In recent years, Netflix has established itself as an unlikely patron of cinema. But it acts as a monkey’s paw for filmmakers: granting their wildest wishes, but exacting a steep price.
Financially, it helps produce films that might otherwise not get green-lit by the traditional Hollywood system, often because of the project’s scope or niche nature. However, these titles are often consigned to a kind of digital exile. They are watched and may even be lauded by critics, but they often quickly disappear from the wider cinematic conversation.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Access deeper industry intelligence
Experience unmatched clarity with a single platform that combines unique data, AI, and human expertise.
The wish is granted
Love it or hate it, no one is arguing about the impact of Netflix on the world of film. Since it began producing original films, the streaming service has amassed more than 150 Academy Award nominations across full-length features, shorts, animation, and documentaries. As of the 2025 awards, 73 different Netflix “Originals” have been Oscar-nominated. This number is likely to rise following the announcement of the 2026 nominations.
The breadth of nominations is impressive. And it only seems to be growing. Netflix’s 2025 slate earned 18 Oscar nominations. This was more than any other studio. Multiple nominees, including All Quiet On The Western Front (2021), Roma (2018), and The Power of the Dog (2021), have found homes on Netflix. And these typify Netflix’s approach to producing films that may not find a home elsewhere, from foreign language projects to modestly budgeted films with adult themes.
Netflix offers a home for many arthouse projects. Many of these are mid-budget movies that, years ago, would have comfortably played in cinemas. But in the world of blockbusters and falling cinema attendance, Netflix has kept these projects alive and made them available to a large audience.
The Netflix catch
The paradox with Netflix comes with the legacy of these films. These projects might be seen by millions from the comfort of their own homes, but they rarely receive theatrical releases. Certain films get a token release, and we are seeing a change, as with the Knives Out series or, controversially, Greta Gerwig’s upcoming adaptation of the Narnia series of books, but most films are buried in Netflix’s ecosystem. Many do not receive a release in physical media either, making their existence ephemeral, only viewable as long as you pay an ever-increasing subscription.
US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?
Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.
By GlobalDataEven Netflix’s most successful awards contenders struggle to maintain a place in public consciousness. The streamer’s business model relies on quantity over quality, despite what it may claim around awards season. This means it must continually produce new content to keep subscribers interested. The wheels are constantly turning, meaning that last year’s Best Picture nominee is quickly forgotten. Often, it feels like everyone has seen these films online, but no one talks about them in real life.
So, Netflix is in a difficult position. It wants to be seen as a rival to the best Hollywood studios, and its awards campaigns back this up, achieving scores of nominations. But ultimately, it must chase the algorithm if it wants to survive and appeal to as many people as possible, burying these projects under the latest TikTok sensation.
A mixed blessing
Netflix’s role is ambivalent. On one hand, it has helped to revitalise forms of storytelling that commercial studios increasingly overlook. It has backed international films, documentaries on social issues, quiet dramas, and bold genre experiments. And love it or loathe it, Netflix has provided an easy way to watch these films, allowing them to reach audiences they would not otherwise get.
But there is a limit to their cultural lifespan. Sometimes, a project will break through the layers of algorithm and become a bona fide sensation, like 2025’s KPop Demon Hunters or the Knives Out series, but these are the exceptions to the rule. For most films, once the initial buzz fades and awards season is in the rearview mirror, they become data points in Netflix’s sprawling library. They are seen, but conversation is rarely shared. They seldom become water-cooler topics and are often left out of film-goers’ conversations.
In the end, the Netflix monkey’s paw offers filmmakers the power and money to realise their dreams, but at the risk of their films disappearing into the endless ocean of content, becoming fleeting moments rather than enduring cinematic stories.
