Netflix is just like any other website on the internet: it takes information and breaks it down into a series of numbers representing various pieces of said information. And if you're crafty enough, you can turn that to your advantage. Here's how it works:
In your browser (and yes, it has to be on PC - no way to manipulate the Netflix app on your phone, tablet, or console just yet), simply type "www.netflix.com/browse/genre/XXXX" and replace "XXXX" with any of the numbers on this extensive list. Each number represents a genre, and by using these codes, you can get some extremely specific results. Here's a small sample:
12633 - 20th Century Period Pieces for ages 11 to 12
77774 - Absurd Stoner Comedies
77462 - Absurd Stoner Late Night Comedies
42288 - Critically-acclaimed Foreign Supernatural Movies
2005 - Quirky Children & Family Movies from the 1980s
Of course, such listings will only be useful for, I'm gonna guess, about a dozen or so people out there, so here are a few more genres for the less eccentric among us:
1365 - Action & Adventure
46576 - Classic Action & Adventure
43040 - Action Comedies
43048 - Action Thrillers
7424 - Anime
2729 - Anime Sci-Fi
10695 - Anime Horror
11146 - Anime Fantasy
6548 - Comedies
5475 - Romantic Comedies
26 - Mockumentaries
11559 - Stand-up Comedy
8711 - Horror Movies
89585 - Horror Comedy
947 - Monster Movies
8646 - Slasher and Serial Killer Movies
83 - TV Shows
46553 - Classic TV Shows
26146 - Crime TV Shows
10673 - TV Action & Adventure
11714 - TV Dramas
83059 - TV Horror
4366 - TV Mysteries
1372 - TV Sci-Fi & Fantasy
10375 - TV Comedies
Not all genres will work across all regions, and as Netflix continues to evolve it's possible that these numbers may change. However, for now, feel free to change a few numbers and feel like you're accessing the forbidden zone of Netflix like the hacker master you are.
Images: Netflix
