Top 30 Most-Watched Netflix Movies of All Time
2018–2025 | The films that turned streaming premieres into global events
Introduction: Netflix has transformed the way audiences discover, discuss and measure movie success. From psychological thrillers and action blockbusters to animated adventures and acclaimed international dramas, these 30 titles demonstrate the extraordinary global reach of the streaming platform between 2018 and 2025.
This list brings together Netflix-reported viewing figures and popularity milestones. As Netflix has used different measurements over the years—including viewing hours and views—the figures are not a direct like-for-like box-office comparison.
Key stat: KPop Demon Hunters became Netflix's biggest film record-holder of this period, while earlier titles such as Bird Box, Red Notice and Don't Look Up helped define the platform's global movie-event era.
2018: The Early Streaming Phenomenon
1 Bird Box (2018)
Bird Box is a 2018 American post-apocalyptic horror thriller directed by Susanne Bier and based on Josh Malerman's 2014 novel. Sandra Bullock plays Malorie Hayes, a woman who must protect herself and two children from mysterious entities that drive anyone who looks at them to suicide.
The film became Netflix's most-watched movie at the time, recording approximately 157.6 million views within its first 28 days. A spin-off sequel, Bird Box Barcelona, arrived on Netflix in July 2023. The original received mixed-to-positive reviews and holds a 64% Rotten Tomatoes score.
2021: Star Power and Big Streaming Events
2 Red Notice (2021)
Written and directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber, Red Notice is an action comedy starring Dwayne Johnson, Ryan Reynolds, Gal Gadot and Ritu Arya. An FBI agent reluctantly joins forces with an art thief to catch an even more notorious criminal.
Netflix reported more than 453.9 million viewing hours during its debut weekend. The film remained one of Netflix's biggest movies until it was overtaken by later record-breaking titles. Two sequels have been reported as being in development.
3 The Unforgivable (2021)
Nora Fingscheidt directed this psychological drama, adapted from Sally Wainwright's 2009 British miniseries Unforgiven. Sandra Bullock stars as a woman released after 20 years in prison who is determined to reunite with her estranged younger sister.
The film accumulated approximately 214.7 million viewing hours during its first 28 days, making it one of Netflix's biggest films at the time.
4 Don't Look Up (2021)
Adam McKay's political satire follows two astronomers attempting to warn humanity about a comet that will destroy civilisation. The comet serves as an allegory for climate change, while the film satirises politics, celebrity culture, government and media indifference.
The film received four Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, and won Best Original Screenplay from the Writers Guild of America. It accumulated more than 389.5 million viewing hours in its first 28 days.
2022: Netflix's Biggest Movie Year
5 The Adam Project (2022)
Directed by Shawn Levy, this science-fiction action comedy stars Ryan Reynolds as a fighter pilot who travels to 2022 and encounters his 12-year-old self. Together, they confront grief, family issues and a threat to the future of time travel.
The film became one of Netflix's most popular titles, reaching approximately 157.6 million views during its first 28 days. It also won Comedy Movie of 2022 at the People's Choice Awards.
6 The Gray Man (2022)
Anthony and Joe Russo directed this action thriller, adapted from Mark Greaney's novel. Ryan Gosling plays CIA agent Sierra Six, who goes on the run after uncovering corrupt secrets. Chris Evans co-stars as the ruthless former CIA operative Lloyd Hansen.
Netflix reported 88.55 million viewing hours in the film's first three days and approximately 253.8 million hours by September 2022.
7 Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)
Rian Johnson's mystery sequel brings Daniel Craig back as Benoit Blanc. The detective travels to a private island owned by tech billionaire Miles Bron, where a gathering of friends becomes a dangerous murder mystery.
Released on Netflix on 23 December 2022, the film recorded more than 209.5 million viewing hours during its first 10 days of digital release. It also received an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay.
8 Purple Hearts (2022)
Directed by Elizabeth Allen Rosenbaum and based on Tess Wakefield's novel, Purple Hearts follows a musician and a Marine who enter a marriage of convenience that gradually becomes emotionally complicated.
The film rose to number one on Netflix's daily popularity chart and accumulated approximately 240.48 million viewing hours between 24 July and 4 September 2022.
9 Hustle (2022)
Jeremiah Zagar directed this sports comedy drama, with Adam Sandler playing a struggling NBA scout who discovers a gifted basketball player in Spain and attempts to prepare him for the NBA draft.
Sandler received his first Screen Actors Guild nomination for a leading role. The film was Netflix's most-watched movie between 8 and 19 June 2022 and received strong reviews for Sandler's dramatic performance.
10 The Sea Beast (2022)
Chris Williams directed this animated fantasy adventure about a young orphan who joins a legendary sea-monster hunter in search of the elusive Red Bluster.
The film earned approximately 165 million viewing hours during its first five months and received an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Feature.
11 All Quiet on the Western Front (2022)
This German anti-war epic, directed by Edward Berger, is based on Erich Maria Remarque's 1929 novel. It follows young German soldier Paul Bäumer as the realities of World War I destroy his romantic ideas about battle.
The film received nine Academy Award nominations and won four, including Best International Feature. It also won seven BAFTAs, including Best Film, and generated more than 176 million viewing hours on Netflix.
12 Troll (2022)
Roar Uthaug directed this Norwegian monster film about a group of people who must stop an ancient troll awakened in a Norwegian mountain.
Inspired by Norwegian folklore, the film attracted global attention with its large-scale visual effects, action sequences and giant-monster premise. It earned more than 175 million viewing hours.
13 The Tinder Swindler (2022)
Felicity Morris directed this British true-crime documentary about Simon Leviev, also known as Shimon Hayut, who used Tinder to manipulate women into financially supporting his lifestyle.
The documentary recorded 45.8 million viewing hours globally during the week of 31 January–6 February 2022 and reached the Netflix Top 10 in 92 countries.
14 The Man from Toronto (2022)
Directed by Patrick Hughes, this action comedy stars Kevin Hart and Woody Harrelson. A recently fired man is mistaken for a feared assassin and is forced to continue the deception when the real killer appears.
After pandemic-related release delays, Netflix distributed the film to a global audience. It generated more than 170 million viewing hours.
15 Senior Year (2022)
Alex Hardcastle's comedy stars Rebel Wilson as a woman who wakes from a 20-year coma at the age of 37 and decides to return to high school to complete her diploma.
The film logged more than 167 million viewing hours, demonstrating Wilson's ability to lead a feature-length comedy.
16 Enola Holmes 2 (2022)
Harry Bradbeer directed the sequel to Enola Holmes, with Millie Bobby Brown returning as Sherlock Holmes's younger sister. The story draws inspiration from the real-life matchgirls' strike.
The film topped Netflix's viewership charts in 93 countries. Brown won Favourite Movie Actress at the 2023 Kids' Choice Awards.
2023: Franchises, International Hits and Prestige Films
17 Murder Mystery 2 (2023)
Jeremy Garelick directed this sequel, which follows Nick and Audrey Spitz as full-time private detectives investigating a kidnapping and murder at their friend's wedding. Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston returned in the lead roles.
The film reached Netflix's Top 10 in more than 90 countries and accumulated approximately 173.6 million viewing hours, equivalent to around 117 million views.
18 Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire (2023)
Zack Snyder directed this space opera about Kora, a former soldier who recruits warriors across the galaxy to defend a vulnerable moon village from the Imperium.
Although the film received negative reviews, its scale, mythology and connection to Snyder's fan base helped it pass 165 million viewing hours on Netflix. Its story continued with Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver.
19 Luther: The Fallen Sun (2023)
Jamie Payne directed this continuation of the acclaimed Luther television series. Idris Elba reprises his role as detective John Luther, who attempts to stop a wealthy serial killer.
The film benefited from the established international audience of the television series and recorded more than 180 million viewing hours.
20 Heart of Stone (2023)
Tom Harper directed this spy thriller starring Gal Gadot as Rachel Stone, an intelligence operative protecting an advanced artificial-intelligence system known as the Heart.
With a reported production budget of approximately $150 million, it was one of Netflix's most expensive original films. It became one of the platform's major 2023 releases, approaching 110 million views.
21 Leo (2023)
This animated musical comedy was directed by Robert Marianetti, Robert Smigel and David Wachtenheim. Adam Sandler voices a tuatara who becomes a source of advice and comfort for a group of schoolchildren.
With nearly 199 million viewing hours, Leo became one of Netflix's most successful original animated films and another major success for Sandler's partnership with the platform.
22 Society of the Snow (2023)
J. A. Bayona directed this Spanish-language survival drama based on the true story of the 1972 Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 crash in the Andes.
The film was praised for its emotional and visual power, attracted approximately 233 million viewing hours and received two Academy Award nominations. It won 12 Goya Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director.
23 The Mother (2023)
Niki Caro directed this action thriller starring Jennifer Lopez as a former U.S. Army operative who joins an FBI agent in a mission to rescue her kidnapped teenage daughter.
Released on 12 May 2023, the film became one of the most-viewed Netflix films of the year and remained a major engagement hit for the service.
24 Extraction 2 (2023)
Sam Hargrave returned to direct the sequel to Extraction, with Chris Hemsworth reprising his role as Australian black-ops mercenary Tyler Rake. The new mission takes him into a dangerous prison break and a criminal family conflict.
The original Extraction became one of Netflix's biggest launches, while Extraction 2 continued the franchise's success with more than 99 million reported viewers during its first four weeks.
25 Leave the World Behind (2023)
Written and directed by Sam Esmail, this apocalyptic psychological thriller is based on Rumaan Alam's novel. Two families struggle to understand a breakdown in phones, television, the internet and other technologies.
Its themes of privilege, technology and social trust sparked extensive discussion. The film generated nearly 305 million viewing hours, making it one of Netflix's most surprising hits.
Explore more Must-Watch Film Topics:
2024: The New Action and Fantasy Giants
26 Carry-On (2024)
Jaume Collet-Serra directed this Christmas Eve action thriller about a young TSA officer blackmailed into allowing a nerve agent onto a passenger flight.
After recording approximately 97 million views ten days after release, Carry-On became one of Netflix's most-watched English-language films, passing 149.5 million views.
27 Damsel (2024)
Juan Carlos Fresnadillo directed this dark fantasy film about a young woman who discovers that her marriage proposal is part of a royal family's ancient bargain with a dragon.
Netflix reported 35.3 million views in its first three days. By the end of June 2024, the total had reached approximately 143 million views, making it Netflix's most-watched film in the first half of that year.
28 Lift (2024)
F. Gary Gray directed this heist comedy about an international thief and his crew, who work with an Interpol agent to steal half a billion dollars in gold from a passenger flight.
The film accumulated approximately 129 million views between its debut and the end of June 2024, becoming the second most-watched Netflix film of that period behind Damsel.
2025: Netflix's New Record-Breakers
29 Back in Action (2025)
Seth Gordon directed this action comedy starring Jamie Foxx and Cameron Diaz as former CIA operatives pulled back into espionage after 15 years living undercover with their children.
The film opened with approximately 46.8 million views in its first three days, the biggest opening weekend for an English-language Netflix film since The Adam Project. Critics were less enthusiastic, with a reported 28% Rotten Tomatoes score.
30 KPop Demon Hunters (2025)
Maggie Kang directed this animated musical urban fantasy about a K-pop girl group who secretly defend their fans from demons while facing a rival boy band whose members are supernatural creatures.
The film became Netflix's most popular film of all time, overtaking earlier records and drawing a huge worldwide audience. Netflix reported more than 236 million views after its release, alongside its major soundtrack success.
Its sing-along theatrical release also made Netflix history, while the film's critical and audience response confirmed it as one of the defining streaming successes of 2025.
Conclusion: The evolution of Netflix's most-watched movies tells a fascinating story about modern viewing habits. Early records were dominated by star-led thrillers and action films, while later success increasingly came from animated features, international productions and titles that created strong online conversations.
From Bird Box and Red Notice to Society of the Snow, Carry-On and KPop Demon Hunters, these films prove that Netflix popularity is not limited to one genre. The next record-breaker could come from anywhere—but it will have a very high bar to clear.
