Over a year into our 2 weeks quarantine to flatten the curve, we’re all pretty set into streaming platforms. I myself have been using 2 of them- Netflix way before the pandemic even started and I got an amazon prime video like halfway through the covid pandemic. As some time passed, I believe now I’m capable of giving a proper opinion on both of them and picking my ultimate favourite.
If you’ve been following me and my work for a while you might be familiar with my type of shows or movies I watch- all on my TV Shows page.
To somehow sum up the mess of the shows I like:
it’s a mix of short episodes with witty and sarcastic humor, with a deeper moral message, shows that help you with critical thinking, religious features, strong women, diverse cast, educational aka documentaries about the world and serial killers, and more based on the current mood. If a show has a major hype- I’m not gonna watch it out of principle- maybe later when the general excitement cools down.
For example, I still haven’t watched The Queen’s Gambit even though from all of the indicators it’s just what I like and I know I’m gonna like it once I watch it but I’m not feeling it with all of the hype.
I love when people recommend me different shows too, but I have to be in the right state of mind to take on recommendations otherwise it’s gonna have the opposite effect.
In this sense, prime video is better as in general, the shows there don’t have such hype even though they are just as good.
Prime video has my favorite Fleabag on.
It’s been a while since I published my piece about the Fleabag show but it’s still valid so go check that out:
Fleabag is the best show ever.
They also have American Gods, my other favorite show. It’s a show based on Neil Gaiman’s book with the same title about the war between old and new gods/religions. Neil Gaiman is just my type of writer with his religious fantasies with a moral brain scratcher that’s gonna make you question everything and leave you thinking about his novels all the time. American Gods are currently streaming its third series and if you want to read more about it check out my:
Why should you watch American Gods or American Gods Season 2 is here and I’m thrilled about articles.
Besides this Gaiman’s masterpiece, prime video has another one of his famous pieces called Good Omens starring David Tennant and Michael Sheen in a story old as time: good vs bad/ angel vs devil and apocalypse. It’s spectacular.
I also praised it before in:
Why is the show Good Omens so awesome?
To continue with the religiously questionable shows prime video has to offer I’m a sucker for a show called Preacher. It’s about a quest of a frustrated preacher, his ex, and a vampire to find a God and it’s awesome. Kinda creepy and set in a horror section but with ridiculous humor so it’s totally something you should check out.
The main reason why I got a prime video in the first place was to watch my comfort shows The office and The Parks and Recreation.
Before you comment that I could have watched that on Netflix or something like that, just a reminder that a Netflix section is not universal and it differs from country to country. So here in the Prague Czech Republic, you can watch The Office on amazon prime video only.
In all seriousness, if all I ever watched on prime video would be The Office and The Parks and Recreation, my subscription would still be worth it.
Another show besides those two I watch on repeat on the prime video platform is Two and a Half man. I know, I know- a highly problematic show but it’s great as background noise when you aimlessly scroll Instagram.
And that’s pretty much my amazon prime video top picks. So far it looks like this decision between prime video vs. Netflix is pretty straightforward on my part.
So let’s move to Netflix now.
What’s missing from prime video for me is good quality documentaries that are not about a music band or a sport.
Netflix has a much wider variety in this area. So many great true crime documentaries, environmental/conspirational documents that are causing worldwide conversations about the issue such as the recent one Seaspiracy and those alike. Turns out document are very important to me.
So the point goes to Netflix in this one.
Let’s talk about the rest of my comfort shows and there are a lot of them.
Apparently, I need a lot of comfort.
Number one for me is The Good Place– a Netflix original and just because of this incredible show in particular Netflix gets a shit ton of points in this pointless rating of streaming platforms of mine.
I briefly talked about my favorite comedies in:
Comedy shows to watch during these tough times.
For the last year, I had f.r.i.e.n.d.s. on repeat and it was a great way to fall asleep for me. Sadly this year Netflix took it down from its list along with The Big Bang Theory or That 70s Show. I used to watch it a lot as perfect background noise. I knew it all by heart already. So an ever-changing variety of shows is a minus for Netflix.
On the other hand, they are constantly uploading new and new things which are awesome. But for someone like me who has a hard time starting something new from time to time due to anxiety, taking away my comfort show hits really hard.
But they still have How I met Your mother, Community, Rick and Morty, Brooklyn 99, and more that I keep rewatching to distract myself from the quiet apartment.
It’s perfect to watch/listen whilst doing your thing as it doesn’t require that much focus.
I think that Netflix has a much better division of its shows into different categories in comparison with prime videos. You can seemingly easily choose what you’re in a mood for.
But we all know you still somehow spend most of the time searching for the right show to watch. Prime Video doesn’t have as many options so it’s easier to choose from, therefore better for beginners.
In conclusion: even though the prime video has so many positives Netflix is just still better in my opinion.
Prime video has more of my favorite shows but Netflix has more documents, a better filtration system, and produces more new stuff.
A classic is still a classic.
But I’m still gonna keep both and switch in between them.
What are your preferences thought? Netflix or Prime video?
Let me know in the comments. xo
During the pandemic, mostly because of free trials, I have at various times had Prime, HBO Max, Apple+ and Hulu. Like you I already had a Netflix subscription. I mostly watch movies, not shows. So, with all the free trials over, know what I have? Netflix.
I love streaming some shows or small documentaries on YouTube as well. I love Prime as it showcases Grey’s Anatomy..