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Netflix started its video-on-demand service in 2011. Every year since, the service has been increasing its budget for creating original content. According to Variety, the 2016 content budget was $5 billion. In 2017, the content budget increased to $6 billion, and this year it is at $8 billion. Netflix’s Chief Content Officer, Ted Sarandos, aims to use a majority of the budget to bring 80 new original films to Netflix this year. The rest of it is going towards Netflix’s Original anime. With all of this money going towards creating original content you can’t help but wonder if Netflix Original movies are going to become better than box office films. For this review, I will compare a recent box office film to a Netflix Original of the same genre.

The box office film “Game Night” is a comedy about a couple, Max (Jason Bateman) and Annie (Rachel McAdams), who are very competitive and enjoy having game nights with their friends. One day, Max’s brother shows up and invites everyone to a murder mystery party at his house and things go wrong. The only problem is everyone at the party thinks it’s just a game.

I enjoyed “Game Night” because it was funny but also had suspense and action. Some parts of the film were completely unpredictable, and it was hard to guess what would happen next. There were also moments when I just couldn’t stop laughing.

In comparison, I really enjoyed The Netflix Original “Game Over, Man!” This film is only available on Netflix. It had comedy; suspense and action just like “Game Night.” The film had well-known actors such as Adam Devine playing Alexxx, Anders Holm playing Darren and Blake Anderson, playing Joel. The three guys are hotel housekeepers and longtime friends who are trying to get a video game pitched while working as waiters at a party for billionaire Bae Awadi, played by Utkarsh Ambudkar. The guys get kicked out of the party by their boss, and as the night progresses, they soon realize they are going to have to be heroes as they watch the news and see that everyone at the party became hostages. The new security crew was to blame after placing special collars on the partygoer’s necks that would explode if people tried to enter or leave the hotel

The soundtrack helped make certain points of the film stand out. Tracks from artists such as ASAP Ferg, Sam Spiegel and Flosstradamus assist in giving the film some hard-core vibes. The tracks really stood out when Alexxx, Joel and Darren did some of their fight scenes. The chores they do as housekeepers around the hotel make it look more epic and add a sense of humor. When these songs were used in different sections of the film, it helped to set the mood for each scene.

The cinematography level was similar to “Game Night.” It had a blockbuster feel to it in the comedy/action genre. Some parts of the film are slowed down to make it more dramatic, including whenever the guys were walking around the hotel or planning their schemes. What was great about the cinematography was it didn’t just focus on Alexxx, Darren and Joel, but at certain points, of the movie it would also show what Bae Awadi was experiencing as a hostage.

Right now, Netflix is doing a great job of making original films at the same standards as a regular blockbuster movie. If they keep going the in direction they are heading and keep contributing to originals, they could continue to expand and possibly take over and become better than box office movies. At this very moment box office films are still better movies than Netflix Originals, but you never know what Netflix will release next.