Matt Damon Shares Insights on How Short Attention Spans are Shaping Netflix’s Approach to Movie Making
In a recent discussion, Matt Damon shared insights into the evolving landscape of filmmaking, particularly in the era of streaming. While promoting his new Netflix film The Rip, Damon remarked that contemporary movies demand a “very different level of attention” from audiences.
Speaking on the Joe Rogan Experience, he explained how the shift towards at-home viewing affects film production. “That has a big effect, and it’s also starting to have an effect on how you make movies,” he said, using Netflix as a reference point.
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Damon described the traditional approach to action films, which typically includes three key set pieces: one in each act, culminating in a climactic finale packed with explosions. “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 tuned in,’” he noted.
He further explained, “‘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.’” This approach isn’t novel; reports suggest that Netflix writers have been encouraged to have characters “announce what they’re doing” in conversations.
In The Rip, Damon and Affleck portray Miami police officers who begin to distrust one another after stumbling upon $20 million in a neglected stash house, raising questions about loyalty amidst external threats.
Affleck commented on the creative risks involved, citing the film Adolescence, which he claimed managed to succeed without these conventions. “It didn’t do any of that sh*t. And it’s f*cking 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, and there are long shots of the back of their heads. They get in the car, nobody says anything,” he said.
While Damon sees the Netflix series as “the exception,” Affleck believes it exemplifies that audience engagement doesn’t necessitate conventional storytelling shortcuts.
