Charlie Warzel talks with Atlantic film critic David Sims about Netflix's strange, sweeping arc: from red DVD envelopes to a streaming colossus with 325 million subscribers. Sims explains how Hollywood initially shrugged off streaming as a novelty, only to watch Netflix reshape both distribution and the aesthetics and economics of entertainment itself. Together, they discuss the rise of binge culture, data-driven green-lighting, and the tension between prestige projects and 'second screen' slop built for distracted viewers. The conversation also examines Netflix's stance toward theaters, its aborted bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, and the deeper question haunting the industry: Has Netflix simply exploited technological inevitabilities'or has it rewired our expectations of what movies and television are supposed to be' David Sims: When Hulu and HBO and all the other streamers start to crop up later in the game, it's kind of like: You have Netflix, and then maybe you try another one....
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