The title sounds like a contradiction. How could a virus that is seemingly designed to keep people at home be detrimental to a business that thrives amongst the outdoorsly challenged? Allow me to explain.
Roma, the critically acclaimed film by Alfonso Cuaron was a smash hit for Netflix. When it was released in 2018 it was one of their first gateways to finding the respect of Hollywood and an overall win for new media. Nominated for 10 Academy Awards and taking home 3, Roma was just what Netflix needed. A serious contender, something to show that Netflix is more than just a portable The Office player. Roma was promoted heavily leading up to its release and the exposure it received from America’s favorite awards show only gave it more credibility and viewership. The analytics for the best foreign language film were dazzling. Netflix even gained subscribers after the picture’s big victories. It hit home in Mexico and resonated amongst all classes in the U.S. and abroad. If it hasn’t sunken in yet, Roma is a wonderful film and Netflix was a proud and prosperous parent to it.
Fast forward two years. The Coronavirus strikes. Millions in disarray, nations in panic, business closing, fear the likes of which the modern world has never seen. One might say at times like these the best thing to do is stay away from the madness, and curl up with a nice film. A film like Roma for instance. Just about everyone has Netflix, a plurality of people are home, why not Roma? It saddens me to say, but until now I never realized how important it is to prudently title your film. Since the outbreak, Roma‘s view count has been way below its average from 2018.
Conronavirus has consumed another victim, this time it’s death by phonetics. You see, because of the similarities in their names Corona, Roma, Coronavirus, Roma is on guys (come one let’s watch) the movie has had a disastrous shelf life in its second year. It is this writer’s opinion that the film should have been more aptly titled, Sad Black and White Film About a Pregnant Mexican Woman. There is no way this could have possibly sounded similar to any other upcoming natural disasters, and Cauron and co. would have never seen a dip in audience. This is disappointing for all parties involved. Netflix’s once beloved treasure is disappearing into obscurity before our eyes. Alfonso Cuaron’s masterpiece is litter in the jungles of the world’s biggest media streamer, and the fans and ignorant alike who have to only be reminded of the film when it appears on the hidden gems section in a few years. Coronavirus must be stopped if we are going to save films like this.
