Netflix has launched a brand new feature inspired by a suggestion made in a Pete Davidson Saturday Night Live sketch, and it’s a surprisingly logical idea.
Many of us are used to scrolling endlessly through streaming services in a bid to find something to watch that’s not just good, but also not a three-hour epic that we know we simply won’t get through without nodding off.
This first-world problem was the subject of a recent SNL sketch, in which Davidson was joined by Chris Redd, Simon Rex and musical guest Gunna to rap about the length of movies on Netflix – saying they’re not hitting play unless it’s ‘under two hours’.
At the beginning of the sketch, Davidson raps: “These days, when I sit down to watch a movie, I can find just about anything in the world / But night after night, there’s only one kind of movie I’m always looking for / And that’s a short ass movie, a really short movie – like at most an hour 40.”
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Suggestions made by Gunna included The Lion King (1h 29m), Bad Moms (1hr 40) and Austin Powers (1hr 27), while films vetoed by the group were titles like Once Upon a Time in America (3hr 47) and Sex and the City 2 (2hr 26)... although admittedly there’s probably more to be concerned about with that last one than the runtime.
After the sketch aired, Netflix tweeted to say that it was a done deal, quote-tweeting the clip and writing: “Good idea.”
The streamer added a link to the new collection at netflix.com/shortassmovies, having nabbed the catchy term used in the SNL rap.
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Fans are already impressed with the new feature, with one tweeting: “Such a good idea...1hr 40 max.”
Someone else said: “This should be a permanent feature! Short-ass movies for the win always!”
A third wrote: “Y’all that’s some deft marketing.”
Even Simon Rex was impressed, sharing Netflix’s post and saying: “This is nuts! One day later!”
Of course, you may have noticed that Davidson’s semi-autobiographical 2020 flick The King of Staten Island is, in fact, over one hour 40 – in fact, it’s quite a lengthy number, clocking in at 2 hours 17. However, that’s actually addressed right at the end of the sketch, with Rex asking Davidson: “How long is The King of Staten Island?”
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Davidson sheepishly admits: “Oh... It was, like, two hours and 17 minutes – but we needed all those minutes!”
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Topics: Netflix, Pete Davidson
