The debate about how streaming platforms are changing filmmaking has taken a new turn following Matt Damon's recent statements. The actor, one of Hollywood's most recognizable faces, has publicly expressed his dissatisfaction with what he calls the "Netflix formula ," a way of producing and writing films conditioned by the viewer's fragmented attention span and by algorithms.
His words have caused a stir in the industry because they come right in the middle of the release of his new Netflix film, "The Rip," in which he once again shares the screen with his friend Ben Affleck. While promoting the film, Damon took the opportunity to detail the kind of instructions creators receive when working with the platform and why he believes that system may be impoverishing the language of cinema.
The “Netflix formula”: immediate action and a repetitive plot
During his appearance on the popular podcast The Joe Rogan Experience , which he co-hosted with Ben Affleck, Damon explained that the traditional way of constructing an action film was based on three major sequences : one in the first act, another in the second, and a third, the most expensive and impactful, in the climax. This structure, deeply ingrained in commercial cinema of recent decades, is being disrupted, according to him, by the demands of streaming.
In the specific case of Netflix, the actor asserts that the platform now focuses on two key moments in the footage: the opening minutes and the ending . “They spend most of their money on that scene in the third act. That’s the ending. And now they’re saying, ‘Can we make a great scene in the first five minutes? We want people to stay,’” he explained. The priority, according to him, is no longer just building a solid story, but preventing the viewer from abandoning the show shortly after it starts.
This obsession with hooking the viewer from the start is complemented, according to Damon, by a second guideline: repeating the plot several times throughout the dialogue . The actor explained that the platform's executives consider it reasonable to reinforce the plot "three or four times" because they operate on the premise that the audience is looking at their phones, doing something else, or simply not paying attention for a good portion of the film.
Damon himself summed it up somewhat ironically: screenplays end up treating the viewer as someone permanently distracted , forcing the writers to repeatedly emphasize the main ideas so that no one gets lost, even if they've been on their phone for half the scene. In his opinion, this approach ultimately simplifies the stories and leads to more redundant and less subtle writing.
The impact of streaming on how we watch movies
In his statements, Damon insisted that the root of the problem lies in the difference between watching a movie in a theater and watching it at home . In a theater, he pointed out, people are in the dark, without distractions, and it's assumed they'll be focused on the screen throughout the entire film. In contrast, at home, attention is divided between the television, mobile phone, social media, or whatever other task the viewer is engaged in.
This shift in context has led platforms like Netflix to adapt their strategies, a move that, for Damon, has direct consequences for the narrative . It's not just about placing a big action sequence in the first five minutes; it's also about crafting dialogues that constantly "recap" what's happening so that no one gets lost, even if they're halfway between watching the movie and chatting on WhatsApp.
The actor from "Good Will Hunting" acknowledged that this form of consumption is already an established reality and difficult to reverse, but he expressed concern about the path it sets for creative expression. In his opinion, if all decisions are made with the sole aim of maintaining the attention of a distracted viewer , then some of the complexity and ambiguity that cinema has historically possessed is ultimately sacrificed.
In another forum, during a panel discussion at an independent film festival in California, Damon went further, questioning the weight of algorithms and metrics in the creative process . He asserted that Netflix tends to "repeat patterns rather than take risks with new ideas" and that these quantitative decisions are "shaping the writing from the very first draft." For him, the fact that success is measured almost exclusively by rankings and viewership leads to a homogenization of content.
As an example, he pointed out that when a film climbs into the platform's top 10 , there's a rapid search for "immediate copies" of the same tone, genre, or premise, creating a chain of similar projects that reduces the space for experimentation. Hence his most forceful warning: "If everything is designed to avoid upsetting the algorithm, cinema loses its soul ," a statement that has resonated particularly with screenwriters and directors concerned about the same phenomenon.
Ben Affleck introduces nuances and champions exceptions.
Although Ben Affleck shares much of his colleague's assessment, he wanted to add some nuances during that same conversation with Joe Rogan. The actor and director acknowledged that there are very defined formulas in Netflix's catalog, but pointed out that the platform also features projects that break the mold and manage to connect with audiences without constantly repeating the plot or including explosions in the opening minutes.
Affleck cited the miniseries "Adolescence" as an example , a show that, according to him, "doesn't do any of the things" Damon criticizes. He described it as a dark, tragic, and intense work , centered on the story of a man who discovers his son has been accused of murder. In his description, he highlighted details unusual in the style Damon pointed out: long shots of the backs of characters' heads, prolonged silences inside the car, and scenes where virtually nothing is said.
For Affleck, these kinds of projects demonstrate that it's not necessary to underestimate the viewer to succeed in the streaming environment. In his view, titles like "Adolescence" prove that there's still room for more deliberate, dense, or thought-provoking stories without needing to remind viewers every few minutes what's happening.
Damon, however, sees these productions more as exceptions within a much more rigid model . According to him, the existence of some series or films that deviate from the norm doesn't change the fact that most projects adhere to clear guidelines aimed at maximizing retention and reducing creative risks. Affleck, on the other hand, prefers to emphasize that these exceptions can serve as an example for other creators to negotiate greater freedom with the platforms.
The tension between these two perspectives partly summarizes the discussion currently taking place in the industry: to what extent does streaming impose a single way of telling stories, and to what extent are there still loopholes for experimentation, even within global giants like Netflix, which also have a strong presence in Europe and Spain with local productions and international co-productions.
“The Rip”: a Netflix hit and an example of the formula
The context of these statements is particularly striking because they come just as "The Rip ," Damon and Affleck's new Netflix film, has premiered. The nearly two-hour movie follows a pair of police officers who find $20 million , a discovery that sparks suspicions about whether the team plans to keep the money. It's a thriller with action elements and internal tension within the group, with a tone that blends investigation, corruption, and paranoia.
According to various reviews, the film opens with a particularly powerful scene that sets the pace from the start and gradually draws the viewer into a game of mistrust where it's difficult to guess who the mole is. The script skillfully plants clues and red herrings to maintain interest until the very end, which fits quite well with the pursuit of early impact that Damon himself has attributed to the Netflix model.
The performances have been well-received, with special mention for Matt Damon's work, who manages to sustain much of the dramatic tension with his character. The film includes a shooter-style action sequence that, according to some reviews, firmly places it in the realm of classic action cinema, offering audiences what they expect from this type of production without excessive embellishment.
Although some viewers have noted that certain elements of the ending are somewhat predictable , the film as a whole is considered solid and entertaining enough to have reached the top spots in the platform's most-watched film rankings. From a commercial standpoint, "The Loot" fits the mold of an accessible thriller with a fast pace and clear structure that Netflix typically promotes for a wide audience.
It is therefore ironic that Damon identifies precisely in this type of production the perfect example of the “Netflix formula” : a combination of high-impact scenes, repetition of key plot points and a narrative designed not to lose the viewer, even if they get up to prepare dinner or get lost in phone notifications while the movie plays in the background.
Algorithms, creativity and the risk of cloned cinema
Beyond the specific case of "The Loot" or his experience working with Netflix, Damon used his public appearances to raise a broader debate about the role of algorithms in audiovisual creation . According to his view, when a platform's primary metric is user engagement time, all creative decisions tend to be geared toward that quantitative goal.
This, he argues, means that ideas that deviate from the norm find it more difficult to see the light of day . If a particular type of story, tone, or structure has worked well, the logic of data encourages repeating it, with only minor adjustments. Hence the feeling that many productions tend to resemble one another, with recognizable plots and easily predictable twists.
During the colloquium in California, Damon described this dynamic as a kind of "cloning effect" : when a show jumps to the top of the charts, it quickly spawns projects that seek to replicate its formula, and then more variations on the same pattern. The result is a catalog populated with titles that appear different but are very similar in structure, tone, and resolution.
In that context, the actor warned that screenwriting risks becoming an almost mathematical operation , especially in large productions aimed at the global market, including in Europe. It's not just about finding "universally acceptable" stories, but about adjusting every element—from scene length to the exact timing of each plot twist—to what audience analytics indicate.
Although Netflix often argues that its strategy allows it to finance projects that the traditional circuit might not be able to undertake, Damon's words have resonated with critics, screenwriters, and filmmakers who have long warned of a progressive homogenization of audiovisual productions . Many of them emphasize that this trend affects both American productions and European and Spanish titles, where the influence of streaming is ever-increasing and shapes development decisions, casting, and narrative tone, leading to cancellations like that of FUBAR.
Faced with the controversy, Netflix has avoided direct confrontation with Damon. Company spokespeople have simply reiterated, on other occasions, that the platform has successfully launched personal, risky, or difficult-to-finance projects through conventional means, and that its catalog combines highly commercial offerings with auteur-driven ventures. Even so, the debate about how much real freedom creators have in the face of algorithmic demands remains open.
Matt Damon's interventions, supported and nuanced by Ben Affleck, have given voice to a series of concerns that were already circulating subtly within the industry: the tension between retaining viewers at any cost and preserving the complexity, risk, and diversity of cinema . At a time when Netflix and other platforms are shaping much of the audiovisual agenda in Spain and the rest of Europe, the discussion about the "Netflix formula" and its effects on creativity seems far from over, forcing creators, platforms, and audiences to rethink what kind of stories they want to dominate the screens.