19 Best Services to Watch Indie Movies on Roku

cord-cutting › indie movies on roku • September 2, 2023 • Staff

Blockbusters and popcorn movies are wonderful sources of entertainment, but when it comes to smart, tender, and illuminating works of art, nothing beats a great indie flick. Whether it's a searing documentary or a small-budget but big-hearted dramedy, there are many hidden gems out there just waiting to be discovered.

A good place to start is your Roku device; the nifty player is compatible with a good number of platforms that specialize in independent content. Below, we've listed the very best of these platforms.

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Mubi

Mubi is a movie-streaming service featuring a curated selection of 30 movies on a daily rotation, as well as a large library of movies from previous rotations. The subscription costs $10.99 per month or $95.88 for an annual subscription. If you just want to browse the database before paying up front, you can sign up for a free account for access. Mubi has a Now Showing section, with the newest entries to the library on a given day (the library is updated daily), and a Library section featuring a back-catalog of other highlights and previously “showing” movies. You may see a section called 'Live' for live broadcasts once in a while. Aside from the options to stream via web browser, Mubi also has mobile apps for Android and iOS, media streaming devices (Apple TV, Chromecast, Fire TV, and Roku), and you can subscribe to Mubi as a Prime Video channel. While Mubi is not available on the Xbox One, you can access the service on a PlayStation 4 console.

Go to Mubi

Price: $10.99/month

Free Trial: 30 days

Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, iOS, LG TV, Roku, Samsung TV

Magnolia Selects

Magnolia Selects can be accessed via an array of iOS and Android phones and tablets as well as desktops and Roku devices. It is also available as a channel through Sling TV and Amazon Prime Video.

Subscriptions with unlimited access to Magnolia Selects cost $4.99 per month or a discounted $49.99 per year.

Another plan is available for “sub-genre subscriptions” that gives access to specific genres (action, comedy, horror, documentary) for only $2.99 per month.

Go to Magnolia Selects

Price: $4.99/month

Free Trial: 7 days

Device availability: Android, iOS, Roku

Topic

Topic is an online streaming service operating in the US and Canada.

In the US, a monthly subscription currently runs at $5.99 per month or $56.99 per year.

Topic can be accessed via Apple iOS, and AppleTV, Android, Amazon Fire TV, and Roku, in addition to Amazon Prime Video Channels, Apple TV Channels, Roku Premium Channels, and Bell Fibe.

Go to Topic

Price: $5.99/month

Free Trial: 7 days

Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Apple TV, iOS, Roku

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SUNDANCE NOW

Sundance costs $6.99 per month, with an annual subscription that goes for $59.99.

In addition to watching Sundance Now on the web, you can stream from the service’s apps for mobile, (Android and iOS) and media streaming (Apple TV, Chromecast, Fire TV, and Roku).

Sundance Now does not offer any apps on game consoles, such as the Xbox One or PlayStation 4.

Go to SUNDANCE NOW

Price: $8.99/month

Free Trial: 7 days

Device availability: Android, Android TV, Apple TV, Fire TV, iOS, Roku

Popcornflix

Popcornflix is an online streaming service that offers movies and TV shows to watch for free. The unique thing about it is that it offers originals from film schools and some web series they produced themselves.

Go to Popcornflix

Price: free for channels available

Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, iOS, Roku

Ovid TV

Ovid.tv is an on-demand streaming platform dedicated to independent movies, and is currently available in the US and Canada.

In the US, Ovid.tv costs $6.99 per month or $69 per year.

You can access Ovid.tv via mobile platforms including Android and iOS, as well as media streaming devices including Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Fire TV, and Roku. However, Ovid.tv does not offer any apps for game consoles at the moment.

Go to Ovid TV

Price: $6.99/month

Free Trial: 14 days

Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, iOS, Roku

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Music Box Direct

Music Box Direct is the official streaming service of the iconic Chicago-based film theater and later distributor known as Music Box Theatre. As in their movie houses, Music Box's streaming service has some of the best indie movies from the country and around the world. There are two ways to watch on Direct: you can either rent new releases (many of which are simultaneously streaming in theaters) without having to make an account, or you can subscribe to the platform for $4.99/month, which gives you access to a plethora of on-demand films that Music Box has rights to. As of this writing, Music Box Direct is only available in the United States.

Go to Music Box Direct

Price: $4.99/month

Free Trial: 7 days

Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Website

Kweli TV

There are many streaming services out there dedicated to specific and underrepresented communities. Black-oriented streamers alone account for a significant portion. But Kweli TV stands out for its far-reaching and careful curation. It hosts films and series from all over the world, many of which are festival winners and official selections coming straight from Africa and the Caribbean. It also claims to dedicate 60% of its revenue to content creators, so you can be sure that your money goes to a good cause. On top of all this, Kweli TV also has a 24-hour live streaming service; a worthwhile package for just $5.99 a month.

Go to Kweli TV

Price: $5.99/month

Free Trial: 7 days

Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Apple TV, Chromecast, iOS, Roku, Xfinity Flex

Klassiki

Klassiki is a streaming service dedicated to classic and modern films from Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia. The platform's team carefully curate the titles that go into their library, and every week, they handpick a special film for you to enjoy. Since Klassiki is still new, their library is not too stacked (they have about 50 titles as of this writing), but the leanness is perfect for those who value quality over quantity. A monthly subscription costs $10.99 (£9.99 if you're in the UK), and along with on-demand content, you get exclusive program notes, reviews, and interviews from different critics and filmmakers via their journal section.

Go to Klassiki

Price: $10.99/month

Free Trial: 7 days

Device availability: Android, Apple TV, iOS, Roku

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Kino Now

Film lovers will be happy to know that they can rent (and in some instances, purchase) the latest indie and film fest darlings, as well as hard-to-find classics and international gems, with Kino Now. The platform is powered by the New York-based film company Kino Lorber, so it has more than a thousand titles to its name, all of which are carefully curated in playlists like "Cannes Winners," "New York Times Critcis’ Picks," "Visionary Black Directors," and "Women Filmmakers." They also have collections from visionaries like Jean-Luc Godard, Jafar Panahi, Jia Zhangke, Joanna Hogg, and Alfred Hitchcock. You don't need an account to start renting the titles, and you can pay using any credit card recognized in the US as it uses Stripe to process payments. Rented movies are available for seven days from the time of purchase.

Go to Kino Now

Price: free for channels available

Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Roku

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Mubi

Magnolia Selects

Topic

SUNDANCE NOW

Popcornflix

Ovid TV

Music Box Direct

Kweli TV

Klassiki

Kino Now

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