Where Can I Legally Stream Salo Or The 120 Days Today?

I check a couple of aggregators first: JustWatch and Reelgood help me search across a whole bunch of services and identify which are currently streaming Salò and also where it can be rented or even bought to download to watch later. To locate a relatively unusual art house film such as this, the work of the aggregators saves a heap of time, since Salò appears on relatively few services.

I then look for specialty streaming services like MUBI and the Criterion Channel, often offering the art films with newly restored prints and or other related films in a smartly curated program. Occasionally the BFI Player will also screen the film as part of a particular UK-focused program of films. After that, I’d normally check Apple TV, Google Play, Amazon and YouTube for “rent/buy” versions of the film by individual sellers, which occasionally appear even when it’s not on regular subscription services. In addition to streaming services, I also check to see if Pasolini is available on free services such as Kanopy or Hoopla for loan through libraries. (You might be surprised by what is available on these platforms, although it is by definition somewhat limited and often very “Controversial”.)

Again, if it isn’t on streaming then I tend to look to purchase a physical copy, Criterion or BFI, and these include the DVD, Blu-ray and excellent essays on the restoration as well as the film. It’s a very heavy watch but really wonderful in an ‘authorized’ copy sort of way and I then read up on it afterwards with some of the accompanying essays and even more commentaries.

When looking to stream the very difficult to find 'Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom' I start by looking for quality curated services that specialize in the older more obtuse orarty films of the world. MUBI and The Criterion Channel are 2 examples that have showcased the work of Pasolini in the past and often present a particular filmmakers restoration of past works as their sole title of the week for example. BFI Player in various countries and for a limited time also offer ‘Salò’ when the BFI have acquired rights to show the film as part of a retrospective for example.

As an alternative to streaming, digital rental and purchase stores such as Apple TV (iTunes), Google Play, Amazon Prime Video (for purchase or rent) and YouTube Movies may have the film for rent or purchase. Some university and public library streaming services such as Kanopy (for public libraries) and Hoopla (for public and university libraries) also carry hard-to-find films like Salò. Often these are part of the library’s collection and will be the restored version of a film. Finally, the film is often released on physical media (Blu-ray and/or DVD) by reputable labels such as the Criterion Collection and BFI, allowing for the full restoration to be experienced on the best formats available.

Because Salò is extremely heavily censored, banned, and is age-restricted in a lot of countries, you won’t find it on most mainstream streaming platforms. Make sure you check if the title is available on a streaming service in your region, and always select the most recent restoration possible. Personally, I find it far better to go for the official Blu-ray release of Salò and pair it with some background reading of the film (which is extremely, extremely brutal). It makes a huge difference.

To summarize, the ‘Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom’ film is often not available on streaming services as it is subject to local censorship and licensing restrictions. Therefore, none of the global streaming services guarantee the film’s daily availability. The best way to find out about current availability and to watch the film is to check out availability on aggregator services like JustWatch and then check out MUBI, the Criterion Channel and BFI Player for licensed versions. Rent/ buy versions of the film are available on Apple TV, Google Play, Amazon and YouTube.

If the film is not available with streaming services, I would search for a legal physical copy of the film and there are many great versions of Salo available on Blu-ray such as the Criterion Collection version and the BFI version. These versions contain a lot of great bonus material and are generally very well restored. Library streaming of films such as Kanopy and Hoopla as well as festivals and university screenings of films are also great ways to legally watch a version of Salo. While it is a difficult film to find for free due to many territories restricting it, searching out an officially authorized version of the film is well worth it. Watching an officially authorized version of the film with all the proper restorations and context is so much better than watching some bootleg sketchy upload of the film and I really feel that all the extra context of the film really helps to enhance my viewing of the film.