Martin Scorsese, ‘The Irishman,’ and the Cost of Doing Business With Netflix

If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? What about if it falls in front of many people, but at the same time as a million other trees, in a sort of wooden deluge? Some would say this is what it is like to have a film land on Netflix without ever screening in theaters—many people may be aware of the movie’s availability online, but just as many may lose track of it in a sea of content. In any case, no one will never know just how many people didwatch said film, since Netflix doesn’t release viewing numbers. Just a lonesome tree drowned out in a cacophony of thumping sounds.