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Did you read the article? The film debuted at Sundance to broad critical appeal, with the Netflix CEO in attendance, and with tons of media coverage. Netflix

Did you read the article? The film debuted at Sundance to broad critical appeal, with the Netflix CEO in attendance, and with tons of media coverage. Netflix is already on the record pulling content at the specific request of Saudi Arabia. They explained their decision by saying they aren't in the 'truth to power business.' https://www.theverge.com/2019/11/7/20953210/netflix-reed-hastings-patriot-act-hasan-minhaj-saudi-arabia-episode-remove https://www.theverge.com/2019/11/7/20953210/netflix-reed-has... Thinking this is a niche film and thinking this decision is based on a simple profitability analysis is incredibly naive.

slg 6y ago
Are you familiar with Sundance? Every year there are movies there that receive lots of attention and praise only to completely disappear from public consciousness. Being well liked at Sundance is not necessarily a recipe for either financial or broad critical success. Here is a list from Variety of the the favorites for this year's best documentary feature Oscar[1]. The Dissident comes in at number 22. I can almost guarantee there are documentaries above it you haven't heard of. This documentary wasn't going to be a mainstream hit and it doesn't appear to be a serious contender for awards. There is little incentive for a streaming company to purchase it. It is also worth noting that the issue with Hasan Minhaj's show was specifically it being viewable in Saudi Arabia. That is a very different issue than purchasing rights to a movie in the US or other global markets. [1] - https://variety.com/feature/2021-oscars-best-documentary-feature-predictions-1234784896/ https://variety.com/feature/2021-oscars-best-documentary-fea...
- chishaku 6y ago
  Is winning an Oscar or being a mainstream hit the threshold for Netflix carrying a documentary? Anyone can look at the catalog and see that's obviously not the case. Setting the goal posts there while ignoring the obvious politics around the situation is simply naive.
  - slg 6y ago
    How many of those documentaries on Netflix are exclusive to that platform, debuted on that platform, are popular Sundance movies, and from an Oscar winning filmmaker that wants to charge $20 for renting the movie? It isn't like there is a set price for every documentary. This movie was always going to come with a relatively big price tag compared to its financial viability. I am not ignoring the politics of the situation. I simply said I don't know if the tale told in the article is believable because there are valid non-political reasons that seem to do a better job explaining what transpired.
plorkyeran 6y ago
"Debuted at Sundance to broad critical appeal" is basically a euphemism for niche. Every year there are very good movies which are hits at Sundance but never see any uptake after that.

slg 6y ago

Are you familiar with Sundance? Every year there are movies there that receive lots of attention and praise only to completely disappear from public consciousness. Being well liked at Sundance is not necessarily a recipe for either financial or broad critical success. Here is a list from Variety of the the favorites for this year's best documentary feature Oscar[1]. The Dissident comes in at number 22. I can almost guarantee there are documentaries above it you haven't heard of. This documentary wasn't going to be a mainstream hit and it doesn't appear to be a serious contender for awards. There is little incentive for a streaming company to purchase it. It is also worth noting that the issue with Hasan Minhaj's show was specifically it being viewable in Saudi Arabia. That is a very different issue than purchasing rights to a movie in the US or other global markets. [1] - https://variety.com/feature/2021-oscars-best-documentary-feature-predictions-1234784896/ https://variety.com/feature/2021-oscars-best-documentary-fea...

chishaku 6y ago
Is winning an Oscar or being a mainstream hit the threshold for Netflix carrying a documentary? Anyone can look at the catalog and see that's obviously not the case. Setting the goal posts there while ignoring the obvious politics around the situation is simply naive.
- slg 6y ago
  How many of those documentaries on Netflix are exclusive to that platform, debuted on that platform, are popular Sundance movies, and from an Oscar winning filmmaker that wants to charge $20 for renting the movie? It isn't like there is a set price for every documentary. This movie was always going to come with a relatively big price tag compared to its financial viability. I am not ignoring the politics of the situation. I simply said I don't know if the tale told in the article is believable because there are valid non-political reasons that seem to do a better job explaining what transpired.

plorkyeran 6y ago

"Debuted at Sundance to broad critical appeal" is basically a euphemism for niche. Every year there are very good movies which are hits at Sundance but never see any uptake after that.