Netflix "Watch Instantly"

Because this argument centers on the false premise that they're objectively "6.5 - 7.5 movies". The only objective measure is the amount of time you spend sitting in front of the exact same screen.

If you want to spend your time watching films like Hamnet, The Brutilist, and Tar that critics fawn over - I support you. Personally, I'd rather watch things that are more enjoyable and entertaining like Glass Onion and Rebel Ridge (which coincidentally score about the same across ratings).

Well the most important thing is to know oneself as a viewer : if you are the type of person that is more of a cinephile, chances are the opinion of critics - disclaimer : not what others think as per say - will indeed matter to you. On the other hand, if entertainment and action matters more than substance/what experts think, then (ironically) the general audience's opinion will most likely outweigh the perspective of the critics.

i’ve noticed a trend over the last few years where many of the highest rated films are not especially entertaining to broad audiences

in fact, this has caused me to watch dramatically less films last few years because i don't know how to reliably discover the good ones because it seems my only exposure are the popular ones with the latest offerings from the roc which are total trash and i have no interest in or the "top films of the year" type lists which is a list of objectively dull and boring films despite how well they are made

part of this lines up with how dramatically the market has changed. the number of films released each year has exploded, as shown above, which fundamentally alters incentives. when supply increases that much, competing for “everyone” becomes harder and more expensive

as a result, the industry has polarized. on one end you have massive budget franchise films built around familiarity and spectacle. on the other end you have lower budget films made for very specific audiences. what’s largely disappeared is the mid budget, broadly accessible tentpole film that isn’t a sequel, reboot, or niche exercise

horror is a clear example of this shift. historically it was a relatively ignored genre, but in an oversaturated market it makes economic sense. smaller budgets, clearly defined audiences, and easier marketing reduce risk, even if the film never reaches mass appeal

for large studio releases, critics are also dealing with franchise fatigue. when another formulaic blockbuster comes along, it’s evaluated within that context. meanwhile, films that feel restrained, earnest, or meaningfully different from the dominant studio model stand out more, and are often reviewed more favorably, even if they are not especially entertaining in a conventional sense

the outcome is that high ratings increasingly reflect approval of craft, intent, or deviation from the norm rather than how enjoyable the film is for most people

I watched the show Evil, because I saw it had a 96% on RT and ended up not enjoying it as much because my expectations were so high.

Maybe I would've enjoyed it more if I didn't see the rating beforehand, or if it was rated in the 80's

If you don't believe that the truest measure of a film's value is how much money it makes your confidence bias outweighs your belief in democracy.

In truth, I haven't seen a movie I loved for quite some time.
I enjoyed F1
Was disappointed in The Phoenician Scheme
Bone Lake and The Woman in Cabin 10 were awful
The most recent Glass Onion was pretty good
Started rewatching Enemy - still don't entirely get what they wanted to say
Ballad of a Small Time Player was so close to being decent - but fell flat due to clumsy writing imo
Was impressed with One Battle After Another - but didn't really love it
28 Years later was entertaining enough

I did really enjoy Pantheon - the animated Netflix / AMC show.

I have quite a bit of time on my hands at the moment - however my partner doesn't - so I kinda have to watch middling movies and save the good stuff for when she has time to watch together.

If you like Mark Ruffalo, you definitely should watch You Can Count on Me. It's probably the best thing he has ever done.

I am quite the opposite : I believe 2025 was pretty amazing for movies in general and a strong come back to middling budget movies and quality movies in general a la Anora, Sinners, both 28 Years Later, The Brutalist, Weapons, Thunderbolts, Frankenstein and a myriad of others that I also liked!!!

i haven't seen anything that i loved in recent years with the lone exception of the origin of evil

Not sure what the top paragraph even means - are you saying the highest grossing movies are by definition the best?

Also definition of a film’s value doesn’t need to correlate with an individual’s enjoyment? Or are you saying someone is wrong for enjoying/liking/valuing a niche movie in their wheelhouse over a big budget blockbuster?

(Genuinely interested not being confrontational)

Good call on Anora and Sinners - both of which I liked as well (but it's been a while since I watched them). Weapons was a bit of a let down for me. Maybe I had too high expectations as I was really excited to see it given cast and some of the Podcast hype. Frankenstein is on my list - but Thunderbolts wasn't even on my radar. Excited to check it out as I've used my Disney sub for nothing other than Andor (which I very much enjoyed).

I was mostly just kinda making a semi-tongue in cheek statement that value, in the most literal sense, equates to dollars. The movies that make the most money are the ones the world has voted on with their wallets, and are the most valuable. To believe otherwise means you believe your taste to be objectively correct - despite the majority believing otherwise. The belief that the minority knows more than the majority leans away from democracy, and towards dictator mentality.

Is it a bit of a stretch? Forced? Maybe. But there's more than a modicum of truth there as well.

i agree with marknfw, peacemaker was ****ing amazing TV

john cena absolutely kills it and the cast is pretty strong with their performances as well

both came up woefully short for me. although i do agree that Task was better

Beast: 5/10

Task: 7/10

+1

Watched the Luckiest Man in America last night about the dude who went on Press Your Luck, having broken the algorithm. Not good, and I think they took some serious artistic license with the true story to the point where it was weird.

Taipei Tower live climb about to start

It’s wild to watch. Dude is just handling it methodically.

Guessing it’s actually a very simple climb for him?

Yeah, I’m sure he’s confident in what he’s doing. But the strength, endurance and ability is absurd to watch.

That view of him standing on top is vomit inducing lol.

Seriously.

I really hope he retires from the free solo stuff though.

shane gillis comedy special is fantastic

Which one, Beautiful Dogs from a couple years ago?

Watched Frankenstein and Black Bag last night.

Black Bag was ok. Certainly not 93% on Rotten Tomatoes imo.

Not really a spoiler but

Frankenstein was very nice looking and an interesting take on the story. Enjoyable. I didn't love it love it - but pretty well done imo.

Also watched Thunderbolts. Entertaining enough, but went off the rails a bit after a solid start. I enjoy Florence Pugh more than I realized.

yes

This ****ing guy. lol

https://x.com/noahkaufmanmd/status/20154...