Netflix originally launched a feature called Max in 2013, which was a virtual assistant designed to ask users a few questions and then recommend a movie so they would stop endlessly scrolling through the catalog.

Max tried to turn choosing into a conversation

In 2013, Netflix introduced Max, a virtual assistant that asked viewers questions and used their answers to recommend a movie. The idea was to make a huge catalog feel easier to navigate: instead of scanning title after title, a viewer could respond to prompts and get a suggestion.

That approach added a new step, though. Before receiving a recommendation, users had to engage with the assistant and answer its questions. For someone who wanted to start watching quickly, the conversation could feel like another obstacle rather than a shortcut. A tool meant to reduce indecision can backfire when it makes choosing feel like work.

The interface was part of the recommendation

A recommendation is not useful only because of what it suggests; the route to that suggestion matters too. Max made Netflix’s guidance visible and interactive, but that also meant asking viewers to pause and participate. If the experience felt annoying, users could simply ignore it and return to browsing.

Netflix eventually discontinued Max without much fanfare. Its short life illustrates a practical tension in entertainment design: helping people find something to watch is not the same as asking them to do more before they can watch it.