Matt Damon and Ben Affleck have recently unveiled a surprising shift occurring within the entertainment industry, as studios grapple to adapt to the evolving ways audiences consume media.
During an appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience, Damon specifically criticized Netflix for how current viewing habits are impacting even the on-screen dialogue.
The duo appeared on the podcast to discuss their new film, The Rip, which is available to stream on Netflix.
This did not deter Damon from revealing some behind-the-scenes insights from the film’s production.
As many viewers multitask while watching shows, studios like Netflix have to make significant editorial choices to maintain their audience’s attention, noted the 55-year-old actor.
Damon emphasized the difference in viewing environments between theaters and home settings.
He described his love for the theater experience on the podcast: “I went to see One Battle After Another on IMAX — there’s nothing like that feeling,” he said.
He compared it to a communal experience, saying, “You’re in with you know a bunch of strangers, but people in your community and you’re having this experience together. I always say it’s more like going to church — you show up at an appointed time. It doesn’t wait for you.”
This contrasts significantly with the distractions present in home viewing, where the art competes with other aspects of daily life.
Damon elaborated: “You’re watching in a room, the lights are on, other s**t’s going on, the kids are running around, the dogs are running around, whatever it is.
“It’s just a very different level of attention that you’re willing, or that you’re able to give to it.”
Studios, aware of this shift, even requested stylistic changes in dialogue for films, Damon shared.
Further discussing this on Rogan’s show, he said: “For instance, Netflix — the standard way to make an action movie, that we learned, was you usually have three set pieces. One in the first act, one in the second, one in the third — and the big one with all the explosions and you spend most of your money on that one in the third act. That’s your kind of finale.”
He explained the new approach: “Now, [Netflix is] like, ‘Can we get a big one in the first five minutes?’ We want people to stay tuned in.
“And 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.”
While such strategies might lead to more straightforward dialogue, Damon cautioned that this trend could alter storytelling in film and TV.
He stated: “It’s going to really start to infringe on how we’re telling these stories.”
However, Affleck offered a more positive perspective by mentioning the award-winning Netflix series Adolescence, a one-shot knife drama.
“But then you look at Adolescence and it didn’t do any of that sh*t and it was f**king great,” he remarked.