Just in case you don’t spend enough of your time sitting in front of a laptop binging on Netflix shows, we’ve got another treat for you.
The blog What's On Netflix has discovered a multitude of codes that you can use to find the thousands of super-specific subgenres Netflix uses to curate its homepage based on your preferences. We’re not just talking about categories like “Documentaries” or “Anime”, there are loads of ridiculous, fine-tuned categories such as “Steamy German-Language Movies”, “Bellydancing”, “Screwball Comedies from the 1940s”, and "Campy Chinese Movies".
Here’s how you find them. Start by entering the URL http://www.netflix.com/browse/genre/XXXX, except replace the Xs with the number codes, which you can find right here.
It’s worth noting that some of the codes won’t work for your location as Netflix has some geographic restrictions and differences, but with reportedly 76,000 sub-genres to sift through, there will certainly be something that tickles your fancy. Who knows, you might even stumble across a love for “Dark Foreign Movies from the 1960s.”
Don't be surprised if you find it impossible to choose what to watch, though. A recent study published in Nature Human Behavior found that when our brains are overloaded with choices, they become "paralyzed" and seriously struggle to make a decision. The researchers found that when the number of choices rose above 12, activity in two brain areas involved in judgment and decision making tailed off. That means even Netflix's unhidden selection of genres is a bit much for our brains to cope with.
