The Gray Man: The Problem With Netflix's Original Movies

gamerant.com:

Netflix is in hot water from a lot of different angles, and it seems like most of their customers are finding reasons to cancel their subscriptions. Among the myriad complaints, some more valid than others, they've attracted, concerns about their recent original cinematic efforts have been extremely common and well-earned.

Netflix, like most streaming services, has transitioned from a service popular for its library of films and TV shows to a delivery system for its original content. Streamers are going the way of TV channels, with all the positives and negatives that would imply. Most of the big names are series, and the films marked with the brand are often not particularly well-received.

The Gray Man Review

After a brief limited theatrical run, the Russo brothers' action film The Gray Man dropped onto Netflix. The film is fine. It's well-acted and the action setpieces are solid, but the story is a patchwork of other better movies and the writing would struggle to pass muster in a Taken sequel. It's an adaptation of a novel that languished on the shelf for years before attaining its original form. Movies like this get made all the time, and it'd likely be forgotten by the end of the year. The marketing arm of the film, however, is based entirely on the most shallow elements of its presentation. The only thing most people knew about it going in is that Ryan Gosling, Chris Evans, and Ana de Armas starred and that the Russo brothers directed. The posters and the ads featured little about the narrative or source material and a ton about the stars. It's not a vehicle to further the big names' careers, it's using their clout and goodwill to promote the film all on its own. And this is a pattern for Netflix's films.

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