Netflix and Tech
Last month, Netflix announced that it lost over 200,000 subscribers in the last quarter — a revelation that fell its share price by 35% in one day. While this was caused by many factors, including their investment in terrible Netflix Originals and remakes, there was one area where they didn’t miss the mark: tech documentaries.
Over the years, there have been a couple of entertaining features on Netflix that reflect the tech industry. In that vein, we introduce an alternative to Netflix and chill: “Netflix and tech.” Binge-watching tech documentaries is a great way we can keep up to date with the recent developments within the sector and make the right choices in the future. Here are some of our favourites:
1. The Social Dilemma
Rated 85% on Rotten Tomatoes, The Social Dilemma is an award-winning docudrama released in 2020. It features tech experts from Facebook, Twitter, Google, Mozilla, and other Silicon Valley companies in an exposé about the damage done by social media through surveillance capitalism and data mining. It examines how companies use social media to get users addicted and manipulate their views, emotions, and behaviors to maximize profit.
The Social Dilemma won Best Social Impact Film in March 2020 at the Boulder International Film Festival (BIFF) and has been nominated for many other awards.
Watch The Social Dilemma | Netflix Official Site
2. The Great Hack
The 2016 US presidential election was a widely contested and tense affair. Besides introducing the world to the antics of Donald Trump, it unearthed many skeletons in the cupboard of American and British politics. The Great Hack explores how Cambridge Analytica, a data company, came to symbolize the dark side of social media in the wake of the election, as uncovered by journalist Carole Cadwalladr.
The 2019 documentary is rated 85% on Rotten Tomatoes with a review aggregator that reads “The Great Hack offers an alarming glimpse of the way data is being weaponized for political gain.”
It was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Documentary Or Nonfiction Special by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and nominated for Best Documentary by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.
Watch The Great Hack | Netflix Official Site
3. Life 2.0
At this point, you might be tired of the talk about social media. Released in 2010, when social media played a smaller role in our lives, Life 2.0 is a feature-length documentary that follows a group of people whose lives are dramatically transformed by a virtual world — reshaping relationships, identities, and ultimately the very notion of reality. It takes a deep and thought-provoking dive into the future of human life extension, breakthroughs in interspecies communication, the rise of “cyborgism,” existing in virtual reality, and more.
4. Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine
We might not all use Apple products, but we’re all familiar with Steve Jobs, the innovator, and businessman who founded the company. Directed and produced by Alex Gibney, Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine is a 2015 documentary film about Steve Jobs that explores his life. It has emotional interviews conducted with Steve Jobs himself before his passing.
As described by Godfrey Cheshire, the documentary contains some “very emotional interview material that couldn’t be equaled by the printed page.”
Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine - DVD Netflix
5. Lo and Behold: Reveries of the Connected World
This documentary tells the story of the Internet, its history, benefits, and downsides over the years. It explores the philosophy of technology and discusses the relationship humans have had with tech, including the way it has impacted human interaction and the ways it will continue to impact contemporary society.
It is one of the best tech documentaries and on Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a 93% approval rating based on 141 reviews, with an average rating of 7.5 out of 10.
Lo and Behold: Reveries of the Connected World - DVD Netflix
6. NOVA: CyberWar Threat
Every day, the prospect of cyber warfare increases. As the world has found out with the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the concept is far from fictional.
NOVA is a brilliant documentary for those interested in cyberwar. It examines the science and technology behind cyber warfare and questions whether a deadly new arms race has already arrived. The 2015 documentary is short but offers an engaging watch as defense experts and investigative journalists narrate the world of strategic hacking and the dangers they pose to everything from food factories to gas pipelines, power plants, and chemical facilities.
"Nova" Cyberwar Threat (TV Episode 2015) - IMDb
7. Inside Bill’s Brain: Decoding Bill Gates
While this is a less popular feature, the 3-part Netflix original documentary explores the brilliant mind of Bill Gates and the goals he has for his post-Microsoft future, including striving for climate change solutions.
Watch Inside Bill's Brain: Decoding Bill Gates | Netflix Official Site
8. The Social Network
Easily the most critically acclaimed on this list, The Social Network is a biographical drama film that portrays the founding of the popular Facebook site, the lawsuits that followed, and the severed ties along the way. It was adapted from Ben Mezrich’s 2009 book, “The Accidental Billionaires.”
It was chosen by the National Board of Review as the best film of 2010. At the 83rd Academy Awards, it received eight nominations, including for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor for Eisenberg, and won three: Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score, and Best Film Editing. It also received awards for Best Motion Picture — Drama, Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Original Score at the 68th Golden Globe Awards.
Watch The Social Network | Netflix
Forget the narrative that documentaries are boring, the ones listed above are worth your time. Not only will you be entertained by the excellent storytelling in The Social Dilemma, but the amazing lessons one will take away from them. Have a wonderful holiday and don’t forget to share what you enjoyed from these documentaries with us on social media.