The first few times I used AllFlicks’ Random Button for Netflix Chrome extension, I pulled up the Scott Adkins action flick Hard Target, Jackass: Number Two, and a highly rated South African drama called Ayanda and the Mechanic. I didn’t know any of them was on Netflix.
For years, Netflix has had competing problems of filling out their roster with movies and TV shows that people actually want to watch while simultaneously showing off that library on a limited home screen that’s half-dedicated to pushing its own original content. We get it, Netflix: I liked Murder, She Wrote, so I’ll obviously love House of Cards.
The streaming site has struggled to find an indexing system that serves both masters, especially since adding a new season of Psych throws off their New Releases entirely, and because it’s refused to offer a straightforward list of what’s coming and going.
AllFlicks’ plug-in, found via Gizmodo, works seamlessly and essentially turns Netflix into a larger online video store by letting you scan through unexpected titles that might have never shown up on your home screen otherwise. The trade-off is clicking through some trash to get to the treasure, but 10 minutes of randomizing should be enough to fill up your queue to watch later.
This is an essential resource. Even having My List, while valuable, can be a drag when you scroll through 30 saved-for-later movies and you don’t feel like watching any of them right that moment. The Random Button for Netflix makes it easy to find something unexpected that might hit the mark while also expanding your movie horizons and bypassing a wonky algorithm, so it’s win-win-win.
Featured Image: Netflix
