The True Horror of Streaming

Gia (Zoe Margaret Colletti) and Erika (Lana Condor) in Boo Bitch

We all feel the constant doom-scrolling of titles every day from page to page, service to service. I'll probably watch something on Netflix, no Hulu or maybe HBO, and there isn't anything to find; we keep looking for that perfect itch.

I've discovered a new issue; there is a growing number of shows to watch on streaming platforms that need satisfying stories. I felt this first when watching Boo, Bitch on Netflix. The premise was great! A girl dies, and now her ghost is still around to find the popularity she never had. As I watched the series, I thought the show didn't live up to its concept, and the plot lacked. The plot twist was just meh, and I wasn't satisfied with the ending. The end made sense, and I understood everything they were going for, but the execution of it all made it feel like it wasn't living up to its potential. The way the plot was orchestrated made me not care in the ways I should have. It felt like it was just a show because why not? Then there was Fakes, another great concept about two girls who thrive as fake ID makers. The show did a great job jumping between different perspectives, but in the end, it didn't keep the plot moving, and it never felt like the plot had happened. We are given this big idea to look forward to as we watch the show, and by the time it comes, the story feels like it needs more time to be ready.

With the high demand for new content, streaming has made it easy to get content out there now, so we end up missing the quality of the series and films that had to fight to be seen. They will practically just let Justin Rolland make anything he wants now, and I've never seen someone reuse one idea more than him.

Even more serious content is lacking, I just finished The Patient, and you sit there thinking, "really, this is how they felt the plot should end?" I could tell by episode four that the plot would have a letdown of an ending. I don't know what I want anymore. I used to love hopeless plots, but now I'm mad whenever the protagonist doesn't fight back.

The real question is, when the ball drops, will the flood of constant content be met with a demand for better content?

What about reality television? In the last few years, reality shows have spiked on streaming services, which is fascinating. The reboot series of The Mole just dropped, and within three episodes, the contestants lost more money than any other season. I thought for a moment that they were going to have three dollars in the pot come time to place a winner. The editing on reality shows has become so advanced they are telling a perfect story these days. There is so much content to dive into when recording so many people. The new formulas they are creating work so well these days. Where scripted programs are falling short, it appears unscripted is thriving. We can have a similar formula every season, but the cast changes the game. Reality television can also keep up with the demand for more content because it can keep the cameras rolling. As long as the contestants are wild, people will be satisfied.

As a screenwriter, do I feel happy saying that the future of television could be reality? Not really, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Even though there are many "miss" shows, we still see some hits. I'm still catching up on Reboot, but this one feels hopeful as the plot is crazy, and the cast is wild. I never thought in 2022 I would think, "Jonny Knoxville isn't a bad actor after all." This show has taken the modern issue of Hollywood's favorite activity and made it into a digestible series that speaks to everyone.

We need to give it time. This is a new dawn in the world of cinema and we just need to find what works. Who knows, I'm a graduate writer; people may love these shows through and through. I might be picky. From the perspective of a writer, we could do better.