The Netflix Effect

S4 Close Reading Revision

1. Explain why a cult grew around Bryan Singer’s film “The Usual Suspects”. 2

• Everyone who saw it wanted to make sure that it wasn’t spoiled for anyone (1)

• …so that they could appreciate the shock ending, too. (1)

2. Summarise the difference between the 90s audience and today’s audience. 2

• The 90s audience hated the idea that people might want to ruin a great shock in a film and considered it almost a crime. (1)

• Today nobody would take this seriously and might even post it online themselves. (1)

3. What is the website spoilers.netflix.com for? 1• A website where

people can reveal important plot points of films and TV shows without any guilt. (1)

4. In what ways can spoilers be seen as a good thing? 3

• It simply alters the way you look at a show or film (1)

• It can change the atmosphere if you know what’s going to happen. (1)

• It means you focus on how the story plays out rather than just the story itself. (1)

5. What type of entertainment does the writer consider Netflix to support the most? 1

• Shows that run for a while and have many seasons (1)

• Any rewording of “long-form TV”

6. What does the writer mean by the use of the word “timeshifted” and why is it appropriate in this case? 2

• “timeshifted” means that people can watch things now at any time rather than just when the TV channels choose to air it. (1)

• References to “iPlayer” – a service that lets viewers catch up on missed TV – and “pirate streams” – the ability to download shows which have not aired yet in the viewer’s country – help to reach this conclusion.

• It is appropriate because the article is about Netflix, which allows people to watch at any time they want. (1)

7. How might spoilers change film-making? 3

• Shocking endings may stop being interesting to many viewers (1)

• Plot-driving or plot-diverting devices may become more common (1)• Reference to

“MacGuffins and red herrings”

• Stories many be told in a different order (1)

8. How does the writer use word choice in paragraph 3 to show that he considers spoilers as a way of ruining the experience of watching a film? 2

• “eternally evil”• Eternally = lasts forever• Evil = cruel or malicious• Suggests that he

considers the concept of ruining films as one that will always be a horrible act.

• “robbing of innocence”• Suggests that the viewer

is having the simple enjoyment of watching a film stolen from them.

• It also implies that those who do this are cynical and cannot see the good in anything.

9. Explain why the writer’s use of imagery in paragraph 4 helps the reader to understand how spoilers can alter

the viewing experience. 3• “colours it in a new shade”

– Just as painting something in a new colour would make it seem different, so too do spoilers make audience look at the film differently

– Suggests that spoilers do not ruin the film but instead makes the audience come at it from a new angle. It means you can now look for things that build up towards the ending.

• “cuts the narrative tension and makes it go slack”– Just as a very taught rope would go loose if cut, so too does the tension in a story once

the reader knows the ending– Suggests that the audience can more fully enjoy the film if they are not worrying

about the safety of the characters involved• “becomes about the journey, rather than the destination”

– Just as a trip can be enjoyable even if you know where you’re going, so too can watching a film be enjoyable, even if you know the ending.

– Suggests that it doesn’t really matter if you know the ending, it should be about appreciating everything that the film-makers have put in in the lead-up to that ending.

10. How does the writer use word choice to create a contrast between a world with spoilers

and one without in paragraph 5? 4• World with spoilers:

– “sophisticated viewers”– Suggests that knowing the endings can force us to think

about it more and try to work out how we got there.– “unshackled”– Suggests that viewers are now free from the typical types of

entertainment we were once used to.• World without spoilers:

– “tyranny of the three-act structure”– Suggests that we are controlled by simple plots and the

demand that everything must be the same

11a. Who would be likely to read this article? 1

• Teenagers• Film buffs• British or American• People who work in

film or television

11b. Referring to evidence from the passage, justify your answer. 2

• Teenagers– Reference to “Instagram”, “iPlayer” and other digital media – Netflix

itself– These are online outlets that are primarily popular with teens.

• Film buffs– Reference to “The Usual Suspects” and the buzz around that.– Also references to endings of other popular films and TV shows –

“World War Z”, “Twin Peaks”, “The Hunger Games”, etc– These are all things with shocking endings or reveals – fans of these

will already know them and be able to understand why it would be cruel to spoil them

• British or American viewers– All films and shows are either British or American

12a. What was the writer’s purpose in writing this article? Justify your answer with evidence from the text. 2

• To show that spoilers don’t have to be something truly horrible anymore.• Title – “Why don’t we

care about spoilers anymore”

• Rhetorical questions – “Can spoilers change the way we enjoy a story, or even enhance it?”

12b. Explain how effective you think the writer has been in achieving his aims. Justify your answer with reference to the

passage. 2

• Very effective• Use of statistics

– “76% of the 2000-odd respondents said that spoilers were now just a part of life, and 94% would carry on watching a film or TV show even if they’d had it spoiled for them.”

• Shows that the opinions around spoilers are changing – writer then goes on to develop this idea and show why people would keep watching after having it spoiled for them.

• Conclusion which refers to his opening point– “But let’s be clear: if you give away the ending of the Usual Suspects with the

excuse that it’s just part of our post-spoiler milieu, you’re still a bad person.”• Creates humour as even though he has been defending spoilers in

today’s society, he still thinks that the 90s films with shocking endings should be savoured.

Important Things to Note

• A LOT more understanding questions!– This means you have to be ace when it comes to

answering in your own words.• New questions about audience and purpose.– You must be sure to back this up with evidence!

• Some questions are worth a lot of marks.– Double check that you’re always writing enough.

• Still barely anybody answering in bullet points– You just won’t get finished if you don’t give this a try

• LEAVE NO BLANK SPACES AT ALL!!!