Mubi Review 2024 – Exploring the Home for Cinema Lovers

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In the ever-evolving landscape of streaming platforms, 2023 marks yet another exciting chapter in digital entertainment. As we delve into the heart of this year, cinephiles and casual viewers find themselves in a cinematic wonderland where an array of streaming services offer a treasure trove of films and series from across the globe. Among these, one platform stands out for its dedication to the art of cinema: Mubi.

Mubi, the avant-garde streaming service known for its curated selection of handpicked films and a commitment to celebrating cinema in all its diversity, continues to captivate audiences with its unique approach to content delivery. In this Mubi review for 2023, we will explore the latest developments, offerings, and what sets this platform apart in an era flooded with streaming options.

What is Mubi? Unraveling the Base for Immersive Cinematic Experience

Mubi is a streaming service that operates more like a repertory cinema. It shows a selection of films from different genres and eras, and these shows are available for a limited time of 30 days. It updates its content library with new films daily while removing older ones.

This is a wonderful way to ensure its subscribers always have new content to watch. It is also a strategy to make people watch some films they might have yet to be eager to watch because they will not be available anymore.

Mubi Availability by Country: Where to Access this Streaming Service?

Content Library: A Dive into a World of Unique Content

Movies

You can watch many films that cut across different genres and eras on Mubi. A team of film experts curates its library, featuring classics, independent films, and cult favorites. There are also shorts that you can stream at 1080p and download on mobile. Several features make discovering new movies easy and discussing with other users. 

There are two main sections, the “Now Showing” and the “Library” sections. The Now Showing section has a lineup of 30 films, which changes daily. The Library section contains hundreds of shows that have since moved out of the Now Showing section. Furthermore, the number of movies you can watch on Mubi depends on your location and how long Mubi has the streaming rights for such content. This implies that a film might be available to watch today but unavailable the following day.

Mubi categorizes movies using tags like Adaptations, Brief Encounters, Undiscovered, Weimar Germany, Debuts, and First Look. Here are some films and shorts that you may now find in the Library section of Mubi: The Unspeakable Act, Animal Crackers, Last Letter, Take Me Somewhere Nice, Cassandro, The Exotico, Spies, Life is a Miracle, and Underground. Others include The Man with the Golden Arm, Nosferatu, Love in the Buff, Carnival of Souls, Almayer’s Folly, MS Slavic 7, The Blue Angel, The Stranger, Bird Talk, and Crystal Swan.

Aside from being a streaming service, Mubi also distributes movies, which it releases soon after they start playing in theaters. Some of such movies are Aftersun (A British film), Holy Spider (A terrifying Danish-Iranian serial killer thriller), and The Worst Person in the World (An acerbic Norwegian comedy-drama).

Documentaries

More than 200 documentaries spanning almost 100 years of filmmaking are available on Mubi. Documentaries about visionaries and leaders can also be found on Mubi. Some of these are RBG, Dior and I, Berlin: Symphony of a Great City, I am not Your Negro, Buffalo Juggalos, Man on Wire, the 2010 Banksy film, and, Exit Through the Gift Shop.

There are a few celebrity interviews and biopics to see here. Instead, some films focus mainly on art creation, the balance of power, and social justice. One of these films available is The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975, in which a Swedish journalist covered the civil rights movement in America.

Comparing Mubi Content With a Close Alternative

The Criterion Channel has a bigger library of over 2,000 films and shows available for streaming than Mubi. It’s known for its high-quality commitment to preserving cinema history. Mubi, on the other hand, has a smaller library of films, allowing around 30 movies available for streaming at a given time. In addition, Mubi focuses on a handpicked selection of new, independent, or international films.

Pricing and Plans: Discovering Value in Unique Streaming Choices

It offers a 7-day free trial requiring you to fill in your payment details. After the free trial period, you must pay $10.99 monthly to continue enjoying access to the content available on Mubi. You can pay $95.88 as a discount if you settle for an annual subscription plan.

Mubi has a higher membership plan called Mubi Go, which you can subscribe to for $17.99 monthly. You will get the same content with a free weekly cinema ticket. The discounted price for this plan is $143.88 only for annual subscribers. Students have a discount on their subscriptions, which allows them to pay $7.99 monthly.

Price Comparison With Close Alternatives

The Criterion Channel charges $10.99 monthly or a slightly more expensive fee of $99.99 annually. HBO Max charges $14.99 monthly, which is more costly than Mubi’s monthly plan. Netflix’s standard plan with ads, $7 monthly, is more affordable. However, Netflix’s Standard ad-free plan for $15.49 and premium plan for $20 are more expensive than Mubi.

Supported Devices: What Devices Can I Use to Watch Mubi?

Mubi has an app that is available on multiple devices, including Android and IOS mobile devices, Apple TV HD and 4K, Sony PS4, Nvidia Shield, Roku, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, LG smart TVs from 2016 onwards, and Samsung smart TVs from 2017 onwards. It is also supported by web browsers like Safari 13, Chrome 107, Firefox 90, Edge 107, and all recent versions.

User Experience: Navigating Unique Cinema with Ease

Web Interface

Mubi has a web interface that’s so easy to navigate. Its black, gray, and white color scheme makes the appearance look welcoming to the eyes and makes the thumbnails very visible. A search bar, navigation menu, and overflow menu are at the top of the screen.

The overflow menu lets you access your account profile preferences and help resources, viewing history, and Mubi’s Browse section. Having these features in the main menu would be better for easier access. The top menu has five options: Now Showing, Library, Feed, Notebook, and a Profile icon. Once in a while, Mubi usually hosts free films for both subscribers and non-subscribers.

The top part of the Now Showing section shows the new film of the day, while you can scroll horizontally to access the hub for different film categories. All the other movies available for streaming in the Now section are listed on the rest of the page with brief descriptions. To view a film’s details, click the More Info button on the film’s card. It also shows you the streaming resolution, runtime, language, and subtitle options. You can add a movie to a custom list, favorites, or a watchlist.

Mobile Interface

The Android app feels easier to navigate as it comes with Mubi’s library and watchlist from the web. This makes the app look well-streamlined for the viewer’s needs. The app on iOS has the same feel as the Android app. There are three icons in the bottom menu for the Now Showing section, New Library section, and Downloaded content each. However, you can still not access Mubi’s browse section or manage your community profile from the app.

You can access your settings from the overflow icon at the bottom-right corner of your app’s interface. You can view your subscription status, restrict your downloads to Wi-Fi alone, and choose the download quality. The Now Showing section has the same appearance as the web interface and functions similarly.

The available films are lined up vertically in that section. To view a film’s details, begin playback, download it, or add it to your watchlists, tap on the film. Tap the download icon on the details page under the thumbnail to download a movie. You can view them afterward from the Offline Film section, but they can’t be sorted.

Features: Enhancing Your Arthouse Streaming Experience

There are a few community-friendly features on Mubi. You can view user reviews and social media posts from The Feed. A notebook section also features editorials from Mubi staff and other contributors. Its profile pages are its best social feature as they list all your reviews, watchlists, favorites, followers, and those you follow.

You can set a profile picture and background photos and can set your profile to be private if you don’t want people to bother you. However, you can only create one viewing profile profile profile, as it is likely that everyone will have different preferences. These features can help you have a wonderful experience while streaming on the Mubi platform.

Playback Experience on Mubi

Mubi’s playback controls work just as they should. There is a pause and play button, a volume slider, a video progress bar, and a language/subtitle toggle button. You can’t select or view the playback resolution from the player except from the main settings section. There is a 15-second rewind and fast-forward button.

On Mubi, you can sign in on five different devices simultaneously but can only stream concurrently on two. Mubi’s content can be viewed in up to 1080p resolution. Aside from that, the specific resolution will now depend on your device type and your internet connection.

Accessibility and Parental Controls

Subtitles are included in Mubi films but cannot be customized by the player except from the main settings. The only thing you can customize is just the size of the text. Audio descriptions are not included on Mubi.

The subtitle language depends totally on the film. You can set your default language manually in the main settings section. There are no parental control features found on Mubi. The programs do not even have parental ratings on them. It has been designed for adults alone.

Pros and Cons: Assessing the Strengths and Weaknesses

How Does Mubi Compare With Other Similar Streaming Services?

Mubi With a VPN – Unrestricted Access to Your Favorite Shows and Movies

Mubi is based in London, United Kingdom. It is available for streaming in over 150 countries of the world. However, the specific films may vary depending on the location due to licensing restrictions. You may be traveling to a region where you can access Mubi. However, with a good VPN service, you can bypass this geo-restriction.

A premium VPN service will bypass the geographical barrier by encrypting your traffic and routing it through a server in another country. You may use the best free VPN service; however, it may not offer enough protection against the teaming web insecurities. Moreover, free VPN services may not have robust and widespread servers that extend to the location you want to stream movies from. If you prefer a premium VPN service, We recommend VPNs like Surfshark, NordVPN, and ExpressVPN.

Exploring Alternatives: Other Streaming Options Beyond Mubi

Explore a world of entertainment beyond the ordinary with various streaming services, each offering unique content experiences. Discover hidden gems and trending shows that cater to your tastes. Don’t forget to read our reviews for insightful recommendations on the best streaming options.

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• Crackle Review 2023: Everything You Need to Know
• Apple TV+ Review 2023: How Good is Apple’s Streaming Service?
• Sling TV Review: Read This Before You Sign Up
• Amazon Freevee Review 2023 – The Best Free Streaming Service?

Mubi: A streaming service for cinephiles; Is it Worth It?

Mubi can be worth it for cinephiles who value curated selections of independent, classic, and international films. Unlike mainstream streaming platforms, Mubi offers a rotating selection of 30 handpicked movies, adding a new one each day while removing one, ensuring a diverse and thoughtfully curated catalog. If you crave a unique and ever-evolving cinematic experience, Mubi’s specialized approach may be worth the subscription cost.

Frequently Asked Questions