Max Bickley – General Assignment Reporter
Netflix, in college, is one of the many blessings which not only allows students to view some of their favorite shows and movies anytime they want, but also lets them watch it all at once. The temptation of watching every season of “Friends” or “House” is sometimes stronger than the need to do your homework, but Netflix is evolving as time passes.
Netflix is no longer just the digital Blockbuster, it is slowly becoming its own production company of shows which are garnering just as much attention as major cable television broadcasts. The reason why this comes as such a shock to many people is the fact that Netflix was mainly a source of rental, or streaming, of previously private distribution licenses.
In contemporary TV and movies, one of the biggest popularity spikes has been in Superhero adaptations such as “Iron Man,” “The Flash” and other big names from American comics. Netflix though, stepped into a ring dominated by movie theaters and cable television with an adaptation of “Daredevil” and “Jessica Jones” which received respectively a 98 percent and 96 percent on the website Rotten Tomatoes. Brandon Brush, junior, a fan of comics and the shows, gave a breakdown as to the popularity of Netflix’s shows compared to those of cable television.
“In comparison to Marvel’s network television show ‘Agents of Shield,’ ‘Jessica Jones’ and ‘Daredevil’ don’t lean on the mythology of the marvel cinematic universe,” said Brush, “The Netflix adaptations are shows with very defined style. They are made for an audience to binge watch and seem to have more money going into their development.”
Currently, more superhero series are slated for Netflix production and release, such as a second season of both “Daredevil” and “Jessica Jones,” and also a release of the “Punisher” as a series.
While Netflix had such popularity in its adaptations of Marvel’s superheroes, some of the biggest strides that Netflix has made is in making its own original shows. One of the monikers for this period of growth and first steps toward this independency of production is the show “Marco Polo.” “Marco Polo” is a historical fiction show which details the journey and servitude of Marco Polo to Kublai Khan during the mid-13th century.
Brendan Rascius, sophomore, has watched Netflix originals like “Marco Polo” and noticed the level of explicit content in shows.
“I really enjoyed watching ‘Marco Polo,’” said Rascius. “Obviously, unlike cable TV, entire seasons are released at once so you can binge watch, but there is also noticeably more nudity and sex scenes than in most cable TV shows. However, Netflix has made a name for itself not only in shows, but lately in creating movies as well.”
One of Netflix’s newest productions is “Beasts of No Nation,” a movie starring Idris Elba which details the life of a young African boy forced into military service.
“Netflix has done a great job, at least with what I’ve seen, in making good quality shows for example, ‘Beasts of No Nation,’” said Rascius. “It was a Netflix production and an incredible film which many people have said deserve Oscar nomination, though it hasn’t received any.”
Netflix though, has taken the stage in terms of being its own producer of high quality shows. It’s superhero shows, historical fictions, even documentaries like “Making A Murderer” have made huge impacts in the social sphere. However, for those who prefer animated series, shows like “How to Train Your Dragon: Race to the Edge,” or “The Seven Deadly Sins,” are all Netflix original shows and have been reviewed favorably well by critics.
Photo Credit: Shardayyy