Streaming services like Netflix have been proving themselves to be serious competitors for major movies for years now. Within the past few years, Netflix has received multiple Oscar nominations.
This 2019 Oscar Awards will be Netflix’s biggest year at the awards with Alfonso Cuarón’s “Roma,” receiving 10 nominations, including best picture. This is the first time that a Netflix Original film has been nominated for best picture.
Netflix, which started as a DVD peddler in 1997, is now a multimillion dollar company producing quality content in Oscar nominated movies.
“It’s making movies and TV more accessible for different types of people and more kinds of people, it’s gonna increase what people are watching,” Sara LiVecchi, University of Rhode Island senior writing and communications major, said.
This year, “Roma” and “Vice” are tied for the most nominations with a total of 10 nominations. “Roma” allowed Netflix to gain a lot of firsts this year at the Oscars. Along with best picture, “Roma” has received nominations for best director, best actress in a leading role, original screenplay, foreign-language film, production design, sound editing and sound mixing.
Students at URI had overall similar opinions on the film, “Roma.”
“Looks very beautifully made.“It has a lot of emotion and heart put into it,” Omar Laguerre-Lewis, freshman theater major, said.
Laguerre-Lewis had not actually seen the film. He used information that he received from his friends and other people along with watching the trailer.
There have been other Academy Award nominations for Netflix Originals in the past, but they have not been nearly as successful. Netflix has had a documentary nominated every year since 2014. During the 2018 awards season, they won an Oscar for that category with “Icarus.” Netflix has also been nominated annually in the best documentary short category since 2017 with “The White Helmets,” that same year.
A Netflix Original film, however, had never been nominated for anything prior to 2018 when Netflix’s “Mudbound” was nominated for four Oscars. “Mudbound,” was nominated for best supporting actress, best adapted screenplay, best original song and best cinematography. This was the first point where Netflix began to take the form of a serious production company. Clearly taking a larger form this year after receiving the tie for most Oscar nominations.
There are other films that have been nominated for Oscars that are Netflix originals. “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs,” is nominated for three awards. The Coen Brothers film is nominated for best adapted screenplay, best original song and best costume design. Netflix original documentary short, “End Game,” is up for best documentary short subject.
This transition is one to be contended with by the traditional major production companies, as the public sees Netflix as a rising media power.