Netflix Originals shouldn’t be considered for Academy Awards

There has been much heated debate about whether Netflix Originals should be considered for the Academy Awards. Many top directors, writers and film scholars have spoken on the issue.

Netflix has been making waves in the film industry ever since the release of its first original film, “Beasts of No Nation,” three years ago. In 2015, Netflix released the feature both in theaters and on its streaming service, which was an unprecedented move in the industry. Since then, Netflix has continued to challenge the accepted process of releasing movies.

Its original documentaries have been nominated several times by the Academy, most recently with the 2018 award for Best Documentary Feature going to Netflix’s “Icarus.” “Okja” with Jake Gyllenhaal and Paul Dano was entered into the Cannes Film Festival.

Here’s the problem: the festival is held in Cannes, France, but none of Netflix’s films were scheduled for theatrical release in France at any time. This is where legendary director Stephen Spielberg’s issue lies.

“Once you commit to a television format, you’re a TV movie. You certainly, if it’s a good show, deserve an Emmy, but not an Oscar,” he said in an interview. “I don’t believe films that are just given token qualifications in a couple of theaters for less than a week should qualify for the Academy Award nomination.”

While Spielberg admits he can’t deny the quality with which Netflix crafts their films, he says there must be a line drawn between what can and can’t be considered for an Oscar. In other words, Spielberg isn’t happy with the way Netflix has tried to cheat their way around the industry guidelines. Even director Christopher Nolan called such release plans “bizarre” and “mindless.”

Cannes director Thierry Frémaux is not on board with Netflix films being nominated for Academy Awards, either.

“(I)n order for a film to become part of history, it must go through theaters, box office, the critics, the passion of cinephiles, awards campaigns, books, directories, filmographies. All this is part of a tradition on which the history of film is based,” he said.

I think anyone who appreciates film enough to question Netflix’s actions would agree with Fremaux. The industry has developed a particular path to legitimacy that a film must travel on before it can be fully appreciated and possibly win an Oscar (or several). Netflix’s radical business model seems to have turned the industry on its head.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has already met to discuss the topic. In fact, the Academy found the topic so important that it was forced to call a members-only meeting — only the second of such meetings in its 90-year history.

The Academy has opened its heart to Netflix’s already fantastic catalog of documentaries, but it is much more hesitant when it comes to original narratives. Some academy members believe Netflix is failing to abide by the guidelines of what constitutes an eligible feature.

During the aforementioned meeting, one member of the Academy claimed that allowing Netflix into the major categories might ultimately lead to “a cheapening of the Oscar.” This is a fair point and begs the question: just how good are Netflix’s Originals?

Before that question can be answered, it’s best to take a look at Netflix major rival: Amazon Studios. The Oscars have embraced Amazon’s features with much more ease than Netflix’s, simply because the studio behaves much like a traditional Hollywood studio. The films are released theatrically, then on home video, then streaming.

Following this pattern, Amazon has been awarded three Oscars so far in major categories, with two wins in 2017 for “Manchester by the Sea” and one for “The Salesman.”

But while Amazon has sought to follow status quo in order to gain respect from the Academy, Netflix continues to disrupt the industry by never participating in a theatrical release before making its films available on streaming.

Netflix’s behavior may come as a frustration to the Oscars, but its popularity is undeniable. And if the Academy continues to neglect Netflix features as it grows stronger in production and popularity, than it will appear elitist and out-of-touch with modern audiences.

Michael O’Connor is a freshman television, radio and film major. His column appears biweekly. He can be reached at moconn03@syr.edu