This Movie Just Passed ‘Thunder Force’ To Become Netflix’s Most Popular Release In 2021

UKRAINE - 2021/01/20: In this photo illustration the Netflix logo seen displayed in front of people ... [+] silhouettes. (Photo Illustration by Pavlo Gonchar/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Twenty-two days. That’s all the time that’s passed between April 30 and May 21. And during those 22 days, plenty of movies thrived on the Netflix platform. From The Woman in the Window to Dead Man Down to Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted, the Top 10 charts were been populated with a familiar cast of films.

But none of those movies went as viral as Netflix’s latest animated hit. In fact, it could be argued that no movie has ever been this dominant.

The film? The Mitchells vs. The Machines, which has now spent its first 22 days on Netflix’s Top 10 charts. And while that’s a feat that plenty of other movies have accomplished since the Top 10 list was established back in February 2020, perhaps no movie has been this assertive during its reign of power.

Take Bigfoot Family, or instance—another animated film that handily controlled the Top 10 earlier this year. That movie kicked off its Netflix run with six straight days in the #1 position on the daily charts, and went on to record 26 total appearances on the list.

Or take Thunder Force, which only spent 23 days on the charts, but managed to rack up 187 points during that span of time (you can read more about the Netflix points system here). When the film exited the Top 10 charts on May 1, Thunder Force had not only accrued the 11th-most points ever in the Top 10 era, but had garnered more points than any other 2021 release.

But that all changed this past week when The Mitchells vs. The Machines brought its score this year to 209 points. And unlike Thunder Force, Netflix’s latest animated film isn’t slowing down as it nears its 23rd day on the Top 10. To this day, The Mitchells vs. The Machines hasn’t fallen below the third-place position on the daily charts. And in just a matter of days, it’s likely that the movie will pass Hubie Halloween to officially become one of the ten most popular movies on Netflix since the Top 10 list was established.

Here are the current 20 most popular movies on Netflix in the Top 10 era, according to my formula:

Despicable Me - 428 points We Can Be Heroes - 420 points The Grinch - 349 points The Secret Life of Pets 2 - 318 points How The Grinch Stole Christmas - 299 points The Angry Birds Movie 2 - 284 points 365 Days - 282 points The Christmas Chronicles 2 - 241 points Spenser Confidential - 239 points Hubie Halloween - 224 points The Mitchells vs. The Machines - 201 points Thunder Force - 187 points The Wrong Missy - 187 points The Lorax - 186 points Extraction - 182 points Angel Has Fallen - 182 points The Old Guard - 179 points Project Power - 179 points Yes Day - 176 points Bigfoot Family - 171 points

On these rankings, there are three other 2021 releases: Thunder Force, Yes Day and Bigfoot Family. And while all of those movies had impressive showings on the Top 10 charts (for instance, Yes Day spent nine consecutive days in first place, which is a milestone only five other films had achieved at the time), none of them were able to match what The Mitchells vs. The Machines has done over the past 22 days.

The film kicked off its Netflix run with 14 straight days in the #1 position—a feat only two other movies, Spenser Confidential and Hubie Halloween, has accomplished. And since, The Mitchells vs. The Machines has spent five more days in the second-place position—and to this day hasn’t fallen below the #3 spot.

Not only is The Mitchells vs. The Machines the top new release for Netflix in 2021, but it might very well be in the midst of the most impressive Top 10 run ever. While Spenser Confidential had a longer #1 streak last year with 18 consecutive days, that movie also exited the Top 10 after 26 days. So if The Mitchells vs. The Machines can hold on longer than that, then we may witness an absolutely legendary showing that’s never been matched by any other movie on Netflix.