It’s hard to explain to anyone who grew up in the streaming age, but back then, the movie was only half the experience. The other half? Commentary tracks from directors, actors, even stunt coordinators. Bloopers that revealed just how much fun the cast had. Deleted scenes with optional commentary. Production diaries, animatics, wardrobe tests, prop builds. All of it tucked away on a second disc like cinematic treasure.
And no movie ever did this better than The Lord of the Rings extended editions. Four different commentary tracks. Full-on documentaries that rival most actual documentaries. Behind-the-scenes featurettes that turned Peter Jackson into the world’s coolest arts teacher. By the time you finished watching all the extras, you basically majored in Middle Earth. That DVD box set was a love letter to fans. It said, "Here, take everything. You matter."
And then there were the DVDs that just got weird with it. Remember the Superbad menu? It was literally just a silhouette of Michael Cera dancing for an hour. That’s it. That’s the menu. An actual hour. I don’t even know why, but I respect the hell out of it.
Or the Easter eggs. Hidden commentary tracks. Secret buttons that only appeared when you hovered over just the right part of the menu. Entire deleted scenes that were only accessible if you knew the cheat code. It was like playing a game. One that rewarded curiosity.
Cut to now: I open Netflix, click a thumbnail, and boom — the movie starts. No menu. No options. No bonus anything. You finish the movie and Netflix immediately asks if you want to watch something else. Not dig deeper, not learn more. Just... consume. Next.
And look, I get it. Streaming is convenient. It’s the microwave pizza of cinema. But can we at least sprinkle a little parmesan on top? Bonus features didn’t vanish because they were bad. They vanished because platforms didn’t know how to monetize them. They don’t improve "watch time" or keep you hooked on autoplay. They don’t trend on TikTok. So they just... stopped existing.
And that, my friends, is a tragedy. Because bonus features weren’t just fluff. They taught us how movies got made. They pulled back the curtain. They gave credit to the hundreds of people whose names fly by in the credits. They made us appreciate the craft.
Honestly, if I had never heard a director's commentary track, I don’t think I would have ever understood what a director does. Those tracks taught me pacing, visual storytelling, how scenes evolve in editing, and why some shots get cut entirely. It made me a better watcher. It made me care.
And you’re telling me there’s no room for that in 2025?
Here’s the kicker: this could be a massive win for streaming platforms. Want people to stop canceling subscriptions between shows? Give them reasons to stay after the movie ends. There is no reason we can't have the director’s commentary track built into Netflix. Why not have hidden behind-the-scenes reels on Disney+? Imagine actually feeling like you own something again, even when you don’t.
But no. Instead, we get the same three buttons: Play, Resume, More Like This.
The magic is gone.
I miss when movies wanted to talk to me after the credits. When they wanted to tell me how they were made, who made them, and why they mattered. I miss commentary tracks. I miss bloopers. I miss Michael Cera dancing for no reason.
Mostly, I miss feeling like movies loved us back.
