The streaming platform Netflix has been allowing customers to watch a film or TV series of their choosing since 2007. As of October 2018 Netflix had 137 million subscribers worldwide.
In recent years with the introduction of Netflix Originals, more and more people are choosing to stay at home and watch Netflix’ own productions than pay more for the cinema experience. What started as small, slightly cheesy films has now expanded to huge action-packed experiences starring some of the biggest actors and actresses. For example, at the end of 2018 Birdbox was released on Netflix starring Sandra Bullock the actress worth more than $200 million.
This poses the question, will the cinema survive against the ever growing power of Netflix?
Customers pay a monthly fee for the streaming services of Netflix which in the UK is £9.99. This means they can watch as many TV series and Movies as many times as they like. Whereas in the cinema customers are paying an average of £10 plus any additional costs for food to watch one movie once, then wait a number of months to either buy the movie or for it to appear on Netflix. The streaming service is becoming far more appealing.
Netflix has also released a new viewing experience, Black Mirror: Bandersnatch. The interactive/choose your own adventure film by the Netflix Original series Black Mirror. The viewer is given a series of options about the characters actions meaning you choose the story and you choose the ending.
There is, however, something great about going to the cinema. Would “Luke, I am your Father,” have shocked audiences as much if it were seen in your living room or would you have cried as much if you could pause the TV any time Forrest Gump says “Jenny”. The truth is, we still have a long way to go until cinema is obsolete, magic on the big screen just can’t be beat.
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