There’s no doubt that MUBI has carved out a niche spot for itself in the ever-competitive streaming marketplace.
There really are few better places online to hunt down exquisite arthouse and independent films – and its collection ranges from old favourites such as Argento’s 1977 horror Suspiria, to newer releases such as Alice Diop’s Saint Omer.
In June, another selection of exciting films will be released on the site. From classic romances to eye-opening documentaries, here’s our pick of the best films coming to MUBI this month – and, even better, Evening Standard readers can get 30 days of MUBI free.
Mädchen in Uniform (1931) – June 1
June is Pride month, and to celebrate MUBI is adding nine films that honour “the subversive, passionate, and often irreverent realm of queer cinema, its people and spaces”.
Expect classics such as Paris Is Burning (1990) and Blue Is the Warmest Colour (2013) and lesser-known gems such as Casa Roshell (2017) and Ungentle (2022). One of the standouts of the bunch is Mädchen in Uniform, a 1931 anti-authoritarian drama about a girl at a boarding school girl who develops intense feelings towards her teacher.
Today we may take issue with the power structure and age difference, but in its day it was a landmark release, reportedly making waves in some Berlin lesbian clubs, generating fan mail, and winning a prize at Venice in 1932.
Many saw it as a film about sexual repression, female bonding and freedom – including freedom from the male gaze; some even argued that the relationship worked as a metaphor for the rise of the Nazis.
Maurice’s Bar (2023) – June 1
This short from Tom Prezman and Tzor Ederyis set in 1942 “on a train to nowhere”. A former drag queen recalls one wild night in a Paris gay bar, sharing tales of its mysterious owner and illustrious clientele.
Monica (2022) – June 7
A moving, absorbing tale from Italian director Andrea Pallaoro (Medeas, Hannah), Monica (Trace Lysette) is a trans woman who returns to her hometown to care for her mother Eugenia (Patricia Clarkson) who has dementia.
She is met with a frosty reception; some of her estranged family members still struggle to come to terms with her transition. At its Venice premiere, the film received an 11-minute standing ovation.
The Dreamers (2003) – June 14
One of Bernardo Bertolucci’s most famous films, The Dreamers stars the glorious Eva Green and enigmatic Louis Garrel as Parisian brother and sister Théo and Isabelle. During one long summer in their apartment, while their parents are away, they befriend American Matthew (Michael Pitt) and the three become increasingly entangled.
Alice (1988) – June 21
This surrealist film from Czech film director and artist Jan Švankmajer is loosely based on Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. But it’s stranger – and objectively much darker – than the usual adaptations. Using live-action alongside stop-motion, Švankmajer’s aim was to make a kind of dreamscape, and he succeeded: one critic described it as “An 'Alice' for Adults”.
Io Capitano (2023) – June 26
The superb film from Italian director Matteo Garrone (Gomorrah) is distressing, thought-provoking and heart-breaking. It follows the journey two Senegalese cousins make from Dakar to Italy in an effort to escape the misery of poverty (more than half of the city’s 15.4 million inhabitants live below the poverty line). A bruising watch.
