Netflix is giving us a rare look behind the company curtain.
Despite Netflix being such a large force in the entertainment world, the company is very secretive about its behind-the-scenes business and creative doings. But now, Netflix is doing just that.
Over the past holiday season, we shared with you the controversy around the Netflix film The Last Temptation of Christ. The comedy movie gained intense praise and criticism for its depiction of a gay Jesus. The controversy got so bad that the comedy group that created the film found their office bombed on Christmas Eve. Plus, Brazilian government officials, like a judge in Rio de Janeiro who ruled to have the film taken off Netflix and Brazil’s President Jai Bolsonaro, have expressed disgust with the movie.
Now, it seems that The Last Temptation of Christ is one of many shows and movies that have been taken off Netflix because of foreign government intervention. According to Variety, titles like The Last Hangover, Disjointed, and Night of the Living Dead are among this list of Netflix’s banned content between 2015 and 2020. That said, Netflix swears the nine titles, which you can find below, are the only content it has removed because of foreign censorship.
“We offer creators the ability to reach audiences all around the world,” Netflix said in the recently released 2019 Environmental Social Governance report. “In some cases we’ve also been forced to remove specific titles or episodes of titles in specific countries due to government takedown demands.”
In addition to this new announcement, the company says it will be releasing similar information on government-mandated removals on an annual basis from now on. In addition, the company will publish a yearly report covering its environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performances.
In the meantime, you can find the full list of series and movies that Netflix removed due to government censorship and their explanation for each:
- In 2015, we complied with a written demand from the New Zealand Film and Video Labeling Body to remove The Bridge from the service in New Zealand only. The film is classified as “objectionable” in the country.
- In 2017, we complied with a written demand from the Vietnamese Authority of Broadcasting and Electronic Information (ABEI) to remove Full Metal Jacket from the service in Vietnam only.
- In 2017, we complied with a written demand from the German Commission for Youth Protection (KJM) to remove Night of the Living Dead from the service in Germany only. A version of the film is banned in the country.
- In 2018, we complied with a written demand from the Singapore Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) to remove Cooking on High, The Legend of 420, and Disjointed from the service in Singapore only.
- In 2019, we complied with a written demand from the Saudi Communication and Information Technology Commission to remove one episode—“Saudi Arabia”—from the series Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj from the service in Saudi Arabia only.
- In 2019, we received a written demand from the Singapore Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) to remove The Last Temptation of Christ from the service in Singapore only. The film is banned in the country.
- In 2020, we complied with a written demand from the Singapore Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) to remove The Last Hangover from the service in Singapore only.
Source: Variety,
