Technologies

Netflix’s Biggest Hit Shows and Movies Ever, Ranked (According to Netflix)

Netflix publishes weekly stats for its most watched series and films — we track the top rankings of all time.

Netflix, for years, was notoriously tight-lipped about its viewership. But after a few years of dropping stats for some of its programming, Netflix launched a website in mid-November posting charts of its most popular shows and movies from the past week, as well as a global ranking of its all-time most watched titles.

The charts, which are updated every week and ranked by the total number of hours that subscribers spent watching them, represent an unprecedented trove of data about what’s popular on Netflix. The site details the most popular titles in the last week not only globally but also for more than 90 countries. And it’s meant to help subscribers like you get a better sense of the biggest hits on the world’s largest subscription streaming service, in the hopes you’ll discover something new to watch.

The company updates its weekly «Top 10 on Netflix» every Tuesday, based on hours viewed from Monday through Sunday the previous week for original and licensed titles. The rankings are broken down into top 10 charts for films in English, TV in English, films in non-English languages and TV in non-English languages.

A ranking of all-time most watched titles also lives on the site, detailing shows that have the most viewing hours in their first 28 days of release. If a new season releases its episodes in two parts on different dates, Netflix counts the watch time of the first volume’s episodes for their first 28 days, then it counts the watch time of the second volume’s episodes for their first 28 days. These all-time rankings are also updated every Tuesday, whenever any programs make it into the charts during the week prior.

Why you won’t see Wednesday or 1899 in the rankings (yet)

Shows and movies need sustained popularity in many countries to crack into the all-time most watched charts. That means you can see titles with «Top 10» badges in Netflix’s app for days, but they still may not be generating enough hours of viewing to make the all-time rankings.

For example, Wednesday, a coming-of-age supernatural comedy show based on the character of Wednesday Addams, racked up an eye-popping 341.2 million hours of viewing in just five days. 1899, a period mystery series, has generated 167.2 million in 11 days. Both have much more time in their 28-day windows to generate watch-time. But TV series need nearly half a billion hours watched to make it onto the all-time list, and even the most popular shows and movies need multiple weeks and enduring attention to accumulate enough.

Netflix’s most watched TV series, ranked

The following are Netflix’s most watched series, based on Netflix’s own reporting of total hours viewed in the first 28 days of each titles’ release. Again, if a new season releases its episodes in two volumes on different dates, Netflix counts the watch time of the first volume’s episodes for their first 28 days, then it counts the watch time of the second volume’s episodes for their first 28 days.

Any changes in the rankings from the previous week are in bold text.

Squid Game (season 1), a Korean survival thriller — 1.65 billion hours.
Stranger Things (season 4), a retro sci-fi series — 1.35 billion hours.
Dahmer, a true-crime serial killer series — 856.2 million hours.
Money Heist (part 5), a Spanish-language thriller — 792.2 million hours.
Bridgerton (season 2), a period romance — 656.3 million hours.
Bridgerton (season 1) — 625.5 million hours.
Money Heist (part 4) — 619 million hours.
Stranger Things (season 3), a retro sci-fi series — 582.1 million hours.
Lucifer (season 5), a fantasy police procedural — 569.5 million hours.
All of Us Are Dead, a Korean zombie thriller taking place in a high school — 560.8 million hours.
The Witcher (season 1), a fantasy show — 541 million hours.
Inventing Anna, a true-crime limited series about a fake socialite — 511.9 million hours
13 Reasons Why (season 2), a controversial teen drama — 496.1 million hours.
Ozark (season 4), a crime drama series — 491.1 million hours.

Former top-ranking shows that have been bumped out of Netflix’s official all-time charts:

The Witcher (season 2) — 484.3 million hours.
13 Reasons Why (season 1) — 475.6 million hours
Maid, a limited series about a young mother fleeing abuse — 469.1 million hours.
You (season 3), a psychological thriller — 467.8 million hours.
You (season 2) — 457.4 million hours.
Stranger Things (season 2) — 427.4 million hours.
Money Heist (part 3) — 426.4 million hours.
Sex Education (season 3), a British teen dramedy — 419 million hours.
Ginny & Georgia (season 1), a dramedy about a young mom and kids — 381 million hours.
Extraordinary Attorney Woo (season 1), a South Korean legal drama — 402.5 million hours.
Café con Aroma de Mujer (season 1), a Colombian telenovela — 326.9 million hours.
Lupin (part 1), a French heist show — 316.8 million hours.
Elite (season 3), a Spanish teen drama — 275.3 million hours.
Who Killed Sara? (season 1), a Mexican mystery thriller — 266.4 million hours.
Elite (season 4) — 257.1 million hours.
The Queen of Flow (season 2), a musical Colombian telenovela — 230.3 million hours.
Lupin (part 2) — 214.1 million hours.
Dark Desire (season 1), a Mexican dramatic thriller — 213 million hours.

Netflix’s most watched movies, ranked

The following are Netflix’s most watched movies, based on Netflix’s own reporting of total hours viewed in the first 28 days of each titles’ release. Any changes are in bold text.

Red Notice, an action movie starring Dwayne Johnson, Gal Gadot and Ryan Reynolds — 364 million hours.
Don’t Look Up, a dark comedy with a star-packed cast — 359.8 million hours.
Bird Box, a post-apocalyptic movie starring Sandra Bullock — 282 million hours.
The Gray Man, a CIA action thriller — 253.9 million hours.
The Adam Project, a sci-fi adventure comedy — 233.2 million hours.
Extraction, an action movie starring Chris Hemsworth — 231.3 million hours.
Purple Hearts, a romantic drama about a musician marrying a Marine — 228.7 million hours.
The Unforgivable, a drama about a woman rebuilding her life after prison — 214.7 million hours.
The Irishman, a period Mafia epic directed by Martin Scorsese— 214.6 million hours.
The Kissing Booth 2, a teen rom-com sequel — 209.3 million hours.

Former top-ranking movies that have been bumped out of Netflix’s official all-time charts:

6 Underground, a Michael Bay explosion-fest starring Ryan Reynolds — 205.5 million hours.
Spenser Confidential, an action-comedy starring Mark Wahlberg — 197.3 million hours.
Enola Holmes, a period detective film — 189.9 million hours.
Army of the Dead, a heist set in a zombie apocalypse — 187 million hours.
The Old Guard, an action-thriller starring Charlize Theron — 186 million hours.
Murder Mystery, a comedy starring Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston — 170 million hours.

Netflix appears to have never released a non-English-language film that generated enough viewing hours to make it into an overall top-watched ranking. But additional widely watched non-English language movies on Netflix have included:

Blood Red Sky, a German/British action horror film set during a plane hijacking — 110.5 million hours.
The Platform, a Spanish social commentary wrapped in a horror film — 108.1 million hours.
All Quiet on the Western Front, a German war drama — 101.4 million hours.
Black Crab, a Swedish apocalyptic war thriller starring Noomi Rapace — 94.1 million hours.
Through My Window, a Spanish teen romance — 92.4 million hours.
The Takedown, a French cop comedy — 78.6 million hours.
Below Zero, a Spanish action thriller about a breakout from a prison transport vehicle — 78.3 million hours.
Loving Adults, a Danish thriller about an extramarital affair — 67.3 million.
Rogue City, a French action thriller about an unorthodox team of cops — 66.6 million hours.
Carter, a South Korean action thriller about a man who wakes up with no memories and a voice in his ear — 65.4 million hours.

Former top-ranking non-English movies that have been bumped out of the non-English top 10 include:

The Forgotten Battle, a Dutch World War II film — 60.9 million hours.
Restless, a French action thriller — 59.1 million hours.
Lost Bullet, like a Fast & Furious movie but French — 58.3 million hours
Spoiled Brats, a French comedy about rich siblings tricked into earning their own living — 56.9 million hours.
#Alive, a South Korean movie about a gamer’s bid to survive the zombie apocalypse — 54.6 million hours.
Space Sweepers, a South Korean space western with a weaponized child-android — 53.3 million hours
The Last Mercenary, a French action movie starring Jean-Claude Van Damme — 52.1 million hours.
Just Another Christmas, a Brazilian Christmas comedy — 48 million hours.

Technologies

Nintendo’s Pokemon Legends: Z-A Is a Hit. Just Ask My Kid

Pokemon Legends: Z-A has sucked my family in, and I can’t get my Switch controller back from my son.

I’d love to tell you all about Pokemon Legends: Z-A, arriving this week, and what it’s been like to play on the Nintendo Switch 2. I can mostly do that — but for most of the past five days, it hasn’t really been me playing. What started as co-playing together quickly turned into my kid taking over completely as he got hooked. And honestly, I’d say that’s a good sign.

Nintendo makes a lot of Pokemon games, too many for me to keep track of. But Legends Z-A is the first that’s Switch 2-optimized, although you can play on original Switches, too. I can’t tell you what that’s like, though — my early review access limited me to playing Pokemon Legends: Z-A on the Switch 2 only at home. I was doubtful about how much a city-based game would truly feel like a must-have experience, but so far it’s already become one of my favorite Pokemon games ever.

I’ll let my son tell you. He’s gotten deep into the trading card game and has played most of the recent Pokemon titles over the past year, and he says this is his favorite so far. When I asked him why, he said it’s because the game completely rethinks how battles work. The quick, real-time system feels more immediate and far less sluggish than in past Pokemon games. Plus, he’s loving the story… and honestly, so am I.

A city full of surprises

My son loves the «peculiar» storyline, the fast-paced battles (which he now wants in every Pokemon game) and the constant sense of surprise while exploring Lumiose City.

All of Pokemon Legends: Z-A (at least from what I’ve seen in my 10-plus hours so far) takes place entirely within Lumiose City — a Paris-like metropolis where the CEO of a company called Quasartico Inc. is planning to rebuild everything into a new world where Pokemon and humans can better coexist. The setup reminded me of the Detective Pikachu movie during my demo a few weeks ago, and it turns out my instincts were right.

Pokemon roam in wild zones within the city, occasionally spilling into urban areas, while mysterious rogue «Mega Evolution» Pokemon have begun appearing and threatening the city’s calm. There’s clearly a deeper mystery at play, and while I’m still uncovering it, I won’t spoil anything here.

The game seems to mostly involve a journey to level up in rank from Z to A by battling various Pokemon trainers, but that’s not the whole story. There’s a group of friends you hang out with at a local hotel, along with research missions you have to carry out. Side quests are everywhere. The city, though it can feel a bit sparse at times, stretches all the way up to its rooftops, where all sorts of hidden spots are waiting to be discovered. It feels like a living maze, and one I’m still navigating.

And the city’s always changing, too. Wild zones keep multiplying, and from day to night the city’s dynamics shift. Battles take place at night, with trainers gathering in new pop-up spots each time. It’s not as lively as I’d hoped — this isn’t Grand Theft Pokemon — but the cozy, vibrant world still makes me daydream about what a real-life Universal Pokemon theme park could someday look like.

The Pokemon shine

I keep reminding myself to take extra time to discover and level up my Pokemon. At least that’s what my son’s telling me to do. He loves how many Pokemon can become Mega Evolved in this game, and how much fun the battle moves are to pull off. I’m happy he’s happy. I thought I’d get lost in the RPG aspects of the game, but I think the real-time Pokemon battles put me in a looser state of mind, more able to explore and not feel locked down into systems and rulesets. Swapping Pokemon battle moves and reassigning them to buttons is easy, too.

The stronger focus on trainer battles — and the sheer variety of Pokemon capable of mega evolving — gives the game more of that classic, Pokemon-centered energy than Pokemon Legends: Arceus ever did. I found myself more excited to see how different Pokemon looked and behaved than to uncover new realms to explore. After all, for all of Lumiose City’s secrets, you’re spending a lot more time roaming one massive location than in any other Pokemon game I can remember. Thankfully, the visual upgrades on the Switch 2 make those Pokemon look fantastic in battle.

I do want to spend more time in Lumiose City, though, and can’t help but wonder if this is a glimpse of how all Pokemon games will keep evolving. It’s hard to say, since Legends games like Z-A and Arceus have been more experimental than the rest of the series. But, like Arceus, Z-A is now one of my favorite Pokemon games on Switch. And on Switch 2, it plays smoother and feels better than any Pokemon game ever has before.

Technologies

iPhone 17 Preorders Spike and Overall Phone Sales Aren’t Slowing Down Despite Tariffs

Global smartphone shipments saw a notable increase in the third quarter of 2025. Plus, preorders for Apple’s new iPhone 17 beat out the iPhone 16.

Despite tariffs and market uncertainty, global smartphone shipments increased 2.6% in the third quarter of 2025, compared to the same time last year, according to the International Data Corporation. Additionally, preorders for the iPhone 17, which launched last month, outpaced last year’s iPhone 16.

These increased sales include premium phones like the latest iPhones and Samsung foldables, suggesting yet again that pricier phones still sell in periods of economic strain. It’s a remarkable achievement, says IDC senior research director Nabila Popal, citing shrewd financing options as the reason people keep buying these high-end phones, which cost anywhere from $800 to nearly $2,000.

«[Phone makers] have mastered the art of innovation not only in hardware and software to entice upgrades but also in removing purchase friction. They have flawlessly combined cutting-edge devices with innovative financing models and aggressive trade-in programs that make the upgrading decision a ‘no-brainer’ for consumers,» Popal said in an IDC press release.

Apple sold 58.6 million iPhones this quarter, an increase of 2.9% over the same period in 2024, with more preorders for the iPhone 17 series than its predecessor. But Samsung wasn’t far behind, with its Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7 selling better than all of the company’s prior foldables. The company still reigns atop the phone market with 61.4 million phones sold, representing 19% of the market in the third quarter of this year — an increase of 6.3% from the same period last year. Meanwhile, Apple lands slightly behind Samsung with 18.2% market share this quarter.

The other phone makers trailing Apple and Samsung are, in order: Xiaomi, with 13.5% of the market; Transsion, with 9%; and Vivo with 8.9%. The remaining companies in the phones industry, from Chinese stalwarts like Oppo and Honor to Motorola and Google, make up the remaining 31.4% of the market for the quarter. All told, 322.7 million phones were sold, up from 314.6 million in the third quarter of 2024, according to IDC.

IDC’s findings for the third quarter continue the small but steady growth of phone sales over the year, including a modest 1% increase in the preceding three months — which includes the April deadline when President Donald Trump unveiled sweeping tariffs. In the second quarter, IDC cited midrange devices like Samsung’s Galaxy A36 and other phones that started incorporating AI. But even persistent tariffs haven’t slowed down people’s appetites for pricier phones in the third quarter.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Tuesday, Oct. 14

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Oct. 14.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Today’s Mini Crossword has an odd vertical shape, with an extra Across clue, and only four Down clues. The clues are not terribly difficult, but one or two could be tricky. Read on if you need the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.