I finally Cancelled My Netflix (India) Subscription
I have written about Netflix, many times. When it had its global launch (including India), I was excited. I signed up immediately. I always had high-speed internet at my home and on my phone. I used to spend a small fortune on internet services, back in those days when internet charges were insane. I had to. I needed high speed internet as I worked out of my home all the time and was always on the move.
The excitement for Netflix was many fold. I stopped watching TV decades ago. I found the whole concept of watching for 10 minutes before being interrupted by half a dozen ads, hard to understand. Then again, that is how TV works. Everybody was okay. My parents were cool with it. My friends were cool with it. It was just me.
That was one of the many reasons why I would spend all my free time at the multiplex, every week, frequently, more than once per week. Of course, these days, multiplexes have also started showing ads before and in between movies. It’s a losing battle really. Being able to enjoy entertainment without have to see ads. That’s a blog post for another day.
Coming back, the big appeal with Netflix was the ad-free experience. It works over the internet. For a guy multitude of the latest gadgets (mobile, tablet, desktops and laptops), Netflix suited me.
The second big appeal was being able to get content from multiple studios. You look at all the popular movies and TV shows, you have the big media giants. Disney, WB, Paramount, Universal and so on. There is also NBC, Fox TV, Disney, Star and so on. These are the folks who make almost all of the good stuff.
In a perfect world, Netflix was like your online video rental service. I remember, when we were kids, we had these CD, VHS, DVD shops. You go there, and you could rent movies from any studio. Before it became a streaming giant (Now, we probably have to refer to Netflix as a media giant, on par with Disney as you will read below), that was Netflix business. Rent discs. Then, they proceeded to become what they are today.
We dont live in a perfect world. We live in a world filled with copyright and monopolies and corporate greed and what not. I don't know who’s fault it is. Did the big TV and movie studios play hardball? Or was it Netflix that was playing hard to get? The endgame is, studios have now started to pull their content from the big N.
In its current state, Netflix is very concerned about making ‘Originals’. Original TV shows. Original Documentaries. Original Stand Up. Original X. Is Disney releasing a new kid show? Netflix will make its own kid show with similar concepts. DC and Marvel make a super hero show. Netflix will acquire some comic publisher and try to build its own comic book unverse of shared characters and settings.
This goes on and on. Now, if I open Netflix, Its almost entirely about Originals.
I tried watching them. Sometimes forcing myself to watch it. I don't want to be one of those people who complain without watching. These shows are filled with actors who are past their prime. Directors who have gone out of fashion. B-movies which are not even ‘so bad so good’ type. Actors who may be made on YouTube video some years ago.
I don't know these actors. I don't know these franchises. I want to watch Mission Impossible starring Tom Cruise. I don't really enjoy watching some Netflix Original that is similar to Mission Impossible, starring some guy who looks like Tom Cruise. I don't want to watch knock-offs or rip-offs or suspiciously similar substitutes.
Sometimes Netflix makes amazing stuff. Stranger Things is cool, if you are into that 80s nostalgia stuff. But then, you think you will love ‘Bright’ (starring Will Smith, of whom, I am a big fan) but its not that great. Do I want to watch some obscure show called ‘Bonding’? Or ‘Chambers’?
I just watched Avengers Endgame. I come home, and a couple of months down the line, I would like to watch Endgame at home. When I cannot do that, why are we paying roughly 10 plus dollars every month?
I have been thinking about cancelling Netflix for a few months now. I went back and forth. Disney Plus was announced, and it will eventually make its way to India. They already have Hotstar (Owned by Star, which is in turn owned by Fox, which is in turn owned by Disney). I just signed up for a subscription with Hotstar. For all I know, Disney Plus will merge with Hotstar, as far India is concerned.
I could possibly watch Avengers Infinity war ten times. I don't mind watching Aquaman or even Justice League again and again. I cannot remember a single Netflix Original movie that I would like to watch more than once. Not even Bright, the only movie that I really waited to watch (and despite starring Will Smith) and then I never watched it again.
A day may come when Netflix is the last studio standing. Netflix may eventually end up making stuff as cool as WB or Disney. At that point, I will renew my subscription. As of now though, its goodbye time.
