Seven letters. Tons of movies and television shows. The red background calls your name, tempting you with new releases and old classics.
That indie film that you’ve always wanted to see? That reality show that you see multiple Tumblr GIFs based off of?
Yes, this is Netflix.
I really started to get into Netflix during the upperclassmen years of my high school years. The instant streaming service was my favorite aspect of the website. I loved having movies and television shows right at the tip of my fingertips. There are many lists out there that will tell you about the things to indulge your time with on the website, but Netflix showed me other things about my viewing time and relation to popular culture in general.
Documentaries are Amazing
I have always (and honestly) loved documentaries. Whether they be hard hitting political ones or ones based on rockstars, it’s always interesting to get some history and information via the beautiful media of film. Netflix confirmed the fact that there are wonderful subjects to be explored. I remember watching Inheritance, which was a documentary about a Nazi captain’s daughter and a Jewish woman who was a maid for the Nazi captain during WWII, and it was an informative documentary; one of my favorite films.
There are many documentaries on Netflix and I enjoy the range of documentaries ithas. There are happy ones and informative ones. There are ones that make you cry your eyes out and ones that make you think about the world around you. Netflix confirmed to me that documentaries are an often looked-over genre, and have much to offer.
Too many good television shows are gone too soon
Freaks and Geeks is a show that lasted one season. That season had more substance than many shows that have lasted five times as long on television.
Netflix brings back many cult favorites. The cycle is a sad one. You get involved with a television show and watch all of the first season episodes in a short period of time. In search for the tab that has the second season, you are in for a surprise. There is no second season. There is no third season.
Too many great shows are not renewed for more episodes, and while they live on in Netflix, it is frustrating to see these shows not make it past the beginning seasons.
Your favorites had beginnings in places you didn’t even know about
IMDB is rarely used to look up an actor’s film history. It is usually used to settle an argument or to remember the name of that film you saw back in 2003.
Sometimes, Netflix will bring up a movie with actors that are A-listers now in their beginning roles. This happens a lot. You’ll watch a random movie and see a celebrity that is now dominating the pages of magazines.
Nothing Lasts Forever
We have all had that moment where we go to our Netflix list to search for a movie to watch. To our shock, the movie cannot be found.
It’s hard when you plan to watch that classic fifties film and it has been taken out of the instant viewing. Netflix may encourage me to procrastinate my homework, but not my movie watching.
Listen to those older than you
Sometimes when looking for something to dedicate two hours to, you get a little overwhelmed. There are so many choices, and some are unfamiliar. This is when you should call in somebody older.
For example, I had my mom look at the selection of movies to watch. She picked out ones she remembered from when she was younger. I ended up loving the films, and trusted her opinion over any film critic. It’s the perfect mix of nostalgia and good movie watching!