Forget, “Netflix and Chill.” This post is about “Netflix and Research.” Netflix is a video streaming service, filled with numerous educational documentaries, entertainment videos, and original series. With thousands of movies and shows to choose from, it’s easy to understand why it has popped up in so many citations on Citation Machine.
If you’re wondering how to cite a movie you’ve seen on Netflix, look no further. This post explains how to cite a movie on Netflix in MLA, APA, and Chicago/Turabian. The example featured here is for a documentary titled, The Ivory Game.
To cite a Netflix video, you’ll need the following pieces of information:
On a website:
Movie Title. Directed by First name Last name, performance by First name Last name*, Production Company, Year published. Netflix, URL.
On an app:
Movie Title. Directed by First name Last name, performance by First name Last name*, Production Company, Year published. Netflix app.
*Note: It isn’t always necessary to include the director and performer’s name(s). Include the names of any individuals who your research focuses on or names of individuals to help the reader locate the exact source themselves. It is acceptable to include producers, writers, creators, narrators, and other positions.
Here’s how the above example could be cited in MLA formatting:
On a website:
The Ivory Game. Directed by Kief Davidson & Richard Ladkani, Volcan Productions, 2016. Netflix, www.netflix.com/title/80117533.
On an app:
The Ivory Game. Directed by Kief Davidson & Richard Ladkani, Volcan Productions, 2016. Netflix app.
If you need help with in-text and parenthetical citations, CitationMachine.net can help. Our MLA citation generator is simple and easy to use!
Last name of Documentary Producer, F. M. (Producer), & Last name of Documentary Director, F. M. (Director). (Year of release). Movie title [Video file]. Retrieved from Netflix’s homepage URL*
*Since this video is found through a subscription database, APA recommends using the URL of the homepage.
Here’s how the above example would be cited as an APA citation:
Kohler, W., Davidson, K., Knopfler, W, & DiCaprio, L. (Producers), & Ladkani, R., Davidson, K. (Directors). (2016). The ivory game [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.netflix.com
Director’s Last name, First name, dir. Movie Title. Production Company, Year of release. URL.
Here’s how the above example would be cited in Chicago:
Ladkani, Richard, and Kief Davidson, dirs. The Ivory Game. Vulcan Productions, 2016. https://www.netflix.com/title/80117533.
*Note that there are two directors in the above citation. The first director’s name is placed in reverse order (Last name, First name). The second director’s name is placed is natural order (First name Last name).