If you love pop culture, you likely keep your eyes on any hip, new streaming services that can expand your viewing experience. With more content being made than ever before, keeping connected to the pulse of pop culture has become a more trying task than ever before. As long as you have the right knowledge, however, you can invest in the apps that are guaranteed to keep you in touch with pop culture. To guide you on your journey, here are eight unique streaming apps for pop culture lovers:
1. Tubi
Are you hungry for an expansion to your current pop culture library, but are too broke to afford a new subscription? If so, Tubi will make your day. Tubi is a completely free streaming service with tons of fantastic content (both movies and TV) for you to enjoy. Tubi sports tons of retro TV series and movies that will be attractive to pop culture lovers that like knowing the origins of their favorite genres. Since the service is free (although you’ll have to watch occasional ads), it’s worth giving a try!
2. Kodi
Not all streaming services focus specifically on TV and movie content. Kodi allows you to customize how you stream, and gives you a magical UI. For streamers who hate constantly moving between different apps to watch content and browse, Kodi can help you host all of your subscriptions’ content in one location (alongside your own digital files and personal content). To stream as though you’re in the future, Kodi will ensure you feel that you’re living your best streaming life.
3. Mubi
Few apps are as unique as Mubi. If you miss the experience of going to theatres that are not simply glorified Disney theme parks, Mubi is here to give you the joyous experience of an arthouse theater (but all online)! Each day, Mubi adds a new classic, foreign, cult, arthouse, or pop culture hit film (and removes one as well). This theater-like experience allows you to discover the best filmmaking available, and the app even comes with a quality catalog of other films as well.
4. The Criterion Channel
If you’re a classy pop culture fan, you likely love exploring the classics and infamous films from cinema history. Criterion has been the go-to service for film lovers who want to explore cinema’s complex historical nature, as it has classic films, documentaries, and experimental films from throughout cinema history. With a massive library and a guarantee that whatever you watch will at least be interesting (especially from a historical or pop culture perspective), The Criterion Channel is sure to entertain you.
5. Shudder
Horror fans are a unique bunch, and many viewers only occasionally find joy within the genre. For those who love the feeling of watching horror, however, many streaming service catalogs are absolutely pathetic. Thankfully, Shudder has created a heavenly space for horror superfans. The service has a catalog of hundreds of horror classics, and the Shudder brand is now producing and distributing new horror films. To watch the all-time greats, and experience potential new classics, you need to invest in a SHudder subscription immediately.
6. Nebula
Do you love documentaries? If you do, you likely understand that video essays and other online non-fiction content have exploded in popularity in the last decade. For some of the most cutting-edge, indie documentaries and video essays, Nebula has you covered. The fact that the service is all user-run makes it a great way to push back against the entertainment monopolies in 2022 as well. Nebula prides itself on being a space for exploration, learning, and provocative content, and it’s worth your attention if you want to stay connected to the pulse of pop culture.
7. Funimation
Anime lovers have been treated fairly well by some of the major streaming services (particularly Hulu and Netflix). That being said, if you’re an absolute anime superfan, you need to invest in Funimation to unlock a library that contains nearly every anime series ever made. For those who want to watch simulcasts of their favorite series’ new episodes, Funimation is the only place that consistently gets the job done.
8. Kanopy
Did you ever rent films from the library? If so, you likely miss the days of having a large selection of films you can get for free (as long as you have a library card). Kanopy reinvents this process, but on an online app. With a library card, you unlock a massive library of films and television shows that you can stream for free. If you have a library card or plan on getting one, you deserve to download Kanopy and experience this inventive, unique streaming service.
Time To Expand Your Streaming Universe
With these eight streaming services, you’ll unlock a massive universe of films to explore. Having a catalog that guarantees that you’ll always have something of quality to watch is one of the best investments you can make in 2022. After all, you deserve to have a place to escape to when you’re ready to escape the pressures of the modern world.
