What is MUBI? The UK movie streaming service explained

It's not just a library of films that MUBI offers. The site has been on a mission to become the destination for film fanatics and a platform where fans can share, discuss, rate, read and enjoy all things film. If you’re new to MUBI - fear not, we’ve got all the details you need to see if a membership is for you.

Subscribe to MUBI for £10.99 or start your 7-day free trial via Amazon Prime Video

What is MUBI?

MUBI is a streaming service made for film lovers. It has thousands of films available with its selling point that each one is hand-picked by a curator. You can see the reason a MUBI curator has picked each film and with more than 400 movies in their library, with new ones frequently being added, you’ll never run out of content to watch.

Available movies range from specially picked programmes and retrospectives to director double-bills and exclusive premieres. It also offers short films and productions which have won awards at film festivals across the globe. Many of MUBI's most popular films are international productions, subtitled in English.

It’s not just films that a MUBI subscription gives you access to but also their online and print magazine, the Notebook. The magazine keeps you updated on what's new in cinema culture across the globe and comes both online and in print.

When you join MUBI, you are also joining a community of over 10 million film lovers worldwide, whom you can connect with to share your love of cinema. You can personally review and rate each film on the MUBI platform and then discuss this with other members.

Then there’s MUBI GO. This gives you a cinema ticket every week for a film which is hand-picked by curators at MUBI. You can watch this at participating cinemas in your area.

MUBI has teamed up with Amazon Prime Video so you can also subscribe to MUBI through your Amazon account. If you sign up through Amazon you will get access to all MUBI films but won't have access to MUBI GO, Notebook, or the MUBI community.

Subscribe to MUBI for £9.99 or start your 7-day free trial via Amazon Prime Video

How to watch MUBI

Once you have got your membership for MUBI or MUBI GO you can then log in and access all that MUBI has to offer. Here’s how to watch MUBI:

Through media players

You can watch MUBI on your TV using an Amazon Fire Stick, Apple TV, Android TV, and Roku TV.

Through your gaming console, PC, and laptop

You can watch MUBI through your PS4 gaming console using their downloadable app. It is also available on your PC and laptop through your internet browser (Chrome, Safari, etc).

Smart TV mirroring and Phone

MUBI has an app available on IOS and Android where you can watch your favourite programmes on your phone or tablet. If you have a Smart TV you can mirror this from your phone/tablet onto your TV. A phone mirroring option should appear in the corner of your screen.

Connect your laptop through HDMI

If you don’t have access to the above, then you can watch MUBI by connecting a HDMI cable to your laptop. Just plug the cable into your laptop and TV whilst MUBI is loaded.

Subscribe to MUBI for £9.99 or start your 7-day free trial via Amazon Prime Video

How much does MUBI cost in the UK?

A MUBI membership is split into two categories. MUBI and MUBI GO. A MUBI membership costs £10.99 a month and with this, you get access to all of MUBI’s films.

You are also able to download all of MUBI’s film offerings on IOS and Android without any Ads. An annual MUBI membership option can also be chosen, this will cost £83.88, which works out to £6.99 a month, a saving of 36% a year.

You can also get a MUBI membership through Amazon Prime Video. This is the cheapest option and will cost you £9.99 a month. It will give you access to all MUBI films through the Amazon Prime Video interface but you won't get access to the Notebook and you can't get a MUBI GO membership with Amazon. To add MUBI you Amazon Prime Video you must already be a Prime member.

For a MUBI GO membership, it will cost you £15.99 a month and offers you exactly the same benefits as a standard MUBI membership. The reason for the increased price is that with a MUBI GO membership, you get the added bonus of a weekly hand-picked cinema ticket.

MUBI GO also has an annual option of £131.88, which works out to £10.99 a month, a saving of 31% a year. Both membership options also let you have a 7-day free trial. Find out how to get one below.

For University students there is a separate MUBI student membership. A heavily discounted subscription lets students get MUBI for £6.99 a month, a discount of around 40%. The student offer begins with an extended 30-day free trial leading into the discounted monthly subscription. This offer is available globally and to all students, no matter their course of study.

Subscribe to MUBI for £9.99 or start your 7-day free trial via Amazon Prime Video

How to get a MUBI free trial in the UK

If you’re unsure which MUBI membership is best for you, or if the subscription will suit you, why not use their free trial? MUBI offers a 7-day free trial on all of their membership options so you can get a taste of the streaming service before committing to a monthly or annual subscription.

To sign up for a 7-day free trial go to the MUBI website where you can choose whether to use your free trial on MUBI or MUBI GO. Remember to cancel this free trial before the 7 days are over if you don’t want to pay.

You also get a 7-day free trial with Amazon Prime Video which is automatically applied to your membership when you add MUBI to Prime Video. You won't pay for MUBI on Amazon until these 7 days are up.

Subscribe to MUBI for £9.99 or start your 7-day free trial via Amazon Prime Video

What to watch on MUBI in the UK

If you’re looking for some inspiration on what to watch on MUBI then check out some of our top picks from the streaming service:

Aftersun

Aftersun received a BAFTA and also saw main character Paul Mescal nominated for an Oscar. In this film, Paul teams up with Frankie Corio as the on-screen father and daughter holiday in Turkey. The film follows single-parent family life and the relationship between the pair.

Return to Seoul

This film follows 25-year-old Freddie, who returns to South Korea for the first time since she was born. She decides to look for her biological parents, but her journey takes a surprising turn as she struggles with feelings that she is neither French nor South Korean.

My Life as a Courgette

This stop-motion animation is an emotional watch and follows the life of a young boy who loses his mother. He is sent to an orphanage where he learns to make friends and trust again. It deals with trauma in a way which is understandable for children and adults alike.

Laurence Anyways

This Canadian drama follows the complicated love story between Laurence Alia, a transgender woman, and her partner Fred Belair. Set in the 1980s and 1990s, the film follows their journey of acceptance and understanding amidst societal challenges.

The Worst Person in the World

This film follows the life of Julie who is trying to find the right career path and manoeuvring a troubled love life at the same time. The Norweigan film (with English subtitles) was nominated for an Oscar and is praised for showing the realities of 'normal life'.

Other notable MUBI films include:

• The Watermelon Woman: A young black lesbian filmmaker investigates the life of a black actress who played stereotypical roles in 1930s Hollywood.
• Bergman Island: A couple of filmmakers on a retreat to Fårö, the island where Ingmar Bergman lived and worked, find their relationship tested as they explore their own creativity.
• An Angel at My Table: A young woman's journey from mental illness to literary acclaim.
• Bacurau: A small Brazilian town fights back against a group of wealthy outsiders who are trying to erase them from existence.
• Close: Set in the flowery field of the Belgian countryside two boys' friendship is put in jeopardy when schoolmates notice their intimacy.
• Paris, Texas: A man wanders out of the desert not knowing who he is until one day his brother finds him and he must work to reinstall his memory of his old life.

How to cancel a MUBI subscription

You can cancel your MUBI subscription at any time. To do so, go to the MUBI website or app and log in to your account. Access your settings and go to the ‘Your subscription’ section. Here, you can choose to cancel your plan. It will not auto-renew, but you will be able to continue watching MUBI for any time remaining that you've already paid for.

To cancel MUBI to your Amazon account, go to the Manage Your Prime Video Channels section and select Prime Video Channels. Find the subscription that you want to cancel (MUBI) and select Cancel Channel.

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