Overwhelmed by Netflix’s Infinite Scroll? Try These 5 Focused Streaming Services

The re-watch rut can be difficult to break. But the solution might be a download away. While mainstream streamers like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and HBO Max seem to be trying to host as much of as many different kinds of shows as possible, several smaller companies have emerged with more-focused libraries. Some of these streamers are even free. Among them: Minute Shorts, which suggests short films based on how much time you have; and Waterbear, which exclusively screens films and series about environmental issues.

Those two might be too niche for some, but we think the following five offer a just-right robustness. Love horror? Try Shudder. Want to win your Oscars bracket? Give Mubi a spin. Are you a fan of Japanese animation? Well, you’ve probably already heard of Crunchyroll.

1. Shudder

A scaredy cat’s nightmare

If you have an opinion about what qualifies as a “Neo-Slasher,” stop scrolling mega-streamers in hopes of finding the odd horror flick and go straight to the source. While your homepage on other streaming services might feature a “Horror” category, Shudder, which launched in 2016, parses the difference between movies featuring “Bad Genes & Killer Kids” and those highlighting a “Zombie Jamboree.” The service, operated by AMC networks, boasts a library of over 500 films, including horror canon classics like “Nosferatu the Vampyre” and cult favorites like “Demonia.” Shudder’s library also includes 150 exclusive, original movies and series including “The Last Drive-in With Joe Bob Briggs,” the horror equivalent of “Mystery Science Theater 3000.” In the spirit of spooky campiness, the service even offers a Yule-Log-style screen saver called the Ghoul Log when the holidays roll around. After a 7-day free trial, Shudder subscriptions run $6 per month. All of Shudder’s content is also available with an AMC+ subscription, which costs $7 per month.

2. Brown Sugar

Stories by Black creators

While many streaming libraries include the work of Black creators—Netflix, for instance, has exclusive partnerships with producers like Ava DuVernay and Shonda Rhimes—Brown Sugar focuses on such entertainment. Founded in 2016, the service offers a vast number of television series, stand-up comedy specials and originals it calls “the biggest collection of the baddest movies.” Operated by Bounce TV—which launched in 2011 as the first digital multicast broadcast TV network to target African-American viewers—Brown Sugar gives subscribers on-demand, commercial-free access to movies and television shows made for and by Black people. Its library includes comedies (“Top Five” and “I Got the Hook Up”), crime dramas (“Paid in Full” and “Belly”), retro Blacksploitation films (“Dolemite” and “The Black Cobra”), stand-up comedy specials (“All Star Comedy Jam” and “The Queens of Comedy”) and documentaries about Black icons like Prince and Beyoncé. Bonus: over a dozen Bounce TV originals. It costs $4 a month.

3. Crunchyroll

Not just for Anime superfans

If you’re interested in anime—animation from Japan—there’s only one place worth scrolling. Founded in 2006, Crunchyroll boasts the world’s largest streaming library of anime: 18,000 hours across 45,000 episodes. The streaming service is used in over 200 territories by 10 million paid subscribers. While most anime is originally in Japanese, Crunchyroll offers subtitles and dubbed audio in ten-plus languages on all of its content. New content (40 to 50 new and returning series and movies) is added quarterly. All these features have made the service both a source of bragging rights among proud anime fans, and a good entry point for the anime-curious. Few other services let you (legally) watch classic shows like “Naruto,” “One Piece,” and “Hunter x Hunter.” You can stream some shows free with ads, but you’ll need to pay for one of Crunchyroll’s three-tiered subscriptions (which range in price from $8 to $15) for the full catalog ad-free. Higher tiers allow for offline viewing and simultaneous streaming on multiple devices.

4. Mubi

Film school without the debt

Since its launch in 2007, Mubi has called itself an “online cinema” where subscribers can “watch, discover and discuss auteur cinema.” Its library houses over 900 new and classic films organized into double features, director retrospectives, film festival favorites and many other helpful lists. Thanks to this tight curation of thought-provoking films, you’re less likely to end up in a mindless binge—the catalog is light on anything particularly…well, light. Still, there’s fun to be had. Each day, Mubi staff members choose one film to highlight for all subscribers to the platform, a refreshingly analog alternative to the algorithmic feed on Netflix. The selections are often genuinely surprising—recent picks included a portrait of urban loneliness in America from the ‘90s, a 2012 documentary on orphans in Pakistan and a brash, bold coming-of-age tale of contemporary Japanese adolescents. New users can join Mubi for a week for free. Then, subscriptions cost $13 per month, $8 if you’re a student.

5. BritBox

Go beyond ‘The Office’

Only a select few British television shows make their way onto American streaming services, leaving stateside fans unable to access countless other award-winning series and films without relying on VPN hacks or more overtly illegal methods. Since launching in the U.S. in 2017, BritBox has let Anglophiles stream films and TV series from British power players including BBC and Channel 4 with ease. The catalog includes 40 original series exclusive to the platform, including crime dramas “Sherwood” and “Suspect,” but also cheeky mysteries like Agatha Christie’s “Why Didn’t They Ask Evans?” Other viewers might be drawn to its back catalog of “Doctor Who” episodes, featuring the first seven doctors. But it’s not just for drama fans. You’ll also find plenty of goofy comedy (like “The Cleaner,” which features Greg Davies and Helena Bonham Carter) and cozily twee reality shows (including cooking programs with Nigella Lawson). After a free seven-day trial, subscriptions cost $8 a month or $80 annually.

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