Recent reports have raised concerns about how the American audiovisual industry approaches storytelling, with critics suggesting that it assumes audiences cannot follow a narrative for more than ten minutes. This approach, some argue, leads to overly simplistic dialogues that restate obvious points, with movies sometimes being compared to "homework to do at home." The issue has been linked to both a lack of creativity among screenwriters and a strategic shift by studios to adapt to modern viewing habits, such as increased smartphone use during movies. The topic gained attention when actor Matt Damon expressed concerns in January 2026 on the podcast The Joe Rogan Experience, as reported by Variety. He claimed that platforms like Netflix now explicitly ask writers to repeat the main plot three or four times through dialogue. The reasoning given by some producers is that they believe a significant portion of the audience is distracted by their mobile phones while watching content. However, during a press conference in March 2026, Netflix’s head of cinema, Dan Lin, denied the existence of such a policy, stating that there is no official rule requiring repeated plot points in their films and series. The controversy has also affected the structure and distribution of content. For example, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), with the release of Avengers: Doomsday, has followed a trend where directors suggest that viewers must rewatch previous films, such as Avengers: Endgame, to fully understand the new story. This has transformed the experience of watching movies from a form of entertainment into something resembling a school assignment, with financial and intellectual stakes involved. Critics argue that this strategy has led to a decline in creative ambition, with studios avoiding ambiguity, subtext, or risk in favor of clarity at all costs. The industry’s fear of confusing viewers has resulted in content that is overly explained, with no room for interpretation. Some believe that by treating audiences as incapable, studios are encouraging intellectual laziness and using it as a justification to lower creative standards further. Advocates for a return to more complex storytelling argue that viewers are capable of piecing together narratives on their own, without needing characters to explain everything through voiceovers or repeated exposition.