This is a solution to a problem that is rapidly decreasing. With so many legal ways to stream movies and TV shows and even sign up for free trials to various services, plus use of one’s local library to watch for free through services like Kanopy, the problem that these websites were trying to solve is rapidly disappearing. The main ‘feature’ that these sites are offering now is the ability to access absolute latest releases to watch before they are added to various streaming services. Even this disadvantage is dwindling rapidly.
I've spent a fair amount of time crawling through sites like filmygod and here's the lowdown from what I've seen:
Filmygod sometimes supplies subtitles, but it's inconsistent. Some uploads come as a complete package with separate .srt files (English or Hindi), or embedded softsubs that you can toggle in your player. Other times the uploader only includes a bare video with no subtitles at all. When subtitles are present, the quality varies wildly — you can get clean, well-synced English subtitles, or very rough, machine-translated Hindi subs with timing issues.
If you want a better user experience, check the file list before downloading: look for .srt, .sub, or a zipped folder that explicitly mentions 'subtitles' or language tags like ENG/HIN. I usually keep a backup plan of grabbing a subtitle from 'OpenSubtitles' if the ones on the site are garbage. Personally I prefer using official streaming services because the subtitles are reliable, but when I do use filmygod it's a mixed bag that takes a little manual work to fix — still useful on occasion, though I wish the consistency was better.
Also, there’s the question of discovery. Although the algorithms of the streaming services are still somewhat flawed, at least they suggest new movies and TV shows based on what the user has already watched. At Filmygod, you have a search field and a list of currently trending movies. That’s it. No curation, no “because you watched X” recommendations. If you want to watch something, you have to know about it beforehand. Thus the comparison goes beyond mere watching of movies and TV shows. It also includes how one can find new things to watch. A platform is supposed to guide you, while the other is just a big warehouse with broken lights.
Quality and conscience are key for me. The mainstream platforms deliver good image quality, fully translated subtitles, carefully curated content, and even extras like interviews and fully restored cuts of films. Sites like filmygod.com are good for surprises like finding very rare films or local stuff that mainstream services haven’t yet put online for various reasons. Films by obscure directors for example that for whatever reason have not yet been digitized by mainstream services.
On the other hand, mainstream websites put a lot of work into preserving editions of movies and providing context to them, such as providing restored versions of a movie, complete cast and crew lists, and even curating lists of movies based on a theme or the films of a particular director. All of this adds a lot of value to the movies they provide and really helps to enhance one’s appreciation for them. This is why I prefer to use aggregator websites like filmygod.com as a last resort to find obscure movies and then try to seek out and purchase or rent those movies through legitimate channels. It’s just easier on my conscience that way.