Actors and producers Matt Damon and Ben Affleck have revealed Netflix's strict internal requirements for film scripts, which they believe simplify and standardize the filmmaking process. Damon said that when working with the giant, screenwriters are forced to “repeat the plot three or four times in the streaming dialogue because people are sitting on their phones and getting distracted.” According to him, this is a direct instruction from Netflix management, which seeks to retain the viewer's scattered attention. Several screenwriters who have collaborated with the platform confirmed to the publication that a typical edit from management is the requirement to deliberately and explicitly spell out plot twists for those who may be watching the film “in the background.”
The second strict rule, according to Damon, is the requirement to start every film with an action scene. “The standard for an action movie used to be three key action scenes that built up tension to the final climax with all the explosions,” the actor explained. “Now they ask, ‘Can we cram a big action scene into the first five minutes? We want people to stay with us.’”
Affleck and Damon’s criticism points to a growing gap between traditional film production, which is geared toward immersive viewing in theaters, and the logic of streaming algorithms, which are designed to hold the attention of viewers who may be scrolling through their smartphones at the same time.