9 Most Popular Netflix Films Ever
As the world’s most popular streaming service, Netflix is capable of pulling massive numbers. With roughly 247.2 million paid subscribers worldwide as of 2023, there’s a massive potential audience for the right film - and these films found it.
Every entry on the following top 9 list has pulled off audacious numbers that rank them as the most popular Netflix films of all time, all achieving over 100 million views in their first 28 days. Read on below to see what they are.
Martin Scorsese’s crime epic unites legendary actors Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and Joe Pesci in a sprawling mob drama spanning decades. The CGI de-aging tech used to transform them into younger men is patchy in places, but it’s doesn’t detract from the masterful storytelling.
You might not have heard of this touching drama, but it managed 228 million hours of watch time in its first 28 days of release in 2022. Based on Tess Wakefield’s novel, it follows an aspiring musician who reluctantly agrees to marry a Marine. Tragedy soon takes their relationship to an unexpected place.
A great choice for younger viewers, this warm-hearted action-sci-fi film sees time-traveling fighter pilot Adam Reed (Ryan Reynolds) visit the past to team up with his 12-year-old self on a mission to save the world. It’s like Back to the Future meets Big with lasers.
Chris Hemsworth adds considerable heft to this burly action blast that attempts to lean away from today's over-reliance on CGI. Many of the stunts you see were achieved practically, like a heart-pounding car-chase through heaving city streets shot in one take.
Not only in the top five most-watched Netflix films, but the most expensive project ever funded on the platform, this big budget action film by the directors of Avengers: Endgame stars Ryan Gosling as the elite agent hunted by ruthless pursuer Chris Evans. Set-pieces and spectacle galore.
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Rian Johnson’s sharply written sequel to his 2019 murder-mystery welcomes back genius detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig), who this time must crack a case on a tech billionare’s private island. There are red herrings, killer one-liners, and an all-star cast.
Netflix’s most-watched film to date when it launched in December 2018, Bird Box follows mother Sandra Bullock who’s trying to protect her kids from mysterious entities that, when viewed, compel people to kill themselves. A sequel, Bird Box Barcelona, released July 14, 2023.
Biting satire disguised as a disaster movie, Adam McKay’s 2021 comedy sees two astronomers (Jennifer Lawrence and Leonardo DiCaprio) attempt to warn the world about an impending asteroid that’s on a collision course with Earth. Earth, however, doesn’t seem all that bothered.
In at number one with 364 million hours in its first 28 days. Ryan Reynolds and The Rock team up to track down notorious art thief Gal Gadot in this raucous action-comedy that was Netflix’s most-watched film within 28 days of its release on 21 November, 2021. If you want more, two sequels filmed back-to-back are on the way.
