The hardest movie to watch of the past decade is now streaming

This should not have happened! Memory would never appear on your television, let alone your smartphone. And yet, the Tilda Swinton drama that slices and arranges ghost stories, science fiction, slow cinema and travelogues into a strange, sinewy delicacy is now available without warning for streaming on Mubi — with the help of a legally questionable VPN.

Instead of trying to explain it Memory‘s inexplicable plot, I’ll instead give you two bits of knowledge that are crucial before you watch. First, Memory won the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival, making it one of the most anticipated films of 2021. Memory that year was a huge and conscious challenge.

In 2019, months before the pandemic (and years before the film was even scheduled to screen at Cannes), American film distributor Neon announced Memory would one day get a release that resembled a traveling art exhibit. The film would, in the words of the distributor, “travel from city to city, theater to theater, week after week, and at any given time be shown to only one audience.” After the pandemic and Cannes, Neon compromised a bit by releasing the film in a few theaters around the country simultaneously, though it would still travel across cities and into theaters.

“For Memory(the) cinema experience is crucial or perhaps the only way. Let us embrace the darkness and dream, one by one,” said the film’s director, Apichatpong Weerasethakul. Neon had no plans to release the film on home video or streaming platforms.

That’s still true — sort of. Although Neon is the distributor of Memoria in the US, the film has other distribution all over the world. So, Mubi has managed to stream the film in Brazil, Denmark, India, and through its Latin American service. You could fly into any of those countries. Or you could consider using a VPN, which, to be clear, I do not recommend. I’m just saying, Hey, it exists! And who knows how much effort people will go to to watch a rare art film from the comfort of their living room.

I had the chance to see Memory during its 2021 screenings. The film played for a week or two at my local arthouse before moving elsewhere. The film was mesmerizing, challenging, and, for some in the theater, more soporific than a bottle of NyQuil. But for those patient (and caffeinated) enough, it offered rich rewards, including an ending that… well, you’ll see.

The film’s obsession—both internal (the story) and external (the direction)—made great use of the theater sound systems. But I couldn’t shake the feeling that rarity came at the expense of availability. As a kid growing up in the Midwest with little access to arthouse releases, the distribution felt like an unintended step backward for cinephiles.

You weren’t allowed to look Memory on your TV, but I’m so glad you can now! This is the best of both worlds. We have the inventive, years-long theatrical run. And now everyone can enjoy the film. Please put on a good pair of headphones.

Update, 3:00 p.m. ET: This story has been updated with the specific countries Mubi is streaming in Memory.