Ben Affleck has responded to comments made by his long-time collaborator Matt Damon regarding Netflix's alleged influence on filmmaking, asserting that such criticisms may be taken out of context. Damon had previously suggested that the streaming service favors movies that incorporate a prominent action sequence within the first five minutes and repeatedly restate the plot through dialogue to accommodate viewers distracted by their phones.
Speaking at Bloomberg's 2026 Screentime event, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter, Affleck suggested Damon's remarks were misrepresented. "Somebody went ahead and did a pullquote, and it got picked up once, and it was, 'Matt Damon says Netflix makes you tell the plot in the first five minutes,'" Affleck stated, disputing the accuracy of the summary. He questioned the logic of an actor or director publicly criticizing such demands. "If you just stop and think about it," Affleck continued, "I'm in this movie, I'm directing. Even if that were true, do you think I would go on Joe Rogan and be like, 'They made me put all this obvious s*** in my movie'? Like, it doesn't even make sense."
Damon's original comments, made on the Joe Rogan podcast in January, described Netflix's approach to action films. He claimed the streamer prefers a major set piece early in the movie to maintain viewership, and suggested that reiterating the plot multiple times in dialogue was a strategy to re-engage audiences who might be using their phones. Affleck, however, countered that he has "never met anyone who's had a note that idiotic and brazen," adding that studio notes, in general, have a long history of being counterproductive, predating Netflix.
Despite Affleck's defense, the article notes that high-profile figures like himself might receive more creative leeway compared to other filmmakers. Affleck is also personally invested in Netflix, having recently sold his AI company, InterPositive, to the streamer for nearly $600 million.
Regarding his upcoming Netflix thriller, Animals, Affleck confirmed the use of artificial intelligence in the film's production. "We did use it, and in fact, I thought it was a good example [of how to use AI ethically] because it's a very human movie," he said, though he declined to specify which elements were AI-generated. He expressed hesitation in revealing the AI components, likening it to spoiling a magic trick. Animals is set to stream on Netflix starting October 8.