Netflix Exec Bela Bajaria Slams Matt Damon’s “Phone Plot” Claim: Movies Aren’t Made for Scrolling

Netflix has hit back after Matt Damon and Conan O’Brien suggested that movies and shows on the streaming platform are being simplified for distracted viewers.

Earlier this year, while promoting the Netflix thriller The Rip, Damon claimed that the streamer’s approach was to “re-iterate the plot three or four times in the dialogue because people are on their phones while they’re watching.”

Then at the Oscars this past Sunday, host Conan O’Brien added to the discussion, joking: “It’s been widely reported that some studios are now insisting filmmakers repeat information and restate the plot several times in their movies in order to accommodate the modern movie viewer who’s half watching because they’re distracted by their phones.”

O’Brien even joined Sterling K. Brown in a spoof of Casablanca, where they repeatedly restated the plot, poking fun at the idea. But Netflix executives were quick to push back against this growing perception.

During a press event on March 18, Netflix head of film Dan Lin told reporters, as reported by Deadline: “There is no such principle. We actually all laughed when we watched that bit at the Oscars, but there’s no such principle. I mean, if you watch our movies or TV shows, we don’t repeat our plot. So I don’t know where that comment came from. We are focused on making great movies.”

Netflix Chief Content Officer Bela Bajaria was even more direct, calling the claims offensive. “I think it’s so offensive to creators and filmmakers to think that, first of all, we could give them a bad note like that and they would just take it,” she said. “We know how much fans are paying attention, and we’re really treating them as sophisticated and as smart as they are, because they call out everything.”

The Rip is now streaming on Netflix and has already been highlighted in several “best thriller” lists. Fans of the platform can explore it along with other top recommendations.

What do you think about the claims from Damon and O’Brien? Do you agree that streaming platforms are simplifying plots, or do you side with Netflix on this one? Share your thoughts in the comments.