The End of Cinema

This is very, VERY sad news.

I don’t want to exaggerate or draw premature conclusions, but this turn of events in the film industry is, to put it mildly, frightening and shocking.

I dare to suspect that everyone has noticed how the quality of global cinema has plummeted recently.

Many complain about stupid plots, incompetent and primitive scripts, and the terrible acting of most actors.

It seems that filmmakers have started to shoot “just to get it done”, without putting much effort into it.

It seems that cinema is undergoing a transformation, where the classic principle of “show, don’t tell” is giving way to direct explanations of the plot and characters’ emotions. This is particularly noticeable on major streaming platforms like Netflix, which, according to some filmmakers, are changing the approach to creating blockbusters. Naturally, our platforms operate on the same principle.

Why is this happening? The main reason lies in the changing viewing habits and environment of audiences. Films are increasingly being watched at home, where numerous distractions — notifications on phones, household chores, conversations — hinder full immersion.

Content producers believe that streaming service viewers have the memory of a “goldfish” — a very short attention span and low concentration. To keep such viewers, who might “watch with their backs turned”, the film must constantly remind itself, literally narrating what’s happening.

This trend leads to the fact that instead of showing the characters’ feelings and motivations through their actions, facial expressions, or visual metaphors, screenwriters include direct explanations in the dialogues. The characters themselves narrate their experiences, plans, and what’s happening on the screen. This seems to be a lazier approach to storytelling than the one taught by generations of critics, but it’s dictated by the pragmatism of the streaming business.

The consequences of this trend are already visible:
Expensive and spectacular action scenes are often moved to the beginning of the film to capture the viewer’s attention before they get distracted, while the endings of films can feel less developed, as not everyone watches them to the end.

Yes, yes! Remember all the “leaked” endings of your favorite series recently, and understand a simple truth — they don’t care if you finish it or get disappointed.

The most important thing is that your subscription to the platform remains as long as possible.

Streaming giants like Netflix are willing to invest in such projects without worrying about traditional box office success metrics, because their business model is based on subscriptions. This creates an incentive to produce content aimed at retaining the widest possible, but perhaps less engaged, audience. Thus, cinema is adapting to the new reality of home viewing, where direct explanation becomes a tool for fighting for the viewer’s attention.

So, the next time you watch another “masterpiece” from streaming, remember: this is not a degradation, it’s the cinema of the future. Cinema created for us, such special, distracted, and eternally busy people. After all, who are we to argue with the pragmatism of business?