Many people face the difficulty of deciding what to watch, and the Cinema and Streaming newsletter from Olhar Digital, intended for subscribers of the Olhar Digital Club, proposes a more active method to overcome this indecision.
Although the newsletter usually offers weekly suggestions of movies and series, including reflections on them, the current edition focuses on presenting a different approach to content selection.
The author observes that the common choice process is passive: sitting on the sofa, accessing a streaming platform, and repeatedly browsing until something interesting is found. While acknowledging that there is nothing wrong with this behavior, he considers it excessively passive.
He argues that blindly trusting the platforms' algorithms, which are designed to please the user and predict their tastes, can limit diversity and critical thinking, trapping the viewer in a cycle of similar content.
To adopt a more active stance, the author suggests creating personal lists of interests. He uses JustWatch to centralize these lists, solving the problem of having to switch between lists from different streaming services, which previously took about half an hour.
With the list organized on a mobile phone or tablet, the choice becomes quick, taking an average of five minutes, which represents a 300% reduction in mental fatigue compared to passive browsing.
A notable benefit of JustWatch is its filtering capability, allowing navigation by production type (movie or series) and by specific platform (such as Netflix or HBO Max) in just a few clicks.
Despite being useful, JustWatch has flaws, such as using Portuguese from Portugal in titles and a rough scrolling experience, although the author believes the effort is worth it.
In addition to managing the catalog, the author uses criteria such as balancing platforms (for example, after watching two Netflix series, opting for something from Prime Video) and creating thematic 'playlists', connecting stories by themes and aesthetics.
He exemplifies this with a 'medieval wave', where he watched 'Odyssey' and the third season of 'House of the Dragon', followed by 'Seven Kingdoms Knight' and 'God of War: Ragnarök', based on thematic and universal connections.
Recently, he structured a 'hero wave' in preparation for the release of 'VisionQuest' on Disney+ and to watch 'Lanterns' on HBO Max, planning a controlled marathon to take advantage of both releases according to his preferences.
The main message of the report is to encourage the reader to reflect on what they want to consume, note down their interests, and make deliberate choices, as this significantly increases engagement with the content without harming intellect.
In other highlighted news, director Paul Thomas Anderson filmed a movie about the Cameron Winter show, which will premiere at the New York Film Festival on October 1st. There are also mentions of historical films, such as Dwight Eisenhower's dilemma during the Normandy invasion, and biographies, such as George Washington's first steps.
Other productions mentioned include a family drama about friends traveling to Portugal, and a romantic comedy inspired by an 18th-century book, involving a love triangle.
