It can be hard to determine exactly how popular something is on a streaming service like Netflix, since there aren’t regular viewership numbers released like there are with traditional TV networks. However, the Netflix Top 10 list has provided a great way for folks to at least get an idea of what’s performing well and what other subscribers are checking out. Just going by that list, The MItchells vs. The Machines is the most popular Netflix movie of 2021, at least to this point.
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The Mitchells vs. the Machines, which was acquired by Sony, instantly took over the number one spot on the Netflix Top 10 after its debut. Now, nearly a month later, the film is still hanging around in the Top 10, currently sitting at the eighth position. Travis Bean, a contributor at Forbes, started using a points system to keep track of the performance of Netflix titles based on their time in the Top 10, and that formula now has The Mitchells vs. the Machines as the biggest Netflix film of 2021, passing Thunder Force.
This formula assigns a numerical value to every title in the Netflix Top 10, and higher spots earn more points. As of May 22nd, The Mitchells vs. the Machines had earned 201 points, passing the 187 gained by Thunder Force. There have been more points added to the film’s total in the days since May 22nd, as Mitchells has yet to exit the Top 10.
To this day, the most popular Netflix original using this formula has been We Can Be Heroes, which came out on Christmas Day last year. The film has totaled a whopping 420 points to-date. The Mitchells vs. The Machines will surely close in on that total, but it probably won’t sit as the top Netflix 2021 film for very long.
Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead has spent the last week at number one and the streamer revealed that 72 million households have watched the movie already. It’s on track to potentially be Netflix’s biggest original movie release in history. Where Mitchells may have an advantage is in its longevity, at last when using Bean’s system. The formula counts the days on the Top 10 list, not the actual viewership. Since Mitchells is a family movie, there is probably a lot more replay value, especially for households with younger kids.
Do you think Army of the Dead will eventually top The Mitchells vs. the Machines? Let us know in the comments!
