If you’re tired of aimlessly clicking through lists of movies or TV shows on Netflix, a hidden feature can help you easily search for the content you want to watch.
Netflix combines shows and movies using a feature that lists similarly themed content under descriptive categories instead of general categories like “comedy” or “action.”
Instead, the lists include more notable categories like “Short Films,” “The Truth is Stranger Than Fiction,” and “30 Minutes of Laughter.”
These categories are not displayed on the homepage and if you want to find them, you have to type the specific categories into the Netflix search bar.
The categories include short films, thrillers, true crime documentaries and compelling comedy TV shows available to all subscribers.
Netflix’s categories range from self-explanatory options like “Famous TV Favorites” to more intrusive options like “Can You Keep a Secret?” that immerses viewers in exciting mysteries and thrillers.
Netflix introduced the categories to “help our members find the right TV shows and movies at that moment,” the company said Tom’s guide.
Categories range from self-explanatory options such as ‘Famous TV Favorites’ to more intrusive options such as ‘Can you keep a secret?’ that immerses viewers in exciting mysteries and thrillers.
The categories are divided into sub-genres, first listing the next recommended show or movie based on your previous viewing preferences, followed by documentaries, critically acclaimed films, comedies, and dramas.
Netflix created each section by “monitoring trends in pop culture, brainstorming unique category ideas that go beyond the obvious, like drawing on genres from current events and social media, and reflecting on personal experiences,” the company told Tom’s Guide.
The streaming service continued to expand its categories, and one of them was inspired by a 2022 “Saturday Night Live” sketch.
In the sketch, Pete Davidson, Chris Redd, musical guest Gunna and actor Simon Rex criticized the length of some films, such as the four-hour film ‘Once Upon a Time in America’ and the three-hour film ‘Heat’.
After the sketch, Netflix quote tweet SNL’s “Short-*ss Movies” music video, with the caption “Good idea” and a link to the new category that only hosts movies with a reasonable running time.
‘Short-*ss Movies’ included Jim Carrey’s 1997 Blockbuster film ‘Liar Liar’, Adam Sandler’s film ‘Happy Gilmore’ and the animated children’s film ‘Hotel Transylvania’ – all of which are under 90 minutes.
The company also introduced the ‘Truth is Stranger Than Fiction’ category in response to the increasing interest in true crime documentaries.
This category includes documentaries like “Made in America,” which spotlights the life, career and murder case of OJ Simpson, and the investigative docuseries “Files of the Unexplained.”
Other categories include: ‘Watch in One Night’, a short TV series lasting less than four hours, and ‘Watch in One Weekend’, which promotes binge-watching with TV series ranging from four to ten o’clock.