It’s official. Movie theatres across the world are being temporarily shut down due to COVID-19. With many of us being ordered to work from home, and most public venues and businesses put on hiatus (or due to be), we’re going to be homebodies for a little while. It’s not fun, but we can do this, especially for the sake of those that may not be able to survive the virus, if it were to spread to them. If we do all the right things, this will only be for a little while. So, let’s make the most of it.

You already have your go-to streaming services, whether it be the original services like Netflix or Hulu, later iterations like Amazon Prime or Sling TV, or newest party members like Apple TV+ or Disney+ (they have to add the “plus” in there, it seems). You’re going to be spending a lot of time at home right now, so maybe you’re looking for a couple of extra options. Well, I have five (or so) services that can be just the ticket. Chances are you already know and love these services: they’re hardly unknown. For those that don’t know about these platforms, I hope these help you out during this time just for a little bit more variety.

The Criterion Channel is a go-to for many cinephiles, because of the clout built up over the years by the Criterion Collection’s preservation of old, arthouse, and cult films (amongst other types). Not everything sold by Criterion will be on this service, but many works that aren’t sold by them are here as well. The Criterion Channel also comes up with interesting double-feature events that are worth checking out. Finally, a major draw here is the amount of bonus content: filmmaker and/or actor commentary, press conferences, and more. You can really spend hours on this service.

$15.37 CAD a month.

The Criterion Channel

If you have little ones you have to take care of and educate while schools are closed, have no fear. Hopster is here. In case you want a break from Disney+, Hopster is a streaming service geared towards young children. Full of educational programs, songs, and games, Hopster isn’t really a film service, but it is still a great alternative for parents scrambling to find ways to keep their kids entertained and learning.

$6.98 CAD a month.

Hopster

If you have a library card or are at university, welcome to your latest obsessions. Kanopy is a free service for anyone linked to these educational institutions (if not, library memberships can be free to sign up for, although I don’t know how willing you are to go out right now, or if your local library has been suspended for now). You will have countless films and documentaries at your disposal. If Kanopy isn’t giving you the options you desire (keep in mind that your selections are tethered to the institution you have signed up with), there is also Hoopla which works the same way. The kicker is Hoopla also promotes e-books, musical albums, and other benefits. Both are worth a look at.

Kanopy and Hoopla are both free when you sign up via library card or your student identification (for Kanopy).

Kanopy

Hoopla

MUBI is a beloved service in the cinematheque community, particularly because it functions like one. Hard-to-see works will be championed for a short time only (usually thirty days per title in this series), so you have to act fast. This is a great incentive for discovering works you would usually never have thought to watch (or simply may not have even known about). There are, of course, permanent film fixtures here, but MUBI has captured the bliss of catching one-off events at your local theatre so well. For the more adventurous cinephile, this is a must-have service.

$9.99 CAD a month.

MUBI

If you’re a film circuit obsessive, there are a couple of services that you can check out. Sundance Now is, obviously, a Sundance Film Festival platform. I believe all (or at least most of) the works they promoted in the past should be on this service, as well as additional films and series. There used to be another similar platform called Tribeca Shortlist (can you guess which film festival they were attached to?), but I somehow only learned today that it has since been discontinued by parent company Sling. Ah well. That’s a shame.

$9.78 CAD a month.

Sundance Now

As a bonus, here’s a website that features films but isn’t really a streaming service of any sort. Short of the Week is a brilliant go-to for short films of all sorts (live action, animation, documentary). It’s perfect if you want to just put on some great short works (in case you’re not in the mood for any long features at any given time; say you just want something to quickly watch while you eat lunch). You never know what itch you may have that needs scratching.

Short of the Week is free to browse.

Short of the Week

I haven’t really touched upon television streaming services (or any platforms that are particularly good for this). If you’re in Canada and want at least just one suggestion, there’s Crave TV. I mean, it’s in cahoots with HBO and Showtime. That’s already a massive sign that this is a great service. If you want to finally binge watch that acclaimed series of now or yesteryear, here is your chance.

Regular subscriptions (including past seasons of HBO and Showtime series) are $9.99 CAD a month. For the fuller package (including current series), subscriptions are $19.98 CAD a month.

Crave TV

Andreas Babiolakis has a Masters degree in Film and Photography Preservation and Collections management from Ryerson University, as well as a Bachelors degree in Cinema Studies from York University. His favourite times of year are the Criterion Collection flash sales and the annual Toronto International Film Festival.

Some Alternative Streaming Services For Your Current Social Distancing