Hacker Cinema
Irish Wish
2024 · Film · 94 min
Directed by Janeen Damian
Maddie's dream guy is days away from marrying her best friend when a wish for true love made on an ancient stone in Ireland magically alters her fate.
3 negative1 neutralfrom 4 commenters
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4 comments on Hacker News
Dialogue is getting worse and worse in almost all newer films and series.
Netflix boss tells writers to “have this character announce what they’re doing so that viewers who have this program on in the background can follow along.”
https://www.nplusonemag.com/issue-49/essays/casual-viewing/
“Several screenwriters who’ve worked for the streamer told [the author] a common note from company executives is “have this character announce what they’re doing so that viewers who have this program on in the background can follow along.” (“We spent a day together,” Lohan tells her lover, James, in Irish Wish. “I admit it was a beautiful day filled with dramatic vistas and romantic rain, but that doesn’t give you the right to question my life choices. Tomorrow I’m marrying Paul Kennedy.” “Fine,” he responds. “That will be the last you see of me because after this job is over I’m off to Bolivia to photograph an endangered tree lizard.”)”
Sounds like all new productions reading this. We really live in idiocracy.
To be fair to the professional critics, they are writing prose that helps their readers decide if they will like a movie, not just giving it a good/bad review. Looking at the reviews that RT considers fresh, most of them are honest with their readers about what the movie is (“hallmark”, “formulaic”), but consider it a watchable entry in that genre.
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/irish_wish/reviews
This is likely being blown way out of proportion. I'm not defending this behavior but the article listed exactly one example: Irish Wish. I'm sure it appeals to a certain audience but it's not what I, personally, would call peak cinema.
My guess is that this guidance was given to a specific writer or person in charge of a specific genre.
"Such slipshod filmmaking works for the streaming model, since audiences at home are often barely paying attention. Several screenwriters who’ve worked for the streamer told me a common note from company executives is “have this character announce what they’re doing so that viewers who have this program on in the background can follow along.” (“We spent a day together,” Lohan tells her lover, James, in Irish Wish. “I admit it was a beautiful day filled with dramatic vistas and romantic rain, but that doesn’t give you the right to question my life choices. Tomorrow I’m marrying Paul Kennedy.” “Fine,” he responds. “That will be the last you see of me because after this job is over I’m off to Bolivia to photograph an endangered tree lizard.”)
One tag among Netflix’s thirty-six thousand microgenres offers a suitable name for this kind of dreck: “casual viewing.” Usually reserved for breezy network sitcoms, reality television, and nature documentaries, the category describes much of Netflix’s film catalog — movies that go down best when you’re not paying attention, or as the Hollywood Reporter recently described Atlas, a 2024 sci-fi film starring Jennifer Lopez, “another Netflix movie made to half-watch while doing laundry.” A high-gloss product that dissolves into air. Tide Pod cinema."