Netflix CEO Says Movie Theaters Are Dead | Hacker News Reader

Netflix CEO Says Movie Theaters Are Dead

semafor.com

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Netflix is what you put on while you are doing other things. That’s not a criticism, really, that’s their product focus

https://www.dexerto.com/tv-movies/netflix-backlash-casual-vi...

I had been a Netflix subscriber since the days of DVDs by mail and finally cancelled last month. It’s not worth +$20/mo for casual viewing. And they have a bad track record of cancelling shows I actually liked and promoting hallmark quality programs instead.

I don’t think much needs to be said about movie theaters. When most shows are remakes, sequels, superhero movies or other franchises, it’s all so tired.

So sure, movie theaters might be dead, but they share a grave with Netflix.

  So sure, movie theaters might be dead, but they share a grave with Netflix.

NFLX stock is close to an all time high. 5x since 2022.

The word for this is enshittification

The service has become increasingly poor and the prices climb. This is the phase of Netflix’s lifecycle where all the value is being extracted from the customers and given to the shareholders.

They hiked us up to $25/mo only to nag me every time I launched it that I can’t let my brother use one of the four device entitlements that I am paying for.

Top dollar hostility for second run movies, cancelled series, and AI driven true crime slop.

They're pretty far from being in a grave.

If your world view is one where the most important thing is the share price, agreed. In terms of providing value to their customers I'm less convinced day by day. In terms of consistently providing quality content, Netflix has absolutely fallen off a cliff in putting out well made, well written movies or series. They also seem to be amongst the worst in the industry in on cancelling series, to the point that often times they will announce the cancellation within weeks of a series release, which I guess is good if you want to know which shows not to bother with, though in general you probably shouldn't bother with any of them.

I thought sharing a grave with movie theaters meant that Netflix is getting less use. Seems to be getting more.

That's now how I use Netflix. I watch when I'm in the sauna and I've been on my phone long enough that I start to worry it will start overheating. Then I set up phone up outside the glass and Netflix gets my undivided attention. There are still so many great movies and tv shows on Netflix.

>Netflix is what you put on while you are doing other things.

Yeah, I watch all films I consider worth seeing in the theater frankly. I rarely have nightmarishly disruptive movie going experiences. Any disruptions are minuscule compared to the infinite attention distractions at home or on any viewing portal connected to the internet.

And sometimes I go specifically for the rowdy crowd experience. For example, watching Grand Theft Hamlet with a appreciative (and somewhat drunk) rowdy crowd in the theater was fucking fantastic. Ironically, someone in Riot Games, the company that decided to stream Arcane on Netflix, also knew this very well when they rented movie theaters across the world and had screening events ahead of official Netflix release dates for episodes from the the latest Arcane season -- for an audience mostly composed of ballistic League of Legend cosplaying gen Zs and alphas.

> infinite attention distractions

Watching with someone else, the distractions are ∞²

The plot lines are dead. Hollywood has zero originality in plots lately. They think consumers go to theaters to see special effects on a big screen, but the reality is the more special effects a movie has the more dull to non-existent the plot is.

I think research shows that this is the opposite. People reserve going to the movie theater for big expensive releases. They get "plot line" shows and movies for a low fee on Netflix or free on some streaming service.

Special effects when done right make the movie a lot more watchable. There is a decade-old movie (besides many others), Oblivion, which I can re-watch repeatedly. The effects there seem to have been done with the right purpose and meaning. Of course, there are a lot more but this is the one I remember from my recent re-watch.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oblivion_(2013_film)

Agree on Oblivion, also like it a lot and rewatch it from time to time.

Saw The Abyss[1] at the big screen recently, and that too held up very well in terms of special effects, despite being 35 years old and breaking CGI ground when it was released.

[1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Abyss

Matt Damon had the best explanation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gF6K2IxC9O8&pp=ygUibWF0dCBkY...

Oversaturation of unoriginal movies and sequels coupled with insanely overpriced tickets and concessions. A huge shock.

It costs us (family of 4) nearly $100 to go the movies. And that’s not even counting a meal (only snacks)

Or, we can spend $20 buying the movie (or $4 renting it), watch it on 4K OLED on our couches, pause whenever we want, etc, and have a nice dinner for less.

Or just wait until it comes out on a streamer, and you'll enjoy it just as much with delicious Costco popcorn that costs around 30 cents per microwave packet. You can see if the hubbub about the movie was really worth it.

Oh, and if you want more popcorn, that's another 30 cents.

And you can pause it if you want to use your own private restroom.

And if it's a terrible movie you don't feel guilty if you leave the theater.

Also you can drink beer while watching a movie, if you're into that kinda thing.

Also you don't have to deal with teens on phones texting each other about how good or bad the movie is, or trying to take calls in the middle of the theater.

Or parents with screaming children that didn't want to afford a babysitter.

Or ...

There was a time when movies were revered -- back when motion pictures came out, and it was a shared social experience, and people actually cared about it. People dressed up. There were ushers in uniforms.

~20 years ago when I saw one of the matrix sequels in a theater in Chicago, the popcorn was no longer freshly popped. It was stored in plastic trash bags, and then opened and poured out into the popcorn machines. It tasted like the bags it was stored in.

Why would I want to watch a film with strangers sitting near me when I can get a more comfortable and cheaper experience at home. I don't have to hear some cow mowing down their popcorn, or worry about the coughing sick person behind me, or any number of things that have ruined an movie experience.

Cow?

Seriously?

Do you know what a cow looks like and sounds like when it is eating?

I went to see Dune 2 in the theater. Something called Cinema X I think that projected on the walls of the theater. For a panoramic landscape like in Dune 2 it was a visual experience you can’t get at home. There’s still a place for theaters if Hollywood produces the content.

True or not, this is like the energy drink salesman saying coffee is dead.

Maybe it’s because the movies aren’t good and the plot lines are stale. Just a thought.

There've been some really good not-sequel-remake-franchise movies recently though, recently watching Companions and Mickey 17 in theatres myself.

Took my SO to see Companion. We had the whole room to ourselves. Both loved it sbd had a great time.

Also recently saw and really enjoyed Strange Darling and Flow on the big screen.

I think there are plenty of movies that aren't remake-of-a-copy-of-a-sequel out there. I recall I liked Didi.

I also think a lot of people have a better experience at the movies. The movie gets watched straight through. It isn't abandoned, stopped to get snacks, or text, or take a phone call. If someone keeps falling asleep, you don't rewind 10 times. If the movie starts out too slow or subtle, you keep going instead of scrolling to find another movie. etc.

Before recently movies were shared experiences. A good crowd made a great movie on a great screen even greater. Now movies are kind of singular experience. The only movies that still maybe fit this bill are the horror movies that draw in the teenager crowds -- but then it's more about how gory is it rather than plot, character, acting, direction, etc. Or maybe how cheap they can make the movie while still being able to market seats.

To be fair, Hollywood has always had this kind of problem -- just watch a few Mystery Science Theater 3000s to see how bad things can get -- or 1994's "Ed Wood" from Tim Burton. Both of which still romanticize the industry in their own way.

There will never, ever, be anything like seeing the original Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Back to the Future, or Ghostbusters (peak Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ivan Reitman) in the crowded theater filled with anticipating viewers ever again. Laughing as part of a crowd feels better than laughing alone.

Maybe we're too fragmented as society to enjoy all the same movie that we used to. I don't think this is true, because we all still like Ghostbusters, more or less. I think Hollywood has targeted markets, rather than trying to sell a movie to the masses.

And in 2024 they best thing Hollywood could do is reboot a 1980's TV Show "The Fall Guy". Geesh.

https://archive.is/0BnXk

This is the non-AI version of an AI CEO saying programmers will not exist in 5 years.

Movie theaters aren't dead - maybe multiplexes playing nothing than the same regurgitated soulless IPs are, but I love going to our local single-screen cinema, because they have a good programming: not only blockbusters; also old movies instead of just contemporary, new stuff. When I'm watching classics like Blade Runner for the first time on a big screen, it's much better experience (it helps they have beer on tap I can drink while watching, and the tickets cost half than in the nearby multiplex) than watching at home .

This is mainly to steal attention from Amazon in this news cycle.

"Amazon’s New Movie Strategy Starts With Theaters: The streaming giant is planning to release at least 14 movies a year in theaters around the country, rivaling other major studios."

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/01/business/media/amazon-mov...

I said this in the late 90's with divx rips and turning off cable tv then for a cable modem and usenet. It took a while for the world to catch up.

Shocking, almost as if he’s biased

I went to the theater recently to watch Interstellar rerun.

The movie was great. However, going to the movie theater reminded me why it's been years since I went.

People talking, turning on their phones that flashes your eyes, hearing people eat popcorn, people coming late, etc. Just a terrible experience.

We also recently went to the Interstellar at the local IMAX. Was dead silent in the audience, even through the credits.

Also watched Nosferatu at ghe IMAX during its opening weekend. Was concerned when I saw the many groups of teenagers clearly going out on a "fright night". But I had no reason to fear, could hear a pin drop during the silent scenes.

So while I highly appreciate that audiences here are well-behaved, I'm not sure that alone is the cause. Because I do feel like the rooms are less filled here too.

I can see that. Almost all of the cinemas in my region have closed or are closing. I haven't gone to the movies since 2012. I'd rather watch movies at home.

I shared the sentiment of this thread for a long time - have a nice setup at home and love to pause/rewind - but started to visit a small cinema as part of a club, to watch new and canvas-worthy flicks like Nosferatu and Brutalist. Regular hall with no fancy tech. It was a transformative experience, 20-30 fellow movie lovers, diverse of all ages. Smell of popcorn, you can turn and exchange a few commentary sentences (if you're the type), the grasps of people during a scene, the sense of leaving while credits roll and hasty deep discourses in the atrium.

I kinda got those remarks from Coppola and Tarantino that I found of "old man yelling at cloud" category before.

The big global business behind it surely is dead - for non-blockbuster genres - but I can't imagine the culture behind it going for a long time. It's the societal standard to enjoy this genre, and a tradition the streaming industry builds upon and uses, there is nothing else. The above flicks had minimal budget in terms of Hollywood. Cinema is here to stay.

I'd compare it like this:

Everyone can work out at home, you can fit a basic workout setup even in a New York apartment.

People still go to the gym, why?

It's about mindset. When you're working out at home, you're at home. There's laundry and the dishes and now you're doing pushups and see the dust bunnies under the sofa.

But when you're at the gym you literally can't do anything except work out.

The same goes for watching movies at home vs the cinema.

When I "Go to the movies", I go see those kind of movies that require me to focus. I'm mentally unable to start browsing HN on my phone while I'm at a location specifically for watching movies. Mickey 17 was the latest one I saw.

But when I watch at home, I can pause, browse on my phone. Go grab more snacks and let the movie run. It's for different kinds of movies - the kind Netflix uses. Their playbook literally says that people on screen have to say what they're doing so people on their phones or in the kitchen can keep up.

No they are not dead, but streaming has taken away some market share or stolen the movie theater growth.

I mean I still love going to the theatre for a nice big screen movie. I have a great IMAX theatre nearby, and a lot of local cinemas. There are showings of older films — Lord of the Rings last year, Interstellar in IMAX, etc. People show up for these. “Movie theaters are dead” is definitely a big exaggeration.

But yeah, I’m not gonna pay to watch the average mediocre new movie at the questionable regal/AMC and pay like $40 for refreshments. But I’ll totally go out to see any movie (new or old) which are great experiences and benefit from a huge screen and fantastic audio system.

Theaters have over-indexed on quantity over quality. There are loads of locations with poor projection quality and shitty sound, dozens of screens, and lots of crap movies coming out. Why would people show up for that when they can stream something better at home on a potentially nicer TV?

So yeah, the industry will change a lot, but it probably won’t die.

So true. Imagine trying to explain a movie theatre to somebody who didn’t grow up going to one. Compare it to podcasts and you’ll see what I mean - why would everyone pay $15 to sit in a room and listen to a new podcast episode at the same time? Same thing. That’s how we’ll all sound to gen alpha. No more movies and thank God I don’t have to spend $20 on a $0.50 bucket of popcorn and $0.25 cent drink. Imagine your parents tell you that radio shows used to do this..

I'm one of those weirdos that enjoys going to the theatre and paying that much. For me, going to a movie theatre is a way to be in a space that captures my full attention. It means going to watch a movie with intention, focus, and zero distraction. It feels like a ritual. The journey and build up to the experience is something I can't replicate at home. A change of environment away from my home lets experiences sink in deeper for me.

The people who tout "you can pause it" as an advantage of home theater are just not consuming movies the way I consume movies.

If you are in the theatre, no one is going to talk to you about the movie, or comment on it for no reason, etc.

I still regret pausing Lost Highway (like 25 years ago) so we could go out and smoke a cigarette. It completely broke the spell and the movie just wasn't the same from then on.

You sound like one of those weirdos who also thinks I should do my job from somebody else’s office

I'm curious how they will develop all these suburban former movie theater lots. They are typically very big. Surely, affordable housing. /s

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