One of the world’s most successful and popular streaming services of all time, Netflix has certainly made a name for itself throughout the years. Since its creation in 1997, Netflix has evolved as a movie and TV service all the way from mail-in rentals to the overtly accessible streaming service we have today. Due to its popularity, Netflix has been the go-to service when people talk in general about streaming a movie or TV show in conversation.
Because of this, the idea of finding the 15 most watched Netflix movies of all time seems that it could span a great many years, when really the streaming numbers are highest for movies released within the past 5 years, according to What’s on Netflix.
With the world evolving into a more work-from-home-friendly atmosphere, it would seem people have more time before or after work to catch up on the Netflix movies everyone’s been talking about. This is all good news for movie consumers and movie makers alike, especially if you like movies with star-studded casts, ridiculously large budgets, or simply if you are obsessed with Ryan Reynolds–to be proven post-haste.
10. The Irishman (2019)
- 214,570,000 hours watched
Turning toward a truly unique, high-quality addition to this list, The Irishman is a long-winded story based on the life of Frank Sheeran. Known to be associated with the likes of Jimmy Hoffa and the Bufalino crime family, Frank Sheeran (Robert De Niro) goes through the motions in his colorful life of service to the armed forces as well as his mark on the history of American crime. At a whopping 209-minute runtime, it’s a pleasant surprise that this instant Scorsese classic found its place among the others mentioned here.
9. The Unforgivable (2021)
- 214,700,000 hours watched
In a bleak telling of an anti-hero shunned by society, The Unforgivable contributes a darkness to this list that contrasts the norm in a wholly welcome manner. 20 years after her conviction of a violent crime of passion against a beloved person of the community, Ruth Slater (Sandra Bullock) searches desperately for the only person that hasn’t turned on her: her younger sister. As the first of two movies starring Sandra Bullock to be mentioned here, it’s good to see a once-praised acting talent shining once again in a commanding performance such as this.
8. Purple Hearts (2022)
- 228,690,000 hours watched
A new-age take on the military romance genre, Purple Hearts boasts a fresh, new cast of characters and some celebrated original songs that make the soul of this movie. Struggling with Type II Diabetes and trying to make it in the music industry, Cassie (Sofia Carson) seeks to manipulate the system by marrying Luke (Nicholas Galitzine), utilizing his military benefits as their bond unexpectedly grows stronger. Though it could be shrugged off by some as yet another copy of Dear John, Purple Hearts is accompanied by a tone of originality and sincerity that makes it stand out.
7. Extraction (2020)
- 231,340,000 hours watched
Directed by veteran stuntman Sam Hargrave (stunt coordinator for multiple Marvel movies), Extraction is one big, strung-together action sequence that is sure to excite. After a long, death-defying career as a skilled mercenary, Tyler Rake (Chris Hemsworth) stretches the odds again when he is tasked to extract the son of an imprisoned and merciless crime lord. As can be imagined with a stunt coordinator at the reins, this movie has some truly incredible and intricate action scenes in which the actors are pushed to their limits over and over again.
6. The Adam Project (2022)
- 233,160,000 hours watched
The second but certainly not last movie on this list to star Ryan Reynolds, The Adam Project brings the fun of action comedy and sci-fi together at last. Brought to 2022 by accident or happenstance, time-traveler Adam Reed (Ryan Reynolds) stumbles upon his 12 year old self and goes against the rules to discover the truth and stop time-traveling from ever existing. While it follows the general trend of action comedy, the cast delivers on a surprisingly great film thanks to their noticeable on-screen chemistry.
5. The Gray Man (2022)
- 253,870,000 hours watched
Take the Russo Brothers with another action-adventure-comedy heartthrob named Ryan and you get The Gray Man: a noticeably darker movie than you’d expect. Targeted by the CIA after discovering some disturbing internal secrets, ‘Six’ (Ryan Gosling) must survive brutal and skilled international assassins in order to see the truth come to light. While the recycled plot and tropes are ever-present in a sometimes distracting fashion, the action and likability of Gosling carries the adventure with gusto.
4. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)
- 279,740,000 hours watched
In the follow up to the acclaimed murder mystery sensation Knives Out, Rian Johnson digs for gold once more in Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. A group of rich elites are gathered together on a private island in the Mediterranean by their eccentric, divisive friend, world-famous detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) must solve the case of their connections and draw out any suspected dark doings. With a notable change of cast as well as an increase in picture saturation, Glass Onionmakes for a somewhat cartoonish sequel that oddly fits perfectly together as a great mystery movie.
3. Bird Box (2018)
- 282,020,000 hours watched
The only true horror film featured on this list, Bird Box stars Sandra Bullock as the main focus and take away from the film. As a large portion of the human population eerily commits suicide, Malorie (Sandra Bullock) and her two kids must apply the only bit of survival information they have learned against this spectral foe: don’t look. Featuring an objectively odd cast all trapped within a finite space of each other, Bird Box provides some jump scares and haunting imagery that has enticed millions of viewers.
2. Don’t Look Up (2021)
- 359,790,000 hours watched
From comedy writer Adam McKay comes Don’t Look Up: a dismal and bleak satire movie that plays on some very real and contemporary themes. After discovering a ‘planet-killer’ of an asteroid that is headed straight toward Earth, Dr. Randall Mindy (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Kate Dibiasky (Jennifer Lawrence) are the two unknown astronomers that are forced to embark on a reality-shattering press tour through social-media-affected society. Since the comedy of the movie is quite dark and direct, the performances from a great many in this movie make it worth the watch.
1. Red Notice (2021)
- 364,020,000 hours watched
The most-watched Netflix movie that also stars Ryan Reynolds as well as a notable few (Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson and Gal Gadot), Red Notice is the distracting, popcorn action movie that audiences proved time and time again they wanted. When an FBI agent with a grudge tracks down one of the greatest art thieves of all time, they reluctantly team up to take down the top art thief and exact revenge against her. Littered with direct and indirect references to pop culture phenomena from decades past, this movie does well to entertain and amuse for any casual movie-goer.