Netflix’s library is extensive, and there are a lot of great finds, including some diverse original content, which makes the most-watched movie on the streaming service surprising. Netflix releases a list of the top 10 most-watched movies weekly, giving some insight into what’s currently trending.

The list highlights what new Netflix originals are currently grabbing audiences’ attention and what older films are becoming popular past their initial release. Netflix simultaneously keeps note of which movies are the most-watched movies of all time, with recent successful films like Carry-On quickly making their way to the top of the list.

However, the placement of a movie on Netflix’s most-watched list doesn’t necessarily reflect its quality or the general response from audiences. Films like Bird Box and Carry-On are among the top 5 most-watched movies, but earned poor audience scores on Rotten Tomatoes. This helps make sense of Netflix’s #1 most-watched movie of all time, but it doesn’t make it any less shocking.

Of Netflix’s Top 5 Most-Watched Movies Ever, Red Notice Is Easily The Worst

The Uninspired Action-Comedy Relies Too Heavily On Its Flashy Action & Cast’s Familiarity

Red Notice comes out on top as Netflix’s most-watched movie of all time, with a total of 230,900,000 views. The film follows the unlikely partnership between an FBI agent and an art thief as they track down a far more shady figure. Despite being one of Netflix’s most expensive movies, Red Notice is barely better than the average action comedy.

Red Notice overwhelms viewers with its humor, action sequences, and parallels to far more compelling action films. While Red Notice does everything it can to entertain audiences, there is far too little substance in its narrative, leaving the movie feeling empty overall. Much of the critical response to Red Notice echoes similar sentiments, though audiences disagree.

Not only is Red Notice Netflix’s most-watched movie, but the film has a surprisingly positive response from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes as well. With a 92% audience score, it’s evident that while Red Notice isn’t perfect, it’s entertaining and satisfying to audiences nonetheless. The film’s action and the chemistry between its big-name leads are respectable, and allow for Red Notice to succeed.

Red Notice reunites Dwayne Johnson and Gal Gadot after the Fast & Furious movies, and Ryan Reynolds joins them. Together, the star power of the three does much of the heavy lifting to keep audiences engaged. Still, as far as quality goes, the other films ranked among Netflix’s most-watched movies surpass Red Notice and should be acknowledged as well.

Ranking Netflix’s Top 5 Most-Watched Movies In Order Of Quality

Red Notice Has A Higher Viewership, But Doesn’t Compete In Terms Of Quality

Following Red Notice in the top half of Netflix’s 10 most-watched movies of all time are: Carry-On, Don’t Look Up, The Adam Project, and Bird Box. Of these films, The Adam Project is the most consistently great, providing audiences with a well-balanced sci-fi adventure. The Adam Project isn’t flawless, but it effectively condenses the fun of classic ’80s sci-fi films.

Don’t Look Up only ranks below The Adam Project due to its heavy-handed messaging about climate change, which has otherwise been praised for its relevancy. The satirical, Oscar-nominated film is also filled with big names like Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, and Meryl Streep, each delivering compelling performances.

Both Carry-On and Bird Box are tense thrillers that meet the genre’s standards. Each film has a strong lead and builds a convincing air of suspense that keeps audiences engaged even when the plausibility of their respective plots is lacking.

Though Red Notice falls to the bottom of the ranking, it’s still a film many enjoy. As Netflix’s most-watched movie of all time, Red Notice is a reminder that, sometimes, the thing that audiences are looking for most is a fun action film led by familiar, reliable names in Hollywood, that is both entertaining and easy to throw on.

Source: Netflix

Red Notice

5/10

Release Date

November 12, 2021

Runtime

118 minutes

Director

Rawson Marshall Thurber

Writers

Rawson Marshall Thurber