Netflix is rethinking action movie pacing, requesting bigger spectacle earlier in films to grab distracted viewers, according to actor Matt Damon.
The Attention Economy Comes for Action Films
Streaming services are adapting to shorter attention spans, potentially changing how action movies are made.
- Netflix reportedly wants major action sequences within the first five minutes of films.
- The company suggests plot reiteration to account for viewers using their phones during playback.
- Matt Damon and Ben Affleck discussed these shifts while promoting their new Netflix heist film, “The Rip.”
- Some filmmakers, like those behind the series “Adolescence,” are bucking the trend with innovative storytelling.
Damon revealed the shift during an appearance on the “Joe Rogan Experience” podcast, alongside longtime friend and collaborator Ben Affleck. The two actors were discussing their experience co-starring in and producing “The Rip,” a heist film released Friday. They spoke about how the rise of streaming and short-form video platforms is fundamentally altering how movies are consumed, created, and marketed.
What’s the new expectation for action films on streaming platforms? Damon explained that Netflix is now encouraging filmmakers to deliver a significant action set piece within the first five minutes of a movie. He also noted a suggestion to repeat the plot several times throughout the film, acknowledging that many viewers are simultaneously engaged with their phones.
“Now, they’re like, ‘Can we get a big one in the first five minutes? We want people to stay tuned in. And you know it wouldn’t be terrible if you reiterated the plot three or four times in the dialogue because people are on their phones while they’re watching,’” Damon said. “And so then it’s going to really start to infringe on how we’re telling a story.”
Damon did not specify whether this direction was given specifically for “The Rip.” A Netflix spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment over the weekend.
Affleck pointed to “Adolescence,” a crime miniseries released in March, as an example of a project that defied these trends. The series is notable for its episodes filmed in single, continuous takes.
“My feeling is just that it demonstrates that you don’t need to do any of that” stuff, Affleck said. He added, “It’s like supply and demand. People want to look at their phones, they look at TikTok, they’re going to do that. I think what you can do is make shit the best you can. Make it really good.”
Traditionally, Damon explained, the climax – “the big one with all the explosions” – was reserved for the third act of an action film, representing the culmination of the production’s budget and creative effort.
