Streaming overlords Netflix invest a *lot* of time and mula into understanding binge watching: it’s no coincidence that top-secret algorithm knows what you feel like watching, and when, before you do.
For example, it’s already pinpointed the exact episode at which you get hooked on any given series (Stranger Things, ep 3; Gilmore Girls, ep 8). Now it’s learnt that more than 30 mill Netflix users around the world incorporate movies into their binge routines.
After finishing a series like, say, Orange Is The New Black, 59% of us need at least a three day break before our hearts and minds are ready to enter into another weeks-long commitment.
During that time, 61% watch a movie that relates super closely to the series they just binged on. Stranger Things leads to nostalgia like Back to the Future; The Crown gets you hot under the collar for another royal fix, like The Queen; Narcos is the natural precursor to more coke-related content i.e. Cartel Land; true crime like Making A Murderer paves the way for a similarly grim doco, like Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer; House of Cards leads ya’ll to Beasts of No Nation, which is swapping politics for war but sticks to that narrative of ruthless leaders like glue.
“What this research tells us is that movies are really complementary to the way people watch television, not a substitute,” Ted Sarandos, Netflix’s chief content officer, told PEDESTRIAN.TV. “It’s about cleansing the palette and resetting a little bit before you jump back into what can be a months-long commitment to a series, but with something that’s thematically similar.”
Just like vodka cruisers and handjobs in the park, the above pairings make total sense. But here’s one that doesn’t: the research found Aussie viewers of BoJack Horseman took a break from the path of self-destruction with a little help from… Tony Robbins and his banana hands, watching his special I Am Not Your Guru immediately after.
clap them banana hands
Netflix doesn’t just commission research for the heck of it, so what do they plan to do with this info?
“This is all work that goes into improving the algorithms constantly,” says Ted. “So when a season is finished, it will subtly start to steer you towards a movie you might like right now before you go onto the next show rather than rolling you onto the next show.”
That’s for the right now – but what about the future?
“In a perfect world where this all can go, Netflix will recognise – by the time of day you’re watching, by the device you’re on, maybe what kind of mood you’re in – what you want to watch without you having to do a thing. It sounds kind of spooky, but Twitter sounded pretty spooky five years ago too.”
We’re into anything that facilitates the perfect binge-watching sesh tbh.
If you’re more of a visual person, here’s the pairing research Netflix dug up in a pretty moving picture:
Photo: Clockwork Orange.
