The following contains spoilers for Netflix’s My Oxford Year, Straw, and Night Always Comes, as well as Prime Video’s The Map that Leads to YouBoth Netflix and Prime Video have released several excellent films on streaming this year, but the latest big releases on each platform have been shockingly familiar, setting an unsettling trend. With regular releases on each service, the most binge-worthy shows and movies have created an essential, weekly flow of content to either service.
August has seen a slew of new releases on Netflix, including a total of 11 original movies by the end of the month. Prime Video, too, has followed this example on a smaller scale, with a total of 4 films coming to the service by the end of August. Still, this is an incredible volume of original streaming programming.
Netflix has even won the box office this past weekend with KPop Demon Hunters, suggesting that their hold on the attention of audiences is not ending soon. Still, some new releases that have been seen on streaming, including some of their own biggest hits, signal a problematic future that will need to be addressed by these streaming empires.
The Map That Leads To You Retells The Story Of My Oxford Year
Prime Video just released their latest movie, The Map that Leads to You, and it is shockingly familiar to Netflix’s release from earlier this month, My Oxford Year. Both films are romances, and there is bound to be some thematic overlap, but the stories are virtually identical.
In both films, a young woman who has her whole life planned out goes on a trip to Europe for a limited period, with plans to return to America for a job that she already has lined up. That job is corporate and soulless, but it will set her up for a bright future.
From there, the woman meets a man, and the two hit it off. Unfortunately, as their bond deepens, it is revealed that the man has a dark secret. He is dying of cancer, which has led him to appreciate the immediate things in life so much more.
The woman learns to be more flexible and adaptive from him. In the end, she gives up the job back home with the knowledge that the time they share will be limited. In both movies, love is worth holding onto, even if it is only for a short time.
Both films are adapted from novels, and both are well-made. Each shows off beautiful landmarks and sights in Europe. The scripts are effective, with some great quotes in My Oxford Year and The Map that Leads to You alike.
The ending of The Map that Leads to You is slightly different from My Oxford Year, but only in where is chooses to end the narrative. Still, while the similarities here are notable, what is more concerning is that these are not the only recent streaming releases to tell such familiar stories.
Netflix’s Night Always Comes Is Exactly Like Straw, Suggesting An Unsettling Trend
This trend is not limited to Prime Video copying Netflix, but has also seen Netflix copying itself. Earlier this year, Netflix released a film enтιтled Straw. The movie told the story of a woman coping with the economic injustices in the United States. Pushed by circumstances, in an attempt to look after her loved ones, she descends into crime.
This summary is a little more general, but it also describes Netflix’s latest hit, Night Always Comes. Both films reflect on economic difficulties in the USA, and both see desperate people being driven outside of the law by their circumstances. The ending of Night Always Comes is bittersweet and resonant, just like Straw.
Both Straw and Night Always Comes also, surprisingly, work in the same ways. Their best qualities come from their strong performances. Straw‘s cast, including Taraji P. Henson and Sherri Shepherd, helps the movie work. Night Always Comes, too, hinges on a powerful and effective performance from Vanessa Kirby, with strong supporting players including Jennifer Jason Leigh.
While it is inevitable that similar movies will be released closely to one another every now and again, these similarities in programming suggest that perhaps too much content is being generated for streaming. Rather than telling rich, original stories, this deluge of films feels immediate and disposable.
With so much content climbing up and down the streaming charts, there is no time to reflect on the impacts of any of these movies. The same stories can be told over and over, because they do not generally last more than a few weeks in the cultural zeitgeist.
There are certainly exceptions to streaming movies like this, as can be seen from the recent success of KPop Demon Hunters. However, it is also clear that the bulk of streaming content is less about making great films and more about holding attention for two hours before being forgotten.
The model of streaming movies makes films feel more disposable. Rather than paying for a product and enjoying it, a constant stream of new, forgettable entertainment is being fed through the streaming libraries. This has allowed both Netflix and Prime Video to tell and retell the same stories. Where this could lead for the future of streaming is currently unclear.
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Netflix
- founded
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January 16, 2007
- first original series
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Lilyhammer
Netflix is a global streaming service offering on-demand access to movies, TV shows, documentaries, and original content. Founded in 1997 as a DVD rental service, it transitioned to streaming in 2007 and now operates in over 190 countries.
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Prime Video
- founded
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September 7, 2006
- first original series
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alpha house
- notable shows
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The Boys, Invincible, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, Hanna, Carnival Row, The Wheel of Time, Reacher, Daisy Jones & The Six, Swarm, Citadel
- notable movies
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Borat 2, The Tomorrow War, Coming 2 America, One Night in Miami, Jolt, Sound of Metal, Honey Boy, Without Remorse
Prime Video is Amazon’s streaming service that began as Amazon Unbox back in September 2006. The streaming service has gone through many rebrandings over the year but has managed to successfully compete with other streamers such as Netflix, Max, and Disney+. Some of their most notable тιтles include The Boys, Carnival Row, and Sound of Metal.
