Netflix vs. the World

A documentary on entertainment / streaming company Netflix. The film starts with the early history of in-home movie viewing, from early video distribution to DVDs, and how against this landscape Netflix has its origins. Netflix's long battle with Blockbuster is documented in detail.

A well-made, interesting documentary on an organisation that revolutionised entertainment. While most people know it as a streaming service, it started life as a mail order DVD company. It is here that most of the film is concentrated: the concept and business model, the start-up troubles, the competition with Blockbuster. A great study in how to start a company and not just survive but thrive.

While the early days and the Blockbuster battle are covered in detail I would have liked more detail on the move to digital streaming as this was, for me, the truly revolutionary point of Netflix's path. The streaming side is essentially just mentioned as something that happened: there's no detail on the research and development that went into it.

Still, very informative and engaging.