Hollywood actor Matt Damon has said streaming platforms such as Netflix are reshaping how films are made, with creative decisions increasingly influenced by the need to hold the attention of distracted viewers.
Speaking on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast alongside Ben Affleck, Damon said Netflix has encouraged filmmakers to adapt storytelling techniques to suit at-home viewing habits, where audiences often multitask while watching.
“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,” Damon said.
“You spend most of your money on that one in the third act. That’s your finale. And now they’re like, ‘Can we get a big one in the first five minutes? We want people to stay. 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.’”
Damon said the emphasis on early spectacle is driven by streaming platforms’ need to hook viewers quickly, given the vast amount of content competing for attention. He added that repeated exposition in dialogue has become more common to ensure viewers who may not be fully focused can still follow the story.
Affleck, however, pushed back against the idea that Netflix-driven filmmaking necessarily compromises quality. He cited the limited series Adolescence as an example of restrained storytelling that does not rely on constant action or repetition.
“But then you look at Adolescence, and it didn’t do any of that s**t,” Affleck said. “And it’s f***** great. And it’s dark too. It’s tragic and intense. [It’s about] this guy who finds out his kid is accused of murder. There are long shots of the back of their heads. They get in the car, nobody says anything.”
During the discussion, Damon also reflected on broader industry economics, arguing that streaming has changed the risk calculus for filmmakers. While theatrical releases often require marketing budgets equal to production costs and must generate significant box office returns to break even, streaming platforms can afford to back more experimental or risky projects because of their subscription-based model.
Damon described the shift as a supply-and-demand issue, saying that as long as audiences prefer at-home viewing, filmmaking styles will continue to evolve to meet algorithm-driven consumption.
He added that if theatrical demand rebounds, he would be eager to return to large-scale cinema projects, including teaming up with director Christopher Nolan for a planned adaptation of The Odyssey.
Damon and Affleck recently collaborated on the film The Rip, which was released on Netflix.