Matt Damon says Netflix asks for the plot to be repeated “three or four times” because people are easily distracted watching movies at home.
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The Rip actor – who was joined by his collaborator Ben Affleck to promote the new crime‑thriller – reflected on how streaming has reshaped the way filmmakers are expected to construct stories.
Speaking on The Joe Rogan Experience, Damon said: “You’re watching in a room, the lights are on, other s***’s going on, the kids are running around, the dogs are running around, whatever it is.
“It’s just a very different level of attention that you’re willing, or that you’re able, to give to it.”
He continued: “The standard way to make an action movie that we learned was, you usually have three set pieces — one in the first act, one in the second, one in the third.
“You spend most of your money on that one in the third act. That’s your finale. And now they’re like, ‘Can we get a big one in the first five minutes? We want people to stay.'”
He then explained that the streaming giant wants “the plot three or four times in the dialogue because people are on their phones while they’re watching.”
The 55-year-old star insisted: “It’s going to really start to infringe on how we’re telling these stories.”
However, Affleck doesn’t believe it’s necessary.
Referring to the hit 2025 psychological crime drama Adolescence, he explained: “But then you look at Adolescence, and it didn’t do any of that s***.
“And it’s f****** great. And it’s dark too. It’s tragic and intense. [It’s about] this guy who finds out his kid is accused of murder. There are long shots of the back of their heads. They get in the car, nobody says anything.”
The 53-year-old star added: “It demonstrates that you don’t need to do any of that s*** to get people [to watch].”
He was adamant: “People are still going to go to the movies because of what you said. It feels like a cool thing to do. I’m going to go see The Odyssey, I guarantee you, in a theatre no matter what.”