In a world of ever-proliferating streaming services, it can be hard to know which ones are worth the monthly fee. The broad, general platforms like Netflix, Hulu and Max can often result in the dreaded nighttime scroll, which is why more niche streamers that offer curated experiences are the best bet for the discerning cinephile.

Enter Fandor, which is owned by the independent film distributor Cineverse. Though the brand has been around since 2010, it was relaunched as a streaming service in the past few years, and is getting a renewed push as the destination for unique and interesting films that run the gamut from high-end art cinema to cult thrills and everything in between (sometimes in the same film at once).

Fandor is the kind of service that could appeal to those who subscribe to Mubi or the Criterion Channel, but it also has a bit more of a playful edge to its content as well. It mixes a blend of older catalog titles (check out all the Russ Meyer films) with exciting new film festival acquisitions that can’t be seen anywhere else. Take, for example, Li Yang’s “Escape from the 21st Century,” which premiered on Fandor last month. This kinetic, fun and original martial arts time travel film, about three teenagers who can sneeze themselves 20 years into the future, is inspired by Stephen Chow and Tsui Hark, and while it synthesizes many influences into its maximalist style, is unlike anything you’ve ever seen before.

Other exclusive titles coming to Fandor this summer include the bonkers French body-horror film “Else” directed by Thibault Emin, the Filipino drama “Love and Videotapes,” directed by Ryan Machado, about a boy searching to connect with his father through VHS tapes, The time-traveling story “A Samurai in Time,” the highest-grossing independent film of all time in Japan, directed by Jun’ichi Yasuda, and another Japanese film, “The Box Man,” directed by Gakuryu Ishii.

Cineverse and Fandor are continuing to acquire bold, daring and award-winning movies from festivals, where they will find a streaming home after their theatrical releases, alongside bespoke curation of American and international independent films. Their focus is on unique material that’s also accessible, with good stories that are artfully told, making art house and international programming appealing — “edgy but inviting,” as Eric Rowe, executive director of programming, puts it.

Cineverse was also instrumental in the wild grassroots success of the action-comedy “Hundreds of Beavers” last year, which is of course, also available to stream on Fandor. In a film landscape where “independent” or “indie” has lost some of its descriptive power, Fandor is embracing the countercultural aspects of the word, situating exciting new voices alongside vanguards and rebels of the past like Meyer and Larry Cohen.

Among the curated verticals on Fandor are LGBTQ stories and queer subtext films, as well as “Bad Dads” and female prisoner sagas. Dive into “Black Gloves, Crimson Crimes: An Ode to Giallo Cinema” or “No Fixed Address: The Cinema of the Open Road.” Crucially, there’s a category with films under 90 minutes, and one with films over 130 minutes (sometimes the running time is all you need to know). There are also “festival focus” verticals, so you can check out the best from Sundance, Cannes, Toronto and more. Or keep it simple with “Curator’s Picks” and let the Fandor staff do the programming for you.

Among some of the standout titles are “River,” a charming time-loop dramedy set in Kyoto; “Atlantis,” a mesmerizing Ukrainian film about a dystopian future war, set in 2025; Lee Chang-dong’s “Burning,” a mysterious love triangle starring Steven Yeun; and “Tchoupitoulas,” a lyrical and boundary-breaking nonfiction film from the Ross brothers.

So if the mainstream streamers leave something to be desired, check out the curation and original choices on Fandor. At only $4.99 a month right now for a monthly membership, it’s worth the risk, and the cinematic rewards are legion.

———

©2025 Tribune Content Agency, LLC