Last week Netflix trialled a new feature which gives streaming addicts the option to easily re-play a critical scene in any movie or television show they are watching.
While it seems like a clever idea on paper, the company’s latest efforts have left users enraged.
Picture this: You’re up to episode eight of the gripping true-crime series, The Staircase, and the jury has reached a verdict as to whether author Michael Peterson— who is on trial for murder— is about to be jailed for the rest of his life, or walk away unscathed. Moments after the nail-biting scene which ultimately decides his fate, the show pauses and a small box in the bottom right of the screen says “Watch That Scene Again.”
Your blood is boiling, you’ve thrown your computer at the wall, and you’re probably about to spend the next hour blasting Netflix on Twitter.
We’re not being dramatic here, that’s exactly what subscribers have been doing – minus the computer bashing!
Users around the world have taken to Twitter to express their annoyance with the streaming giant, including entertainment journalist Scott Renshaw.
“That “watch this scene again” pop-up in the middle of a movie is garbage and you should be ashamed of yourselves,” he Tweeted.
Another user also started a Reddit thread about the rewind-like function, writing: “Why does Netflix insist on devaluing film. This bothers me Netflix is such a giant anchor in the future of film culture.”
“I hope this isn’t a permanent thing because it’s distracting and obnoxious. If I want to see something again, I’ll rewind it myself…I don’t need a prompt,” one said.
“Really messed up my immersion,” another user who was watching Mowgli wrote. “So far it’s happened right after two intense scenes. Really took me out of the moment.”
“Right now we’re just looking to learn from it and may or may not roll it out more broadly in the future.”
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