Leave The World Behind was Netflix’s most-watched movie in 2023’s final six months, but it was nearly beaten by a far worse film
A kids movie from 2017 also stands out in a sea of modern thrillers
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Netflix has unveiled just how popular its biggest films of 2023’s second half really are – and it turns out one of its worst-rated Original Movies was almost its most successful.
Revealing the biggest movies on its platform, between July and December 2023, via its secondWhat We Watched: A Netflix Engagement Reportdocument,Netflixrevealed a clear pattern in the kind of films Netflix subscribers are choosing to watch more than anything else: the humble thriller. Indeed, the list’s top 10 is dominated by such plot-twisting genre fare, with Netflix’s live-action adaptation of Rumaan Alam’s unnerving bookLeave the World Behindleading the pack.
Bolstered its star-packed cast (Ethan Hawke, Mahershala Ali, Julia Roberts, Kevin Bacon, and Myha’la),Leave The World Behindpulled in 121 million views following its November 2023 debut on the world’sbest streaming service. Not shabby for a movie that launched in the final few weeks of last year, eh?
As mentioned, there are plenty of other thriller-style movies in the top 10, too, including David Fincher’s stylish if straightforwardly-namedThe Killer, which starred Michael Fassbender as a diligent hitman, debuting at number eight with 67.8 million views. Thanks to its 73.1 million haul,Reptile,a crime thriller starring and co-written by Benicio Del Toro, creeps just past it at number seven, while dystopian survival thrillerNowheresits at number four with 86.2 million people tuning in to watch it.
The biggest surprise of the lot, though,Heart of Stone. The spy thriller, which stars formerWonder Womanactress Gal Gadot, was trounced by fans and critics upon release in mid-August 2023. Indeed, its paltry 30% critics and average 51% audience scores onRotten Tomatoesconfirm it was another big-budget Netflix flick that flattered to deceive. And yet, while it’s far from one of thebest Netflix moviesever made, it somehow finished runner-up toLeave The World Behind. In fact, its 109.6 million views means it was just 13 million more away from usurping its Netflix sibling as the most-streamed film in the latter half of 2023. Imagine if that had happened…
Like a boss (baby)
Outside of the top 10, a lot more children’s content and Christmas fare starts to creep in – which is impressive, given that people only watch Christmas movies around the festive season. You’ll findBest. Christmas. Ever!(45.3 million views) andDr. Seuss' The Grinch(watched 45.3 million times) holding firm at positions 18 and 19, followed swiftly byThe Super Mario Bros. Movieat number 20 with 44.9 million views. Adam Sandler’s animated lizard movieLeoperformed best among this animated contingent, though, with the amusing child-friendly caper sitting comfortably at number three with a mighty haul of 96 million views.
But the real story here is the overwhelming success ofThe Boss Baby, a 2017 animated comedy movie about a corporate child with the body of a baby and the business acumen of a middle-aged executive. Indeed, it’s the only film in the top 10 thatwasn’treleased in 2023, and was only brought back to Netflix last year after a four-year absence. The film garnered 61.7 million views, and that’s in spite of its bang averageRotten Tomatoesscores of 53% and 51% among critics and general audiences respectively.
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It’s notable, though, that Netflix has invested in a number of spin-off properties forThe Boss Baby, with a 2018 TV series calledThe Boss Baby: Back in Businessand 2022 follow-up flickThe Boss Baby: Back in the Crib. Both struggled, however, to make the top 500 inNetflix’s favourite TV shows from the same period, which included two surprise entries in its own top 10. Maybe they’re cuter when they’re younger?
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Henry is a freelance technology journalist, and former News & Features Editor for TechRadar, where he specialized in home entertainment gadgets such as TVs, projectors, soundbars, and smart speakers. Other bylines include Edge, T3, iMore, GamesRadar, NBC News, Healthline, and The Times.
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