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'Beasts of No Nation' - A war story about a child soldier, this was one of the first drama films that Netflix distributed.

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'Beasts of No Nation' -

Idris Elba starred in the film, which had a budget of US$6 million. Producers were wise to go with Netflix, as the film made just US$90,777 at the box office.

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'Bright' - With a big lead star and an ambitious budget, 'Bright' could have been a box-office smash. However, bad reviews could have hurt the film's commercial performance, which wasn't the case on Netflix.

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'Bright' - In fact, 'Bright' was a huge hit on Netflix. It was reportedly watched 11 million times on the streaming service, one of their best performing originals ever. A sequel is in production.

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'The Cloverfield Paradox' - 'Cloverfield' was a successful monster film from 2008. The sequel, '10 Cloverfield Lane,' subverted expectations, making millions at the box office.

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'The Cloverfield Paradox' - However, producers opted for Netflix for 'The Cloverfield Paradox.' Unlike 'Cloverfield Lane,' this film had poor reviews, so Netflix seemed like a safe bet.

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'Mowgli' - 'The Jungle Book' remake made almost a billion at the box office, screwing up the plans for Andy Serkis, who also had a 'Jungle Book' film on the way.

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'Mowgli' - Transferring 'Mowgli' to Netflix avoided the possibility of a box-office bomb. "It's a smart way to get rid of a likely box office bomb," wrote Forbes.

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'Annihilation' - After the small-time success of 'Ex-Machina,' director Alex Garland thought he had another one with 'Annihilation.' However, the film was globally distributed by Netflix.

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'Annihilation' - The film made around $43.1 million, against its budget of around US$50 million. To save international embarrassment, the film was screened on Netflix. A Paramount producer said the film was "too intellectual" and "complicated" for a wide audience.

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'The Ridiculous 6' - 'The Ridiculous 6' piggy-backed off the success of Western film 'The Hateful Eight.' The parody starred Adam Sandler, with a budget of US$60 million.

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'The Ridiculous 6' - Controversy and bad reviews marred the film, which may have affected its performance at the box office. On Netflix however, it was hit, becoming one of Netflix's most-viewed movies at the time.

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'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny' - 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' was a hit film, so its sequel was bound to be a success, right? Wrong, as production problems marred the film's hype.

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'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny' - Regal Entertainment Group, an American cinema chain, refused to screen "an experiment where you can see the same product on screens varying from three stories tall to 3 inches wide on a smartphone." Other studios followed suit, so it was only screened on Netflix.

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'Barry' - Coming at the tail-end of Barack Obama's presidency, biopic 'Barry' could have been a box-office hit. However, without a famous lead and a known director, it would have been a bit of a gamble.

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'Barry' - Director Vikram Gandhi hasn't produced a feature-length since, so opting for Netflix (teased with a viral Twitter trailer), was probably the right choice.

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'Okja' - Beloved by critics, big-budget 'Okja' may have been a success at the box office. That being said, Western audiences could have been put off by the American-Korean production.

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'Okja' - However, the film made just US$2.1 million at the international box office. Distributing the film through Netflix, it reached a worldwide audience, and 'Okja' even made it to the Cannes Film Festival.

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'Death Note' - 'Death Note' is a thriller based on the manga of the same name. With a budget of US$40 million, the film had big boots to fill at the box office.

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'Death Note' - Without a famous lead, 'Death Note' could have been doomed at the box office. Past manga adaptations like 'Dragonball Evolution' and 'The Last Airbender' have also been panned by critics. Going with Netflix seems like the right idea.

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'22 July' - Paul Greengrass is behind hit films like 'Captain Phillips' and 'The Bourne Ultimatum.' However, '22 July,' a drama about the 2011 Norway attacks, may have been too grim for Western audiences.

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'22 July' - Instead, '22 July' was distributed to Netflix. Its limited release made just US$173,168 at the box office, so streaming was probably the best bet.

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'The Ballad of Buster Scruggs' - The Coen brothers are groundbreaking filmmakers, but the 'The Ballad of Buster Scruggs' may not have done well at the box office.

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'The Ballad of Buster Scruggs' - Instead of their hits like 'Fargo' and 'No Country for Old Men,' 'Buster Scruggs' is a more experimental film, made up of short films that don't necessarily add up to a Hollywood hit.

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'Pee-wee's Big Holiday' - Pee-wee Herman became something of a cult character, after Paul Reubens became embroiled scandal in the '90s.

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'Pee-wee's Big Holiday' - It's likely that this cinematic revamp would have been a gamble at the box office. Instead, Netflix proved to be the perfect home for Pee-wee Herman.

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'13th' - A documentary directed by Ava DuVernay, '13th' tackles some seriously important issues, namely the controversial 13th amendment of the United States constitution.

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'13th' - That being said, its small earnings in the UK ensured that Netflix would be a better platform for the doc. It became a huge success on the platform.

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'Icarus' - This documentary focuses on Russia's reputation of doping athletes for major sporting events, like the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.

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'Icarus' -

The film got rave reviews and even won an Oscar, but it's debatable whether the subject matter would have drawn big crowds at the box office.

See also: A brief history of how Netflix achieved world domination.

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