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Considering Netflix are a bit obsessed about series and movies along these lines, they really don't seem to be very good at them! So far I've seen Extinction, How it Ends, The Titan, IO, Bird Box and Cargo amongst others, and they've all either been promising but disappointing, or more frequently downright silly, especially when it comes to endings - either a car randomly driving away from a basically massive cloud, Sandra Bullock finding an oversized greenhouse full of ridiculously calm people sitting around, a genetically modified human suddenly being able to FLY LIKE SUPERMAN! or the last person left on earth miraculously being able to breathe the same air that killed everyone else...
Netflix please get your act together if you really love the genre!
Quite enjoyed Spectral that i watched the other night 😬
You not watched Annihilation?
Superb sci-fi horror with an apocalyptic storyline. One of the best things Netflix has done.
I have watched Annihilation, which I forgot about but was the best effort they've come up with so far...Spectral looks like it might be watchable too.
WAtched IO last night,thought it was a bit shite, now Spectrals good,
Annihilation wasn't made by/for Netflix IIRC. Just 'distributed' by them them rather than a traditional cinema release.
IO was pathetically slow I gave up on it.
Annihilation was average at best again dragged out some good ideas but dear me it was dull.
I too have been disappointed by all their attempts to date. I think Cargo was my favourite. I’ll probably get flamed for this, but I found annihilation to be a bit flat. Great idea, badly executed imo.
I'm glad it wasn't just me disappointed in Bird Box's ending
I’m glad it wasn’t just me disappointed in Bird Box’s ending
You, me and others
Why can’t Netflix get apocalyptic movies right…??
They don't have to be excellent to keep people paying their subscriptions, just watchable. Having 500 mediocre offerings is better than 50 excellent ones because pretty much everyone will be able to find numerous things that are acceptable.
It will be interesting to see what Apple offer with their streaming service (although why they didn't just buy Netflix I don't know)
Given there's only ever been a handful of exceptional apocalyptic movies from the last 40 years across all platforms - then I think you're being overly critical.
Bird Box was pretty decent and has been a massive hit for Netflix.
I’m glad it wasn’t just me disappointed in Bird Box’s ending
Can I ask what you were expecting? It was never going to end with children slitting their own throats.
I agree on it being a bit "meh".
As to the others I've tried How it Ends, and the The Titan. Haven't finished either of them, got about half way through the first one and about 10 mins into the second one.
Also it's worth remembering Netflix is a platform/studio/distributor - so it's a bit odd to level this criticism at it. It's a bit like like saying why can't Universal get sports films right?
You need to look to the talent for artistic responsibility.
Given there’s only ever been a handful of exceptional apocalyptic movies from the last 40 years across all platforms – then I think you’re being overly critical
Totally agree - plus.. same goes for nearly every other genre of film, Hollywood, Netflix or otherwise! There's always something you can dislike about nearly every film. Extremely few hit the 'perfection' mark.
[edit] Come to think of it, very few are actually any good! 🙂
Absolutely.
When I think apocalypse - I think Mad Max / Mad Max II / Planet of the Apes / Miracle Mile / Melancholia / Threads at the top.
Although it broadens when you start to included things like Terminator, Dawn of the Dead. Actually it's quite a big genre!
Worth a thread on its own.
There's a lot of mid-level multiplex fud though (Independence day etc)
^^ The Road...
Yes, 'enjoyed' the Road. Might need to revisit it.
When I think apocalypse – I think Mad Max / Mad Max II / Planet of the Apes
Do we need to distinguish between apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic?
Extremely few hit the ‘perfection’ mark.
Maybe I being overly critical, and yes of course Netflix aren’t actually making these films but I wonder whether with their ridiculous budget and need to keep adding to content that it’s just too easy to make new films. Yes by the way, The Road was amazing, although I always found it hilarious how it was trailed as starring Vigo Mortensen and Guy Pearce....and then he appeared for 2 minutes at the end! Come to think of it The Hurt Locker was also ‘starring Guy Pearce’ and they killed him off after 5 minutes! Seems to be a theme for him. Now I’m thinking about Guy Pearce and want to watch Memento again...
"How it ends" ends with them just giving up.
The film that is. The audience will have probably given up about an hour earlier and done something more useful/exciting/emotionally satisfying like fill in their tax return, wash the curtains or de-flea the cat.
Do we need to distinguish between apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic?
Sub-genre subterfuge 🙂
I wonder whether with their ridiculous budget and need to keep adding to content that it’s just too easy to make new films
They're accelerating a crackers rate - but then we're looking at the future right now.
The debt is their problem.
and Disney
By the way Bird Box fans! I know you're out there! (PSA) the Kindle book is 99p today on Amazon.
I was just distracted by Sandra Bullock's rigid top lip. She's got a smaller range of expressions than ever.