For many, summer is a time when families go out together and enjoy themselves at the local movie theater. However, with the rise of Netflix and its constant supply of classic and original blockbusters, cinema in the summer has changed dramatically. As audiences choose to stay in to stream their favorite films, Netflix has become a go-to option for people hoping to beat the heat.
This sunny season, in particular, saw multiple movies take Netflix users by storm. While not all of them were critical hits, they succeeded in making the platform’s Top 10 List and racking up tens of millions of views. Now that the summer of 2024 is nearing its end, it’s time to rank the five most popular Netflix movies of the season.
Note: This list will cover films on Netflix based on streaming charts from June to September 2024, ranking them based on the number of views and the hours streamed.
5. Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014)
Directed by Argylle‘s Matthew Vaughn, this action-packed spy satire follows a young delinquent (Taron Egerton) when he is selected to train as a secret agent, eventually taking on a wealthy tech mogul (Samuel L. Jackson) who threatens to wipe out most of humanity. Though it isn’t a new film or a Netflix Original, Kingsman: The Secret Service continues to prove itself to be a modern comic book classic with its recent success on streaming.
After dropping onto Netflix at the beginning of August, the film won audiences over with its distinct brand of dark humor, over-the-top fight scenes, and witty deconstruction of spy movies. Kingsman thus remained on the platform’s Top 10 for three weeks, eventually joining its sequel, The Golden Circle, on the list. All in all, this film received a total of 27,100,000 views in August, adding up to 58,900,000 hours watched by streamers.
4. Trigger Warning (2024)
Jessica Alba’s star power may not have shone as brightly as it used to in recent years, but her latest action film caught plenty of eyes on Netflix over the summer. Trigger Warning depicts Alba as a Special Forces officer who returns to her hometown to investigate a criminal conspiracy centered around her father’s sudden death in an alleged mining accident.
Since this movie was marketed as a female-led mixture of John Wick and First Blood, it seemed likely to attract general audiences even before its release. Trigger Warning didn’t exactly wow audiences with its story or thrills; instead, it came across as a generic action flick. However, the film still amassed a stunning 63,800,000 views from audiences within its first month on Netflix, amounting to 112,900,000 hours viewed.
3. Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (2024)
It’s no surprise that Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F was such a hit, given that it features comedy icon Eddie Murphy playing one of his most beloved cinematic characters. This movie shows said character, Alex Foley, traveling to Beverly Hills once again to protect his estranged daughter (Taylour Paige) and his old partner (Judge Reinhold) from a criminal conspiracy.
Murphy’s return as Foley made for a delightful summer experience, as he continues to raise hell and hilarity while encountering new and old acquaintances from the franchise in a reboot for the ages. After premiering at the start of July, this long-awaited sequel spent four weeks in Netflix’s Top 10 List, garnering 75,800,000 views and 149,600,000 hours watched.
2. A Family Affair (2024)
A Family Affair follows a self-centered movie star (Zac Efron) who starts a romantic relationship with the widowed mother (Nicole Kidman) of his disgruntled assistant (Joey King). Rom-coms are usually a safe bet with general audiences, and one featuring genre icons like Efron, Kidman, and King would seem like an instant jackpot for Netflix.
This movie may not have won over critics or audiences, but as one would expect, it still made for a smash hit for Netflix in terms of viewership. A month after its late-June premiere, A Family Affair remained in Netflix’s Top 10 after scoring 79,100,000 views, with audiences streaming a total of 150,200,000 hours.
1. The Union (2024)
Another action-packed spy comedy, this Netflix Original follows a New Jersey construction worker (Mark Wahlberg) when he reunites with his high school sweetheart (Halle Berry), who recruits him into the titular espionage agency for an important mission. The Union is the kind of farfetched popcorn flick one would expect from Wahlberg, but the actor still proves to be a draw to audiences alongside Berry.
Despite its less-than-favorable reviews, this rom-com adventure accumulated 90,500,000 views from audiences within three weeks of its release, totaling a whopping 164,500,000 hours and becoming the most popular Netflix movie of the summer.