10 Great Films I Discovered Thanks to FilmStruck

Yesterday, November 29, 2018, FilmStruck shut down after a brief two year run. While it may not seem impressive in an era where companies like Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime have inspired anyone with an internet connection to make their own streaming service, the ambitions of the TCM/Criterion Collection-hybrid were unmatched and a reflection of how much cinephiles desired to see good cinema. It wasn't just a chock-a-block website with no-name titles popping up every two weeks. It was catered in unprecedented ways, providing behind the scenes content for cinema that ranged from world cinema to Hollywood classics to modern indie greats. While they're shut down, the reports of a reemergence in 2019 with The Criterion Channel is a welcomed blessing. To pay tribute to their greatness, I thought that I would share 10 films I watched via FilmStruck that made an impression on me (for a full list of what I did watch, you can find it here). If anything, I hope this get you to hop on board with The Criterion Channel and make it last, because it's the only thing like it and easily the best variety of cinema for your streaming service money. 

Netflix, FilmStruck, and Streaming Services' Problems with Film History

Scene from The Other Side of the Wind

For a lot of cinephiles, today is a very special occasion. Today is the day in which the long awaited Orson Welles film The Other Side of the Wind finally meets the light of day. Thanks to a lot of meticulous effort and the powers at Netflix, the film is currently available to stream online, including an additional documentary on the assembling of this perceptively lost film. With all of this said, there's a certain irony in the film being released by Netflix of all streaming services within the same month of the demise of FilmStruck. The Other Side of the Wind, at least aesthetically, is more suited to the classic and foreign cinema service that will be going belly-up on November 29, which will see a lot of Welles' other titles disappear. While this isn't exactly Netflix's fault, it may as well be because for those looking for great cinema in the vein of Welles, there's a good chance that it won't be there for much longer. 

Check This Out: TCM and The Criterion Collection to Launch FilmStruck Streaming Service

There is one simple fact: It isn't easy to be a fan of quality and classic films. For starters, tracking down the limited releases that fuel the Oscar season can be problematic if your local theater doesn't offer the solution. Beyond that, there's not too many digital opportunities that are cheap. Even Netflix, Amazon Prime, and other online streaming resources aren't as reliable as they used to be (Netflix in particular has recently come under fire for decreasing movie content in the past few years). This is why, despite being another streaming service, you should be very excited about FilmStruck. Launching on October 19, the service will offer the largest source of classic, independent, and foreign cinema available anywhere. If that doesn't get you excited, please keep reading to understand why you should give it a chance.