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The most popular Netflix movies: Which one tops the list?

Carry-On enters the top ten, but what else is on the list?

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Netflix logo on TV with red backlighting
Thibault Penin / Unsplash

Remember when Netflix used to be just be the streaming service to watch old movies and shows? It was unheard of for the biggest stars in Hollywood to dedicate their time and energy to making a film specifically for Netflix. As the company grew bigger and competition increased from others such as Hulu, Max, and Prime Video, Netflix started to allocate more resources into original content and people have responded by watching these movies in binges.

In case you’re not as in the know as we are about the most popular Netflix movies, we have you covered. The most popular Netflix movies feature actors such as Leonardo DiCpario, Jennifer Lopez, and Ryan Reynolds. The theater is no longer the only destination for big pictures. These popular Netflix movies will have you addicted and excited for your next movie night.

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NOTE: The list is ranked by views rather than by hours viewed. This helps to not give an advantage to longer movies. All numbers are taken from Netflix Tudum.

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10. The Mother (2023)

10. The Mother
115m
Genre
Action, Thriller
Stars
Jennifer Lopez, Lucy Paez, Omari Hardwick
Directed by
Niki Caro
Watch on Netflix
Jennifer Lopez often gets made fun of for appearing in generic movies, and The Mother is no different. This action thriller got negative reviews from critics, but fans lapped up its easy-to-digest fun to the tune of 136,400,000 views. Lopez plays an assassin who must save herself and her astranged daughter from the dangerous hands of those who want to take everything from her.

9. We Can Be Heroes (2020)

9. We Can Be Heroes
97m
Genre
Family, Action, Fantasy, Comedy
Stars
YaYa Gosselin, Lyon Daniels, Andy Walken
Directed by
Robert Rodriguez
Watch on Netflix
We Can Be Heroes is the perfect family superhero movie for kids and adults. The movie serves as a spiritual successor to the Sharkboy and Lavagirl franchise from the 2000s, but it’s not a requirement to see those films to enjoy this one. With a variety of kid superheroes and feel-good storytelling that doesn’t get too violent or dark, this is a carefree superhero experience. It has accumulated 137,300,000 views since its release.

8. Damsel (2024)

8. Damsel
107m
Genre
Fantasy, Action, Adventure
Stars
Millie Bobby Brown, Ray Winstone, Angela Bassett
Directed by
Juan Carlos Fresnadillo
Watch on Netflix
Millie Bobby Brown tried to get free from her Stranger Things past while still staying close to Netflix with the original movie Damsel. Brown is a princess who has been deceived and must fight her way free of a fire-breathing dragon and other fantastical fare to return to safety. While Damsel doesn’t reinvent any genre tropes, it’s always wonderful to see women in action roles. Damsel has been viewed 138,000,000 times since its early 2024 release.

7. The Gray Man (2022)

7. The Gray Man
129m
Genre
Action, Thriller
Stars
Ryan Gosling, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas
Directed by
Joe Russo, Anthony Russo
Watch on Netflix

The Gray Man represents Netflix’s ability to draw the biggest directors and actors in the world to their films more than almost any other on this list. Chris Evans, the Russo brothers, Ryan Gosling . . . what else can you ask for? This is another action movie following a CIA agent who knows something he shouldn’t and is going to pay the price. The film has been viewed 139,300,000 times since 2022.

6. Leave the World Behind (2023)

6. Leave the World Behind
142m
Genre
Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Stars
Julia Roberts, Ethan Hawke, Mahershala Ali
Directed by
Sam Esmail
Watch on Netflix

Leave the World Behind stands out from the pack because it’s one of Netflix’s only huge original post-apocalyptic dramas. Julia Roberts and Ethan Hawke star in what could have been a by-the-book end of the world film but instead dives deep into the fears society possesses about lack of technology and loss of civilization. Leave the World Behind has been viewed 143,400,000 times.

5. Carry-On (2024)

5. Carry-On
119m
Genre
Action, Thriller
Stars
Taron Egerton, Jason Bateman, Sofia Carson
Directed by
Jaume Collet-Serra
Watch on Netflix

Carry-On was the biggest movie of the Christmas season in 2024 and it’s not even all that festive. Maybe that’s the reason it has cashed in on 149,400,000 views so far. The movie stars Taron Egerton and Jason Bateman in the story of a TSA officer who gets embroiled in a fight for his life after discovering dangerous enemies aboard a flight.

4. Bird Box (2018)

4. Bird Box
124m
Genre
Horror, Thriller, Drama
Stars
Sandra Bullock, Trevante Rhodes, John Malkovich
Directed by
Susanne Bier
Watch on Netflix
Bird Box is the oldest movie on this list and the one that revolutionized Netflix as a platform for original movies. Sandra Bullock plays a women on a quest to protect children from a mass suicide event in which people kill themselves upon looking at a mysterious threat. More famous than the movie was the Bird Box challenge in which people put on blindolds like the characters in the movie and tried to go about their daily lives. Not exactly a good idea . . . but the movie just kept gaining fans to the tune of 157,400,000 viewers.

3. The Adam Project (2022)

3. The Adam Project
106m
Genre
Adventure, Science Fiction
Stars
Ryan Reynolds, Walker Scobell, Mark Ruffalo
Directed by
Shawn Levy
Watch on Netflix

The Adam Project started out as a Tom Cruise movie under development in the 2010s, but it never materialized until Netflix took the reigns and released it with Ryan Reynolds a decade later. Directed by sci-fi veteran Shawn Levy, the story is heavy on corny 1980s adventure tropes as an adult man and his past self team up to save the world. The movie has 157,600,000 views on Netflix.

2. Don't Look Up (2021)

2. Don't Look Up
138m
Genre
Comedy, Science Fiction, Drama
Stars
Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep
Directed by
Adam McKay
Watch on Netflix

Don’t Look Up has to be the most critically acclaimed Netflix original film. Nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards, Adam McKay’s timely critique of conspiracy theorists and people who ignore warnings about the end of the world benefited from great performances by DiCaprio and Meryl Streep amongst its star-studded cast. The movie has 171,400,000 views over three years after its release.

1. Red Notice (2021)

1. Red Notice
118m
Genre
Action, Comedy, Crime
Stars
Dwayne Johnson, Ryan Reynolds, Gal Gadot
Directed by
Rawson Marshall Thurber
Watch on Netflix
Dwayne Johnson, Gal Gadot, and Ryan Reynolds make quite the trio in this buddy comedy about FBI and criminal interests intermingling to destroy one giant threat to society. Red Notice is by far the most popular original movie in Netflix history with 239,900,000 views so far.
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Shawn Laib
Shawn Laib
Contributor
Shawn Laib is a freelance writer with publications such as Den of Geek, Quote.com, Edge Media Network, diaTribe, SUPERJUMP…

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