Netflix has come a long way to find a place in cinema. From video rental chain to platform pioneer streaming, by changing the way we invest in the film industry. The truth is that the platform has achieved a significant evolution in consumer habits and especially in how the seventh art can be understood. This point has become more evident during the lockdown due to the COVID-19 health emergency.
Little by little, the likelihood that the distance between the traditional movie theater and subscription services would shrink made Netflix a viable option. And there are not enough reasons. The platform is capable of not only having a huge showcase Online, which turns its catalog into an ever-growing archive of the world’s best and most acclaimed feature films. At the same time, his passion for films that would otherwise never see the light of day changed the industry significantly. Netflix’s business model, based on subscriptions rather than box office receipts, allows it to take risks that other production companies cannot afford. Which allowed him to become a giant in the entertainment industry.
But among all the variety of collections, there are some publications that stand out for their quality and importance. We leave you with the important films to understand Netflix as a phenomenon. From the platform’s first big bet on traditional cinema to one of the most recognizable and beloved works in an unusual format. The selection covers several of the most significant periods of service and its forecast for the future.
Beasts without a nation
On September 3, 2015, Netflix released its first self-distributed film. Beast without a nationbased on Uzodinma Iweala’s book of the same name, was a war drama that made its way through various production companies without much success. The story of a child soldier in the midst of a civil war in West Africa seemed too complex for me to make a film.
But not too expansive in its premise—how its young protagonist finds himself hostage to political violence—for a series. Or at least as they were intended at the time. So the first hurdle to face was how to get a story like this out to the general public.
Directed and written by Cary Fukunaga (creator of the first season of the series). True Detective), accepted the challenge and showed the best results. He not only managed to film the book, but also create a sensual work in a cruel environment. Recorded at Koforidua and Ezile Bay in Aquidaa (Western Region). Beasts without a nation It’s carefully staged. But more than that, it is a brilliant study of the anonymous victims of political conflict. The film was a critical success and was Netflix’s first real foray into awards season.
Okja
Before the darkness Parasites, directed by Bong Joon-ho, set this environmental fable in the tone of social criticism. But also, Okja has the rare privilege of bringing about a revolution in Cannes Film Festival 2017. This is the first film that did not have a future screening date before arriving at the event. In a strategic move, Netflix took advantage of a goal in the rules of the traditional cinematic convention to play to its advantage. Nothing prohibited any cassette from the service streamingwithout a guaranteed traditional selection, will reach the jury.
The above allowed this sensitive, strange and undoubtedly provocative story to be brought to a stage that surprises with the company’s skill. This successful experiment by its director, booed, loved and hated by critics and ultimately disdained, went down in history. Its story is about a creature that escapes from the human world before being sacrificed in the company of a girl. It was more than a creepy fairy tale.
It was also a high-level social complaint: changing times and transformation of interests. First, it seemed to have a lot to do with what Netflix wanted to demonstrate with the mere fact of presenting its Cannes premiere. In other words, experience a new era of cinema. And although Cannes changed its rules to ensure something like this could happen again, one thing was clear. Netflix has come to the cinema to stay.
Rome
But dead end at Cannes, didn’t stop Netflix from continuing to push for a spot in awards season. And finally he achieved it two years later, with Rome Alfonso Cuaron. Shot in black and white, this intimate work is a high-quality production that showcases the platform’s ambitions.
Not only did he completely move away from superficial productions that were closer to pure entertainment. At the same time, this is a purely author’s feature film, which allowed the director to reveal several painful topics. From social inequality in Mexico to misogyny and classism. Rome became an exploration of complex ideas that He brought back to the story an example of the quality of experimentation that cinema can allow.
Much more, considering the benefits that the platform offers. Unrestricted by money and length, the film became an exception in Cuarón’s career and earned him an Oscar for Best Director. It showed that Netflix’s vision aligned with a new type of cinematic commitment.
Marriage story
Unstoppable Netflix continued its streak of triumphs with the release of a heart-wrenching story written and directed by Noah Baumbach. The story of a painful divorce turned into reflections on love and modern relationships. He immediately became an Oscar favorite.
At the same time, it showcased the talents of Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver, who helmed the project, as A middle-aged couple facing the failure of their life plan.
Honest, direct and stern, Marriage story It demonstrated Netflix’s commitment to a complex and sensitive type of cinema. Which earned him several Oscar nominations in 2020. Among them is Laura Dern for best supporting actress. A reward he would eventually receive.
Pinocchio
Director Guillermo del Toro has a number of unusual ideas that seem difficult to bring to the big screen. From the always deferred version Cthulhu Mythos to the already discarded third part hellboy. It seems that the Mexican’s dream projects are becoming increasingly difficult to realize. In particular, it is increasingly difficult to produce in a particularly difficult era of cinema.
But one of his greatest dreams came true when Netflix allowed him to realize his very personal version Pinocchio. This story is far from Disney sweet. stop traffic It is much more similar to the Carlo Collodi story on which it is based. It also reflects the obsessions of the director, who gave his story a delicate and sinister darkness.
The result is a piece of animated art that depicts good and evil from different perspectives. One of them, the most controversial, is associated with politics and the feeling of immortality. The film was an immediate success and earned Del Toro an Oscar for Best Animated Feature in 2023. And Netflix is confident that its ambitious project of unusual products is just beginning.
Source: Hiper Textual
