Let’s Talk About Netflix Originals

Photos courtesy of IMDb

We’ve all done it before — hiding under the covers of your bed in a pitch-black room to watch the glowing red letters spell out “Netflix.” Scrolling through the “Recently added,” “Popular on Netflix,” “Because you watched” looking for the perfect homework distraction — you come across the Netflix Originals section.

Here, there are shows every Netflix lover has seen, like “Stranger Things,” “13 Reasons Why,” “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” and “ The Kissing Booth.” Yet, there are others no one has ever heard of. What is the difference between a Netflix goldmine or a Netflix flop?

Let me break them down for you. (WARNING: spoilers ahead!!!!)

“Stranger Things”

The best, weirdest show of all. With three seasons and spoilers on every corner of Instagram, Snapchat, the news and conversations at school, you are lucky if you haven’t gotten this show spoiled for you.  But if you still haven’t watched the show — binge-watch them in one night. Each episode leaves you with the feeling of wanting to know more. 

People disintegrating and forming a monster made of body parts? That’s definitely some creativity, and it has resulted in some major popularity for the show. 

“To All of the Boys I’ve Loved Before”

This movie brings to life the fairytale dream of a girl being swept off her feet and saved by the dreamiest guy in school. Peter pretends to be Lara Jean’s boyfriend and teaches her that life is more than just being alone. 

They pretend to date to spark jealousy in their crushes, but instead end up falling for each other.  The sweet happy ending of Lara realizing she needs to express herself is what seals the deal. 

This is the perfect show to melt your heart.  From Peter remembering Lara’s favorite snacks to the teasing of Lara’s little sister, this movie is one that everyone can relate to. 

“13 Reasons Why”

Many have spoken out about how much they enjoyed the show, like Selena Gomez, Lili Reinhart and others. However, countless (including myself) found the show disturbing and believe that it could have been taken in a better direction. I loved the intent of what the show was trying to portray and how it was trying to discourage suicide, but the way they filmed it did the opposite.  

“Hannah Baker, taking her own life in the Season 1 finale … was met with strong backlash from suicide prevention advocates over its graphic nature.” stated CBS News in an article about Netflix deleting the scene two years after the show was released.  

Suicide prevention advocates disagreed with the way the scene was filmed and the inclusion of the scene all together because they believed it would glamorize the suicide.  That was exactly what happened.

Because of the show, according to a study published in Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, suicide rates increased 28.9% in 10-17-year-olds. The show’s glamorization of suicide ended up increasing the amount of teens committing suicide.  

“The Kissing Booth”

I couldn’t get over the cheesiness. It was the definition of a 13-year-old-girl’s daydream: a rebellious, forbidden older brother. It had a sweet ending, but there is no way it could ever happen in real life. 

“Set it up”

Two coworkers try to make their work lives bearable by setting up their bosses, but end up falling in love themselves. Predictable, but sweet. 

It had me entranced waiting for the moment when the workers realized their affection. The sweet playfulness of the late night updates on how their bosses were doing, the way that they joked around, schemed and made fun of each other — it perfectly defines a romcom.  If rom-coms are your type of movie, then this one is definitely for you.  

“When We First Met”

Noah gets friend-zoned and travels back in time to try to get the girl he loves, but in the end, he realizes he didn’t need her at all. It’s a super sweet movie. Noah remembers her favorite drink, grapefruit juice with vodka and three maraschino cherries, and as much as he can about the girl he loves for each attempt to make her feel the same way.  It’s Noah’s rare ability to remember the little things that makes this character and the movie a gem. Since Noah was too focused on the original girl, it took him years before he realized that the perfect girl was right in front of him — the original girl’s best friend. At the end of the movie, Noah learns that you shouldn’t focus too much on one thing because you could be missing something right in front of you. It’s a great pick-me-up flick that’s sure to turn your day around

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