There has been some contention about just what films rise to the top of the pile at Netflix. The company has a system that reported streams are somewhat shrouded in secrecy. But that veil has seemed to be listed for now, so below, we will take a look at the top 10 most-watched original Netflix movies ever.
10. We Can Be Heroes
Director: Robert Rodriguez
Stars: YaYa Gosselin, Pedro Pascal, Priyanka Chopra Jonas
Release Date: December 25, 2020
Viewing Hours: 137.3 million
The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl paved the way so We Can Be Heroes could soar. This follow-up, which stands on its own while also serving as a legacy sequel, centers around a new generation of superpowered kids who team up to rescue their parents—and the planet—from alien threats. Directed by Robert Rodriguez, We Can Be Heroes blends nostalgic energy with a fresh ensemble cast, including a few well-known faces. Though it didn’t make quite the same cultural splash as Sharkboy and Lavagirl (nor was it expected to), it clearly resonated with younger audiences and managed to secure a top 10 spot on this list. Perhaps this is what it means to unlock true OG status as a longtime Sharkboy and Lavagirl fan.
9. Damsel
Director: Juan Carlos Fresnadillo
Stars: Millie Bobby Brown, Angela Bassett, Ray Winstone
Release Date: March 8, 2024
Viewing Hours: 138.0 million
In Damsel, Princess Elodie (Millie Bobby Brown) flips the classic fairy tale script on its head, turning the “damsel in distress” trope into a story of resilience and self-empowerment. When she agrees to marry a charming prince (Nick Robinson) to help secure her kingdom’s future, Elodie soon realizes the wedding is a trap—she’s been offered up as a human sacrifice, thrown into a cave to be consumed by a dragon. But rather than waiting for a savior, Elodie fights back with determination and rising fury.
Director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo delivers a fast-paced survival story that weaves dark fairy tale visuals with themes of female strength and autonomy. Standout performances from Robin Wright as a cold, commanding queen and Shohreh Aghdashloo as the dragon’s eerie voice elevate the tension. While the film doesn’t revolutionize the genre, its powerful feminist message, striking visual effects (seriously, the visuals are next-level), and Brown’s evolving screen presence make Damsel an engaging ride—and a pointed answer to the notion that princesses always need rescuing. It’s also a chance to see Millie Bobby Brown stretch her acting muscles, transitioning from Stranger Things to a more mature dramatic role. With a strong supporting cast rounding things out, Damsel earns its spot as the ninth most-watched Netflix original ever.
8. The Gray Man
Directors: Joe Russo, Anthony Russo
Stars: Ryan Gosling, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas
Release Date: July 22, 2022
Viewing Hours: 139.3 million
Expect lots of car chases, helicopter crashes, and gunfights with this film. In The Gray Man, Ryan Gosling steps into the role of Sierra Six, a former CIA operative turned covert assassin who finds himself hunted by a relentless adversary—a ruthless sociopath played with flair by Chris Evans. Directed by the Russo brothers, whose blockbuster credentials include Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame, the film cranks up the action to an almost dizzying level.
The breakneck pacing and rapid-cut sequences create an experience that feels more like a live-action video game than a traditional spy thriller—something that some critics felt was more exhausting than exhilarating. Still, it’s hard not to be drawn in by the sheer spectacle—and let’s be honest, what’s not to like about a Ryan Gosling hero and Chris Evans villain dynamic?
7. Leave The World Behind
Director: Sam Esmail
Stars: Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali, Ethan Hawke
Release Date: December 8, 2023
Viewing Hours: 143.4 million
Leave the World Behind is a psychological thriller that taps into our collective unease about societal collapse. Julia Roberts and Ethan Hawke play Amanda and Clay Sandford, a couple hoping for a quiet escape from the noise of everyday life with a weekend retreat at a luxurious Long Island rental. Their plans unravel when the property’s owner (played by Mahershala Ali) unexpectedly arrives with his daughter, warning that a massive blackout has effectively shut down New York City. Forced to coexist under one roof, the two families navigate the unknown as the world outside spirals.
While the apocalyptic setup isn’t groundbreaking, director Sam Esmail layers the story with commentary on technology, racial dynamics, and the fragility of modern life, crafting a tense and thought-provoking watch. Fun detail: The film was executive produced by Barack and Michelle Obama.
6. Back In Action
Director: Seth Gordon
Stars: Cameron Diaz, Jamie Foxx, Glenn Close
Release Date: January 17, 2025
Viewing Hours: 147.2 million
Back in Action isn’t exactly a show-stopping return—it’s more of a gentle reentry—but honestly, we’ll take any opportunity to see Cameron Diaz back on screen after a ten-year hiatus. Reuniting with Jamie Foxx, Diaz plays a former spy-turned-soccer mom whose peaceful domestic life gets upended when her past catches up with her—dragging her family into a whirlwind of international espionage. Think “family vacation meets high-stakes shootout,” complete with zany action, quick-fire sitcom humor, and a soundtrack that could’ve been assembled by a romcom-savvy Spotify algorithm.
The film doesn’t break new ground in the action-comedy genre, but Diaz still radiates that effortless charm, while Foxx turns on the charisma. The script leans heavily into goofy gags and exaggerated British accents (yes, we’re looking at you, Glenn Close and Jamie Demetriou), but the film’s self-awareness gives it a playful, almost meme-like energy. Back in Action may not be a blockbuster hit, but it’s a solid way to kick off Diaz’s comeback—and a welcome reminder of what we’ve been missing.
5. Bird Box
Director: Susanne Bier
Stars: Sandra Bullock, Trevante Rhodes, John Malkovich
Release Date: December 21, 2018
Viewing Hours: 157.4 million
It was the thriller that had everyone talking back in 2018, and nearly seven years later, Bird Box still holds its place in Netflix’s hall of fame. If you didn’t catch it during a dorm room movie night like I did, here’s the gist: Sandra Bullock goes full-on survival mode as Mallory, a mother figure desperately navigating a deadly river with two kids—while blindfolded. Why? Because in this apocalypse, opening your eyes means instant death, thanks to mysterious, unseen entities that seem to double as metaphors for mental illness and make people fatally unhinged at first glance. The story jumps timelines and gets a little convoluted, and while emotional depth sometimes takes a back seat to the ensemble cast, you do get the unique combo of A-listers and MGK sharing screen time.
The scares land—until they don’t—and the internal logic doesn’t always hold up under scrutiny. Still, Bird Box absolutely dominated the cultural conversation when it dropped (2018 Twitter was a time). It’s basically the blueprint for a TikTok-era thriller: dark, messy, and practically engineered to go viral.
4. The Adam Project
Director: Shawn Levy
Stars: Ryan Reynolds, Mark Ruffalo, Jennifer Garner
Release Date: March 11, 2022
Viewing Hours: 157.6 million
Ryan Reynolds reprises his role as the quippy, slightly damaged man-child we’ve come to know and love, but this time, he’s literally conversing with his younger self. When his future version crash-lands in 2022 while evading invisible spaceships (don’t ask), he teams up with 12-year-old Adam, who’s juggling bullies and asthma. The premise? Picture “save the future, rescue the wife, and unpack childhood trauma,” with a side of CGI drone battles.
The Adam Project is emotionally heartwarming, visually stunning, and scientifically… well, let’s just say it’s not meant for deep analysis. It’s more focused on the idea of rewinding your life for a brief moment than it is on explaining time travel mechanics. If that concept resonates with you, then this is your movie—and hey, who doesn’t love a little existential crisis paired with laser sword action?
3. Don’t Look Up
Director: Adam McKay
Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Ariana Grande, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep, Timothée Chalamet
Release Date: December 24, 2021
Viewing Hours: 171.4 million
This doomsday satire is what you get when The Big Short and SNL get locked in a panic room during the apocalypse. Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence star as two astronomers who discover a massive, extinction-level comet on a collision course with Earth—but no one seems to care because everyone is too busy thirst-tweeting, bickering with trolls, or fixating on nonsense. (Sounds pretty close to reality, right?) Meryl Streep brings her best girlboss energy as the President, while Jonah Hill plays her nepo baby chief of staff. Oh, and the comet? Yeah, it’s pretty clearly a stand-in for climate change. Subtle? Not even a little. But neither is the end of the world.
Don’t Look Up takes aim at everything—celebrity culture, fake news, Big Tech, capitalism, and podcast-driven anxiety—and somehow hits most of its targets, even if it feels like being lectured by your funniest but most frazzled friend for two and a half hours. The tone is chaotic, the message is blunt. Is it a flawless satire? Definitely not. But if it inspires even one person to care more about the planet than the latest TikTok drama, then maybe it’s already done its job (it is in the top 3 most-watched, after all). TL;DR: it’s climate anxiety, but make it Hollywood.
2. Carry-On
Director: Jaume Collet-Serra
Stars: Taron Egerton, Jason Bateman, Sofia Carson
Release Date: December 13, 2024
Viewing Hours: 172.1 million
Carry-On might sound like a playful British remake, but it’s actually a surprisingly intense Netflix thriller with zero cheeky humor and 100% TSA-related anxiety. Taron Egerton plays an airport security agent who gets pulled into a high-altitude hostage crisis when Jason Bateman—channeling the vibe of an evil PTA dad with a bomb—forces him to smuggle explosives onto a plane. It’s a tense, no-frills thriller that could have been a tight 90-minute ride, but instead stretches to almost two hours. The timing of its release cleverly tapped into the holiday travel frenzy, and while the film itself doesn’t quite hit the mark, it’ll definitely make you think twice about your carry-on bag.
1. Red Notice
THIS ONE, has been the butt of many jokes amonst staff and friends here, because we were under the (false) impression that it could never be true that ‘Red Notice’ could be THE most popular thing to come out of Netflix thus far. However, no one is never wrong.
Director: Rawson Marshall Thurber
Stars: Dwayne Johnson, Ryan Reynolds, Gal Gadot, Ritu Arya
Release Date: Nov. 12, 2021
Viewing Hours: 230.9 million
Red Notice is Netflix’s $200 million show of force—a high-octane heist film that sends The Rock, Ryan Reynolds, and Gal Gadot on a wild chase for three legendary golden eggs once owned by Cleopatra. Johnson plays a no-nonsense FBI profiler who’s framed for art theft, Reynolds is a fast-talking thief with some serious daddy issues, and Gadot is the enigmatic criminal known only as “The Bishop”—always a few steps ahead and dressed like she raided the most luxurious closet in the world.
The trio hops from Rome to Russia to the Amazon in a whirlwind of double-crosses, daring prison breaks, and jaw-dropping action sequences, with enough explosions and exotic backdrops to justify its hefty budget. While it’s not the most original or thought-provoking film, when it comes to star-powered, algorithm-approved spectacle, Red Noticedelivers—it’s the most-watched Netflix movie for a reason. Just remember, don’t overthink it while watching.
Looking for more streaming suggestions? Be sure to check out our guides to the best TV shows and movies across Netflix, AppleTV, Hulu, Peacock, and HBO Max.