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5 of the most annoying things about Netflix we can all relate to
Let’s face it: Netflix has made our lives a whole lot easier. For the small price of subscription, customers get access to a wide range of movies and shows, with plenty of exclusives under both brackets. Some of the most discussed movies of 2023, from The Killer to Leave The World Behind, are streaming exclusively on the platform. Sounds perfect, right? Yeah, not quite, because there’s still an issue with the search bar that plagues me whenever I open the app. Not only that, but four other issues with Netflix come to mind.
Worst thing about Netflix is search bar
Call me picky, but I’d rather have to search the entire name of the film only to discover it’s not on Netflix than have that moment of hope, if not just for an instant, upon seeing the title displayed.
Now, I use Netflix on a handful of devices. In the app I use, you will see the name of the movie you’re looking for and, instinctively, you autofill that only to be met with a string of search results&and not the movie you’re actually searching for. A tale as old as time.
In an internet browser, on the other hand, it’s a little more helpful, as if the movie/series isn’t on there it displays the name but under the ‘More to Explore’ banner. When you click on the title there is an apology for not having it, along with a handful of recommendations that include similar things.
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On the app, however, there’s that little serotonin boost upon seeing the title, and nine times out of ten, you guessed itit’s not on there.
The autofill hasn’t become a thing of convenience, it’s a tease! And we’ve all fallen prey to it at least once, and if it’s just the once for you, you’re one of the lucky ones.
Of course, there are plenty of things great about Netflix, but I can’t help but feel the sneaking suspicion that only having titles that are available on the service listed in the search bar when you’re typing would be the better way to go. Rather than having a Hawkeye moment every time the title appears: “Don’t give me hope.”
I’m sure others have recognized some genuine convenience in how it works presently. After all, it does offer appropriate recommendations. But in the moment, recommendations just don’t swing it. The damage is done. The hurt is real.
Together, let’s dream of a future in which the search bar doesn’t get our hopes up whenever we navigate to it. And Netflix, make it happen. Pretty please.
Same titles again and again
Now that the major rant is over, let’s address the issue of the Netflix homepage.
Often, when you’re uncertain of what you wish to watch, you’ll find yourself scrolling the homepage and observing the recommendations according to genre. For example, you’ll scroll through ‘Critically acclaimed movies’ and ‘Crime Drama’ and, save for a few titles, it may feel as though you’ve scrolled through the same selection twice.
Netflix genuinely has a lot of choice, yet it feels like the same movies are being constantly pushed. At this point, scrolling the homepage can only feel like an unnecessary way to kill time you could spend watching.
Is it a movie or a series?
“Damn, this looks great& but what is it?” This is more of a problem that plagues the trailers that Netflix puts out on YouTube, Twitter/X, etc.
Sometimes you’ll see a trailer and neither in the description nor in the trailer itself is it made clear whether the project will arrive as a movie or series. If it’s something you want to see, it’s valuable information you want to learn and it is easy to provide.
The pains of rewatching
Fancy rewatching that series you enjoyed from a while back? Well, your history is still recorded, and when you click on episodes to revisit it will take you to the end credits where you last left off, not always, but most of the time, forcing you to manually scroll back to the beginning.
On the browser you can wipe history to tackle the issue, but not on the app.
With movies, there is a helpful option to play from the beginning. Unfortunately, the same courtesy isn’t offered for episodes.
Netflix auto-play feature
Seeing as we’re nitpicking, isn’t it frustrating when you’re lingering on a title that captures your attention and it just starts playing from it? Some people enjoy it, but often the sequences feel random and, at the worst times, provide spoilers.
Fortunately, you can choose to turn off auto-play previews in settings. A fix!
10 great movies to watch on Netflix right now
It wouldn’t be right of me to leave without recommending a bunch of movies that are actually on the service. And I don’t mean just the titles in autofill.
Here goes:
- The Florida Project
- Heat
- It Follows
- Jackie Brown
- Marriage Story
- May December
- Oldboy
- Silver Linings Playbook
- Uncut Gems
- Whiplash
All are available on US Netflix for your streaming pleasure.
