Netflix has unveiled the movies and shows Australia frothed the most over 2020, confirming we’re still powerless to resist Chris Hemsworth, wild animals, and the erotic allure of… chess.
Hemsworth vehicle Extraction was named the streaming platform’s #1 action movie of the year, while Karate Kid spin-off Cobra Kai landed as the top action series.
Of course, Tiger King, the planet’s collective obsession for the first stint of coronavirus lockdowns, emerged as Australia’s favourite documentary series.
In the drama stakes, The Queen’s Gambit made a late run to become Netflix’s most popular series in Australia, while Enola Holmes notched top spot in the movie category.
Emily In Paris was rage-watched enough to become Australia’s preferred Netflix comedy series, but the company notes Aunty Donna’s Big Ol’ House of Fun almost secured a fortnight in Australia’s top ten shows.
Horror fanatics geeked out on The Haunting of Bly Manor, and for those compelled by a different kind of horror, Too Hot To Handle wound up as the most popular Netflix reality show (Selling Sunset was robbed).
Finally, when the world feels scary, fictional horror can bring catharsis. Reimaginings of classic horror stories did just that for Aussies: #ItChapterTwo and #TheHauntingOfBlyManor were most popular in the genre. Need more scares? #DoctorSleep has you covered. pic.twitter.com/aTWVxiTSzA
— Netflix ANZ (@NetflixANZ) December 9, 2020
Netflix also claims that in 2020, Australia watched nearly double the anime content it did in 2019. Does this stat reflect my annual rewatch of Neon Genesis Evangelion? Who could possibly say.
The streaming platform famously keeps its hard viewership data close to its chest – you will note these are the most ‘popular’ shows, not necessarily the ‘most watched’ – so it’s not easy to gauge exactly how many Australians lost their shit over, say, The Kissing Booth 2.
But the list does broadly correlate with the discourse sparked by some of these shows – and perpetuated by us.
With this knowledge, I fully intend to game the system for 2021. Catch you then.
