The way people watch television has changed, but things always pointed to the marathon model eventually becoming king. From clunky VHS releases of TV shows to DVD box set collectors to, finally, Netflix marathons, it's never been more tempting to consume television and there has never been more television to consume. Despite the world's love affair with television, Netflix has recently noticed a trend in how people watch series. To be more specific, the streaming service has noticed a trend in how people don't watch series one after another. Instead, it has noticed that many viewers watch movies on Netflix after finishing a TV show, rather than starting a whole new series.
According to a Netflix press release, "After finishing a series, a majority of Netflix members (59%) take a pause, usually lasting three days, before committing to a new show. During that break, more than half (61%) watch a movie to keep the binge feeling alive." It makes sense that after finishing a double-digit (or sometimes more) hour commitment, viewers would want to take a break with a movie, and Netflix has used viewer data to determine what most people think serve as good desserts for the hearty meal of a full series. Here are some of the most popular movies that people are watching to complement their favorite series.
American Horror Story — Mean Girls
It may seem surprising that many people choose to wash down a viewing of American Horror Story with the beloved teen comedy Mean Girls. But if you think about it, isn't American Horror Story just Mean Girls with ghosts? If you listen to the way characters interact with (and insult) each other, the influence of the modern classic is evident in AHS.
Fuller House — Grease
People who watch Fuller House seem to have a sweet tooth for cute, upbeat content. Viewers who finish Fuller House are inclined to hop to similarly high-energy films like Grease, Chef, and 13 Going On 30.
Black Mirror — Documentaries
Black Mirror is a show all about the dark side of technology and the modern world, so it's no surprise that people who marathon the series follow it up with documentaries about actual darkness in the world. Black Mirror fans choose to indulge in viewings of documentaries Hot Girls Wanted, We Are Legion: The Story of the Hacktivists, and After Porn Ends.
Gilmore Girls — Teen Romance
No matter if you're Team Dean, Team Logan, or Team Jess, there is no denying that seven seasons and a revival is a lot of time to dedicate to discovering who Rory ends up with. So it's no wonder that people who marathon Gilmore Girls follow it up with more succinct tales of youthful romance like Dirty Dancing and Sixteen Candles to save themselves the frustration of more multi-year romance stories.
Breaking Bad — Crime Movies
Fans of the modern classic Breaking Bad seem to be addicted to crime sagas. After finishing a marathon, Breaking Bad fans seek more criminals, drugs, and guns in movies, be it the ambitious classic Pulp Fiction, or the comedic romp The Do-Over.
Marvel's Luke Cage — 13TH
Marvel's Luke Cage is a hard-boiled superhero story that shines a light on major racial issues, including racial profiling and the unjust imprisonment of black Americans. It seems that viewers sought to learn more about these subjects after finishing Luke Cage by following it up with the Ava DuVernay documentary 13th, which takes a more detailed approach to the many issues of the U.S. prison system.
Stranger Things — Laugh-Out-Loud Comedies
While many viewers watch a movie similar to their most recently finished show, it seems that viewers who marathon Stranger Things tend to opt for light-hearted comedies like Zootopia and Big Daddy. Given the fact that Stranger Things is an emotional roller coaster, it makes sense that fans would want to decompress after that intense viewing experience.
Orange Is The New Black — Critically Acclaimed Dramas
While some fans of Orange Is The New Black seem to enjoy following up the series with comedies like The Do-Over, most turn to critically acclaimed dramas about major issues like Spotlight, The Big Short, and Blue Is The Warmest Color.
Pretty Little Liars — Bring It On!
Although it has significantly less murder than Pretty Little Liars, fans of the long-running teen drama seem to want to unwind with the comedic Bring It On! Both focus on teenage girls, but that's about where the similarities end for these two.
So what does all this information tell us about Netflix viewers? Well, it shows that binge-watcher's choice of genre varies from show to show, but that there are similar patterns in how people choose to binge-watch. Ted Sarandos, Chief Content Officer or Netflix says “What we’ve come to figure out is that movies are really an important part of people’s viewing routines and complimentary to the way they watch and enjoy TV.” Just like a multi-course meal is prepared with the expectation of dishes complimenting each other, it seems that Netflix viewers do the same with their viewing habits instinctually.
Images: Universal Pictures; Netflix (2); Giphy (9)
