A Week with MUBI
Ellis & Gareth spend a week viewing as much content as possible on the streaming service MUBI
In our newest concept we spend a week viewing the content of a chosen streaming service, hopefully letting you know if the app is worth subscribing to. This week is MUBI, an independent streamer that adds a new film every day for real movie fans. Currently MUBI is holding a deal where you can pay just £1 for a 3 month trial...that's what we've done to make this blog.
Monday 7th February 2022
Gareth - Wildland
Starting the week off with what MUBI has recommended me! The main intrigue of the streamer for me is the curated content and the general lack of algorithm. This content has been hand selected and I love that. The film itself though? Pretty good! A young woman moves in with her estranged aunt after a car accident kills her mother. It's a bit deep for a Monday, but it's been hand selected so I have to.
Ellis - Shiva Baby
There was a lot of buzz surrounding this movie, and it did not disappoint. The thing I was most excited about when signing up to MUBI was the amount of independent projects from last year that were available to view. You know those films each year that you really want to watch but they're not easily accessible? Well, Shiva Baby is accessible on MUBI and it's super tense, expertly acted and just a great piece of cinema.
Tuesday 8th February 2022
Gareth - Arab Blues
This one wasn't the movie of the day, but it was recommended within a comedy section on the app. It has to be said, this isn't exactly a laugh a line, but it is pretty light-hearted. The film is about a woman returning to her home country in Tunisia to practice psychoanalysis on the locals. The concept is fun enough but it didn't blow me away. I'm starting to think that MUBI movies are hard work...
Ellis - Incident by a Bank
The other thing that's great about MUBI, is that it's bloody crazy. Some of the niche things available are so bizarre and definitely won't be for everyone. Incident by a Bank is a reconstruction of an actual failed bank robbery witnessed on 26th June, 2006. It's such a realistic recreation, and it's surprisingly very funny.
Wednesday 9th February 2022
Gareth - Beanfilm (Scenes with Beans)
I didn't have much time today so thought I'd watch a short. Ellis said this was incredible so I stuck it on. What's going on Ellis? Are you alright mate? Yeah you can see the effort that's gone into it but honestly, Aardman have had more artistically accomplished breakfasts than this. Not a fan.
Ellis - Beanfilm (Scenes with Beans)
I'll answer your questions Gareth but to be honest I don't appreciate your hostility. What's going on is that this is a piece of creative genius, it reminded me of Aardman's Morph; a simple, practically silent short that recreated human events. I genuinely loved it! The car accident sequence was my favourite.
Thursday 10th February 2022
Gareth - Voyage of Time: An IMAX Documentary
Okay, one more go. Let's find something that is entertaining and isn't a bit of a drag. What can go wrong with a documentary about space narrated by Brad Pitt? Well, it's not that it's not good, but I have no idea why we're allowed to watch this on our tiny TV's when it's pretty clear that this is only going to be appreciated properly in IMAX. It's a bit dull and shows off how great things look when they're massive. My 42" LCD was no match for it.
Ellis - Limbo
I'll be honest, I'm growing a little tired of the independent cinema thing so I did stick on The Hangover: Part 2 (not on MUBI) first. But then I found this comedy gem that I've been wanting to watch for a while, and it's bloody brilliant. I'm not going to give a synopsis, but if you decide to give MUBI a go after this, make Limbo the first thing you watch!
Friday 11th February
Gareth -
Stuck Netflix on!
Ellis - Cow
The last day of the week watching MUBI, I decided to stick on a new release. Cow is a new documentary but honestly it feels like a drama. A film has never made me feel as I did about a mute character as it did here, but it was a bit dull, and definitely didn't need to go on for an hour and a half. Some really beautiful moments though...and it gets pretty raunchy.
IN SUMMARY...
Gareth
A fantastic premise; curated content so that you know you're always watching something that's known to be "good". The app looks brilliant too so it's not just your daily picks, but a whole host of categories and seasonal events to keep you entertained. The problem I had with the content I picked was that it was all either a bit depressing or too art house for me to consume regularly. If you're a cinephile who wants to watch movies that push the boundaries of cinema then this is for you. But it's not something I'll be diving in to day after day after this week.
Gareth's pick of MUBI - The Black Power Mix Tape 1967-1975
Ellis
I'll keep it short and sweet. It's probably an incredible app for those film lovers who have seen absolutely everything, but for someone who's still never watched Casablanca, I don't think I could dedicate as much time to this app as it probably deserves.
Ellis' pick of MUBI - Shiva Baby
MUBI currently offers a trail period where you pay £1 for three months of service; the streamer costs £9.99 a month after that.