For JSTOR Daily, Kristin Hunt looked at how cinema works for its viewers in the age of streaming services:
In the streaming wars, audiences have access to more movies than they could possibly consume, even in a once-in-a-century pandemic that has left many homebound. Yet ironically, in this rush to give consumers more “choice,” the streamers have systematically devalued creatives, leading to a glut of mediocre movies that fade from memory the second the credits roll.
I pay for Amazon Prime. Sometimes I can go a month or two without watching anything on it. Other times, I get my money’s worth (yes, I’m aware of the Sunk Cost Fallacy). But between that, Netflix, and any streaming service I’ve ever used, there’s more chaff than wheat. Thousands of movies and whenever I want to watch a film by a specific actor, it’s not there. I guess it forces me to actually buy the movies I want or acquire them by other means…