Netflix had a pleasant surprise for its shareholders on Jan. 19. The streaming company added 7.66 million net new subscribers in the fourth quarter, topping its own estimate of 4.5 million, an indication of the strong content that was available to subscribers in 2022.
To compile a list of the most popular Netflix original TV shows and movies, 24/7 Tempo reviewed a report released by Netflix on the most watched Netflix TV shows and films in any language worldwide, based on the numbers of hours viewed in the first 28 days after their release on the streaming platform. Data is as of January 2023. (Not everything on the platform is worth watching, however. These are the worst original Netflix movies.)
It was a tumultuous year for Netflix as subscriptions fell earlier in 2022. The streaming company’s share price slumped to $174.87 on June 1, from an all-time high of $690.31 on Oct. 1, 2021. The stock has rebounded and was trading at $342.14 on the morning of Jan. 20. Revenue is expected to grow through its new ad-supported tier, launched in November, as well as a crackdown on password-sharing slated to begin this quarter.
A variety of films and television shows found favor among Netflix viewers in 2022, a year when Netflix spent $17 billion on content. Of the 40 most watched Netflix movies and television shows on our list, 18 were from 2022. Among the new releases were “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery,” “Troll,” “All Quiet on the Western Front,” and “Extraordinary Attorney Woo.” Audiences also returned to series favorites such as “Bridgerton” and “Stranger Things” last year. (These are the 50 best original Netflix series.)
Click here to see the most watched Netflix original movies and TV shows of all time
Netflix built on momentum from 2021, as 10 of its films and television shows from that year were among the 40 of its most popular. Among them were the series “Squid Game” and “Money Heist,” and the films “Red Notice” and “Don’t Look Up.”
40. Loving Adults
> Hours viewed in the first 28 days of release: 67,340,000
> Released in: 2022
> IMDb rating: 6.5/10 (9,589 votes)
> Main cast: Dar Salim, Sonja Richter, Sus Noreen Jondahl Wilkins
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39. My Name Is Vendetta
> Hours viewed in the first 28 days of release: 68,730,000
> Released in: 2022
> IMDb rating: 5.5/10 (3,746 votes)
> Main cast: Alessandro Gassmann, Ginevra Francesconi, Alessio Praticò
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38. Below Zero
> Hours viewed in the first 28 days of release: 78,300,000
> Released in: 2021
> IMDb rating: 6.2/10 (20,111 votes)
> Main cast: Javier Gutiérrez, Karra Elejalde, Luis Callejo
37. The Takedown
> Hours viewed in the first 28 days of release: 78,630,000
> Released in: 2022
> IMDb rating: 5.7/10 (7,378 votes)
> Main cast: Omar Sy, Laurent Lafitte, Izïa Higelin
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36. Through My Window
> Hours viewed in the first 28 days of release: 92,440,000
> Released in: 2022
> IMDb rating: 5.4/10 (11,407 votes)
> Main cast: Clara Galle, Julio Peña, Guillermo Lasheras
35. Black Crab
> Hours viewed in the first 28 days of release: 94,130,000
> Released in: 2022
> IMDb rating: 5.7/10 (21,940 votes)
> Main cast: Noomi Rapace, Jakob Oftebro, Dar Salim
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34. All Quiet on the Western Front
> Hours viewed in the first 28 days of release: 101,360,000
> Released in: 2022
> IMDb rating: 7.8/10 (106,648 votes)
> Main cast: Felix Kammerer, Albrecht Schuch, Aaron Hilmer
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33. The Platform
> Hours viewed in the first 28 days of release: 108,090,000
> Released in: 2019
> IMDb rating: 7.0/10 (230,699 votes)
> Main cast: Ivan Massagué, Zorion Eguileor, Antonia San Juan
32. Blood Red Sky
> Hours viewed in the first 28 days of release: 110,520,000
> Released in: 2021
> IMDb rating: 6.1/10 (49,804 votes)
> Main cast: Peri Baumeister, Carl Anton Koch, Alexander Scheer
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31. Troll
> Hours viewed in the first 28 days of release: 155,560,000
> Released in: 2022
> IMDb rating: 5.8/10 (39,081 votes)
> Main cast: Ine Marie Wilmann, Kim Falck, Mads Sjøgård Pettersen
30. The Irishman
> Hours viewed in the first 28 days of release: 214,570,000
> Released in: 2019
> IMDb rating: 7.8/10 (392,452 votes)
> Main cast: Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci
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29. The Unforgivable
> Hours viewed in the first 28 days of release: 214,700,000
> Released in: 2021
> IMDb rating: 7.1/10 (111,026 votes)
> Main cast: Sandra Bullock, Viola Davis, Vincent D’Onofrio
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28. Purple Hearts
> Hours viewed in the first 28 days of release: 228,690,000
> Released in: 2022
> IMDb rating: 6.7/10 (38,945 votes)
> Main cast: Sofia Carson, Nicholas Galitzine, Chosen Jacobs
27. Extraction
> Hours viewed in the first 28 days of release: 231,340,000
> Released in: 2020
> IMDb rating: 6.7/10 (206,329 votes)
> Main cast: Chris Hemsworth, Bryon Lerum, Ryder Lerum
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26. The Adam Project
> Hours viewed in the first 28 days of release: 233,160,000
> Released in: 2022
> IMDb rating: 6.4/10 (205,232 votes)
> Main cast: Ryan Reynolds, Walker Scobell, Mark Ruffalo
25. The Gray Man
> Hours viewed in the first 28 days of release: 253,870,000
> Released in: 2022
> IMDb rating: 6.5/10 (202,958 votes)
> Main cast: Ryan Gosling, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas
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24. Who Killed Sara?: Season 1
> Hours viewed in the first 28 days of release: 266,430,000
> Released in: 2021
> IMDb rating: 6.4/10 (14,828 votes)
> Main cast: Manolo Cardona, Ginés García Millán, Carolina Miranda
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23. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
> Hours viewed in the first 28 days of release: 273,200,000
> Released in: 2022
> IMDb rating: 7.2/10 (280,746 votes)
> Main cast: Daniel Craig, Edward Norton, Kate Hudson
22. Elite: Season 3
> Hours viewed in the first 28 days of release: 275,300,000
> Released in: 2020
> IMDb rating: 7.3/10 (81,175 votes)
> Main cast: Omar Ayuso, Itzan Escamilla, Miguel Bernardeau
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21. Bird Box
> Hours viewed in the first 28 days of release: 282,020,000
> Released in: 2018
> IMDb rating: 6.6/10 (347,160 votes)
> Main cast: Sandra Bullock, Trevante Rhodes, John Malkovich
20. Lupin: Part 1
> Hours viewed in the first 28 days of release: 316,830,000
> Released in: 2021
> IMDb rating: 7.5/10 (110,948 votes)
> Main cast: Omar Sy, Ludivine Sagnier, Hervé Pierre
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19. Café con aroma de mujer (The Scent of Passion): Season 1
> Hours viewed in the first 28 days of release: 326,910,000
> Released in: 2021
> IMDb rating: 7.6/10 (627 votes)
> Main cast: William Levy, Laura Londoño, Ghia Burns
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18. Don’t Look Up
> Hours viewed in the first 28 days of release: 359,790,000
> Released in: 2021
> IMDb rating: 7.2/10 (540,976 votes)
> Main cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep
17. Red Notice
> Hours viewed in the first 28 days of release: 364,020,000
> Released in: 2021
> IMDb rating: 6.3/10 (279,934 votes)
> Main cast: Dwayne Johnson, Ryan Reynolds, Gal Gadot
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16. Extraordinary Attorney Woo: Season 1
> Hours viewed in the first 28 days of release: 402,470,000
> Released in: 2022
> IMDb rating: 8.7/10 (15,295 votes)
> Main cast: Park Eun-bin, Kang Tae-oh, Kang Ki-young
15. Money Heist: Part 3
> Hours viewed in the first 28 days of release: 426,400,000
> Released in: 2019
> IMDb rating: 8.2/10 (481,594 votes)
> Main cast: Úrsula Corberó, Álvaro Morte, Itziar Ituño
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14. 13 Reasons Why: Season 2
> Hours viewed in the first 28 days of release: 496,120,000
> Released in: 2018
> IMDb rating: 7.5/10 (295,599 votes)
> Main cast: Dylan Minnette, Katherine Langford, Christian Navarro
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13. Inventing Anna: Limited Series
> Hours viewed in the first 28 days of release: 511,920,000
> Released in: 2022
> IMDb rating: 6.8/10 (69,748 votes)
> Main cast: Anna Chlumsky, Julia Garner, Arian Moayed
12. The Witcher: Season 1
> Hours viewed in the first 28 days of release: 541,010,000
> Released in: 2019
> IMDb rating: 8.1/10 (501,547 votes)
> Main cast: Henry Cavill, Freya Allan, Anya Chalotra
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11. All of Us Are Dead: Season 1
> Hours viewed in the first 28 days of release: 560,780,000
> Released in: 2022
> IMDb rating: 7.5/10 (51,802 votes)
> Main cast: Park Ji-hu, Chan-Young Yoon, Yi-Hyun Cho
10. Lucifer: Season 5
> Hours viewed in the first 28 days of release: 569,480,000
> Released in: 2020
> IMDb rating: 8.1/10 (327,780 votes)
> Main cast: Tom Ellis, Lauren German, Kevin Alejandro
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9. Stranger Things: Season 3
> Hours viewed in the first 28 days of release: 582,100,000
> Released in: 2019
> IMDb rating: 8.7/10 (1,199,607 votes)
> Main cast: Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Winona Ryder
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8. Money Heist: Part 4
> Hours viewed in the first 28 days of release: 619,010,000
> Released in: 2020
> IMDb rating: 8.2/10 (481,594 votes)
> Main cast: Úrsula Corberó, Álvaro Morte, Itziar Ituño
7. Bridgerton: Season 1
> Hours viewed in the first 28 days of release: 625,490,000
> Released in: 2020
> IMDb rating: 7.4/10 (139,649 votes)
> Main cast: Regé-Jean Page, Phoebe Dynevor, Jonathan Bailey
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6. Bridgerton: Season 2
> Hours viewed in the first 28 days of release: 656,260,000
> Released in: 2022
> IMDb rating: 7.4/10 (139,649 votes)
> Main cast: Nicola Coughlan, Luke Thompson, Jonathan Bailey
5. Money Heist: Part 5
> Hours viewed in the first 28 days of release: 792,230,000
> Released in: 2021
> IMDb rating: 8.2/10 (481,594 votes)
> Main cast: Úrsula Corberó, Álvaro Morte, Itziar Ituño
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4. DAHMER: Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story
> Hours viewed in the first 28 days of release: 856,220,000
> Released in: 2022
> IMDb rating: 7.9/10 (127,976 votes)
> Main cast: Evan Peters, Richard Jenkins, Molly Ringwald
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3. Wednesday: Season 1
> Hours viewed in the first 28 days of release: 1,237,150,000
> Released in: 2022
> IMDb rating: 8.2/10 (233,552 votes)
> Main cast: Jenna Ortega, Hunter Doohan, Percy Hynes White
2. Stranger Things: Season 4
> Hours viewed in the first 28 days of release: 1,352,090,000
> Released in: 2022
> IMDb rating: 8.7/10 (1,199,607 votes)
> Main cast: Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Winona Ryder
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1. Squid Game: Season 1
> Hours viewed in the first 28 days of release: 1,650,450,000
> Released in: 2021
> IMDb rating: 8.0/10 (452,527 votes)
> Main cast: Lee Jung-jae, Park Hae-soo, Hoyeon
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