Lost in the Stream: How Algorithms Redefined the Way Movies Are Made and Watched (Creating a Watch List, Film Lovers Gift)

by Jeff Rauseo

Overview

(hfour)Discover how algorithms are reshaping Hollywood—and changing the way you watch, choose, and experience movies.(/hfour)

Why do you watch what you watch? Lost in the Stream: How Algorithms Redefined the Way Movies Are Made and Watched by Jeff Rauseo is your essential guide to understanding the digital revolution in cinema. Bridging the history of movies with today’s streaming landscape, Rauseo reveals how data-driven platforms and algorithms have transformed not only movie recommendations but also the very process of making and marketing films.

Inside, you’ll discover:

• The evolution of the movies from classic cinema to the streaming era, and how technology is rewriting movie history.
• How movie recommendation engines and algorithms influence what appears on your screen—and what gets made in Hollywood.
• The shifting roles of movie critics and movie reviews in an age where algorithms often decide what’s trending.
• Insights into the film industry, from creative decisions to distribution, as studios adapt to a world ruled by data.
• The impact of algorithms on the history of movies, content diversity, and the future of storytelling.
• Practical advice for creating a watch list that helps you cut through the noise and discover films you’ll truly love.
• A look at how cinema as an art form and business is evolving in response to digital disruption.

Whether you’re a film enthusiast, a tech-savvy viewer, or simply overwhelmed by endless streaming options, Lost in the Stream offers movie references, industry insights, and actionable tips for navigating the new world of movies. Learn how algorithms are not just changing what we watch—but how movies are made, marketed, and experienced in the digital age.

If you liked The New York Times Book of Movies, The Science of Interstellar, or Oscar Wars, you’ll love Lost in the Stream.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781684818198
Publisher:	Key Lime Publishing
Publication date:	08/12/2025
Pages:	218
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Jeff Rauseo was born in Massachusetts and now lives in southern New Hampshire with his wife, Coryana, and their two children, Sam and Hannah. A lifelong movie enthusiast, he has been creating content online about his passion for film and physical media since 2015. Lost in the Stream is his debut book. He has a bachelor’s in political science from the University of Massachusetts Lowell. When he isn’t watching movies or creating content, he works in digital marketing.

Read an Excerpt

Part 2: The Algorithms and the Streaming Revolution
How did you first hear about the last movie that you watched? It could have been from someone like me, sharing a video about a hidden gem or a new movie I was excited about. It could have been an article from Variety or The Hollywood Reporter that was shared on social media. It could have been from a paid advertisement that popped up when you opened Instagram, or a teaser playing ahead of the next YouTube video you planned to watch. Maybe you were on Reddit and scrolled through a popular thread on movies, or saw that someone posted a new movie poster release. Chances are, no matter which way you found the movie, it was through an online source driven by algorithms.

It is the 21st century after all, and we are all chronically online. That is how we get our information. Newspapers have become blogs, talk shows have become podcasts and YouTube channels, and commercials on cable TV have become paid partnerships with influencers on social media. For better or worse, the world is changing, and those of us who have lived over the last 20-30 years have been right in the middle of the biggest and fastest changes in technology and the dissemination of information that the world has ever seen.

However, the world of movies has changed even faster with the “Streaming Revolution," a shift that has brought more drastic changes to the entertainment industry than the previous 100 years that came before it. The Streaming Revolution was not brought on by the movie studios and production companies. It was brought on by technology companies, and as a result, our entertainment delivery systems shifted from a world of theaters and video tapes to a world of subscriptions, software, and algorithms.

Although we are all online and getting huge downloads of information every day, chances are that in the past few years, your taste in movies and what you decide to watch has been affected more by machine learning and algorithms than any blogs or social media posts. And the scary part is, you may not even realize what this revolution is doing to you and your tastes, and how drastically it has changed the way you consume your favorite media.

Just like on social media, you are not in control of what gets put in front of you on a streaming service. When you open up Netflix or Hulu, the titles that you see presented first are the ones that each service thinks you are most likely to watch based on your previous viewing habits. In many cases, these platforms also have additional data that they can use to push certain content, and you might be surprised at how much they know about you.
As someone who works in digital marketing for a living, I have been behind the scenes of many marketing platforms that collect data on just about everyone. With the current internet privacy laws in the United States and Canada, there are not many limitations to what can be collected. Once you click that annoying banner on every website that asks if it is okay to collect “cookies," you are being tracked.

I know not everyone fully understands how this all works, so let me break it down for you in layman’s terms. To my fellow digital marketing friends out there, just bear with me for a moment. I know it is a lot more complicated than what I am about to say, but we aren’t all digital marketing nerds.
For reference, cookies are basically small pieces of tracking code that are built into websites and allow them to see where you came from, how you got there, where you are located, and some other basic information based on your activities online.

If you have a Facebook account, a Gmail account, or any other social media platform, they all use cookies as well, and most modern websites have integrated that code into their own sites. For example, if you click an article from Facebook, and it brings you to The New York Times, Facebook knows what you clicked on and what you read. Depending on your privacy settings, The Times may also know exactly who you are from the information that Facebook has collected and shared with The Times. This can vary depending on the website’s own privacy policies, but be honest, have you ever actually read one of those?

Table of Contents

Foreword by Chris Stuckmann or Alicia Malone

 

Introduction

• The 15 to 30 movies that will help highlight or reinforce the concepts of each part

Part 1: A Brief History of Movies and How We Watched Them

• How movies are consumed today, with the pros and cons
• Why we see movies the way we do, and when the shift happened
• The impact on movies, genres, and the industry over the last 25 years

Part 2: The Algorithms and the Streaming Revolution

• Quick history of movies from the '50s to the start of streaming/Netflix
• The rise and fall of Blockbuster and video stores
• Physical media, DVDs, Blu Ray
• Convenience over choice or the illusion of choice

Part 3: How to Watch Movies Outside of the Algorithm and Adapt to the Future

• The biggest studios and indie studios that have snowballed this problem
• Marvel, Dune, and Star Wars: the good, bad, and ugly
• The Pandemic
• The Future

Conclusion

Editorial Reviews

Movies are to Jeff Rauseo what water is to Aquaman.”

—Brian Levant, director of The Flintstones and Jingle All the Way

“A mesmerizing deep dive into the history of cinema. Jeff Rauseo unpacks the politics, finances, and creative battles behind the movies we love. From silent films to streaming, it’s a must-read for cinephiles. A fascinating, well-researched triumph that captures Hollywood’s ever-evolving landscape.”

—Adnan Virk, film critic and host of Cinephile

“Jeff loves movies. Like, every single aspect of them, from how they are made to how we consume them. So, if you love movies that much, too, you'll enjoy this book!”

—Brandon Dermer, director

“Film shapes culture, challenges perspectives, and inspires change. Jeff Rauseo explores cinema’s profound impact on society, art, and the human experience. Movies aren’t just entertainment—they’re a reflection of who we are.”

—Hunter Rebner, film studies educator at Albert Einstein Academy

“The best thing to read besides subtitles on a movie.”

—Chris Collins, host of There Are Too Many Movies

“From latchkey kids raised in the local video store to modern youth who have never known life without the constant deluge of screens, content, and the almighty algorithm, Lost in the Stream is a fascinating exploration of the film industry’s ongoing evolution. With eloquence and passion, Rauseo speaks directly to the heart of cinephiles.”

—Alex DiVincenzo, Bloody Disgusting

“Jeff is the best voice in the enthusiast community, and his book shows that in spades. His understanding and appreciation of the human and communal aspects of film, pushing the medium beyond just being referred to as ‘content’, is refreshing. His love and respect for the art form, from technical aspects to filmmaking, is passionate and relatable. Every collector and enthusiast needs to give this a read!”

—Damon Weathers, physical production manager at Legacy Effects

“Just when I needed another reason to fan out about Jeff Rauseo and his enviably encyclopedic movie mind, Lost in the Stream comes along…”

—Josh Ruben, filmmaker

“A blast from beginning to end, Jeff Rauseo’s book is nostalgic and funny and sad in equal measures as it recalls a time of VHS and Blockbusters and days spent lost at the local cinema (all subjects near and dear to my own heart). Jeff writes in the best way possible: honestly and with a clear passion for the world of film, filmmakers, and film lovers. I devoured everything he had to say. Pauline Kael famously ‘lost it’ at the movies but Jeff Rauseo ‘found it’ at the movies, and I’ve now found an author worth watching out for. Looking forward to seeing where he takes us next.”

—Neil LaBute, director of Death at a Funeral

From the Publisher