So I recently joined Netflix, I finally bite the bullet.

So, any tips for this Netflix newbee

Dutchy wrote:

So, any tips for this Netflix newbee

don´t watch any "Netflix Original" shows until they have greenlit the season completing the story ark. There is near certainty they made a good show, end a season with a great cliffhanger ... and then can it.

best regards
Thomas

Excellent documentaries: David Attenborough's A Life On Our Planet, The Social Dilemma, American Factory, The Keepers (if you like true crime), etc.

Unorthodox - Hasidic woman escapes her community in NYC

Stephen King content if you like smart horror: Castle Rock (miniseries), 1922 (film), In The Tall Grass (film)

If you haven't seen the series 'Fargo', Netflix usually carries it. 'Stranger Things' if you like sci-fi, is also a Netflix original series - excellent. Lots of others people recommend to me, but those are the ones I had time to see.

There's an awful lot of rubbish on there, but Unorthodox is excellent drama, though the makers unnecessarily gave it a woke slant. Malcolm and Marie is a superb film if you like that sort of thing. It's basically a two-hour argument between two people who love each other. Would make an wonderful play.

If you like good acting, you will appreciate both.

Braybuddy wrote:

There's an awful lot of rubbish on there, but Unorthodox is excellent drama, though the makers unnecessarily gave it a woke slant. Malcolm and Marie is a superb film if you like that sort of thing. It's basically a two-hour argument between two people who love each other. Would make an wonderful play.

If you like good acting, you will appreciate both.

Lol there wasn't really any 'woke' content I could identify, particularly as a Jewish person. Her experiences were completely in line with what one might find in a place like Berlin.

Aaron747 wrote:

Lol there wasn't really any 'woke' content I could identify, particularly as a Jewish person. Her experiences were completely in line with what one might find in a place like Berlin.

In the German part she befriends a ready-made diverse group who open her eyes. That never happened.

Netflix' own productions are crap.

Content changes from country to country. If you set your sights on watching a particular movie during transit somewhere, be aware it might not be available. The solution is to download the film and set your device to flight mode, then the country lock is removed.

Braybuddy wrote:

Aaron747 wrote:

Lol there wasn't really any 'woke' content I could identify, particularly as a Jewish person. Her experiences were completely in line with what one might find in a place like Berlin.

In the German part she befriends a ready-made diverse group who open her eyes. That never happened.

Feldman had no issue with those changes because she loves Berlin and wanted to tell its story as much as her own. Such is artistic life.

Dutchy wrote:

So I recently joined Netflix, I finally bite the bullet.

So, any tips for this Netflix newbee

House of cards, Dark, Ozark, Black Mirror, Queen's Gambit, Suburra, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, Narcos...

There's a bit for everyone, and even though some of the new stuff is a bit hit and miss there's a lot of past shows to have a look at. If you're into stand-up or documentaries there's also plenty to go around of those.

Aaron747 wrote:

Feldman had no issue with those changes because she loves Berlin and wanted to tell its story as much as her own. Such is artistic life.

Fair enough if she approved it, but I suspect it was only done to appeal to a certain demographic, which is tragic. It is such a terrific story that it doesn't need any tweaking at all. It's a fascinating insight into the life of the Hasidic community and worth watching for that alone.

Life on Mars if you haven’t seen it. Fabulous series. The storyline(s) are really good and there are lots of hilarious moments. Take it in perspective of the era it represents (and it all makes sense in the end- see below!). British version btw- I tried watching the American first episode and it was sadly awful.

Follow on with Ashes to Ashes. It’s worth it for the screen time of Keeley Hawes alone. And it does indeed all become clear in the end.

Five series in total and have watched them all a couple of times.

Dutchy wrote:

So I recently joined Netflix, I finally bite the bullet.

So, any tips for this Netflix newbee

Content varies around the Netflix world, some of the recommended shows might not be available in your country.

I've seen an ad for a VPN saying you could get access to content from other countries on Netflix using it, is that true ? I have not bitten the bullet yet.

Remember to switch hands when browsing with remote, otherwise thumb will get real sore.

Always have hope to find good content, its only $8.99 per month. You get what you pay.

Netflix thinks people have short memories, some old show starts trending for no reason.

I would pay $8.99 if they give me just one good new movie a week and one good new series a month, no need to dump useless content on consumers.

Aesma wrote:

I've seen an ad for a VPN saying you could get access to content from other countries on Netflix using it, is that true ? I have not bitten the bullet yet.

Some VPNs do. The one I have doesn't.

Fun fact: Netflix is HQ’d in Los Gatos, a sleepy San Jose suburb with a couple wineries nestled against the Santa Cruz mountains. Notable LG residents have included Steve Wozniak, John Steinbeck, and unfortunately, QB Trent Edwards.

Two docuseries that I've enjoyed are:
The Devil Next Door -- about an accused concentration camp guard who was deported from the United States and tried in Israel. Fascinating stuff, though if you find yourself asking questions it would be helpful to read further on the topic as there is still far more to the story than they were able to fit in.
Wild Wild Country -- a docuseries about a religious/philosophical group originally based who bought a huge ranch in rural Oregon, when naturally everything started to go wrong.

Braybuddy wrote:

There's an awful lot of rubbish on there, but Unorthodox is excellent drama, though the makers unnecessarily gave it a woke slant. Malcolm and Marie is a superb film if you like that sort of thing. It's basically a two-hour argument between two people who love each other. Would make an wonderful play.

If you like good acting, you will appreciate both.

Sounds like a more hopeful remake of Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf.

luckyone wrote:

Sounds like a more hopeful remake of Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf.

There have been comparisons:
https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/film ... -1.4475010

I think most people can relate to how a domestic argument over something very simple can spiral way out of control, sometimes in a funny way. It's not for everyone, but I absolutely loved every minute of it. I recommended it to one of my female friends and she texted back "Thanks for the f***ing two-hour headache, so familiar it was funny ". Stunning house and beautifully filmed too.

Dutchy wrote:

So I recently joined Netflix, I finally bite the bullet.

So, any tips for this Netflix newbee

Right now I am anticipating the 3rd Season of Formula One: Drive to Survive and that show has turned me into an F1 fan. My second favorite show on Netflix is Explained. I like how they simply the topics for anyone to understand. They also have dedicated seasons on additional topics like the mind, sex and Covid19.

I love the standup specials that are on there but don't really watch a whole lot of original content.

Aaron747 wrote:

Fun fact: Netflix is HQ’d in Los Gatos, a sleepy San Jose suburb with a couple wineries nestled against the Santa Cruz mountains. Notable LG residents have included Steve Wozniak, John Steinbeck, and unfortunately, QB Trent Edwards.

NASCAR's AJ Allmendinger was born in Los Gatos in Dec 1981.

Eagerly waiting the release of season 4 of Stranger Things, it's very well done.

Tried watching Bridgerton but found it to be dreadfully boring. Maybe 19th century England just isn't my thing.

Netflix seems to have the 2nd best selection of movies (Amazon Prime is better, more popular content than original content), but it's still pretty good.

I don't fully understand the enormous investment Netflix has made in original content. IP is only valuable if you can get others to license it from you. But many of the Netflix shows I have seen are not edited to a regular TV length for ad breaks, nor have I seen any other networks purchase Netflix properties. I know they need to keep the subscribers stimulated, but how do they know that a certain show is motivating new subscriptions?

LittleFokker wrote:

Tried watching Bridgerton but found it to be dreadfully boring. Maybe 19th century England just isn't my thing.

The revisionist history thinly veiled as humour was the turnoff for me.

Dutchy wrote:

So I recently joined Netflix, I finally bite the bullet.

Too much free time now that the Brexit mega-thread is locked, I suppose?



Just kidding!

Dutchy wrote:

So, any tips for this Netflix newbee

The first seasons of House of Cards are great and the first season of La Casa de Papel is also good.

One general problem I have with Netflix is that the storylines tend to develop too slowly. I think this is because the lack of commercials causes episodes with only 20 minutes worth of storyline to be stretched to 30 minutes.

LittleFokker wrote:

I know they need to keep the subscribers stimulated, but how do they know that a certain show is motivating new subscriptions?

By tracking the traffic flow of new subscribers, of course. The data is easily trackable.

StarAC17 wrote:

Right now I am anticipating the 3rd Season of Formula One: Drive to Survive and that show has turned me into an F1 fan.

As a long time F1 fan, I find Drive to Survive to be overly dramatic at times. And this is a complaint that many shared.

If you haven't already seen them:

Breaking Bad and its prequel Better Call Saul (but watch BB first!)
Modern Family
Ozark
Workin' Moms
Mindhunter
House of Cards

AeroVega wrote:

One general problem I have with Netflix is that the storylines tend to develop too slowly.

Personally, I love the "slow burn" in a good drama series like Better Call Saul.

Pro-tip: Don't waste 5 hrs on Emily In Paris because it is nominated for some award.

Rick & Morty (on Australian Netflix, not sure about elsewhere).

Have also rediscovered Rake (the original Australian version, not the US remake). Bingeworthy, need to watch it from the start to 'get it'. Not a show where you can jump into a later season. The episode with Sam Neill as a wealthy Surgeon charged with having his way with the family Rottweiler is a classic.

Have strangely enjoyed The Crown. Seeing Agent Scully play Maggie Thatcher is a hoot!

As a long time F1 fan, I find Drive to Survive to be overly dramatic at times. And this is a complaint that many shared.

It probably is but for someone who didn't know much about F1 it makes it really interesting and makes the sport far more exciting.
I don't think it was necessarily made for the F1 fan.

Narcos, Narcos Mexico, Cobra Kai - 'nuff said.

Dutchy wrote:

So I recently joined Netflix, I finally bite the bullet.

So, any tips for this Netflix newbee

The Last Kingdom is really good, but only start watching it all 4 seasons are available. In Sweden only season 1 and 2 are available.

melpax wrote:

Have strangely enjoyed The Crown. Seeing Agent Scully play Maggie Thatcher is a hoot!

Taken with a grain of salt I also enjoy The Crown. I’m going to have disagree without you about Maggie, though. I thought the actress completely missed the mark and played her like a bad caricature, or some sort of ghoulish drag queen.

Aesma wrote:

I've seen an ad for a VPN saying you could get access to content from other countries on Netflix using it, is that true ? I have not bitten the bullet yet.

I've used a couple of VPN's but netflix block them pretty quickly..

dtw2hyd wrote:

Pro-tip: Don't waste 5 hrs on Emily In Paris because it is nominated for some award.

I watched it with my wife, it's like a fresher better version of Sex in the City, set in Paris.

I saw the Deutschland franchise, couldn't get enough of it, all the three 83, 86 and 89 are cool.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4445154/

It talks about East Germany period from 1983 to 1989 which no other series to my knowledge has shared. Was a hit in Germany for sure. And it told me lot of things which I didn't know about that time. Things which got overlooked.

There are five theatre shows of Jochem Meyer on Dutch Netflix that are pretty good.

pune wrote:

I saw the Deutschland franchise, couldn't get enough of it, all the three 83, 86 and 89 are cool.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4445154/

It talks about East Germany period from 1983 to 1989 which no other series to my knowledge has shared. Was a hit in Germany for sure. And it told me lot of things which I didn't know about that time. Things which got overlooked.

In the US this is on Hulu.

It should be illegal for tv series to have more than one season.
I just finished Designated Survivor (watched it since Christmas) and seasons 2 & 3 were just unbearable garbage.

luckyone wrote:

pune wrote:

I saw the Deutschland franchise, couldn't get enough of it, all the three 83, 86 and 89 are cool.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4445154/

It talks about East Germany period from 1983 to 1989 which no other series to my knowledge has shared. Was a hit in Germany for sure. And it told me lot of things which I didn't know about that time. Things which got overlooked.

In the US this is on Hulu.

my bad but then I'm not from U.S. but still would recommend it.

L410Turbolet wrote:

It should be illegal for tv series to have more than one season.
I just finished Designated Survivor (watched it since Christmas) and seasons 2 & 3 were just unbearable garbage.

I guess it all depends on your interests. For e.g. I have watched all Star Trek from the Originals till the latest ST:Discovery.

All seasons of Elementary, 9-1-1, Chicago Fire, The Practise, Boston Legal, Better Call Saul. These are just some of my favorites. But do understand that all may not have either my taste or patience or both