So for several weeks I have been blogging about YouTube Red and the added features of the service and I must say I am glad I jumped on the YouTube bandwagon as there is so much great content on YouTube. I never was a huge YouTube watcher but adding Red gives even more great features and content.

Over the holiday I had some time to sit down and enjoy some of the YouTube Red original content available to us the subscribers. I watched the YouTube Red original movie called The Thinning starring Logan Paul and Payton List. I have to say for a YouTube movie I was impressed. The production value is definitely there, I did not expect the amount of great acting, camera work, quality set design, costuming and storyline, that was in the movie. I am definitely impressed with the quality of the product, the value to subscribers is there not to mention the movie having a great story to follow that kept me interested. On a personal note, I am always up for a great sci-fi movie any day of the week.

The Thinning is a science fiction thriller film set in a dystopian future in which population control is enforced through a school aptitude test done yearly. Those who do not pass the test are sentenced to death all in an effort to trim the population 5 percent a year. I know the storyline sounds a little dark but keep in mind the movie is rated TV-14. Despite the show’s rating, the movie kept my interest for the hour and twenty minutes.

The movie like any made for internet movie got hit with mixed reviews 68% on rotten tomatoes and 3 stars on IMDB. The interesting part to this will be to see if there is any sequel to this movie. Despite the ratings you have to look at the bigger picture, YouTube needs to keep signing more users up for their premium service YouTube Red. Most subscription services in an effort to keep subscriptions coming in have to offer new incentives all the time. YouTube may have a sequel in a year down the road just to have something new to offer current and potential new subscribers.

So far The Thinning is the only YouTube Red original movie available, but it’s not YouTube Reds only original content as they have plenty of original content series available for paid subscribers to watch. One thing about original movies, market research done by both Netflix and HBO has shown that original series do attract more subscribers than original movies.  I am not sure how many original movies we will see from YouTube Red, but I am sure we will see more original series from them in 2017.