Post-Viewing: The Cloverfield Paradox, Annihilation and pushing films to Netflix

In the modern digital age, there are two main ways of watching a film; heading to a cinema or streaming online, with physical media trailing behind in recent years. But what happens when one overshadows the other? In 2018, a new trend has emerged; one which sees film releases moved to Netflix if the filmmakers feel it won’t make a profit with a general release. This cuts down on the cost of distribution, particularly with physical copies to use by projectionists in theatres and reduces the advertising needed to get audiences in seats. The Cloverfield Paradox from Julius Onah and Annihilation Alex Garland are two examples of this and when looking at both, it exposes a growing trend in modern cinema.

The Cloverfield Paradox is widely regarded as a disappointing entry in the franchise, but others have pointed out that it’s a painfully flimsy effort to form a connection to its two predecessors; I can’t help but feel the same. Previously placed into production as “God Particle”, a script in progress that was picked up by Bad Robot. JJ Abrams, who served as producer for the film, decided to tie it in with the Cloverfield Paradox, referring back to the mystery box formula that aims to keep audiences guessing. Soon afterwards, Netflix acquired the rights to release the film and it went on to surprise fans at the American Super Bowl earlier this year. After around a week, five million people had watched the film thanks to the novelty of the surprise marketing. In this instance, the film’s format change was down to corporate acquisition. Would the film have done well had it released in theatres like the previous films? Possibly, but cinemas are also prone to the box office drop-off. When word of mouth spreads about a film, particularly poor-quality audiences quickly ditch the film to see something else. Batman and Robin, Batman V Superman and Justice League all suffered from this trend. Placing a film on Netflix often allows it to remain there indefinitely, allowing audiences to watch it freely from the convenience of their own home. With films budgets constantly rising nowadays, more studios may choose to distribute it digitally if they feel a production won’t make profit.

While it did receive a wider release in the US and China, Annihilation was pushed to Netflix for all other regions, something director Alex Garland said he was disappointed with. This release came because of a poor test screening which created a rift between the producers over whether the film was too intellectual and complicated for regular audiences. Due to these disagreements, a deal was struck with Netflix to release Annihilation internationally. Garland has gone on to say that his film was meant to be viewed on the big screen and for a production as visually stunning as Annihilation, this is hardly a surprise. Personally, I can’t help but imagine how breath-taking the film might have looked in cinemas; had it been given that chance, audiences may have warmed to it over time, giving the film the success it deserves. With a lack of confidence in the film being successful, what does this mean for future creative projects in cinema? In terms of cost and convenience, releasing on Netflix seems to work both ways. For studios and executives, the film costs less to put out to the public, who then watch the film for a cheaper price than heading to an auditorium. But for filmmakers themselves, it may end up limiting their overall creativity and vision, having to release or possibly alter their creations in order to account for both profitable and unprofitable situations.

As the juggernaut of a company that it is, Netflix is now being granted more and more access to the biggest names and studios in Hollywood, not only with its own original productions but those made on the highest budgets. How will the streaming service evolve? Will it become a dumping ground for films that aren’t confidently received by theatres, or will it come to surpass the film auditorium as the main place for viewing the latest releases? With the amount of success it has received since entering the production business in 2013, particularly the 117.58 million paid subscribers consistently logging in, Netflix could be on its way to monopolising the film distribution business, something fans of cinema should keep a close eye on in the years to come.

(Images used for the purposes of review and criticism under fair use)