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The roster of Netflix‘s globally most-watched movies from week to week has just gotten an unusual addition that few are likely to expect to see in that position. Netflix’s weekly viewing leaderboards are a fascinating way to gain a sense of what people are genuinely watching in the here and now on the streaming service, as the answers are not always what you may expect.
While some heavy-hitters naturally find their place in these weekly leaderboards – and some releases are arguably destined for them – the magic of a streaming service wherein decades of movie and TV history co-exist is that sometimes the most-watched releases in a week or month can be more unconventional choices that would have been almost impossible to predict. As it stands, this is exactly the case for one release that recently found itself in Netflix’s global leaderboards view-wise.
Netflix’s Weekly Worldwide Most-Watched Movie Roster Just Got One Surprising Addition
Netflix’s weekly most-watched movies tend to comprise an assortment of major new releases and additions to the platform – generally featuring the likes of huge blockbusters, action classics, and an assortment of the world’s biggest film franchises. However, this isn’t always the case, and many different movies also crop up in this assortment over the course of a year.
One of the latest films to hit Netflix’s weekly most-watched leaderboard certainly breaks this mold, as the tenth most globally watched movie on the platform from February 2nd-8th was none other than The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl, which holds some less than stellar reviews – having a 20% critic score and 34% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes – and largely being remembered today because it became the subject of several internet memes.
Given the movie’s overall reviews and the fact it came out over two decades ago, the film’s resurgence to become one of Netflix’s most-watched movies worldwide in one fateful week is all the more striking. However, this surprise rise in popularity also makes sense for a few reasons.
Why The Adventures Of Sharkgirl And Lavaboy Hitting Netflix’s Weekly Most-Watched Movie Roster Does Make Sense
While The Adventures Of Sharkboy And Lavagirl having a major streaming rise 21 years after its initial release – which was itself a more mixed one – is a revelation that may initially seem surreal to some, the film’s modern revival here is par for the course for more than one reason.
First and in some ways most crucially, Netflix’s most-watched rosters quite often feature movies that are family-friendly or something more directly aimed at children. Given The Adventures Of Sharkboy and Lavagirl falls is a family-friendly release that also no doubt has nostalgia for many adults, it’s easy to see how it could have courted a wider viewerbase, leading to this particular result.
It’s also worth taking into account that the memes and pop culture references around The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl likely contributed to its success on Netflix in this period as well, as some of the individual moments in the film’s story are surreal enough when shown by themselves that it’s sure to have encouraged some to give the film a go. Whatever the case, the film’s recent return to fame is a fascinating addition to the wider history of Netflix overall.
