THE PATHWAYS GAZETTE

In present times, the rise in popularity of on-demand video streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime is increasingly seen as a threat to the 113-year-old ritual of going to a cinema to see a movie. Netflix has over 135 million subscribers worldwide and Amazon Prime has more than 100 million. When we compare this with the 7-billion humans that we share this planet with, the numbers seem inconsequential. So why are they creating such a stir? 

Rewind 20 years back, Netflix was a postal DVD rental company where when you added a movie to your wishlist, you found a DVD waiting instead of an eager play button. Since 2012, the company started making original TV programs and now, instead of posting Sandra Bullock movies, Netflix is making them. Although Amazon Prime joined the race less than 10 years ago, it has created its own share of a splash with shows like ‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’ and ‘The Man in the High Castle’ garnering 6 Emmy wins in total. 

On the other hand, cinema has been around since cameras didn’t record sound or color. For centuries, people have been going to huge movie theatres and cinema houses to catch a movie, which was their only source of entertainment for the longest time. 

When we compare convenience, i’ll admit, I’d rather sit at home and watch a movie from the comfort of my bed than buy overpriced tickets, struggle through traffic and watch a movie eating overpriced popcorn. Online streaming platforms are affordable, extremely (almost too) comfortable and easily accessible. Cinema halls are expensive and don’t have the luxury of pausing the show when we fancy. 

However, the feel -- nay, the vibe, is unparalleled. The stroll into the theatre, the ripping of the tickets, the smell of butter melting on hot popcorn, the excited yet nervous minds thoughtlessly talking, the recline of the red seats and the enormity of the screen. The divine experience of sharing a movie with a room full of strangers cannot be surpassed. 

Let’s turn our heads to a larger picture. The movie industry does feel threatened by the rise in popularity of Netflix movies after it won various Golden Globes’ laurels and amassed numerous Oscar nominations. In fact, earlier this year, the organisers of the prestigious Cannes Film Festival drew a line in the dirt: only movies released into French cinemas could be considered in competition. Any film released solely on Netflix or other streaming services were barred from competing for the coveted Palm D’Or prize. In response, Netflix did not stream any of the movies nominated for the prize. Evidently, there is a some rivalry brewing amongst the two. In one world, it makes sense. Some believe that the prestige of movie-making will be lost, as now anyone can make one. Others who rely on their box-office collections to measure their success are boggled by the ease of online streaming. Some are motivated, others feel discouraged. Most importantly, some believe that some movies are simply meant for the big screen, like ‘Titanic’ or ‘Padmavat’. 

Yet, to get an entry ticket into the movie business is almost impossible unless you’re a star kid or privileged enough to be related to a star. It requires a standard of minimum 5 years of intense struggle on the streets of Mumbai and Los Angeles. But, with the heightened popularity of Netflix originals, one can score a role in less than 5 years. And once they’ve got it, more than 135 million pairs of eyes will watch that face. Once they’ve got it, the only way is up. Same applies to aspiring directors. Netflix provides a once-in-a-lifetime chance to create something millions of people will see in their homes. 

To summarise, maybe this is another trend started by millennials, popularised because of its convenience like everything else in their lives. Maybe the industry feels insecure over nothing and has to learn to embrace this new advancement of technology. Whatsoever may be the case, as long as their good cinema, we won’t complain.