Just last month, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson broke out the tequila to celebrate an incredible record for his Netflix film Red Notice when it became the most watched movie in Netflix history. The action flick also starring Ryan Reynolds and Gal Gadot beat out a record set by Bird Box back in 2018. Unfortunately for Red Notice, it looks like it’s going to be dethroned soon now that another new release is coming for its numbers.
Adam McKay’s Don’t Look Up is not only the #1 Netflix movie of the week, the climate change comedy has now racked up the most viewing hours for a movie on the streaming service in its history. According to Deadline, between December 27 and January 2, Don’t Look Up collected 152.29 million viewing hours around the world. In one week, the movie is already coming for Red Notice’s big record.
This is insane, because when Red Notice received its record as the most watched movie in Netflix history, it had been available for close to a month. Don’t Look Up is already closing in on taking home the all-time record in a much shorter time. It goes to show that a lot of people were excited to see Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep, Jonah Hill, Timothée Chalamet and Ariana Grande in the same movie.
Adam McKay, who famously directed Step Brothers, The Big Short and Vice ahead of his latest film, shared his reaction to the numbers coming in. He said this on Twitter:
I’m straight up flabbergasted by this.#DontLookUp https://t.co/gIjxtS6LXSJanuary 5, 2022
Don’t Look Up left critics mixed, with CinemaBlend’s own Sean O’Connell leaning toward disinterest in the film and calling it a “disaster” in his review. However, audiences overall dug the satire, applauding the movie tackling the subject of climate change with laughs and compassion. The movie follows two low-level astronomers (played by Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence) who go on a giant media tour to warn mankind of an approaching comet they believe will destroy planet Earth.
Netflix doesn’t typically share its viewing numbers, creating a bit of a blindspot in streaming in comparison to box office results. Still, seeing Don’t Look Up climb up top and approach Red Notice’s record goes to show a lot of people were streaming movies over the holiday season from Christmas to New Years, and looking for a new release to enjoy.
Additionally, it goes to show that star power still has a hold on the movie world. The top two Netflix movies as 2022 goes forward stands to star some of the most well-known talents in Hollywood. Another interesting element of all this is Don’t Look Up isn’t an action flick or franchise. It’s simply a comedy about a very real topic. So don't expect this movie to stop being talked about anytime soon.
