How platforms like TikTok are changing the way we discover movies and TV shows

Reliance on social media continues to rise rapidly. Be it for mindless yet entertaining scrolling, or interesting content, social media knows no bounds.

And now netizens increasingly rely on social media for movie and series reviews and recommendations, something which previously had a fan base among traditional reviewers who produced long-form written or video content.

With platforms like TikTok and Instagram, however, shorter forms of content have become a hit among audiences who consume the required information in 30 seconds or less. The platforms also make room for real-time feedback from creators and audiences in the comments section, which can be especially useful when deciding whether to watch a new release. This immediate access to opinions helps users make quick decisions.

The variety of opinions from different demographics provide a more rounded view of a movie or series compared to traditional review sources.

Many users trust reviews and recommendations that come out of a discussion in a comments section, more than professional critics. But that doesn't undermine the influence these creators or celebrities have on netizens.

Influencers and celebrities often share their views on movies and series, and their followers may rely on these opinions to make their own viewing choices. Platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok have users who create detailed reviews, reaction videos, and recommendations. These often come with personal touches and detailed analyses that can be more engaging than traditional reviews.

In a chat with three of such personalities, we understand the audience behaviour that can be a key factor in influencing the audience while reviewing and recommending movies and TV shows on platforms like TikTok and Instagram.

Nadim Safieddine, popularly known as @Nadsreviews, first started writing reviews for his website. He struggled with getting views because users just didn't prefer long written articles. Now, he has a community he can directly engage with via his social media videos and that has been life changing for him, he said, "Now, I can refer to their comments on feedback on the platform that give me a better view of what people want to see in my content. Thanks to TikTok, I’ve managed to build a beautiful community of like-minded and passionate film & TV fans, and I couldn’t be happier."

Before finding a movie or TV series to review, Nadim always takes the comments into consideration. Initially, though, he only used to focus on things of his interest. "But over the years, I’ve realised that comments can directly impact my viewing habits. I still watch what I love of course, but when there’s immense demand for me to review the latest Arabic or Turkish show for example (instead of focusing on just Hollywood), this drives me to watch that title in specific," he said. "Basically, the comments are the key to finding out what people are truly obsessing about! And If I happen to review something no one is asking about, I feel it in the lack of engagement."

Nadim, who studied filmmaking in New York, believes the duration of the content is the key factor which differentiates reviewing movies and TV shows on TikTok versus written blogs.

"I used to write written reviews on my website for over a decade before shifting to video reviews on TikTok. The differences are absolutely tremendous," he said. "Through my TikTok videos, I can reach audiences in a much faster and more impactful manner, and in a much shorter amount of time. All it takes is 30 seconds to get my message across, and the algorithm rightfully pushes my content to people who love movies and series as much as I do."

Social media algorithms play a key role in analysing a user's interests and interactions to provide personalised recommendations, making it easier for users to discover new content that aligns with their tastes.

Nadim uses the #WhatToWatch in almost all the videos, allowing him to segment his target audience for people that specifically search for movie/show recommendations and reviews. "It provides me access to a platform within a platform for a certain group of people," he said. That's how algorithm works.

Try searching for your favourite film on TikTok and next thing you know, you're seeing several videos on the same film on your feed.

Nadim's audience on TikTok is super passionate about movies and series, he says, "they love to debate my ratings, explain what they love and don't love about certain titles, and just engage in really insightful discussions back and forth."

But of course, he gets uninvited comments simply for criticising a film they love. "I always say that we should love to disagree with one another, that's what makes the community so much fun and packed with passion," he said.

Abdulaziz Khuja, another influencer for movies and TV recommendations, goes by @zezoov7 on social media. He has been in business for three years during which he has criticised several films and series that earned him the trust and approval of his audience.

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