HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – DECEMBER 09: Danny DeVito attends the premiere of Sony Pictures’ “Jumanji: … [+]
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Another month come, another month gone. And July was an unusually contentious month for Netflix’s Top 10, as seven different films would claim the #1 position throughout the month.
For those who don’t know: Netflix introduced the Top 10 feature back in late February. With that list, we can see which movies and shows were the most popular on any given day.
Because Netflix doesn’t release download numbers, the Top 10 has become our only insight into the inner-workings the world’s most popular streaming service. Thus, we developed our own rating system that allows us to rank movies and shows based on where they place on those daily Top 10 lists.
And July’s rankings were changing up to the very last minute. These ten movies beat out everyone else:
10. The Town – 75 points
Ben Affleck’s The Town started the month strong on the Top 10, spending one day in second place and four days in third place. But twelve days into its run, the crime drama had completely fallen off the list. Still, the short run was strong enough for the film to finish in the month’s top ten.
9. Patriots Day – 79 points
How the might have fallen. Patriots Day was the surprise winner to start the month of July, as the movie spent five straight days in the #1 position. But after just nine days, the Mark Wahlberg movie had exited from the Top 10 completely as movies like The Old Guard and The Lorax began to dominate.
7. (tie) The Kissing Booth 2 – 80 points
That was quick! Thanks to the success of the first Kissing Booth film, the sequel absolutely commanded the Top 10 for its first eight days on Netflix. The romantic comedy spent every single day in first place, achieving a streak that only four other movies have matched in the history of the Top 10: Spenser Confidential, The Wrong Missy, The Angry Birds Movie 2 and Uncut Gems. Expect strong results to continue for The Kissing Booth 2 in August.
7. (tie) Despicable Me – 80 points
Nothing new here. Despicable Me finished in third place for the April rankings, in second place for the May rankings and in 11th place for the July rankings. In 2020, no movie has racked more points than Despicable Me, which has made a record 90 appearances on the daily Top 10.
6. 365 Days – 86 points
On June 24, the unthinkable finally happened: 365 Days did not appear on the Top 10. Prior to that day, the Polish erotic drama had spent 45 consecutive days on the list—the second-most ever behind Despicable Me’s 49-day streak. The film started the month strong in third place, but slowly worked its way down the Top 10 and eventually fell off.
5. Fatal Affair – 98 points
Fatal Affair only spent 13 days on the Top 10. But seven of those days were enjoyed in the #1 spot—a streak that not even The Old Guard could muster. After Fatal Affair lost the #1 spot to Ip Man 4: The Finale on July 23, the thriller quickly fell from the Top 10.
4. How Do You Know – 102 points
Without a doubt, the surprise movie of the month on Netflix was the seemingly forgotten 2010 romantic comedy How Do You Know. Once the movie made its Netflix premiere on July 10, How Do You Know would appear on the Top 10 for 20 straight days. The movie never went higher than the #3 position, but appeared in the top five 12 different times.
3. Desperados – 114 points
Most of July belonged to Desperados. The Netflix comedy only held onto the #1 spot for two days, but made enough Top 10 appearances to consistently rank near the top throughout July. On July 20, Desperados fell from the Top 10 entirely.
2. The Old Guard – 172 points
Not only has The Old Guard appeared on the Top 10 every day since its debut, and not only was The Old Guard the second-most popular movie of July, but The Old Guard has also become the ninth-most-popular film of the Top 10 era. The Charlize Theron film enjoyed a six-day streak at #1 after its premiere, which was followed by six days in the #2 slot.
1. The Lorax – 186 points
The Lorax’s three-day head start on The Old Guard meant everything, as the animated film would rack up 25 points in that span. Not only did The Lorax beat out every other movie during the month of July, but the Danny DeVito project has already become the sixth-most-popular movie on Netflix in 2020.
