MUBI

Why indie and arthouse film needs its own streaming guide

The Cannes Film Festival just gave Michael Fassbender’s “Hope” the kind of reception that should make every cinephile install the right apps on their phone. The catch is that the apps streaming Cannes winners, Sundance picks, and arthouse retrospectives are not Netflix or Disney+. The major streamers buy franchise output and prestige originals; they leave the independent festival circuit, restored classics, and regional cinema to a smaller set of dedicated services.

The trade-off is real: subscribing to one major streamer plus one indie-focused service costs less than two majors, and it widens what you can watch by an entire continent. Indie and arthouse apps tend to keep titles in their library for longer than the rotation cycle of mainstream services, and the curation is editorial: someone with taste decided each film deserves a spotlight.

The eight picks below cover the apps that put MUBI’s nightly debut, Criterion’s restorations, library-card lending, festival pickups, and free public-domain catalogs into your pocket. Each runs on Android.

What to look for in an indie and arthouse streaming app

Quick comparison

AppCuration focusFree tierPaid planStandout feature
MUBIEditor-picked arthouse, one new film a day7-day trialSubscription, monthly or yearlyDaily “Film of the Day” launch with a 30-day window
The Criterion ChannelClassic and restored arthouse cinemaNoneSubscription, monthly or yearlyRestored library with film-essay extras and director retrospectives
KanopyFree with library card or universityFree with credentialsNoneLibrary-card credits unlock films at no cost
HooplaFree with library cardFree with library cardNoneLibrary-card lending including older indie films and documentaries
ShudderHorror, suspense, supernaturalFree trialSubscriptionThe best curated horror and Shudder Originals
BFI PlayerBritish Film Institute archivesSome free titles, plus rentalSubscriptionUK and world cinema archive with restored prints
TubiFree ad-supported with indie sectionsFreeNoneFree indie film selection with frequent festival pickups
PlexFree ad-supported plus self-hostedFreePlex Pass optionalFree indie and public-domain titles plus your own library
Apple TVRentals and purchases of festival filmsFree appPay per rental or buyLatest festival films available for rent days after a premiere

The apps

1. MUBI, the editor-curated daily film service

MUBI runs on a daily release schedule: one carefully chosen film launches each day, stays in the library for around 30 days, and rotates out. The catalog at any given time holds about 30 of these picks, sorted by region, director, and theme. The curation team leans into recent festival winners (Cannes, Berlinale, Venice, Sundance), restored classics, and emerging international cinema.

The Android app is one of the cleanest streaming UIs on the platform. Browse the calendar of upcoming releases, read each film’s editor note, and add to a watchlist. Downloads work offline and Chromecast streams in 4K on supported devices. Mubi also distributes selected films theatrically, which means some titles arrive on the app weeks before they reach other services.

Where it falls short: Library is intentionally small. If you miss a film’s window, it leaves. Some films have regional gaps because of distribution rights.

Pricing:

Bottom line: Pick MUBI if you want one editor-curated film per night and you trust the curation team to find what is worth watching.

2. The Criterion Channel, the canonical arthouse library

The Criterion Channel is the streaming home of the Criterion Collection. The catalog covers restored prints of arthouse classics (Bergman, Ozu, Tarkovsky, Kurosawa, Fellini, Varda, Wong Kar-wai) plus curated programs by directors and critics (a Spike Lee selection, a Greta Gerwig pick list, a Black Cinema collection). Each film ships with restored prints, original-language audio, and frequently a film-essay video or an introduction.

The Criterion Channel is the closest thing to the Criterion Collection’s mission on a streaming service. The Android app supports offline downloads, Chromecast, profiles, and a watchlist. The home screen rotates programs every couple of weeks, which keeps the catalog feeling fresh.

Where it falls short: US-focused (limited availability outside North America). Library is large but not exhaustive (some Criterion releases stay disc-only because of licensing). UI feels older than MUBI’s.

Pricing:

Bottom line: Pick The Criterion Channel if you live in North America and you want the canonical arthouse library plus restored print quality.

3. Kanopy, free with a library card

Kanopy is the streaming service public libraries and universities license to give their patrons free access. Sign in with a library card or university login, and you get a set number of monthly credits to spend on films. The Kanopy catalog leans heavily into the same arthouse, documentary, and independent territory as Criterion and Mubi, but with no monthly fee for the viewer.

The Android app handles the library-card login, profile, and credit tracking cleanly. Films download for offline use and stream over Chromecast. The Kanopy Kids section adds a curated children’s library that does not consume credits, which makes the app double-useful for families.

Where it falls short: Library and university credits cap the number of films you can watch per month. Some libraries do not participate. Title availability varies by region and partner.

Pricing:

Bottom line: Pick Kanopy first. If your local library participates, you get free arthouse cinema with no subscription.

4. Hoopla, library lending for film, music, and books

Hoopla is the other major library-card streaming service. The film catalog covers indie films, documentaries, and older studio releases, with audiobooks, music, comics, and ebooks bundled into the same library-card credits. Each library sets its own monthly borrow limit.

For arthouse and indie film viewers, Hoopla is the complement to Kanopy: each service holds different titles, so cinephiles with a library card often install both. The Android app handles borrows and downloads with a clean UI.

Where it falls short: Newer arthouse releases land on Mubi or Criterion before Hoopla. Some library systems only participate with one of the two services. Library quality varies city to city.

Pricing:

Bottom line: Pick Hoopla alongside Kanopy if your library participates with both, doubling your free indie catalog.

5. Shudder, the horror and arthouse-horror specialist

Shudder is the niche service for horror, supernatural, and suspense. The catalog leans into festival horror picks (Sundance Midnight, Fantastic Fest), Shudder Originals (a steady stream of new horror releases), restored cult classics, and international horror from Korea, Japan, France, and Spain. For an arthouse-horror fan, Shudder’s curation outperforms any general streamer.

The Android app is the standard AMC Networks streaming UI. Downloads work, Chromecast works, and the Shudder TV mode (linear, channel-style horror programming) runs in the background.

Where it falls short: Single-genre focus is not for everyone. Some originals are stronger than others. UI feels older than MUBI’s.

Pricing:

Bottom line: Pick Shudder if you watch horror seriously and the major-streamer horror sections feel thin to you.

6. BFI Player, British and world cinema archive

BFI Player is the British Film Institute’s streaming service. The catalog covers UK cinema from silent shorts to current arthouse, plus a wide world-cinema selection, and a subscription tier that opens access to a deeper restored library. Some BFI titles are free, some are pay-per-rental, and the subscription unlocks the bulk of the catalog.

For viewers in the UK and Ireland, BFI Player is the equivalent of Criterion Channel. The catalog often includes prints that are not available anywhere else, especially older British film history.

Where it falls short: Best for UK-based viewers. Some titles are region-locked. Catalog navigation is denser than MUBI’s.

Pricing:

Bottom line: Pick BFI Player if you live in the UK and you want a Criterion-equivalent service with British cinema depth.

7. Tubi, free ad-supported with surprising indie depth

Tubi is the free ad-supported streaming service from Fox. The indie film section is bigger than you would expect. Tubi licenses festival pickups, foreign-language films, older arthouse titles, and a strong horror catalog that includes some of the same films Shudder shows. Search by year and country to find specific regional cinema selections.

The Android app is clean, ads are unavoidable, and the library shifts as Fox closes new licensing deals. For free arthouse access, Tubi is the strongest single source.

Where it falls short: Ads are frequent. Library shifts often. The “indie” section mixes serious arthouse with low-budget direct-to-streaming films.

Pricing:

Bottom line: Pick Tubi for free arthouse and indie films without a subscription, paired with another curated service for premiere watching.

8. Plex, the free public-domain and self-host catch-all

Plex combines free ad-supported streaming with a self-hosted media server. The free catalog includes public-domain classics (early-cinema silent films, classic noirs that fell into public domain, a meaningful selection of arthouse titles that came out of copyright). The self-host side opens the Android Plex app to your own arthouse Blu-ray rips at home over the network.

For a cinephile with a film library, Plex turns the phone into a remote control for a personal arthouse collection plus a free supplemental catalog.

Where it falls short: Self-host requires running Plex Media Server. The free catalog is narrower than Tubi’s. Public-domain prints can be lower quality than restorations.

Pricing:

Bottom line: Pick Plex if you have a personal film library worth ripping or you want a free supplement to your subscription stack.

9. Apple TV, the rental and purchase backstop

Apple TV on Android (yes, Apple’s TV app runs on Android) handles rentals and purchases of recent festival films. Cannes winners and Sundance breakouts often appear on Apple TV’s rental window weeks or months before they hit subscription streaming. Pay $4.99 to $7.99 to rent for a few days, watch on the phone, the TV, or any other device tied to your Apple ID.

For viewers who want the latest festival films and do not subscribe to Mubi or Criterion, Apple TV is the pay-per-view backstop.

Where it falls short: Pay-per-rental adds up. The Android Apple TV app is less polished than on iOS. Some films are region-locked.

Pricing:

Bottom line: Pick Apple TV when a specific festival film you want is not yet on a subscription service.

How to pick the right one

FAQ

What is the best app for arthouse films? MUBI for editor-curated daily picks, The Criterion Channel for restored classics. Most cinephiles pick one of the two depending on whether they prefer rotation curation or a permanent library.

Are there free apps for indie films on Android? Kanopy and Hoopla are free with a library card or university login. Tubi and Plex are free with ads. Apple TV’s app is free, but films are pay-per-rental.

Can I watch Cannes Film Festival winners on Android? Many Cannes Film Festival winners arrive on MUBI within the year following the festival, often as part of MUBI’s distribution slate. Apple TV’s rental window picks up Cannes winners months after the festival ends. Criterion Channel adds them once they enter the Criterion Collection (usually years later, after a restoration).

Is the Criterion Channel available outside the US? The Criterion Channel is mainly available in the US and Canada. Outside North America, MUBI carries a similar curatorial sensibility and is widely available.

What is the best free arthouse film app? Kanopy first, if your library card works. Otherwise Tubi for free ad-supported indie cinema and Plex for free public-domain titles.

Do these apps support Chromecast? MUBI, Criterion, Kanopy, Hoopla, Shudder, Tubi, Plex, and Apple TV all support Chromecast on Android. BFI Player supports it on most setups.