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All the Good Netflix Movies Are in Canada and Brazil (gizmodo.com)

Posted by msmash on from the best-netflix-experience dept.

Netflix's movie library has declined over the last two years when cross referenced with IMDB's 250 movies list. Earlier this month, we learned that if you were in the United States, Netflix only had 31 of the 250 movies listed on the holy-grail of all movie databases. Gizmodo today reports that if you were in Brazil or Canada, that same library looks a lot better. From the report: According to analysis by both The Streaming Observer and AddonHQ, Canada and Brazil have the best content ecosystems, when it comes to movies on Netflix. But when it comes to good movies, Brazil is tops. The Streaming Observer found that Brazil had 85 movies from IMDb's Top 250 in its library. The site also put together a ridiculously huge chart if you want to see exactly which movies are available on each service. It's worth checking out. Brazil has movies that those of us in America could only dream of streaming, like The Godfather Part II, Fight Club, and The Empire Strikes Back. Mexico and Sweden have solid showings too, with 73 and 70 movies from the IMDb's Top 250 in their respective libraries.

62 of 93 comments (clear)

  1. stories by ecorona · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I care about new content more than watching the same old stuff, which I only watch very rarely. Netflix has great original content for like $10 freaking bucks!

    1. Re:stories by al0ha · · Score: 1

      Agreed and the business model is certainly working for Netflix. Their stock is up more than 20% this week due to greater numbers of new customers than was anticipated by analysts.

      The OG content is top notch - much better than a lot of what traditional Hollywood is putting out these days.

      --
      Did you ever wake up in the morning, with a Zombie Woof behind your eyes? -- FZ
    2. Re:stories by OzPeter · · Score: 1

      I care about new content more than watching the same old stuff, which I only watch very rarely. Netflix has great original content for like $10 freaking bucks!

      There's a lot of good stuff out there on Netflix (or used to be). At time's I've binged on early silent movies, mid 40's detective films, 60's Bollywood, 90's anime, movies from all over South America in Spanish and Portuguese, etc etc etc. All of it good, none of it produced by Netflix and none of it widely available and none of it I had seen before. I think Bollywood in itself produces more movies than Hollywood so the amount of old content out there is staggering and you can't claim to have seen it all before.

      So don't discount stuff just because its old. That just makes you sound like a whining millennial.

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    3. Re:stories by Type44Q · · Score: 1

      Only because Windows is subsidized by blood, sweat and tears. ;)

    4. Re:stories by DigiAngel69 · · Score: 1

      I've watched 2 Netflix original content...the rest I'm totally uninterested in...bring on the good movies.

    5. Re:stories by ecorona · · Score: 1

      You seem very disappointed that new content will reign. There will always be a place for the oldies, but it's not what will drive market forces. I hope you're not somehow dependent on this old model.

    6. Re:stories by ecorona · · Score: 1

      Which 2 original shows? You're definitely missing out on some quality stuff.

    7. Re:stories by Darinbob · · Score: 2

      If I haven't seen a movie from the 50's, then it's still new content to me. I'd rather not have to have $10 for one service, $10 for another, and so on. I did not get premium channels when I had satellite or cable, like HBO or Showtime, so going back to that model of picking and choosing individual content producers feels wrong to me. Problem is that 90% of the stuff is available on all the major streaming channels so subscribing to more than one feels like a waste.

      Of course, I can get movies from the movie "rental" service but they're greatly overpriced. Stuff that's interesting has a "buy" option which is expensive and silly (I don't own it, I only have access while this company in a risky industry stays in business), with the "rent" option for less interesting movies but still typically $5. But since there are enough tv shows on Netflix I haven't yet gone through I don't need to go there anyway. After cutting the cord once my viewing has gone way down overall. A whole lot of "must see" movies I never saw in the theater and which may never be on streaming for many years (same as waiting for it to be on cable). But I can live without that.

    8. Re:stories by Darinbob · · Score: 1

      Aren't these very different things? Netflix has content but no hardware. Kodi is software for hardware but no content. Where is the free and legal content other than over-the-air broadcast?

    9. Re:stories by Darinbob · · Score: 1

      Personally, I want the old model. I have not seen every show ever made. I've got a huge backlog to get through. I don't really care about market forces, the market has never gone the direction that discerning consumers want to go. The market forces are for the masses. Meanwhile Netflix got it's start and rise based upon an atypical market segment (lots of cord cutters).

    10. Re: stories by Darinbob · · Score: 1

      Youtube doesn't have free AND legal movies. Netflix in the US though is primarily an English language service with a large Spanish subset, and isn't really programming to service all possible language groups (though it is better than average with the subtitles). If you want good German language films then maybe a German streaming service would provide that?

    11. Re:stories by JackieBrown · · Score: 1

      It is. That's what, a few pennies an hour? What other paid activity can compare to that?

    12. Re: stories by Shirley+Marquez · · Score: 1

      It would, if it weren't for the problem that the German streaming service probably only has the rights to offer its services in Germany. That's no help to somebody in the US who would like to watch German movies.

  2. I'd guess it's the licensing fees by SensitiveMale · · Score: 2, Interesting

    But that's just a guess. Of course that being said, Netflix is cutting back their shipping hubs. Those fuckers axed the one that was next day away from me and I have to use one a state over that takes 2 to 3 days each way.

    1. Re:I'd guess it's the licensing fees by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      It's not (just) licensing fees, it's licensing deals, like exclusive distribution in certain countries (including the US) for various movies. I guess breaking those deals would be much more costly than the licensing itself, and they are sometimes negotiated for very long periods (years even).

    2. Re:I'd guess it's the licensing fees by Yaztromo · · Score: 2

      But that's just a guess. Of course that being said, Netflix is cutting back their shipping hubs. Those fuckers axed the one that was next day away from me and I have to use one a state over that takes 2 to 3 days each way.

      It's worth noting that outside the US, Netflix doesn't run (and AFAIK has never run) any DVD shipping service. It's been streaming only. So in theory that shut weigh in Netflix US's favour somewhat.

      Yaz

    3. Re:I'd guess it's the licensing fees by OzPeter · · Score: 1

      But that's just a guess. Of course that being said, Netflix is cutting back their shipping hubs. Those fuckers axed the one that was next day away from me and I have to use one a state over that takes 2 to 3 days each way.

      On the other hand I noticed that for my local Netflix hub they seemed to be sending out new discs as soon as the old one was processed by the post office and before it could have arrived back at the hub.

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      I am Slashdot. Are you Slashdot as well?
  3. Not to Be Confused with the Blockbuster... by sycodon · · Score: 1

    ...this grade B knock off is to try and fool you into believing that we carry shit you want to watch.

    --
    When Fascism comes to America, it will call itself Anti-Fascism, and tell you to give up your guns.
  4. Canadian Bacon? by sinij · · Score: 4, Funny

    Blame Canada! Time to invade, or at least drone them, so we can exploit the natural richness of their Netflix offerings.

    1. Re:Canadian Bacon? by elrous0 · · Score: 2

      We tried that once before, and it cost us our Baldwins.

      --
      SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
    2. Re:Canadian Bacon? by JackieBrown · · Score: 1

      Pretty much the only Michael Moore movie I like.

  5. They forgot something by Adriano+ML · · Score: 2

    They should apply the same metrics to a torrent site like thepiratebay, might be interesting...

  6. Grass is always greener by citylivin · · Score: 1

    Funny, because as a canadian, i know several people who have VPNs soley to watch american netflicks. I dont personally watch so i cant compare it but I always thought the american library was more comprehensive becuase everyone always wants to get american netflix (which you need an american CC for and VPN). Seems like a lot of effort, maybe someone who has both could comment on the differences.

    --
    As a potential lottery winner, I totally support tax cuts for the wealthy
    1. Re:Grass is always greener by DarthVain · · Score: 2

      I used to switch to US netflix all the time. There are differences. However it is always changing. It doesn't always make any sense to the actual consumer, half the time I just mumble to myself "must be some weird licencing thing"...

      At any rate one of the big things for me at the time used to be that ALL the Star Trek content was on the US Netflix, whereas on Canadian Netflix had very little (a couple movies, and maybe TOS)...

      At one point switching back and forth I noticed that the latest episodes of Top Gear were on Canadian Netflix, but not US Netflix...

      There there was a time when I started to watch a TV series on Canadian Netflix, only to have it suddenly vanish without warning... Again licencing foolery.

      To be honest it is all just wearisome.

      The latest Star Trek and Netflix BS is the new TV show that CBS is making. Will be in international libraries in Netflix. However not in the US (CBS) or Canada (BELL) because of exclusive licencing deals. Whatever.

    2. Re:Grass is always greener by pr0fessor · · Score: 1

      I watch the free cbs stream it looks like when it finally airs it'll be available on the channel and the stream but not netflix at least until the second season starts and then if it is, it will only be the first season. I have no idea what is available on the paid cbs service but the free version has commercials and the current season of most of their prime time shows.

      I've noticed that not all but some of the shows I like will have the previous season added on netflix just before the new season starts and I can watch the entire previous season and catch up on anything I missed.

    3. Re:Grass is always greener by PrimaryConsult · · Score: 1

      You need an American CC? I live close enough to day trip to Montreal and (I didn't realize it at the time) I had gotten Canada's Netflix catalog without even needing to re-log in. I had started watching 22 Jump Street at the hotel, added it to my watch list and when I got home, *poof* it was gone.

    4. Re:Grass is always greener by Wycliffe · · Score: 1

      To be honest it is all just wearisome.

      This is my opinion exactly. There is no really good option. All the services suck in their own way so everyone is left piecing together a hodgepodge of services. I currently use youtube, amazon prime, redbox, google, and my local library which covers most of what I want. If there is something not covered by that, i occasionally buy it in amazon's larger non-free streaming library. Between amazon prime and redbox, I'm under $15 per month. I wish there was a service (even an ad supported one) that actually covered everything but the best their is right now is amazon's non-free streaming which would probably be acceptable if it wasn't $4 per movie to stream and an even more ridiculous $2 per show to stream. I have yet to find a show that I think is worth $2 per episode.

    5. Re:Grass is always greener by Wraithlyn · · Score: 1

      What I've read is that Canada has better movie selection, but US has better TV show selection.

      --
      "Mind, as manifested by the capacity to make choices, is to some extent present in every electron." -Freeman Dyson
  7. Put your money where your mouth is by mitgib · · Score: 1
    You have two choices, cancel or have a tall cool glass of STFU

    At $10/mo, I find plenty to enjoy whenever I use Netflix, so I keep paying.

    --
    Being a spelling & grammar Nazi is a sign you do not poses the intelligence to contribute to the conversation
  8. Re:wtf Netflix by Yvan256 · · Score: 2, Funny

    As a Canadian, I've seen the new Star Wars and let me give you some spoilers: at the end of the movie, Data totally dies by saving Picard's life!

  9. Both countries have content regulations by WillAffleckUW · · Score: 2, Interesting

    As anyone who is a citizen of either Canada or Brazil (which would include myself and one of my colleagues) could tell you, the main reason is that both Canada and Brazil have major film subsidies and content requirements for any broadcaster of any type, and both countries produce many award winning films.

    Netflix has no choice in the matter. They are required to provide a certain level of movies from the host country to be able to operate there. The fact that these countries subsidize their film industries and produce high quality award winning films is a direct result of this.

    Regulation is good. Lack of regulation leads to the really bad choices on Netflix in the USA, for example.

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    -- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
    1. Re:Both countries have content regulations by WillAffleckUW · · Score: 1

      I have a feeling you fail to realize most people have no idea what a content stream is or how IMDB rates content.

      The reason for being in the IMDB top 250 is awards. Awards tend to go to countries with high film subsidies that are shown in film festivals worldwide.

      Both countries require both film subsidies and content is required to be at a high level of locally qualified films (director, location, key actors, film processing) all of which increases the likelihood of a film getting the awards that would place it in the IMDB top 250.

      But, hey, let's all argue things only film industry people tend to know, or readers of Variety, and forget that this is slashdot not IMDB, and has a different audience.

      --
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    2. Re:Both countries have content regulations by wisnoskij · · Score: 1

      I would be extremely surprised if Canada accounted for as much as 1% of IMDB's top 250. We have produced some good films, but the amount of watchable Canadian Films is minuscule compared to America. The UK is the only country that does OK in comparison to America. Most other countries produce very little that has any Western appeal. Hollywood has gotten very bland, but they still have the shear quantity.

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    3. Re:Both countries have content regulations by wisnoskij · · Score: 4, Informative

      http://top250.info/stats/?6/41...
      In the current 250, ZERO of them come from Canada. A few of them (like 1-2%) Canada helped in the production (mostly in cooperation with some big name countries). Brazil does even worse.

      --
      Troll is not a replacement for I disagree.
    4. Re:Both countries have content regulations by fred6666 · · Score: 2

      That's probably because you only consider movies in English. There are very good movies from Denmark, France, Germany... even in Canada perhaps most good movies are in French.
      And you may not consider that "Western appeal" but there are some good movies from Bollywood and the rest of Asia too.

    5. Re:Both countries have content regulations by Scott+Tracy · · Score: 1

      You have NO idea what you are talking about re: Canada. Netflix has zero, none, nada, Canadian content regulations. Internet has been exempt since 1999, and always will be (probably). You must be from Brazil. http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/arch...

    6. Re:Both countries have content regulations by AHuxley · · Score: 1

      Its the local tax issues that draws in productions and nice city locations that work with crews that ensure the "national" rankings.
      International cast, crew, average plot, remake, its all about the cash spent in conversion and final tax policy.
      Once done the international project has made in Canada on it to keep the tax rate in country.
      If any other nation with pretty cities and locations did the same they could get the same ranking as Canada.

      --
      Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
  10. Do i really need *these* movies on streaming? by AthanasiusKircher · · Score: 2

    Brazil has movies that those of us in America could only dream of streaming, like The Godfather Part II, Fight Club, and The Empire Strikes Back.

    While this is a list of good movies, I'm not sure this is the sort of stuff I'd like Netflix to prioritize. Some people like the new content showing up on streaming services, especially "original" content. I like some of that, but what first made me love Netflix's DVD service years ago was the more obscure stuff -- discovering good movies I hadn't seen before. Even Netflix's streaming service when it first came out had a great selection of old films (usually "classics," but not the most popular ones) as well as really great more recent ones (though not many new releases). I first watched films like Pan's Labyrinth and The Orphanage on Netflix "Instant watch," while rediscovering old classics from more obscure Buster Keaton and Chaplin films to old TV series like Yes, Minister and the classic Sherlock Holmes series with Jeremy Brett.

    Most of that stuff is gone. And frankly, I don't really want to watch this stuff again. People who love these movies probably already have purchased them either on DVD or through some streaming, so they'll permanently have them available.

    And actually, do I really want to watch Godfather Part II again? Sorry, I think it's overrated. (Yes, this is just my opinion.) The two narratives are disconnected, and while I love the early De Niro period piece, the other story is too dark. I love the original Godfather (and have watched it quite a few times), but I sometimes wish I could just except the early period stuff from part II and watch that separately. Fight Club? Are there lots of people who actually WANT to watch that repeatedly? It's a fantastic movie, but it goes in the category of things that are just not pleasant to watch again. And, sorry, but if you're a fan who wants to see The Empire Strikes Back over and over, you probably already own some special collector's edition. (Or, if you're a TRUE fan, you've probably sought out the "Despecialized" version before Lucas messed with it.)

    I'm not saying it wouldn't be good to have such classic films as options on Netflix. But I know they'd be really expensive to have available, and they wouldn't be my priority.

  11. As a Canadian, all I have to say is... by phorm · · Score: 3, Funny

    Sorry

  12. Re:wtf Netflix by sconeu · · Score: 1

    Here's another spoiler... At the end of Titanic, the ship sinks!!!

    --
    General Relativity: Space-time tells matter where to go; Matter tells space-time what shape to be.
  13. Wow, then movies must be horrible by dskoll · · Score: 1

    I live in Canada and the only decent content I've found on Netflix has been TV series and documentaries. The movies are truly awful, for the most part.

  14. Only in Canada, eh? Pity. by Citizen+of+Earth · · Score: 1

    Canadians complain that all of the good TV shows are only available in the US.

  15. Re:Only in Canada, eh? Pity. by hodet · · Score: 1

    If by good you mean reality tv following rednecks around the woods making a harsh living and stirring up the drama, ya US has it all.

  16. Re:Build that wall! by mccrew · · Score: 1

    Heh, build that fire-wall. Make the pirates pay for it!

    --
    Hey, Windows users, there is no such thing as "forward" slash, there is only slash and backslash.
  17. ThePirateBay has 250 out of 250 by PeeAitchPee · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Just torrent from the pink or green skulls to avoid malware. Bonus points for using a VPN.

  18. The alleged "top 250" by stevez67 · · Score: 1

    I went thru the list and frankly they can keep most of them. I would rather Netflix concentrated on a top 250 of all time favorite leading men and leading women and make their catalogs accessible. As the population ages in the USA, this may be a better method to improve the offerings.

    As for the "original content" on Netflix, I find it to be little better than the original content on any other network. Right now they have a couple original hits but each of the traditional networks can say the same.

  19. Re:Only in Canada, eh? Pity. by freeze128 · · Score: 1

    Ironically, a lot of good Sci-fi series are filmed in Canada!

  20. Re:wtf Netflix by Oswald+McWeany · · Score: 1

    As a Canadian, I've seen the new Star Wars and let me give you some spoilers: at the end of the movie, Data totally dies by saving Picard's life!

    I don't believe Data is really dead. The Doctor will fly in on the Tardis and because of some timey-wimey stuff, Data will turn out to be OK.

    --
    "That's the way to do it" - Punch
  21. Re:Only in Canada, eh? Pity. by Oswald+McWeany · · Score: 1

    The majority of Enterprise captains are not American.

    --
    "That's the way to do it" - Punch
  22. "content ecosystem" by eyenot · · Score: 1

    no time of day is not too early to read that horse shit.

    --
    "Stratigraphically the origin of agriculture and thermonuclear destruction will appear essentially simultaneous" -- Lee
  23. Where is the difference by kelemvor4 · · Score: 1

    Is the difference in the top 250 list for the target country or the netflix content available in the target country?

  24. Re:Amazon Prime by kelemvor4 · · Score: 1

    How come we never get to complain about Amazon Prime? Every day there is another article about Netflix, and the same shills post the same comments about the quality of their original content...

    Because there is nothing to complain about ;p

  25. Re:Amazon Prime by kelemvor4 · · Score: 1

    How come we never get to complain about Amazon Prime? Every day there is another article about Netflix, and the same shills post the same comments about the quality of their original content...

    Because there is nothing to complain about ;p

    In all seriousness.. it's probably because people don't buy prime to watch movies. They buy prime for the shipping. The movies thing is just something amazon throws in to say they have an offering. I've never found it to be useful.
    If mcdonalds gave me a crappy dvd with a cheeseburger for the same price, I would ignore the junk, eat my cheeseburger, and go on about my day.
    When people buy netflix it's only because they want to watch something on netflix.

  26. Netflix hasn't been about Movies for years by 91degrees · · Score: 1

    Orange is the New Black and House of Cards have had 4 seasons each and we're constantly seeing new shows with big budgets and high production values.

    Movie fans have already seen Godfather and Empire Strikes back. They'll have a library of DVDs at their disposal. They're not really a huge market. And those that there are often prefer something that they haven't seen.

    TV shows are where it's at.

  27. Re:That's odd by Luthair · · Score: 1

    It doesn't really tell the whole story, the overall collection iirc is ~50% of the US. There are also relatively few popular shows on Netflix. Unfortunately Netflix started blocking out of country users earlier this year.

  28. Re:Only in Canada, eh? Pity. by JustNiz · · Score: 1

    Are they dubbed into English or do they have subtitles? :-)

  29. I've seen them by itamblyn · · Score: 1

    Yes, there are lots of good movies I've already seen on Canadian Netflix. So what?

  30. When? by OneHundredAndTen · · Score: 1

    At least in the US, movies come to, and leave Netflix, all the time. Not Netflix's fault - the stupid content owners, still anchored in a 20th century mindset, keep playing the silly game of artificial scarcity. As long as they keep at it, piracy will flourish.

  31. Re:Only in Canada, eh? Pity. by AHuxley · · Score: 1

    The US shows are made in Canada and sold back to Canada as an import :) Win on the low production costs and win again with the full price for the content when sold back into Canada.

    --
    Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
  32. Re:Untrue. Canadian Netflix Sucks by Kellamity · · Score: 1

    Agreed. I did the trial, then unsubscribed. Apparently it's ok if you like documentaries. Now I'm in Australia we have 39 of the movies on the list, one behind Canada. Our Netflix still sucks though with 1/6 the titles the US gets. Plus our internet...

  33. Funny by thundercattt · · Score: 1

    Because a majority of Canadians pay a VPN to get Yankee Netflix.

  34. TV Programs as Well as Movies by jespada · · Score: 1

    Not sure if it counts in this discussion but also TV programs. I just returned from a 2 week stay in Germany. There were two english channels on most hotel TV's. One of which was "Russia Today" (boring). So I turned to NetFlix where I found "The Good Wife". After watching a number of episodes - I got interested. On returning to the US I can no longer watch the remaining episodes. So it's buy the DVD's or circumvent NetFlix's asinine restrictions. Is there an alternative to NetFlix? The only other program I've found of interest on NetFlix as of late is "That 70's Show".