Frequent Black Screen While Watching Movies on Dell Inspiron 15R 5537

I only just very recently received this laptop as a gift, but as soon as I started watching movies on my Netflix account I noticed that the screen would briefly go black then return to my program. This happens very often, once every 2 to 5 minutes. And this only happens when I'm trying to watch movies. Browsing and game play is flawless. What could be the issue? 

It was recommended that I install Windows 8.1 upon setting up my laptop, so I did just that.
I didn't play around with Windows 8 beforehand, though, so I don't know if the problem is the
operating system or not. Please help!

I've only had my Inspiron for a few days, but this problem is becoming increasingly irritating.