Irish and English, there’s a lived-in quality to this stirring drama, especially with Colm Meaney giving an authentic performance as Michael’s bitterly immobile dad.
2 hours 3 minutes
Nominated for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film,The Girl With The Needleis an uncompromising tale of abortion during the darkest period in Copenhagen. Karoline struggles to make ends meet in 1919 Denmark, especially when she needs to get rid of her baby. She finds an ally in a sweet shop owner secretly offering abortions. Though Karoline wants to help, she’s not ready for the harsh realities that come with this profession.
Let’s not mince words here:The Girl With The Needleis hard to watch with its dark and depressing nature. What the film succeeds in doing is tapping into the rage and nihilism that arise when women’s rights are not present. All of that bitterness is evoked with some remarkable black-and-white cinematography.
1 hour 31 minutes
During the COVID-19 pandemic, two actors playingGrand Theft Auto Onlinehad an idea: What if we performedHamletin the game? Thus began the production of the Shakespeare classic within the online video game.Grand Theft Hamletis a documentary that explores this rocky and ultimately triumphant adaptation ofHamlet.
Although the entire film takes place inside the game, the documentary becomes incredibly emotional due to the familiar plight of struggling and amateur actors. The pandemic lockdown sent us into virtual environments, trapping us within the digital realm and forcing us to find any connection. This film doesn’t shy away from how that experience, even when preoccupied with aHamletproduction, can be a draining experience. By the time you get to the end, there’s a fulfilling dose of humanity in how the play is completed, making video game and acting history.
2 hours 21 minutes
Winner of an Academy Award for Best Makeup and Hairstyling,The Substancewas one of the bluntest and most brutal films about beauty from last year. Demi Moore plays an aging actress who feels her career slipping, until a mysterious serum allows her to be young for a week. While the process lets her become Margaret Qualley, her body goes awry when she doesn’t adhere to the strict rules of the substance.
Mixing body horror with social commentary,The Substanceis an incredibly profound and gross horror film that taps into the insecurities of women and a loss of identity. Director Coralie Fargeat makes her thematic elements front and center, especially with Dennis Quaid playing a grotesquely sexist executive. It’s a hauntingly creepy commentary on fame and femininity, with an ending so disturbing that it’ll stay with you forever.
While MUBI might be easily described as an arthouse affair, the genres it covers are numerous. There’s grotesque body horror, rousing drama, stunning documentaries, and topically poignant pictures that better reflect our world. For offering such a rich selection, I thinkMUBI is worth the subscription.
MUBI
MUBI offers plenty of arthouse and festival favorites, as well as recent hits likeThe Substance.
