(UDHAYAM, COLOMBO) – The streaming-video leader hopes to change that starting next week with the high-profile release of “War Machine” starring Brad Pitt.
Netflix “appears to believe that it can win the streaming content race on volume over quality, with its movie slate receiving consistently low Metacritic scores,” Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter said in a note Monday.
By contrast, rival Amazon.com has a higher batting average for quality films, but has released fewer movies, Pachter said. Its four most recent movies have received Metacritic scores between 83 and 96 on a 100-point scale, with two winning Academy Awards – “Manchester by the Sea” and “The Salesman.”
Of the 10 original movies Netflix released in the first quarter, only four were scored by Metacritic and all of them scored below 70, Pachter said. Netflix plans to release 10 more original movies in the second quarter.
Netflix has been putting a greater emphasis on its movies lately.
In March, Netflix hired film industry veteran Scott Stuber to guide and grow the company’s original film initiative. He is former vice chairman of worldwide production of Universal Studios, a unit of Comcast (CMCSA).
Netflix’s upcoming movie release slate includes some heavy hitters.
First up is the satirical war film “War Machine,” based on the nonfiction book “The Operators” by Michael Hastings. It’s due out May 26.
South Korean-American action-adventure film “Okja” will follow on June 28. It is directed by Bong Joon-ho, best known for “Snowpiercer.”
Other major Netflix movie releases this year include “Mute,” “First They Killed My Father,” “Death Note” and “Bright.”
Netflix stock slid 0.4% to close at 159.41 on the stock market today. Amazon added 0.9% to end the trading session at 966.07.
