I love Netflix, but I usually don’t have the time for it. Whether it’s anime or Netflix movies, I just like perusing the popular streaming service sometimes. Still, like I said, I usually don’t have a lot of time. So, I typically just go directly to the Netflix Top 10, as that’s usually a pretty good barometer for what’s hot right now.
Well, sometimes, I find some real gems on there, but currently, well…let’s just say that I’m not in the target audience for what’s blowing up right now. That’s because one of the most popular franchises of the 2010’s has bombarded the Netflix Top 10 in the U.S., with, as of this writing, three Twilight movies currently at the top of the charts. Now, I have some thoughts about this, as well as four other things I learned from checking out the Top 10. Are you ready? Okay, then let’s go. And you better “hold on tight, spider monkey.”
Viewers LOVE Twilight
Okay, so, as I said in the intro, viewers LOVE Twilight. As of this writing, the original Twilight is currently at Number 6, which makes sense. Some of the younger viewers who may have never seen the series before might be trying it out for the first time, so of course they’d start with the first movie. This also leads me to believe that a lot of people who probably have seen the series are having marathon sessions, similar to how my wife will sometimes devote an entire day to watching The Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter. And it seems like Netflix is now giving people an opportunity to do just that with Twilight, and fans are eating it up.
But here’s what’s really interesting that kind of debunks my newbies theory. The next film on the Netflix Top 10, at number 7 is Breaking Dawn… Part 2. Now, no, there isn’t an ellipsis in that title. I put it there. But I only did this because it’s really strange to me as The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn: Part 2 is the last movie in the series, and it’s right after the original on the Netflix Top 10. Even stranger is that the second movie in the franchise, New Moon, is at number 10. So, does that mean that people have already had their binge session, and now they’re just rewatching their favorites? But if that’s the case, does that mean that viewers have decided that the first movie is the best in the franchise? Going off Rotten Tomatoes' audience score, that may be the case, as the first movie has a 73% rating, the highest of the five, and coming in second is the final movie (Breaking Dawn Part 2), which has a 70% audience score.
Many Viewers Also Have Very Young Children
One thing I have frequently noticed when I look at the Netflix Top 10 is that one show in particular is almost ALWAYS on there, and that’s the 3D animated show, Cocomelon. Now, I have kids, ages 5 and 4, but they’re watching stuff like Space Jam: A New Legacy, so I didn’t even know what Cocomelon was until I clicked on it.
Well, I’m apparently alone in not knowing what it was since, as I stated, it is almost always in the Top 10 when I look. For the uninitiated, Cocomelon is a bunch of nursery rhymes and some original songs that children can sing along to. Now, here’s what I learned. The algorithms must take into account everything that’s on the streaming service. I mean, duh, right? That makes sense. But in my mind, I usually mentally separate my personal account with my children’s account, even though when it comes to picking one to watch, all of the household accounts, including Kids, are side by side.
That just means that a lot of parents are regularly going into Netflix Kids so that their children can watch Cocomelon. It’s just funny to see a show like Virgin River in the same Top 10 as Cocomelon, but there they are.
Viewers Really Enjoy Netflix's TV Series And Network Shows When They Hit Netflix
As of right now, three shows are in the Top 10—Virgin River, Manifest, and Never Have I Ever. Now, and this is not always the case, but it’s interesting to note that two of those shows—Never Have I Ever, and Virgin River—are Netflix original series. What this says to me is that the streaming service made the right call to expand their Netflix original TV shows. Series like the not-too-long-ago concluded 13 Reasons Why and The Witcher always skyrocket to the Top 10 list when they first come out.
But what I find even more interesting is when shows on other networks, like the recently cancelled Manifest leap into the Top 10. Mostly because Netflix can prove to be a place where dead shows can be revived again if the interest is there. One of the earliest examples of this was when Arrested Development found new life on Netflix after it was cancelled on Fox. It almost seems like Netflix is the place where new shows go to die and where dead shows come to live.
Netflix Original Movies Are Also Quite Popular
I’ve also found that Netflix Original Movies are huge on the streaming platform. Right now, as of this writing, Blood Red Sky, which is an action horror film about terrorists hijacking a plane, is currently at number 1. The image is of a bald person with blood-stained lips looking at a child. Again, this is in the same Top 10 as Cocomelon.
Not too long ago, Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead also cracked the Top 10. So, you might think that horror films are popular on Netflix, and you would be right. But also in the top 10 is the romantic drama, The Last Letter From Your Lover, which just tells me that Netflix viewership is very wide-ranged, and probably goes against every old school network’s “Key demographics” pie chart imaginable. A horror flick at number 1 is in the same list as a children’s show, as well as plenty of romantic fare. Take that, “key demographics” metrics!
Overall, Netflix Viewers Just Like New Programming In General
And here’s probably what’s the most interesting find to me when I actually sat down at paid attention to the Top 10. Netflix watchers will check out pretty much anything if it’s new. Case in point, the new Masters of the Universe: Revelation, which is currently sitting at number 9. Granted, by the time you read this, it might be off the Top 10 altogether, but the fact is, it’s here now and people are watching it.
I just find this interesting though, and I chalk it up to the fact that it’s a brand-new show and people want to check it out. He-Man definitely has its audience, just like Transformers and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. That said, He-Man is a pretty ancient property from the ‘80s, and other networks have tried to bring back franchises like Thundercats, and even TMNT, with the most recent iteration, Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, to middling success. And yet, Kevin Smith’s He-Man is currently in the Top 10. Yes, Kevin Smith’s name attached to it probably has something to do with that. But I also suspect it’s because it’s something new to watch, and people just want new stuff to watch. Even reboots of old ‘80s properties.
And that’s just a few of the things I learned when I really sat down and checked out the Netflix Top 10. But what do you think? Do you ever check out the Top 10, or do you mostly stick to other sections like Trending Now or Top Picks for you? Make your voice heard in the poll below! And if you want to know more about 2021 Netflix movie premier dates or a 2021 Netflix TV series, then make sure to stop by often!
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