We've all been there, sitting on the couch and spending far too long trying to find the right title among the ocean of choices on streaming services. It can be exhausting and often fruitless, with competing genres and unsolicited trailers kicking in just as you are trying to concentrate.
That helps explain the growing number of smaller platforms coming to the fore with clear genre offerings. The appeal is simple: you can dig deeper into something you already enjoy and make discoveries, from masterpieces to oddities.
For viewers in the UAE, many of these services are available and offer a more focused alternative to the major players, making reaching for the remote feel more exciting than an anxious ordeal.
Here are 10 worth trying, covering everything from art house cinema and documentaries to game shows and horror films.
1. Mubi: Best for art house and world cinema
Mubi is aimed at film buffs who want to dig into the work of auteur directors, lesser-known but acclaimed filmmakers and titles that made an impact on the festival circuit.
Its collections range from African films that have been screened at the Cannes Film Festival over the past five decades to retrospectives on late US filmmaker David Lynch, including his surreal horror series Twin Peaks, as well as the work of cinematographer Sean Price Williams.
There are also selections devoted to landmark films from the 1950s and 1990s, including Polish director Krzysztof Kieslowski’s Three Colours trilogy.
Subscriptions from Dh29.99 per month
2. Crunchyroll: Best for anime
If you are a fan of anime, Crunchyroll is probably your key platform. If you are interested in dipping into the thrilling and at times esoteric world of Japanese animation, the site serves as a useful entry point.
Available are classic and popular titles such as One Piece, Solo Levelling, Jujutsu Kaisen, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Attack on Titan and The Apothecary Diaries. Many are available with English subtitles and dubbing, although language options vary by title.
Subscriptions from Dh21.99 per month
3. Rakuten Viki: Best for Korean and Asian drama
K-drama is only the tip of the iceberg on this platform, which also shines a light on the equally thriving television industries of China, Japan, Taiwan and Thailand.
Korean dramas and films may be the main draw, with titles such as Lovely Runner, Dear X and Train to Busan, but dig deeper into the catalogue and you will find plenty from elsewhere in Asia, including Chinese drama Love Between Lines and Thai series such as My Tutor, My Love.
Subscriptions from Dh17.99 per month
4. Alchemiya: Best for stories from the Muslim world
When it was launched in 2015, the UK streaming site was dubbed the “Muslim Netflix”.
More than a decade on, it may not have achieved the global reach or recognition once envisioned, but it remains home to a solid catalogue of films and documentaries inspired by Islam and the wider Muslim world.
Its Global Muslim Cinema collection runs from Jordanian drama Captain Abu Raed and Moroccan coming-of-age film Majid to China’s A First Farewell and Argentina’s Road to La Paz. Elsewhere are the documentary Journey to Makkah: In the Footsteps of Ibn Battuta, programmes about Hajj, Cairo in One Breath and historical dramas about Ahmad ibn Hanbal and Harun Al Rashid.
Subscriptions from Dh22 per month when subscribing directly through Alchemiya
5. Curiosity Stream: Best for documentaries
A frustrating but worthwhile service, mainly because browsing can be a little clumsy. The documentaries are not divided neatly by subject. Instead, the homepage leans on sections such as Audience Favourites, Trending Now and You May Also Like, which can place programmes about Pompeii and the North Pole alongside documentaries on barbecuing and dinosaurs.
Still, as the streamer's name suggests, if you are curious about the world, there is plenty to dig into.
Subscriptions from Dh22 per month when subscribing directly through Curiosity Stream
6. History Hit: Best for history
Spawned from the success of the History Hit podcast, which was launched in 2015, the streaming site followed two years later and has stayed true to its brief of offering well-researched documentaries. Subjects range from The Odyssey and the Dead Sea Scrolls to the Roman Empire and the Second World War, with many programmes hosted on location by historians and archaeologists.
Selected podcast episodes and related articles are also available alongside certain titles, giving viewers a way to dig deeper into a subject after watching.
Subscriptions from Dh29.99 per month
7. Qello Concerts by Stingray: Best for concert films
Stingray Qello is dedicated to concert films spanning more than 50 years of popular music. It is where you will find major performances and less obvious gems by artists ranging from Taylor Swift and Beyonce to The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix and Ella Fitzgerald.
The documentary catalogue is also substantial, with more than 200 titles covering genres from pop to mambo. There is a sizeable selection from the acclaimed Classic Albums series, which looks at the making of landmark records.
Subscriptions from Dh44 per month when subscribing directly through Qello
8. National Theatre at Home: Best for theatre
The British cultural institution has staged and produced hundreds of productions since opening in 1963. National Theatre at Home launched in 2020, when the Covid pandemic closed theatres and left the future of live performance deeply uncertain.
The catalogue has since grown to more than 100 filmed productions, including A Streetcar Named Desire with Gillian Anderson, Vanessa Kirby and Ben Foster, Rosamund Pike in Inter Alia, Michael Sheen in Nye and David Tennant in Good. Amadeus, Angels in America, Antony and Cleopatra and Much Ado About Nothing are also available.
Subscriptions from Dh49.99 per month
9. Dropout: Best for improv and comedy
A streaming site dedicated to improvisational comedy and game shows? Why not?
Founded in 2018, Dropout has developed a cult following through programmes that often feature the same troupe of performers across different formats. These include Make Some Noise, where comedians are asked to improvise increasingly ridiculous prompts, and Very Important People, in which performers are transformed into bizarre characters before being interviewed in that character.
The humour can be niche, but the familiarity of the comedians is part of the charm. After a while, it can feel like hanging out with funny, slightly annoying friends.
Subscriptions from $6.99 per month when subscribing directly through Dropout
10. Full Moon Features: Best for cult horror and sci-fi
Horror and sci-fi have never been too concerned with prestige, and Full Moon Features celebrates both genres in all their B-grade, gory glory. The catalogue is packed with low-budget cult oddities, including Puppet Master and Head of the Family, alongside sci-fi curiosities such as Bio Slime.
If a relaxing weekend means watching films about killer puppets, strange creatures and bargain-basement monsters, this is the place to go.
Subscriptions from Dh27.99 per month
