Paul Schrader Says The Only Filmmakers Who Find Success With Streaming Are "Privileged Babies"

We’ve said it a million times already, but Paul Schrader is not one to hold back in an interview, especially if it involves a question about the current state of Hollywood. He’s just a very opinionated man. And rightfully so, as he is one of the most legendary filmmakers in modern American cinema.

Now, in a new interview with Variety, while at the Sarajevo Film Festival, Paul Schrader was asked about the current state of streaming. He mentioned how his previous films “have all been turned down by Amazon, Netflix.” But he also talks about how films tend to get lost when they are released on streaming services, likening it to the Bermuda Triangle.

“Unless you’re one of the privileged babies — and we know who those [filmmakers] are, because they get all the attention — if you’re not one of the babies, you just fly into the Bermuda Triangle of streaming and the last thing you see is the vapor trails of your film,” said Schrader. “That’s the new way you dump films.”

Schrader used an example of a “dumped” movie by mentioning the movie “Mother’s Instinct,” starring Jessica Chastain and Anne Hathaway. He said the film received “no support whatsoever” after it was sent to streaming.

Once again, even though you don’t expect to hear a filmmaker say these things, it’s not like he’s wrong. Schrader has hit the nail on the head when it comes to streaming films. We wouldn’t go so far as to say that filmmakers who do receive support from a streaming service are “babies,” but there are definitely movies that get sent to streaming to die.

Schrader’s newest film, “Oh, Canada” debuted at this year’s Cannes. A release date has yet to be revealed.