In 2021, Netflix's importance to the film industry continues to grow. The platform's 25 best movies of the year reveal some interesting patterns.
Hidden in Netflix's 25 most popular movies of 2021 are unexpected trends and quirks that portend the streaming service's future plans for 2022. Before movie theaters closed and the world was forced to shut down, Netflix was enjoying an upward trend, leading the streaming services revolution. The real-world events of 2020 have accelerated this process, and 2021 can only be seen as another iconic year for the red brand, with more landmark Netflix originals, more records broken, and the arrival of "Tudum," a site dedicated to offering renewals, release dates, and additional content featuring TV shows and movies.
For all of these metrics and achievements, however, the main criterion for judging Netflix will always be the popularity of its content. While there are a lot of high-profile TV series released in 2021 (The Witcher 2, Tiger Hunt 2, and Squid Games), Netflix's long-form content is definitely over. Netflix's 25 most popular movies of 2021 (ranked by number of views) include "To All Boys: Love You Forever" at the bottom, "Sweet girl" at no. 18, "Minions" at no. 16, and "Smart Strike Back" at no. 6. The top 5, from lowest to highest, are: Legion of Thieves, Dragon Wish, Legion of the Living Dead, Little Heroes of the Nation, and Red Notice.
The full list can be found on Flixpatrol, but as interesting as the list itself is, people's viewing habits can be seen from the statistics. Netflix's top 25 movies have a very different focus than movies released in theaters, highlighting the main audiences for streaming and foreshadowing more movies in the same direction in 2022 and beyond. Here's what we can learn from Netflix's most popular movies in 2021.
1.Netflix's main market is still the home
Screenshot of the movie "Little Heroes of the Nation"
Everyone is a Netflix subscriber, from the hardcore movie geeks to computer-savvy grandmas, so it makes sense to offer this entire range of people content that's right for them. However, Netflix's most popular movies are definitely aimed at family audiences. The top rankings include Smart Strike Back, Little Heroes for All, and Everyone's Needs Day, and then you'll find Summer of honey bears, Minions (still strong since 2015), Pony: The New Generation, and more. Compared to the first 25 movies released in any year, Netflix's 2021 Hall of Fame is full of content that parents can enjoy watching with their children.
While Netflix is increasingly subverting the status quo in Hollywood, this trend proves that the platform's core audience is still casual family movies — light-hearted movies sitting on the couch eating popcorn on Sunday afternoons, or virtual babysitters who keep kids happy when parents sneak out to rest. None of these easy-to-consume movies will rank so high in regular theater releases, proving that Netflix's biggest appeal remains its convenience and overall home access.
2. Big stars on Netflix are important
Screenshot from the Doomsday Guild Wars movie
For more than 70 years, Hollywood relied heavily on star influence to make the audience's ass appear in the theater seat. Movie stars rule the world, and a famous A-list star face can make mediocre movies prosper. Sometime around the late 1990s and early 21st centuries, the concept disappeared dramatically. Choosing the right story (and marketing it effectively) is far more important than hiring big-name actors. At the turn of 2022, "movie stars" have yet to regain their industry influence. 25 years ago, actors who were guaranteed to make money are now in decline, and even modern stars can't guarantee success if the script doesn't meet the requirements.
These rules don't seem to apply to Netflix. Many of the platform's most popular movies of 2021 are retro movies that cost a fortune to make household names appear in less popular movies and then watch the money roll in. The Red Notice's trio of Giant Johnson, Ryan Reynolds and Gail Gadot undoubtedly brought the highest accolade to this action comedy. There's also Anthony McKay in Doomsday, Jack Gyllenhaal in Sinner, Sandra Bullock in Unforgivable, and Jason Momma in Sweet girl. These original films of Netflix have done a lot of publicity on the stars, and although some of them are better than others, the influence of the stars has undoubtedly increased their appeal. Maybe audiences no longer buy movie tickets because of the strength of an actor, but when it comes to picking movies on Netflix, the influence of stars can still attract attention.
3.Netflix can still make bad movies work for them
Stills from The Red Notice
As we all know, selling a bad movie at the box office is a difficult task. Of course, there are also some bad films that desperately gain theater popularity and box office success, but in general, bad movies always fail. However, in Netflix's top 25 movies of 2021, there is hardly anything that upset critics. Red Notice, Doomsday, and Need-To-Respond Day all ranked high, though the reviews were mostly intense. Films such as "Sweet girl" and "Kate" have been more mediocre in their reviews. Only Smart Strikes Back and Bloody Sky (to a lesser extent) can claim to have had some key impact on the 2021 film landscape.
Why bad movies perform so well on Netflix is a question that only Adam Sandler can answer, but the platform's subscription model certainly played a role. When potential viewers consider spending $10 on movie tickets, the bad reviews or negative word-of-mouth that have already been shown have a big impact, but when they've already paid for a Netflix subscription, the impact is small. For consumers, it's less risky for subscribers to bet on a "bad" movie, and it's easier to click on "" ✖ than to walk out of theater. At a time when theaters and studios may be reluctant to push movies with harsh reviews and bad audience reactions, Netflix's algorithm can do as it pleases, showing the red notice you need at the front and in the center every time you log in.
4. On Netflix, sequels, remakes, and series aren't that important
Hollywood has long been dominated by sequels, remakes, and series. Original films are seen as a financial gamble, and the introduction of tried-and-true, tiresome footage can bring comfort to movie executives looking for a stable investment. The 10 highest-grossing films of 2019 (which have been difficult to accurately rule in the last two years due to the pandemic) consist of 6 sequels, 2 series (Captain Marvel and Joker) and 2 remakes. Surprisingly, Netflix avoided this trap entirely. Of the highest-rated films released by Netflix in 2021, only a few were sequels or related to the series, with "Army of Thieves" ranking the highest, followed by films such as Kissing Pavilion 3 and "Pony: The New Generation".
Audiences often complain about the lack of original content in theaters, but Netflix has had success in delivering fresh, unseen content. Admittedly, the quality of streaming services isn't always that high (see above), but no one can accuse streaming services of relying too much on existing content. Perhaps this focus on originality is due to Netflix's lack of creativity relative to traditional studios, or perhaps the platform attracts big names (e.g., having Zach Schneider make Legion of the Living Dead). More optimistically, the popularity of Netflix's non-series, non-sequels, and non-remakes is expected to show that larger studios are also willing to invest in new ideas.
5. Foreign markets are important to Netflix
Finding a foreign movie in a Western theater is much more difficult than finding a non-sticky spot on the floor. Unless a foreign film does particularly well at the Oscars (like Parasite), the U.S. box office usually has nothing to do with foreign affairs. On the other hand, Netflix's global reach means that the international market is bringing in considerable business. While most of Netflix's highest-rated movies are still made in the West, the first 25 movies are full of flavors from around the world. "Wishing Dragon" (China), "Bloody Sky" (Germany) and "Major Grohm: Doctor Plague", Russia) prove the importance of non-domestic (American) films relative to large studios. While companies like Warner Bros. and Universal Pictures are catering to the Chinese market more than ever, these regions aren't their first choice, and Netflix's fourth-biggest hit in 2021 is primarily aimed at China.
Interestingly, the data shows that domestic audiences also like non-domestic films. While not a movie, Squid Games is ultimately a testament to Netflix's cross-border appeal. Squid Games is a true 2021 phenomenon, it's a Korean film, the script is heavily inspired by Korean culture, and the cast is not known to Western audiences, but everyone is watching. Although it didn't reach the same level, Bloodshot was equally widely welcomed when it was released, and it seems that this model will continue in 2022. Traditional Hollywood experience shows that American audiences have little interest in foreign films. Netflix's rankings suggest something else.
6. Netflix loves romance
Netflix's most popular movies of 2021 cover a wide range of genres. As mentioned earlier, the proportion of home movies is greater, but the ranking also covers horror, action, thriller and comedy. What is even more surprising is the strong romantic atmosphere. Few love stories have won the hearts of viewers at the box office, but Netflix users clearly prefer touching stories. "He's All I Have," "Kissing Booth 3," and "To All The Boys: Love You Forever" all highlight streaming's appreciation of this genre that has long been forgotten by theater audiences.
Netflix's previously mentioned focus on family-friendliness could be one of the factors in the love movie craze, as many of the love stories in 2021 are mostly aimed at the teen market. Perhaps Netflix is also taking advantage of Hallmark's model before streaming became widespread — you can watch lighthearted, feel-good love stories on TV, but don't necessarily spend money on movie theaters — especially if the "big screen experience" doesn't do much for love. We'd love to say that these movies won't be played as a backdrop during the "Netflix and chill" time slot, but we could be wrong. But who knows
7. Netflix's emphasis on original content is coming into play
Over the past 5 years, Netflix has dramatically increased the output of original content, but this strategy carries huge risks. Will users care about the distribution within the platform? Or are they looking for a classic old movie that was released in theaters 8 months ago? The vast majority of the Netflix site's 25 most popular films are originals that will be released in 2021 or later in 2020. Minions is the least abnormal, but at the box office, Fast & Furious: Special Ops is at no. 27, Pet Secret 2 is at No. 33, and Venom is at No. 44 ahead of Spider-Man: Homecoming, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Shrek the Monster.
Clearly, Netflix users don't just spend money on old movies they miss in theaters; there's a strong and real demand for fresh, never-before-seen content. Some questioned when Netflix ramped up original movie production, but 2021 proved that the streaming war would win by giving users content they hadn't seen, rather than just relying on the biggest hit movies of the past few years.