You can watch Close Encounters of the Third Kind today mainly via digital rental or purchase , and in some regions via subscription streaming.

Where to watch right now

In most English-speaking regions, the film is not usually included in a major flat‑rate subscription (like Netflix) at the moment, but it is widely available to rent or buy digitally.

Typical options include:

  • Prime Video – available to rent or buy in HD/4K.
  • Apple TV / Apple TV Store – rental and purchase versions listed.
  • Fandango at Home (formerly Vudu) – rental and purchase in HD/4K in supported regions.
  • Microsoft Store – digital buy or rent in some regions.

On Roku devices, the movie is surfaced as available via Prime Video , and in some cases also Fandango at Home and Apple TV , so you can launch it directly from there.

Most current guides also note that there are no free (legal, ad‑supported) streaming options for the film at this time; you’ll need a rental, purchase, or a region‑specific subscription.

Region notes

Availability changes by country, but recent listings show:

  • United States
    • Commonly: digital rent/buy on Prime Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango at Home; not typically included in a major subscription catalog right now.
  • Canada
    • Streaming via Crave and Starz Amazon Channel in at least some recent listings, plus digital rental/purchase on Apple TV, Amazon Video, and Cineplex.
* No current free‑with‑ads option reported.
  • United Kingdom / Australia
    • Appears in certain regional services (for example, TalkTalkTV in the UK or Foxtel/Binge in Australia), plus the same kind of Prime Video / Apple TV / VUDU‑style rental and purchase.

Because catalogs change frequently, it’s a good idea to:

  1. Open your favorite streaming‑availability app or site.
  2. Search “Close Encounters of the Third Kind”.
  3. Filter for your specific country to see if a subscription option has appeared since the last update.

Quick tip: If you don’t see it bundled with a subscription, check Prime Video or Apple TV for a one‑time HD/4K rental; those are the most consistently updated sources.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.