Best Movie Streaming Services
Cord cutters have tons of options for watching their favorite on-demand shows and live TV without the burden of a cable bill. Movie fans don’t have to miss out on the fun. Many video streaming services offer extensive libraries of popular titles and support high-end streaming standards. You might need to wait for premieres to land on the service of your choice, but the variety of films on a service can likely tide you over. You may even discover a new favorite movie that you would never be able to see in theaters or have purchased outright.
What Movies Can I Stream?
The movies available for streaming on a service depends on what streaming rights that service has. It’s similar to the way that live TV streaming services must negotiate with cable channel owners to get streaming rights. So, the services that already own the rights to huge catalogs of content (or have the money to get streaming rights) have an advantage.
Take, for example, two of the biggest names in the entertainment business: AT&T’s WarnerMedia and Disney. WarnerMedia’s recently-launched HBO Max includes movies from Warner Bros and New Line Cinema. That means you can watch many popular DC Universe movies and all the Harry Potter films. HBO Max also has exclusive streaming rights to Studio Ghibli films in the US. Disney+, on the other hand, has classic Disney films, Marvel movies, Pixar animations, and Star Wars films, live-action shows, and animated series—not to mention the filmed stage performance of Hamilton.
Services like Netflix and Prime Video aren’t backed by traditional media behemoths, but they still allow you to stream large (albeit constantly changing) libraries of movies. Netflix also offers a physical-disc rental service, called DVD by Netflix, which expands its library considerably. Check out our features on what’s arriving on Netflix and Prime Video to stay up to date with the streaming offerings.
Both Netflix and Prime Video also produce original movies, some of which have earned critical acclaim. Some of the top Netflix original movies are El Camino: A Breaking Bad Story, Roma, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, and The Irishman. Prime Video’s best original movies to date include Honey Boy, I Am Not Your Negro, Manchester By The Sea, and The Big Sick. Part of the reason that Netflix and Amazon need to produce their own titles is that some of the traditional media powerhouses are making movies exclusive to their own services. Both still have about the same number of quality films though.
Apple TV+ doesn’t license content from traditional media giants, and thus is in the unenviable position of creating most of its content in-house, though it has acquired some films and documentaries. This means that its movie library is extremely limited compared to that of other services. On top of that, Apple TV+’s focus appears to be on creating original series more so that original movies. In any case, the most notable (and pretty much the only) Apple TV+ films available for streaming are Hala, The Banker, and The Elephant Queen. Under COVID-19, the company has shown that it’s willing to purchase movies it didn’t commission and make them Apple exclusives; Tom Hanks’ Greyhound is the first example. Whether this is a one-off or the beginning of a new trend remains to be seen.
Hulu doesn’t produce original movies, but it is owned by Disney, which likely has some financial upside. At this writing, some of the popular movies on the service include Goodfellas, Grave of the Fireflies, Parasite, Portrait of A Lady on Fire, and The Dark Knight.
Other services have a more specific focus. Shudder is dedicated to horror films. The Criterion Channel focuses on classic and foreign films. Mubi curates a rotating library of artsy and indie movies. Tubi and Crackle, which are completely free services, offer a selection of popular movies from years past, though you probably won’t recognize a good portion of the titles in their libraries.
Note that you won’t be able to watch the absolute latest movies on these services; often there is a theatrical release period for a film, thus allowing it to qualify for awards. However, AMC Theaters is facing financial troubles and changes are always possible for awards eligibility.
Do Video Streaming Services Support 4K, HDR, and Surround Sound?
Some video streaming services do support high-end audio and video standards. Apple TV+, Disney+, Netflix, and Prime Video all support 4K streaming, for example. Other streaming services top out at 1080p streaming for movies, among them HBO Max, Hulu, Mubi, Shudder, and The Criterion Channel. Tubi’s maximum streaming resolution is 720p, but many of its most popular movies are only available to stream in 480p.
Some services, such as Apple TV+, Disney+, Netflix, and Prime Video, support HDR streaming (either HDR10 or Dolby Vision). Support for higher-end audio standards (5.1 Surround Sound, Dolby Atmos, or Dolby Digital Plus) is more common. Apple TV+, Disney+, HBO Max, Hulu, Netflix, Prime Video, and Tubi all support at least one of these standards.
Note that not every movie on these services is available to stream at the absolute highest quality. The best way to find content that supports these high-end video and audio standards is to search for them in a service’s interface.
You also need a playback device that supports these standards. Check out our roundups of the best smart TVs, soundbars, and media streaming devices to find all the top audiovisual gear, keeping in mind that some services restrict the highest playback standards to certain devices. For instance, Netflix subscribers on macOS only recently gained the ability to stream in 4K. Prime Video restricts 4K streaming to select media streaming devices and smart TVs.
One major reason to consider a video streaming service over physical media for watching movies is the potential savings. If you buy one or more 4K UHD Blu-rays every month (typically $15-$30 depending on how recently they were released), it’s likely cheaper to subscribe to a video streaming service—at least as far as watching movies goes. However, if you only buy 4K UHD Blu-rays occasionally or only feel the need to buy standard DVDs or Blu-Rays, you might end up paying less over the same period compared to if you had subscribed to a video streaming service.
HBO Max and Netflix’s Premium plan (the only tier that supports 4K streaming) cost the most of any of the on-demand services we’ve reviewed at $14.99 and $15.99 per month respectively. The Criterion Channel and Mubi are both $10.99 per month. At the bottom end of the price range, Prime Video is $8.99 per month, Disney+ charges $6.99 per month, Apple TV+ costs $4.99 per month, and Tubi and Crackle are free. Philo, a live TV service, is $20 per month, but that’s inexpensive for the category.
On one hand, the constantly changing library of video streaming services may not appeal to people who like to rewatch movies from time to time. When you buy a physical disk, presumably it’s because that movie is one you specifically want to rewatch many times or otherwise keep for collection purposes. The fact that a service might not have all of the movies you want to watch is problematic, too. Other people may just like the prospect of having physical disks offline for eternity (unless you lose them). Even if you buy a digital movie from iTunes or Amazon, there’s no guarantee that the service will continue to exist or that the title won’t eventually leave the service.
On the other hand, the opportunity to discover new films is a definite benefit of a changing library of movies. Mubi, for instance, updates its Now Streaming section of 30 curated films every day, so you always have something new to watch. There are ways to use video streaming services offline too; many service support offline downloads on mobile devices, for example. It may not be ideal to watch a movie on a small screen of a mobile device, but it’s still more convenient than carrying around a portable DVD player or laptop with a compatible disc drive.
There are other options for people who don’t like the prospect of streaming services, but still want to go digital. For example, you could purchase digital copies of movies online and organize them in one place with Movies Anywhere. Alternatively, you can upload any films you already own to a Plex server and enjoy them anywhere.
What’s Not Here
We haven’t reviewed every movie streaming service in existence yet, including CuriosityStream, Filmatique, IFC Films, IMDb TV, Ovid, and Vudu, but we are always updating our coverage. Stay tuned for more reviews in this category.
More Than Just Movies
When you pay for an on-demand video streaming service, you generally aren’t limited to just watching movies, of course. Some of the best new shows are exclusive to on-demand services and are the only place to watch classic shows on your schedule, too. For instance, Netflix is the only place to watch Space Force and HBO Max is the streaming home of Friends. This all-you-can-watch style of subscription makes the cost of these services easier to justify. Other services, including Hulu and Prime Video allow you to add on live TV component. Philo is primarily a live TV service.
Video s
treaming services may not be perfect for watching movies, but those with large movie libraries, support for high-end standards, and the best features are certainly viable alternatives to purchasing physical discs or paying an exorbitant amount for a movie ticket (if theaters ever reopen).
Where To Buy
-
Amazon Prime Video
Pros: Excellent original content
4K and HDR streaming
Supports offline downloads and multiple viewer profiles
Lets you rent or buy movies and TV shows
Cons: Continues to lose third-party content to other services
Not as many high-quality shows as competitors
Bottom Line: Amazon Prime Video hosts lots of prestige content for streaming and also features impressive technical capabilities such as 4K HDR streaming and offline downloads.
Read Review
Disney+
Pros: Tons of Disney-owned content all in one place
Offline downloads
4K streaming
Good performance
Cons: Most originals are from existing franchises
Still missing some Disney, 21st Century Fox, and Marvel content
Only basic parental controls
Bottom Line: Disney+ offers an impressive library of high-quality shows and movies in a featured-filled video streaming package, but it needs to expand its content horizons for it to become an absolute must-have service.
Read Review
HBO Max
Pros: Huge catalog of popular shows and movies from many sources
Attractive apps
No ads
Supports profiles and parental control tools
Offline downloads on mobile
Cons: Pricier than competitors
No 4K content
No audio descriptions of original content
Can’t select streaming resolution
Bottom Line: HBO Max bundles an impressive on-demand library of top movies and shows into apps with the latest video streaming features, including multiple profiles and offline downloads. It’s pricey, however.
Read Review
Hulu
Pros: Excellent selection of TV series and movies.
Cloud DVR.
Varied channel lineup.
Available on nearly every media-streaming device.Cons: Price increase for Live TV.
Base on-demand plan includes ads.
Offline downloads feature requires premium account.
Fewer high-quality originals than competitors.Bottom Line: Hulu is a dependable option for streaming new and classic shows as well as live TV across a wide variety of platforms. It’s a top choice among streaming video services.
Read Review
Tubi
Pros: Free
Respectable library of movies and shows
Modern apps and interfaces
Supports watchlists and parental control features
Cons: Streaming resolution capped at 720p
No ad-free option
Bottom Line: Tubi is a free and well-designed video streaming service with a large, frequently changing library of movies and some shows. Its resolution limitations and ads are a small price to pay for all the free content it offers.
Read Review
Mubi
Pros: New film added every day to curated lineup
Extensive catalog of films
Community features
1080p streaming
Offline downloads on mobileCons: No support for multiple viewing profiles and limited closed captioning options
Android app lacks some featuresBottom Line: Part video streaming service, part movie community, Mubi is meant for true cinephiles. Mubi’s particular brand of indie and foreign films may limit its appeal to wider audiences, though, and the service is missing some standard features.
Read Review
Philo
Pros: Inexpensive.
37+ channel lineup.
Solid performance.
Good iOS app.Cons: No sports content and few news channels.
Includes ads.
Does not support offline playback.
No native Android app.Bottom Line: Video streaming service Philo offers a good mix of entertainment and lifestyle channels at an reasonable price, but it lacks sports and news content, as well as advanced features such as offline playback.
Read Review
Shudder
Pros: Large collection of horror films and shows. Charming interface and style. Inexpensive. No ads.
Cons: Missing some classic suspense and horror films. Not all content is 1080p. No offline downloads.
Bottom Line: Horror-themed streaming service Shudder is a scary good deal for fans of the genre, but it doesn’t offer enough popular content or features to bewitch the masses.
Read Review
The Criterion Channel
Pros: On-demand streaming of curated Criterion Collection films.
Offline downloads on mobile devices.
No ads.
Tons of video extras, including interviews, features, and other commentary.
Cons: Not all Criterion Collection movies are available for streaming.
No parental controls or user profiles.
Some aggressive DRM and HDCP restrictions.
Bottom Line: The Criterion Channel video streaming service lets you watch most of the films in the Criterion Collection without buying physical media, without ads, and in high-definition.
Read Review
Apple TV+
Pros: Sleek interface.
Inexpensive.
No ads.
Web browser support.
Offline downloads on iOS.Cons: Limited content at launch.
No apps for Android or game consoles.Bottom Line: Apple TV+ is impressive from a technical standpoint, but its success depends solely on the quality of its small number of original shows.
Read Review
More Inside PCMag.com
About the Author