Kanopy Is the Streaming Service With Classic Cinema, Indie Films, Docs, More via Your Library Card
This free service connects to your library card or university ID and offers you “tickets” every month to spend on movies.
If you’re looking to cut your streaming costs and wondering what your options are, the free streaming service Kanopy is worth a look. Kanopy works by connecting to your library card or university ID, giving you “tickets” that you can spend to stream content on their site. Their library focuses on thought-provoking documentaries, classic cinema, and independent films, all entirely ad-free. So whether you’re in the mood to learn something, or just want to watch a classic movie, Kanopy provides a decent platform at zero cost. Here’s everything you need to know about the free streamer, Kanopy.
Everything You Need to Know About Kanopy
What Is Kanopy?
Kanopy is a free streaming service that offers more than 30,000 films, including dramas, comedies, biopics, and television series. The library also includes award-winning films and shows from major television networks like History, A&E, and PBS. You can access Kanopy through your participating public library or university and enjoy a completely ad-free experience on the platform.
Now, there are a few things that make Kanopy unique. First, once you sign up, you get access to the library for free while also getting an ad-free experience. This doesn’t happen with other platforms because usually when the platform is free to stream, they support the service with advertising during playback. That’s not the case with Kanopy – it’s free AND ad-free. Not bad!
Second, Kanopy uses a credit system where you spend “tickets” against content on the platform. For example, when I signed up for the service using my local library, I was given 27 tickets to spend for the month. How much does content cost to stream? Well, if I wanted to stream the indie-hit “Memento,” it would cost me two tickets, and I’d have access for 72 hours. The same goes for a new release like “Anatomy of a Fall” – two tickets and 72-hour access. For a TV series like “Coupling,” access to all the episodes in Season 1 would cost me three tickets for 72-hour access. That gives you an idea of the amount of content you can stream with 27 tickets – a pretty reasonable amount.
One other thing to note is that the kid’s content on Kanopy does NOT use up credits. So you get unlimited plays of kid’s content, which is a nice perk. I also found that some of the TV shows in the Classic Television section didn’t use any credits either, including titles like BBC’s “The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy” and “The Prisoner.”
Kanopy
Kanopy is a streaming platform for independent films and documentaries. It has a collection of more than 30,000 films such as a wide array of dramas, comedies, biopics, and television series. The library includes award-winning films and shows from major television networks like HISTORY, A&E, and PBS.
How Much Does Kanopy Cost?
Kanopy doesn’t cost anything – it’s a free streaming platform that you gain access to through your public library card or university. And, the best part is, it doesn’t have any ads either. Instead, it uses a credit system where you receive a set number of “tickets” per month that you spend against content.
What Popular Movies and TV Shows Can You Watch on Kanopy?
From indie hits to classic cinema, there are plenty of popular movies and TV shows on Kanopy. One of them is the 2023 Palme d’Or winner, “Anatomy of a Fall.” This French legal drama directed by Justine Triet centers on Sandra Voyter, a German writer living in the French Alps with her husband, Samuel, and their visually impaired son, Daniel. When Samuel is found dead under suspicious circumstances, Sandra becomes the prime suspect. The ensuing trial delves into the complexities of their marriage and the moral dilemma faced by their son, Daniel, who serves as a key witness.
For film noir fans, there’s the Christopher Nolan classic, “Memento,” which follows an unreliable narrator, Leonard Shelby who suffers from short-term memory loss, as he attempts to piece together the events leading up to his wife’s murder. To overcome his memory challenges, Leonard relies on an intricate system of notes, Polaroid photos, and tattoos to remember clues and people he encounters.
Horror fans can watch the 2024 film “Immaculate” starring Sydney Sweeney. She plays an American nun who joins a remote convent in the Italian countryside. But her warm welcome quickly turns into a living nightmare when she uncovers unsettling secrets within the convent’s walls.
If you’re a documentary fan, you can check out a bunch of award-winning docs like “I Am Not Your Negro,” a powerful documentary directed by Raoul Peck that brings to life an unfinished manuscript by author and social critic James Baldwin. Using Baldwin’s words, the film examines the lives and assassinations of three of his close friends - Medgar Evers, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King Jr. - to explore the history and ongoing impact of racial injustice in America.
Here are some of the other popular movies and TV shows you’ll find on Kanopy:
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Memento
October 11, 2000Leonard Shelby is tracking down the man who raped and murdered his wife. The difficulty of locating his wife’s killer, however, is compounded by the fact that he suffers from a rare, untreatable form of short-term memory loss. Although he can recall details of life before his accident, Leonard cannot remember what happened fifteen minutes ago, where he’s going, or why.
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Anatomy of a Fall
August 23, 2023A woman is suspected of her husband’s murder, and their blind son faces a moral dilemma as the sole witness.
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Immaculate
March 20, 2024An American nun embarks on a new journey when she joins a remote convent in the Italian countryside. However, her warm welcome quickly turns into a living nightmare when she discovers her new home harbours a sinister secret and unspeakable horrors.
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I Am Not Your Negro
February 3, 2017Working from the text of James Baldwin’s unfinished final novel, director Raoul Peck creates a meditation on what it means to be Black in the United States.
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Super Size Me
January 17, 2004Morgan Spurlock subjects himself to a diet based only on McDonald’s fast food three times a day for thirty days without exercising to try to prove why so many Americans are fat or obese. He submits himself to a complete check-up by three doctors, comparing his weight along the way, resulting in a scary conclusion.
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Waste Land
January 24, 2010An uplifting feature documentary highlighting the transformative power of art and the beauty of the human spirit. Top-selling contemporary artist Vik Muniz takes us on an emotional journey from Jardim Gramacho, the world’s largest landfill on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro, to the heights of international art stardom. Vik collaborates with the brilliant catadores, pickers of recyclable materials, true Shakespearean characters who live and work in the garbage quoting Machiavelli and showing us how to recycle ourselves.
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Beau Is Afraid
April 14, 2023Following the sudden death of his mother, a mild-mannered but anxiety-ridden man confronts his darkest fears as he embarks on an epic, Kafkaesque odyssey back home.
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The Graduate
December 21, 1967Benjamin, a recent college graduate very worried about his future, finds himself in a love triangle with an older woman and her daughter.
What Platforms Can You Watch Kanopy With?
Kanopy is compatible with Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Google Chromecast, Roku, Android TV, iPhone/iPad, Android Phone/Tablet, Mac, Windows, LG Smart TV (AirPlay), Samsung Smart TV, Sony Smart TV, and VIZIO Smart TV.