Movies

Does it really matter if Netflix movies are any good?

BBG News

The movie “Back in Action” remains unrivaled at the top spot as the globally popular Netflix film following its successful debut.

In its initial weekend, Cameron Diaz’s return film garnered a staggering 46.8 million views, making it the largest English-language debut since “The Adam Project” in March 2022. We’ll find out next week how its first complete week pans out, but there’s a possibility it could challenge the all-time Netflix top ten records.

Even though it’s been quite popular on the streaming service, personally, I found Back in Action to be less than favorably reviewed by critics. It’s currently sitting at a mere 25% on Rotten Tomatoes. The audience rating is slightly better, at 59%, but that’s hardly a thunderous applause for an action-comedy like this one.

However, “Back in Action” is not the initial Netflix original film to thrive despite harsh criticism. The resilience of films against critical scrutiny is nothing new, but it appears that this trend is particularly prevalent with Netflix productions.

Could it be that a film becoming a lasting hit on Netflix isn’t solely dependent on its quality, or are there other factors at play?

The ratings

A logical point to begin is by examining the Netflix original movies that have been viewed the most overall, taking into account their performance during their first 91 days on the platform. Unlike the weekly top-viewed list which includes both originals and non-originals, this all-time list focuses solely on Netflix’s own productions, providing a clearer picture of what resonates with viewers as a success.

As of June 2023, Netflix has adjusted its method for determining success in movies. Now, the rankings are determined by ‘view time’, which is calculated by dividing the total amount of time a movie has been watched by its running length. This means that if multiple people watch the same movie on one account, it still counts as only one view.

In Netflix, if you watch a video for at least 2 minutes, it gets counted as a view. This means that it’s unclear whether the entire movie was actually watched. Despite this less-than-perfect scenario, it’s currently the best information we have.

After delving into the scientific aspects, let me share with you the top ten English-language films ever made, complete with their Rotten Tomatoes critics’ scores (in parentheses) and audience ratings. Remember that Rotten Tomatoes ratings might not be perfect: a mediocre ‘meh’ review carries as much weight as an enthusiastic five-star endorsement, so it reflects the general critical consensus rather than individual popularity.

In this way, I hope to make the information more accessible and easier to understand for you.

1. Red Notice is at 37% (92%)
2. Don’t Look Up is at 56% (78%)
3. Carry-On has a rating of 88% (51%)
4. The Adam Project scores 68% (73%)
5. Bird Box holds a rating of 64% (58%)
6. Leave the World Behind is at 74% (36%)
7. The Gray Man currently stands at 45% (90%)
8. Damsel has a score of 56% (59%)
9. We Can Be Heroes is rated at 76% (41%)
10. The Mother is at 43% (62%)

Mostly, the Rotten Tomatoes ratings aren’t terrible, but Carry-On’s 88% is quite impressive and stands out. To be honest, this doesn’t mean that Netflix produces excellent films just because its top-performing movies aren’t always the cream of the crop.

However, despite the critic’s opinions, Red Notice currently holds the title as the most-watched movie on Netflix among all time, boasting a low critics rating but a sky-high audience rating within the top ten.

In most cases within the top ten rankings, there’s often a disconnect between the opinions of critics and audiences. For instance, even when critics appreciate a film like Carry-On, the general audience tends to rate it quite low, as demonstrated by its third-lowest position in the top ten.

On the foreign language film chart, the situation is quite comparable, with the most viewed movie being “Troll“, which also boasts a remarkable 90% rating from critics. Interestingly, the top ten includes a movie rated 0%, namely “Through My Window“. However, it’s trickier to assess these films as foreign language Netflix productions don’t receive as many critical reviews.

Regarding the top ten in English, even if a movie’s quality doesn’t guarantee its success on Netflix (since critics and audiences often don’t see eye to eye), could there be another significant factor at play?

The stars

It can be inferred that having a well-known actor as the main character significantly increases the likelihood of viewers choosing to watch a Netflix film at home, since they recognize the actor from previous works.

Nine out of the top ten most-viewed films feature well-known actors such as Ryan Reynolds (Red Notice, The Adam Project), Sandra Bullock (Bird Box), and Chris Evans (The Gray Man, although technically he was also in Don’t Look Up).

In contrast to most cases, “We Can Be Heroes” is an exception, boasting stars like Pedro Pascal and Priyanka Chopra Jonas in secondary roles. This family-oriented superhero film, however, paves the way for another key sign of a movie’s popularity on Netflix…

The timing

Among the highest-ranking English films ever made, five of them debuted during the month of December. Interestingly, the popular film “Red Notice” was actually released in November instead, which means that its initial 91 days of screening would encompass the holiday season up to Christmas.

Among all months, March stands as the second-best performing one this year, boasting two highly anticipated films: “The Adam Project” and “Damsel“. Furthermore, additional movies like “The Mother” are scheduled for release in May, followed by another blockbuster “The Gray Man” in July.

The assortment of films not in English has a broader reach, with the horror-action film “Troll” being the sole December premiere. This list is less dependent on well-known actors as leading stars and instead focuses more on genre diversity, boasting a wide variety of horror and action movies among its top picks.

It’s also important to note that despite Troll having 103 million views, it doesn’t make it among the top ten most-watched English-language films. This is because The Mother, ranked 10th, has 136.4 million views which is significantly higher.

Outside of December, movies can become popular on Netflix; however, it’s logical to assume that people have more leisure to watch a fresh movie during the Christmas season.

If the upcoming film boasts a well-known leading actor, you’re probably going to want to catch it during the holidays, regardless of critical reviews. On regular days, though, reviews could influence your decision if you’ve got just one Saturday evening available for watching a new flick.

During Christmas, you might be searching for a hassle-free timepiece, and quite frequently, a hassle-free watch is exactly what you’ll find in a Netflix film. However, if that movie happens to be “Leave the World Behind“, then it will leave you with more unanswered questions than peace of mind.

Indeed, the quality of Netflix movies may not be the sole determinant of its success, but rather, the strategic timing of their releases could play a crucial role in Netflix’s overall triumph.

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2025-01-27 19:20

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