By: Reed Morris

The Background

Netflix has become a household name for most of the western world. With almost 200 million subscribers worldwide, it’s no surprise that the company is leading the world in paid video streaming. Recently however, Netflix’s throne atop the mountain of the streaming giants has begun to teeter. More and more of Netflix’s market share has started to slip away to other services such as: Amazon’s ‘Prime Video’, Disney+, Apple TV+, Hulu, and HBO Max. This shift of market share was expected, but Netflix just might not be able to keep up.

The Paradigm Shift

While Netflix has been in the lead for years now, the content that consumers are looking for has started to change. In the past, most streaming services focused on recycled content. Netflix and other streaming services have focused their money and resources on licensing and advertising, which in itself cost a lot of money. The problem for Netflix is that this model of streaming is becoming more and more outdated. Most new content seen on streaming services is shifting towards original productions.

Netflix has seen many large successes in original content such as shows like ‘Outer Banks’ and ‘Squid Game’, but those were extremely viral outliers. Most of Netflix’s original content goes mostly unseen or ignored. The biggest problem for Netflix, regarding original content, is the cost. The cost to write, produce, and finish a TV show or movie well exceeds the amount of money needed to buy the licensing rights to a TV show or movie that already exists.

The Competition

The main reason Netflix doesn’t have a huge chance at staying atop the streaming throne is due to who they’re competing with. While Netflix is currently valued at a market cap of $166 Billion, it’s competing against global tech conglomerates such as Apple, valued at $2.8 Trillion, and Amazon, valued at $1.65 Trillion, as well as entertainment superpower Disney, valued at a more manageable $253.9 Billion. Netflix does not stand any sort of chance against companies with such unimaginably deep pockets.

The Rise of Amazon Prime Video

As of March 2022, Amazon has struck a deal with the massive production company Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) to purchase the company for $8.5 Billion. This buyout brings up a lot of questions about anti-trust, and extreme monopolistic behaviors in itself, but that’s a problem for another day.

This buyout by Amazon is a huge threat to Netflix and every other streaming platform out there. Not only does the acquisition of a professional and self sustainable film studio give Amazon a huge advantage over other services, they also carried over all of the intellectual property owned by MGM. This includes franchises such as James Bond, Rocky, and Stargate. Similarly, a myriad of other iconic films and TV shows were acquired through the buyout. Amazon, a trillion dollar company, can now produce large amounts of quality original content for both streaming and theaters, cementing Amazon’s place as a future leader in the streaming industry.

The Future

Like most other massive corporate buyouts, a lot of ethics and legalities are brought into question. Even though the FTC has yet to rubber stamp the acquisition, based on similar (questionably monopolistic) buyouts earlier this year, they won’t have a problem in doing so. If it does go through, Amazon will start to pump out more and more original content for consumers to watch. Unless Netflix can pull off something similar, their throne at the top will be toppled, and Amazon Prime Video will take the throne as the new King.

By: Eva Olson

‘Say Anything’ is a late 80’s rom-com starring John Cusack as Lloyd Dobler and Ione Skye as Diane Court. This movie is about Lloyd and Diane’s journey and the struggles of having Diane’s possessive single father always on their backs and doubting them.

This movie was very funny, mainly because of Lloyd. He found a way to make jokes during even the most serious scenes. One of my favorite scenes was when Lloyd had dinner with Diane’s father and his friends.

I really liked Lloyd and Diane’s dynamic and how Diane was kind of hesitant at first about Lloyd, but he was so persistent and eventually won her over.

All the characters were super funny too, including Lloyd’s friends. I really liked the cast and thought it was cool that both Joan and John Cusack were in the movie and played siblings (because they’re siblings in real life).

The plot was very entertaining because of all of the conflict surrounding Diane’s father. It was interesting to see how their relationship changed throughout the movie, because at the beginning they would tell each other absolutely everything but in the end, Diane finds out her father has been hiding something huge from her.

I loved being able to finally watch the famous boombox scene that has been referenced in so many other shows and movies. In this scene they are broken up and Lloyd stands outside Diane’s window blasting music while she’s trying to sleep.

Overall, I enjoyed watching this movie and thought it was really good. I recommend this movie to anyone who’s a fan of 80’s movies and rom-coms. I really liked how they ended the movie making it so you could imagine what was going to happen. I would give this movie a 4⁄5 star rating. You can watch this movie on HBO Max.

By: Abdihakim Mohamoud

The reimagining of the popular ’90s sitcom ‘The Fresh Prince’ has taken thousands of fans by surprise. Although the original show was a comedy, the new ‘Bel Air’ show takes a darker, more intense take on ‘The Fresh Prince’.

Here are some of the key differences between the two shows, and how they compare to each other.

The reboot, which was inspired by a fan-made trailer of what ‘The Fresh Prince’ would look like today, takes the original sitcom to dramatic heights. One of the main differences is the newer shower digging deeper into Will’s past, and explores his life back in Philadelphia. ‘Bel-Air’ gives viewers a significant reason for his leaving Philadelphia; he was involved in a gunfight which led to a gang leader threatening him. This forced Will to leave Philadelphia and move in with his uncle and aunt in Bel-Air.

Another key difference between ‘Bel-Air’ and ‘The Fresh Prince’ was how Carlton is/was portrayed. In the original show, Carlton was a harmless character, however, in the reboot, Carlton is one of the antagonists. In the first few episodes, Carlton is intent on embarrassing Will, as he humiliates him in front of the entire school. Carlton also becomes incredibly jealous about Will and his uncle Philip Banks’s relationship, because Philip is his actual father.

All in all, the newer, more dramatic version of ‘The Fresh Prince’ has major differences from the original show. Carlton becomes an antagonist and the show digs deep into Will’s previous life back home. The show was criticized by fans at first, claiming that it was unnecessary for one of the most influential shows of all time to be remade. However, after a few episodes, fans quickly realized how different the show was, yet equally as enjoyable.

For more information, please visit:

• https://younghollywood.com/scene/the-5-key-differences-between-bel-air-and-the-fresh-p rince.html
• https://ew.com/tv/fresh-prince-vs-bel-air-character-differences/
• https://www.inquirer.com/news/bel-air-reboot-peacock-fresh-prince-will-smith-20220211 .html

By: Liv Miller

‘In The Heights’ is a musical drama that was released in 2021. It is based off of the Broadway musical written by Lin Manuel Miranda, in which its first performance was put on back in July of 2005. After the musical was a huge success on Broadway, Lin Manuel had the idea to bring it to the big screen.

Some background information on this movie is that ‘In The Heights’ takes place in a community in Manhattan called “Washington Heights” where its population is mainly Latina/Latino. The movie follows certain people in this community, and their lives, family, jobs, dreams, and what they want for themselves in the future.

This movie is very cultural based, and highlights Latino culture through certain styles of music and dance. It also tries to highlight the struggles of a minority community and how they are limited by where they come from and how little opportunities they are given by being a part of that community.

I don’t want to give away much about the movie in my review but I liked how the writers made you feel like you really knew the characters. I got pulled into their stories by the music and by how all of their relationships were written and portrayed. The characters mainly communicated their struggles in the songs which I liked. The writers did a good job with making the viewers invested in the story and feel like they are also a part of the community that is featured in the “heights”. The way the characters all interacted like a family made me sympathize with them and connect with the characters more.

I noticed that at the beginning of the movie most of the characters either were struggling with achieving their goals, didn’t know what their goals/dreams were, or hadn’t made an effort to achieve them yet. Throughout the movie I saw each character gain a better understanding of their dreams, and by the end saw a majority of the characters happy with how their life had turned out.

Overall, I really liked the movie. It was cool to watch because it centered around a type of community that’s never really been highlighted in other musicals and films. I liked that the storyline was very realistic and it’s based off of a real place and real issues that are happening in certain communities. I also liked the music and dance styles they included in the movie, because it highlighted the culture of the people this story was about, instead of just having the classic music and dance styles typically used in other musicals.

If you want to see ‘In The Heights’ it is available on Hulu and HBO Max.

By: Samera Adam

Ava DuVernay produced, co-wrote, and directed ‘When They See Us’, a four-part Netflix original crime drama miniseries that premiered on May 31, 2019. It is based on the 1989 Central Park jogger case and follows the lives and families of the five Black male suspects. The five were wrongfully convicted and prosecuted for the rape and abuse of a white woman in New York City.

The show starts off with the 5 main characters Raymond, Kevin, Korey, Yusef, and Antron hanging around in their neighborhood of Harlem. At this point of the story none of them have met yet, except for the 2 best friends Yusuf and Korey. It continues with them and their different friend groups all heading for Central Park after sunset. They didn’t know that by going to the park, they were walking into trouble.

Instantly, when the groups got to the park, policemen surround the boys, and the groups they were with. The majority of the boys were able to run away but Antron and Raymond were tackled down. While Kevin, the tiniest one, was beaten with a helmet. The 3 boys were then taken to the precinct where they were interrogated for hours.

Korey and Yusuf thought that they had gotten away; they were wrong.

Days later, Yusuf and Korey were stopped by a group of policemen walking back home. Yusuf “fit the description” so was taken for questioning. The police officer then told Korey he could leave unless he just wanted to tag along and keep his friend company. Which as a loyal friend, he did. 

During the long period that they were interrogated, they all somehow told the cops what they wanted to hear (some were told to do so by family or lawyers), as a group of scared teens will do. They were then recorded and they played their fake confessions in court where they were taken to trial.

The show then continues with all their different experiences with being incarcerated and finally getting freed after the actual rapist came out with the truth.

By: Ava Olson

This movie, starring Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne (Batman), follows his journey of training with Ra’s Al Guhl and the League of Shadows then leaving to try and help Gotham. This movie shows his backstory including how he gets his suit and how and why he becomes Batman.

I really enjoyed how much we learned about Bruce Wayne and his struggles throughout this movie, like his childhood trauma. It was cool to see how he got his suit and batmobile and why he chose the bat as his symbol.

I liked how the movie really showed that Batman was still learning and getting the hang of being Batman. He still made mistakes along the way and took a lot of risks.

The main villain in this movie was Scarecrow, played by Cillian Murphy. He did a great job and I thought his weapon, the psychedelic drug that causes people to experience their deepest traumas, was very interesting and unique.

The plot was very engaging and had many different layers to it. It kept me intrigued throughout the whole film and I never felt bored. I found all the different characters very compelling and I thought the casting was pretty well done.

The visual effects look a little funny watching it today because of how much we’ve improved with them, but they were good for their time. I loved watching this and seeing all the differences between all the different Batman’s including the newest one starring Robert Pattinson.

Overall, I liked this movie and thought it did a great job of showing people Batman’s backstory. This movie is the first of the Christoper Nolan Batman movies so you don’t need to watch anything beforehand to understand it. I would recommend this to any action movie fan or people who want to know more about Batman. I would give this movie 3.5/5 stars. You can watch this movie on Netflix or HBO Max.

By: Samera Adam

‘Tall Girl 2’ is a Netflix movie. 

Jodi and Dunkleman’s relationship begins on a sweet note, with the two exchanging romantic moments. As a result of her speech at the Homecoming dance, Jodi has become one of the most popular students at school, high-fiving other students instead of being invisible. 

Her increased celebrity and wanting to appear in the spring musical, proved to be major stumbling obstacles in her relationship with Dunkleman. 

She is battling her own concerns and suffering from anxiety attacks. Jodi is exited and nervous after earning the lead role of Kim in the musical ‘Bye Bye Birdie.’ 

Her insecurities are speaking to her through an inner voice. In ‘Bye Bye Birdie’, Tommy plays the lead alongside Jodi.

Jodi is a typical person dealing with adolescent issues. She carries a lot of weight on her shoulders between the person she’s dating, her pals, bullying, the musical, and her worried parents. She’s under a lot of stress and is very exhausted. 

By focusing on her self-assurance, Jodi was able to silence that negative voice. She prefers to be ruled by her thoughts rather than the other way around. Her parents go above and beyond to ensure their children’s success. 

Others are dealing with their own insecurities, while Jodi is fighting negative thoughts in her head.

Harper, Jodi’s older sister, is attempting to show that she can do more than compete in beauty pageants. Fareeda, Jodi’s best friend, hopes that her parents would support her dream of becoming a fashion designer. The relationship between Dunkleman, Fareeda, and Jodi is frequently questioned. 

Overall, I think that the movie was a little boring because it had too many unnecessary details. So I’d have to give it a rating of 3/5

By: Abdihakim Mohamoud

The famous entrepreneurial themed reality show ‘Shark Tank’ is notorious for enhancing some of the biggest businesses out there. But what exactly does being on the show do for entrepreneurs?

Landing a deal with one of the sharks can obviously lead to tremendous exposure for your company. However, even appearing on the show at all is extremely beneficial marketing-wise. TJ Hale, producer of the ‘Shark Tank Podcast’, reportedly said that even an appearance on the show results in $4-5 million in marketing exposure.

Another former ‘Shark Tank’ appearance, Derek Pacque, is a perfect example of not needing funding to succeed. He turned down a deal from billionaire Mark Cuban for 33% of his coat business, claiming his company wouldn’t grow after the deal. The “Shark Tank Effect” worked its magic, and Pacque ended up at Fashion Week for his first gig.

In recent studies, a mind-boggling 94% of ‘Shark Tank’ appearances were successful after their feature, solidifying that the most obvious reward from appearing is sales. PostureNow and The Bev Buckle did $50,000 and a whopping $300,000+ after they were featured on the show.

Appearing on ‘Shark Tank’, not just produced thousands in sales for entrepreneurs, but also attracted investors who watched the show. However, it is required that business owners must give up 5% of their company just to appear on the show—without guaranteeing traffic to their company.

Not every entrepreneur leaves the show better off than when they arrived. An example of a relatively bad deal is Jay Kriner, who took the shark’s deal, giving up half of his company for $50,000, seemingly undervaluing his equity, and basically giving his company away.

All in all, the majority of entrepreneurs believe that an appearance is very well worth it and beneficial. However, business owners must be aware of the risks that can come with it, and be mindful of the deals they are being offered, and whether it’s worth it or not.

For more information, please visit:

• https://nwirc.com/shark-tank-effect-entrepreneurship/

Anna Sorokin is a Russian-born woman from Germany. Sorokin was born in Russia and moved to Germany when she was young. She later moved to Paris for an internship for the European art and culture magazine ‘Purple’, and relocated to New York in 2014.

Sorokin was sent to jail in 2019 for stealing over $200,000. Sorokin passed herself off as a German heiress by the name of Anna Delavey, with a net worth of 67 million dollars. She defrauded socialites, financial institutions, and hotels.

She was sentenced to jail on eight counts: three counts of grand larceny, and one count of attempted grand larceny. She was released in February 2021, on good behavior and six weeks later she was arrested again for overstaying her visa.

The Netflix series ‘Inventing Anna’ is a nine-part episode created by Shonda Rhimes. The episode starts with a disclaimer “This whole story is completely true. Except for all the parts that are made up.” The show follows the journalist Jessica Pressler, who worked for ‘New York Magazine’, as she investigates Sorokin’s story. The series attempts to tell her story through her friends, or people who thought they were. 

The show shows how Sorokin was able to scam everyone. Her character is portrayed as a visionary who wants to become a businesswoman. The series shows her as a smart woman and genius, but also a master manipulator, a liar, and a hustler who took advantage of others’ kindness.

After the release of the show, she was either loved or hated by the world. Some see her as a hero who felt that the rich got what they deserved, and for others, they felt sorry for the people she scammed. Despite being proven guilty, she said her Anna Delavey Foundation was legit, and that she is not a dumb socialite but a businesswoman.

To watch the Netflix trailer for ‘Inventing Anna’, please visit:

• https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=65xa8TG2G8o