Why 90s Movies Feel More Alive Than Anything on Netflix

Bias, Memory, and Nostalgia

• Many argue the “90s magic” is largely survivorship and recency bias: only the best 90s films are remembered, just as people mostly see today’s disposable streaming output.
• Others push back: they remember disliking many films in earlier decades too and feel a real qualitative decline, not just faulty memory.

Modern Cinema vs 90s Blockbusters

• Several commenters say post-2010 blockbusters rarely match 70s–90s tentpoles (Jaws, Aliens, Jurassic Park, The Matrix, Gladiator), especially in spectacle that still feels grounded.
• Others note that plenty of excellent recent films exist (including non‑US, indie, and arthouse); the issue is mostly with mainstream Hollywood franchises.

Streaming, Netflix, and “Casual Viewing”

• Netflix is singled out as optimizing for background watching: executives reportedly ask writers to have characters verbally spell out actions so phone-distracted viewers can follow.
• Some argue this “second-screen” design flattens nuance and subtly changes pacing and dialogue.
• Others say similar pressures always existed for TV (e.g., viewers folding laundry, channel surfing).

Attention, Smartphones, and Audience Behavior

• Strong complaints about smartphone distraction: people routinely half-watch movies while scrolling, and some see this as corrosive to both attention spans and the types of films that get funded.
• Others think the larger issue is risk-averse studios chasing metrics and IP safety rather than phones per se.

Writing, Structure, and Length

• Many feel modern big-budget writing is shallow: overexplained, trope-driven, and excessively serialized; villains, heroes, and arcs feel one-note.
• Complaints about bloat: runtimes stretching well past 2 hours, versus tight 90-minute 80s/90s films that didn’t overstay their welcome.
• Some genres (horror, drama) are viewed as still strong; broad comedies and mid-budget “adult” movies are seen as weaker or rarer.

Visual Style: Cinematography, Lighting, and Audio

• Multiple comments say older films feel more “real” because of:
  • Eye-level, longer shots with multiple characters in frame.
  • Less frenetic cutting.
  • Practical lighting and shadows instead of uniform, graded “aesthetic” images.
• Digital cameras and low-light capability reduced deliberate lighting; heavy color grading, shallow depth of field, and haze/fog create a creamy but generic look.
• Bad foley and dialogue mixing in many modern productions subtly erode realism.

CGI, Practical Effects, and Franchises

• Overuse of CGI is blamed for weightless action and aging visuals, and for enabling scripts to be finished in post.
• Older action (practical stunts, car crashes) is seen as more visceral; some modern exceptions like Fury Road are praised.
• Franchises, sequels, cinematic universes, and global-market pandering are widely viewed as encouraging safe, homogenized stories rather than the risk-taking associated with many 90s classics.