Netflix’s New Teaser Trailer Is Clickbait

Netflix’s new teaser trailer is Clickbait – literally. The new Netflix miniseries is titled Clickbait, and it stars Adrian Grenier (Entourage), Jessica Collins (Revolution), Zoe Kazan (The Deuce), and others, is “a collection of stories that show how people’s uncontrolled impulses are fueled in the age of social media and reveals the ever-widening fractures between virtual and real-life personas.” That vague concept is teased in this trailer that seems to focus on Grenier’s character, who is living a life in public (and presumably social media) that is entirely a cover for a much darker persona. You can check out the trailer for Netflix’s new miniseries Clickbait, above!

As the Clickbait trailer caption describes the series: “When family man Nick Brewer is abducted in a crime with a sinister online twist, those closest to him race to uncover who is behind it and why.”

That sounds like the recipe for a compelling crime-drama mystery – one that has all the potential for generating social media buzz and trending topics, with its twists and reveals. The mystery of who Nick Brewer is could take a lot of turns, with a lot of fake-outs, before we get to the core truth of what is going on and just how many different layers of fake online persona one person can wear.

Netflix has already had success with a series of a similar framework: You, the drama/thriller about a serial stalker trying to find love. You‘s semi-soapy, semi-horror mix and big twists lit up social media both seasons it has been out – with a third on the way. Clickbait seems even more viable as a potential long-term hit for Netflix: the miniseries format leaves plenty of room for new seasons to spin entirely new tales, with new ensemble casts (and a few carry-over actors). It’s like Netflix is doing with The Haunting of… series, with its Hill House and Bly Manor anthologies – or Netflix’s other big hit series Black Mirror, which similarly examines the dark side of human identity and nature, in a tech-saturated world.

Obviously, Clickbait is trying to capitalize on the current social anxiety with misinformation and false identities on social media and the Internet. It’s been a cultural fascination in the last few years, as social media became something of a dominating factor in social and political discourse – or lack thereof. It’ll be interesting to see if the series can truly mix the pulpy mystery thrills with the social commentary, and make it all entertaining.