Netflix, simply by virtue of being the biggest streaming service out there, unsurprisingly comes in for the lion’s share of criticism. It’s thanks to everything from the perceived subscriber value that it offers (or doesn’t) as well as the increasing frequency with which it seems to cancel beloved shows, among other things. At the risk of sounding overly negative, however, I feel the need to point out something that it’s getting increasingly hard to ignore:
It also feels like the streaming giant has jumped the shark under its current leadership.
Here’s one clue that indicates the degree to which the company is not being run by, let’s say, the most forward-thinking minds at the moment. Chief content officer Bela Bajaria was recently asked by Puck’s Matt Belloni to name one show on another service that she’s the most jealous of. Rather than pointing to amazing shows like The White Lotus, The Last of Us, Severance, Fallout or The Boys, she named … Yellowstone. That, alone, ought to tell you a lot.
She presumably also kept a straight face when she added in the same interview that she thinks Oppenheimer would have had the same cultural impact that it did had it streamed on Netflix in lieu of its theatrical run. That sound you hear is me cackling with laughter.
Meanwhile, I recently noticed something else about the streamer that factors into my thesis: Netflix’s most expensive subscription tier is now getting close to a staggering $30/month, a fact that absolutely blows my mind.
The tier I’m referring to is the Netflix Premium Plan, and benefits include unlimited ad-free movies, TV shows, and mobile games, the ability to watch on four supported devices at the same time, and the ability to download content to six supported devices. But still — almost $30/month!
And for what, exactly? The privilege of watching beloved shows get canceled left and right? Netflix has made a habit out of axing fan-favorites like 1899, The OA, Inside Job, GLOW, and Warrior Nun — often just as they’re picking up momentum. Meanwhile, the streamer continues to invest in high-profile flops like 3 Body Problem (which cost a fortune and fizzled with critics), The Brothers Sun (a big-budget misfire that was canceled after one season), and cringeworthy reality shows like Squid Game: The Challenge.
Sure, Netflix still has some hits (The Night Agent, Stranger Things, and Bridgerton remain popular), but how long until those get sidelined in favor of more forgettable, algorithm-driven content? And speaking of algorithm-driven, don’t get me started on recent Netflix movies like Amy Schumer’s Kinda Pregnant. Especially when it comes to Netflix’s feature film slate, it’s as if the company greenlights projects based on a dartboard covered in half-baked scripts, then throws millions of dollars at them without a second thought.
It’s not just the insane price point, either. Few things are as suggestive of a lack of vision as Netflix leadership racing full steam ahead to turn the app into a Swiss Army Knife of entertainment, stuffing it with everything from video games that no one is playing to podcasts. Rather than, you know, actually staying focused on giving subscribers the thing they signed up for — quality shows and movies.
With competitors like Apple TV+ (at, ahem, a cost of $9.99/month) churning out critically acclaimed shows like Severance and Silo, and Prime Video (included with an Amazon membership) offering blockbusters like Fallout and The Boys, why in the world would anyone pay nearly $30 for Netflix? Come on.
