Netflix’s most-watched movie is now KPop Demon Hunters, according to the streaming company’s official global ranking. The animated musical fantasy recorded 325.1 million views during its first 91 days, giving it a substantial lead over the previous record holder, Red Notice.
The current chart also includes major action movies, science-fiction adventures, an apocalyptic drama and two newer releases that entered the ranking in 2026. However, understanding the list requires one important distinction: Netflix’s official all-time chart measures a film’s first 91 days, while its broader engagement reports track viewing during six-month periods.
Here is the verified ranking and what the numbers actually tell us about Netflix’s biggest movie audiences.
Netflix’s official most-watched movies ranking
As of July 26, 2026, Netflix lists the following films as its 10 most popular movies globally:
- KPop Demon Hunters — 325.1 million views
- Red Notice — 230.9 million views
- Carry-On — 172.1 million views
- Don’t Look Up — 171.4 million views
- The Adam Project — 157.6 million views
- Bird Box — 157.4 million views
- Back in Action — 147.2 million views
- Leave the World Behind — 143.4 million views
- War Machine — 139.9 million views
- Swapped — 139.8 million views
Netflix calculates a “view” by dividing a title’s total hours watched by its runtime. The company then uses the viewing accumulated during the first 91 days after release for its all-time Most Popular ranking.
That means the figures do not represent confirmed numbers of individual viewers, households or subscriber accounts. One person can watch a movie more than once, while several people may watch together through one account.
How KPop Demon Hunters became Netflix’s biggest movie
KPop Demon Hunters has moved far beyond the level reached by Netflix’s earlier movie leaders. Its 325.1 million first-91-day views place it more than 94 million ahead of Red Notice, which stands at 230.9 million.
The film’s performance also continued after its opening measurement window. Netflix reported 482 million views for KPop Demon Hunters during the second half of 2025, describing it as the company’s most-watched title within a six-month reporting period. Related lyric videos generated another 32 million views during that half.
The movie remained highly visible in 2026. Netflix’s report covering January through June recorded a further 130 million views, enough for it to rank fourth among movies in that reporting period despite having premiered more than a year earlier.
These figures cannot simply be added to the official 325.1 million total and called a new all-time ranking number. The 325.1 million figure covers the first 91 days, while the engagement reports cover activity inside specific calendar periods. The datasets answer different questions.
Red Notice remains a major long-term Netflix hit
Before KPop Demon Hunters reached the top, Red Notice led Netflix’s movie chart. The action comedy, starring Dwayne Johnson, Ryan Reynolds and Gal Gadot, currently has 230.9 million official first-91-day views.
The film has also continued attracting viewers years after its 2021 release. Netflix highlighted Red Notice in its first-half 2025 engagement report, saying it received more than 20 million views during that six-month period.
That continued viewing illustrates the value of Netflix’s back catalog. A film’s initial launch can establish it as a global hit, but recommendations, homepage placement and renewed audience interest may keep it active long after its first three months.
Carry-On narrowly leads Don’t Look Up
The closest contest near the top of the ranking is between Carry-On and Don’t Look Up. The airport thriller Carry-On holds third place with 172.1 million views, just 700,000 ahead of Adam McKay’s disaster satire.
Don’t Look Up nevertheless generated more total hours watched during its opening period. Netflix lists 408.6 million hours for the 143-minute film, compared with 344.1 million hours for the two-hour Carry-On.
This demonstrates why Netflix introduced its views calculation. A ranking based only on hours watched can favor longer movies and series. Dividing hours by runtime produces a figure that is intended to make titles of different lengths easier to compare.
War Machine and Swapped enter the Top 10
Two 2026 releases now occupy the final positions on the official list. War Machine is ninth with 139.9 million views, while the animated film Swapped follows with 139.8 million.
The margin between them is only 100,000 views. Netflix’s first-half 2026 report described both films as major performers, although the numbers in that report differ slightly from their official 91-day totals because the report covers January through June rather than a standardized release window.
In the six-month report, Netflix listed War Machine as its biggest title of the period with 147 million views. It said Swapped generated 131 million views and was on track to become the company’s second-most-watched original animated film, behind KPop Demon Hunters.
Action, animation and high-concept stories dominate
The current Top 10 does not belong to one genre, but several patterns are visible. Action-driven titles include Red Notice, Carry-On, Back in Action and War Machine. Science-fiction and disaster stories are represented by The Adam Project, Don’t Look Up and Leave the World Behind.
Bird Box, released in 2018, remains the oldest title on the current chart. Its continued sixth-place position is notable because Netflix’s reporting methods have changed over time. The company recalculated older titles under its views-based system so they could appear alongside newer releases.
Animation has also become increasingly important. KPop Demon Hunters leads the entire ranking, while Swapped has already reached tenth. Their inclusion suggests that globally accessible animated stories can compete directly with expensive live-action star vehicles.
Why some Netflix “most watched” lists look different
Readers may encounter longer rankings that combine several Netflix engagement reports. Those reports are useful, but they are not the same as the company’s official all-time Most Popular chart.
Netflix’s engagement reports cover nearly all viewing on the platform during a stated six-month period. They include licensed movies, older catalog titles and Netflix originals. A film can therefore accumulate substantial viewing across several reports, even if it never enters the official first-91-day Top 10.
The official all-time chart, by contrast, gives each movie the same 91-day measurement window. That makes it more suitable for comparing launch performance, although it does not show the complete lifetime audience for each title.
Regional availability can also affect viewing. Netflix notes that some titles are not offered in every country, and its catalog changes according to local licensing agreements.
What happens next
The bottom of the ranking is already highly competitive. With Swapped sitting at 139.8 million views, a future release would need approximately 140 million views during its first 91 days to enter the current Top 10.
The list can therefore change whenever a new film completes its opening measurement period. Netflix’s six-month reports provide additional context, but the official Most Popular page remains the clearest source for the company’s standardized all-time movie ranking.
For now, KPop Demon Hunters holds a commanding advantage and has established a new benchmark for a Netflix film. Which movie do you think has the best chance of challenging its record?
SOURCES FOR EDITORIAL REVIEW
Official or primary sources
- Netflix: Top 10 Most Popular Movies of All Time
- Netflix: What We Watched in the First Half of 2026
- Netflix: What We Watched in the Second Half of 2025
- Netflix: What We Watched in the First Half of 2025
- Netflix: Introduction to the What We Watched Engagement Report
Reliable secondary sources
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