Netflix rejects Matt Damon’s criticism of his films

Is the platform asking filmmakers to adapt their films to an audience that is supposed to be watching while doing something else? Absolutely not, retort the leaders of the Red N.

Does Netflix make movies for people who only watch movies out of the corner of their eyes?

This is essentially what Matt Damon said with his sidekick Ben Affleck, at the time of the release of The Riptheir excellent thriller directed by Joe Carnahan. Guests in the podcast The Joe Rogan Experiencethey had suggested that Netflix would have given them creative notes that were surprising to say the least, revealing that the platform would have suggested that they repeat key elements of the plot several times. The objective? Adapting to an audience that is supposed to watch films while doing something else, particularly on the phone…

Netflix executives eventually reacted and this week, during a press event, Dan Lin, head of the group’s cinema branch, was categorical:

“There is no such principle.” He assures that this vision in no way corresponds to the reality of the platform’s practices:

“If you watch our films or our series, we don’t repeat our plots. I don’t know where this comment comes from…”

In the process, Bela Bajaria, content manager, considers this idea downright insulting:

“It’s offensive to creators to think that they would be given such a low rating…and accept it.”

Before adding, more dryly: “Haters will hate, and some will make things up.”

In the process, Jinny Howe, in charge of drama series, shed some interesting light on Netflix’s internal philosophy. She reveals that Bela Bajaria acts sort of like a “exhibition font”on the contrary pushing creators to avoid any over-explanation.

In other words, exactly the opposite of what was put forward by Damon and Affleck.