有这么多不同的平台争夺subscribers in today’s crowded streaming market, some services have come with up some inventive ways in hopes of getting people to add one more app to their collection. Some offer live news and sports, others are home to blockbuster movies the same day they open in theaters, butNetflix, one the heavyweights of the streaming game, has a rather unique offering forits 1.1 billion subscribers: interactive shows, movies, and specials.
Not familiar with the concept? Well, imagine those choose your own adventure books from your childhood and apply that same logic here, and voila. From interactive shows on Netflix like the various Bear Grylls programs, to movies includingBlack Mirror: BandersnatchandUnbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. The Reverend, here are some of the best offerings right now.
Black Mirror: Bandersnatch
Released in December 2018,Black Mirror: Bandersnatchbroke ground as one of the first interactive specials on Netflix, and it did not disappoint with its intriguing story and unorthodox storytelling techniques that allowed viewers to create a personal experience. Basically, the nostalgia-filled movie centers on Stefan Butler (Fionn Whitehead), a young programmer in 1984 Britain who is in the process of adapting a choose your own adventure book written by his later mother into video game form. However, in typicalBlack Mirror时尚,process becomes much more complicated and a whole lot more terrifying.
The story is made even crazier due to input from individual viewers’ decisions along the way, choices that impact the ending one way or another. Hell, there are even流程图是由球迷in the aftermath of the film’s release.
Stream Black Mirror: Bandersnatch on Netflix.(opens in new tab)
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy Vs. The Reverend
Set a few years after the conclusion ofUnbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, the 2020 Netflix interactive film,Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. The Reverend,is a silly yet comprehensive choose your own adventure story with a number of unique endings. The basic gist of the comedy is that Kimmy (Ellie Kemper) is preparing to marry Prince Frederick (Daniel Radcliffe), but before doing so, she has to take care of some unfinished business with Richard Wayne Gary Wayne (Jon Hamm) after discovering an adventure book in a hidden pocket in her backpack. When her former captor escapes prison to a second bunker, it’s up to Kimmy to stop his diabolical plan before her wedding day.
Like any great choose your own adventure story,Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. the Reverendgives the viewer a myriad of decisions to make along the way. But, be careful as there are some not-so-happy endingsif you don’t make the right decisionson the journey.
Stream Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. the Reverend on Netflix.
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Escape The Undertaker
The latest Netflix interactive special isEscape the Undertaker,which feels like it’s what would happen if you tookthe Boneyard Match from WrestleMania 36, added the New Day, and then topped it off with some unused ideas from a Scooby Doo cartoon. It’s short, it’s silly, and, honestly, it’s a lot of fun. The Undertaker, holed up in a spooky mansion with security cameras and other systems at every corner, decides to play a game with the New Day to see if they can find and escape with his all-powerful urn.
Along the way, you will spend time withWWE Champion Big E, Kofi Kingston, and Xavier Woods as they split up to cover more ground, in typical horror fashion. Whether or not the fan-favorite stable achieve their goal is entirely up to the viewer who makes a series of split-second decisions to make it to the next part of the amusing interactive story.
Stream Escape the Undertaker on Netflix.(opens in new tab)
The Boss Baby: Get That Baby!
Since its introduction in 2017,The Boss Babyfranchise has become one of the most successful and popular animated properties in both movies and television. Well, now you can add interactive storytelling to that collection, thanks to the Netflix specialThe Boss Baby: Get That Baby!. Released in 2020,Get That Baby!puts you in the shoes of a Baby Corp. recruit as you are put through a series of situations that will determine which job you will end up taking on.
With a total of 16 possible outcomes,The Boss Baby: Get That Baby!是你可以回一次又一次until you see all that Baby Corp. has to offer. And, although this is geared more towards a younger audience, nothing is stopping parents from jumping in and having a little fun.
Stream The Boss Baby: Get That Baby on Netflix.(opens in new tab)
Puss In Boots: Trapped In An Epic Tale
With a name likePuss in Boots: Trapped in an Epic Taleyou would think that the DreamWorks animated choose your own adventure would be a fun spin on classic fairy tales, and you’re right. Released in 2017, this brief and clever adventure allows the viewer to decide if Puss in Boots fights a tree or a giant, friendly bears or really not friendly bears, and various other interactions and branching storylines before reaching the end of the storybook.
The first interactive special released on Netflix,Puss in Boots: Trapped in an Epic Talealso happens to be one of the best options for children and adults alike.
Stream Puss In Boots: Trapped In An Epic Tale on Netflix.(opens in new tab)
The You Vs. Wild Interactive Titles
If you are a fan of the long-running survival showMan vs. Wild,then you are more than familiar with Bear Grylls andhis adventures in various dangerous locationsaround the world. Much like that series, Grylls’You vs. Wildbrand follows the TV personality in one dire situation after another, but this time you decide what happens throughout each episode or movie.
The originalYou vs. Wildseries consists of eight episodes ranging from searching for a doctor in the heart of the jungle, to a two-part adventure in the desert, with multiple choices in each. A second special,You vs. Wild: Out Cold, follows Bear Grylls as he deals with amnesia after a plane crash in a mountain range, and you make all the decisions for him. Then there’s the movieAnimals on the Loose: A You vs. Wild Moviein which you help Grylls find animals that have escaped from a nature preserve.
Stream You vs. Wild on Netflix.(opens in new tab)
Stream You vs. Wild: Out Cold on Netflix.(opens in new tab)
Stream Animals On The Loose: A You vs. Wild Movie on Netflix.(opens in new tab)
Minecraft: Story Mode
Minecraftwill forever go down as one of the most consequential video games in history, with gamers of all ages using the game’s massive sandbox world to make creations of their own design, or recreate famous locations, both real and from fantasy. And, although there isn’t a narrative in the main game first introduced in 2009, there isMinecraft: Story Mode, a point-and-click adventure available ona number of different devices and Netflix.
Told over the course of five episodes,Minecraft: Story Modelets you customize its main hero, Jesse (Patton Oswalt for the male version, Catherine Taber for the female), and takes on you an epic adventure that explores the game’s lore with all kinds of surprises. Faced with multiple decisions and quick-time events along the way, this interactive story is rather robust.
Stream Minecraft: Story Mode on Netflix.(opens in new tab)
Carmen Sandiego: To Steal Or Not To Steal
Starting with the 1985 release of the computer video gameWhere in the World is Carmen Sandiego?, the iconic, titular master thief has appeared in movies, TV shows, board games, and more, entertaining and educating generations of kids in the process. The 2020 Netflix interactive specialCarmen Sandiego: To Steal or Not to Stealcombines elements from the games and animated series to create a shockingly fun and comprehensive choose your own adventure story. When her friends are captured by the V.I.L.E.criminal organization she once led, it’s up to you and Carmen Sandiego to save the day.
This one plays just like those old point-and-click adventure films and serves as a great introduction to one of the most iconic multimedia entertainment franchises of the past 35 years. Are you up to it, gumshoes?
Stream Sandiego: To Steal Or Not To Steal on Netflix.(opens in new tab)
Buddy Thunderstruck: The Maybe Pile
Based on theBuddy Thunderstruckstop-motion animated series,The Maybe Pilefollows the truck-racing dog Buddy and his best friend, Darnell the ferret, as they go through a series of ideas that could be awesome or could blow up in their faces (mostly the latter). But, instead of letting this dynamic duo have all the fun, it’s up to the viewer to make the final decision on choices from the “maybe pile” with various results.
While not as deep as some of the other options found on this list,Buddy Thunderstruck: The Maybe Pileis perfect for younger audiences who like fart jokes and scenes of a ferret and dog drinking a bunch of coffee with hilarious results. Did I mention fart jokes?
Stream Buddy Thunderstruck: The Maybe Pile on Netflix.(opens in new tab)
Headspace: Unwind Your Mind
Netflix and Headspace have been doing some really cool things since theyfirst partnered up in early 2021, and one of the most interesting titles to come from the collaboration isHeadspace: Unwind Your Mind, an interactive special that gives you relaxing results based on what you want out of the program. For example, at the beginning of the special you are asked if you want to meditate, relax, or sleep. From there you are asked a series of questions that help you do everything from meditate, to getting over something that happened recently, or use sleep training exercises.
Stream Headspace: Unwind Your Mind on Netflix.(opens in new tab)
Each of these interactive shows, movies, and specials give you a little something different from Netflix outside of all those other great original programs. But, if you’re looking for more standard options, check out our list of thebest shows to binge watch on Netflix.
