If you don’t like ‘13 Reasons Why’, ‘The Zoya Factor’ and ‘House Arrest’ to constantly show up in your recommendation feed on Netflix then there is another streaming subscription you can choose.
‘MUBI’ is a streaming service as well as a movie app that offers you movie titles from around the world that have been specially curated for cinephiles.
Unique Format
I spend hours just browsing Netflix in order to find something interesting that’s worth my time. There are hundreds of movies available on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Hotstar. I like that there are a lot of options to choose from but this can often overwhelm people.
This is why MUBI’s format is unlike others. It only offers 30 movies at a given time. All the movies are critically acclaimed with many being lauded at various film festivals.
Every day one movie title is removed and another one is added to take its place. This gives people an incentive to watch the film before it departs from the service. This cyclical schedule makes it a modern version of theatres.
Mubi Go
‘Roma’, ‘Annihilation’, ‘The Irishman’ are some of the movies that should be enjoyed on a big screen and not on a tiny phone screen but as these were all ‘Netflix Originals’ most people could only watch it on their mobile phones and laptops.
Here is where MUBI’s USP lies. They have collaborated with PVR to keep the theatre culture alive. With their ‘MUBI GO’ plan, you get to watch one movie hand-picked by them every week at PVR cinemas.
Its founder and CEO Efe Cakarel doesn’t want to replace the cinematic experience and hence this partnership with PVR seems like an answer to the prayers of all Indian cinephiles.
As an introductory offer, the company is providing a 3-month subscription for Rs. 199 along with the ‘MUBI GO’ plan. Hence, MUBI provides a possible solution to the war that’s going on between streaming sites and theatres.
You can now pick a third option instead of being a part of the streaming audience or the theatre crowd.
The CEO of PVR Pictures, Kamal Gianchandani states,
“At PVR, we always try to innovate and push the envelope. This tie-up dispels the myth that cinemas and OTT cannot collaborate.”
He also believes that this will shatter the claims that PVR is only meant for blockbusters.
Also Read: With Netflix, Amazon Censorship In Talks With The Government, Where Is India Headed?
Different From Other Streaming Giants
I love Netflix but recently it has become a dumping ground for all the bad Indian movies. An excellent example of this is the recent movie ‘Drive’ starring Sushant Singh Rajput (R.I.P. brain cells).
To find gems like ‘One Day At A Time’, ‘Okja’, ‘Sense 8’, ‘Mudbound’ you have to wade through a sea of mediocre and terrible films like ‘Rajma Chawal’, ‘Tall Girl’, ‘The Princess Switch’ etc.
The chances of a movie being good are 50-50. Same is the case with Amazon Prime, every time I receive a suggestion like ‘Skulls and Roses’, ‘Khandani Shafakhana’ and ‘Sonu Ki Titu Ki Sweety’, I roll my eyes.
However, as MUBI is more careful with their selections it would probably be more trustworthy if brilliant cinema is what you crave. The chances of regretting spending your time and money on it are far less.
Some of the Indian movies currently streaming on MUBI are ‘Pyaasa’, ‘Aashad Ke Ek Din’, ‘Ek Doctor Ki Maut’, ‘Anhey Ghohrey Da Daan’, ‘Ek Din Achanak’, ‘Ghanashatru’, etc which may aid the audience in rediscovering the brilliance of Indian cinema.
Learn About Cinema
MUBI has another section called ‘Notebook’ which shines light on a lot of underrated directors and their vision. Everybody knows Stanley Kubrick, Christopher Nolan, and Martin Scorsese but there are other directors like Agnes Varda, Gustav Deutsch, etc who deserve some love.
The site hosts interviews and essays that analyze various aspects and underlying themes of films. These are beneficial if you want to gain a better understanding of a film or an artist’s work.
Their selections consist of popular titles like ‘John Wick’, ‘Her’, ‘Moonrise Kingdom’ alongside some obscure films like ‘The Blood Of A Poet’, ‘A Paper Tiger’, etc which makes it possible for them to cater to different audiences with varying taste.
I am excited to use this OTT service. Furthermore, I wish they’d screen the upcoming ‘Little Women’ adaptation by Greta Gerwig. I want to see the March sisters on a big screen also Timothée Chalamet’s Laurie is an added bonus.
What do you think about this OTT service? Are you going to give it a chance?
Image Credits: Google Images
Sources: MUBI, The Print, Tech Crunch
Find The Blogger: @ishitabajpai6
Other Recommendations:
