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The 10 most popular movies on Netflix right now

Netflix is one of the most popular streaming services in the world, with more than 220 million subscribers. And just what do those people tend to watch? In particular, what is the most popular movie on Netflix?

Each week, the streaming service releases a list of its 10 most-watched movies over the preceding seven days. Below, we’ve listed the top 10 movies in the U.S. from April 10 to April 16, along with general information about each film, such as genre, rating, cast, and synopsis.

10. Shark Tale (2004)
10. Shark Tale
48 %
6.0/10
r 90m
Genre Animation, Action, Comedy, Family
Stars Will Smith, Robert De Niro, Renée Zellweger
Directed by Vicky Jenson, Bibo Bergeron, Rob Letterman

Imagine The Godfather was an animated film made for kids. No need to imagine anymore because the world of the mafia comes to life in the underwater adventure known as Shark Tale. Will Smith voices Oscar, a small, lowly fish with dreams of being rich and famous. In debt to a local mob boss, Oscar tries to win his money back in a seahorse race, but it backfires when his pick loses, and the boss sends henchmen to collect the debt.

When a great white shark named Frankie (Michael Imperioli) attempts to punish the fish, Oscar outsmarts the shark, and Frankie accidentally dies. Oscar takes credit for the death and becomes known as the “Sharkslayer,” and forms a friendship with Frankie’s vegetarian brother, Lenny (Jack Black). Oscar’s newfound fame comes with a price as Frankie’s father and mob leader, Don (Robert De Niro), seeks revenge for his son’s death.

9. Inside Man (2006)
9. Inside Man
76 %
7.6/10
r 129m
Genre Crime, Drama, Thriller
Stars Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, Jodie Foster
Directed by Spike Lee

Cinematically, it doesn’t get much better than Denzel Washington in a Spike Lee crime thriller. The film opens with Dalton Russell (Clive Owen) explaining from an undisclosed location how he has executed the perfect bank robbery. The film cuts to a New York bank, where Dalton and his crew hold the employees and patrons hostage.

Detectives Keith Frazier (Washington) and Bill Mitchell (Chiwetel Ejiofor) are assigned to negotiate with Dalton. It appears to be and cut-and-dried case until the bank’s founder, Arthur Case (Christopher Plummer), hires Madeleine White (Jodie Foster), a fixer, to protect something in his safe deposit box located in the bank. Seriously, you can’t go wrong with this cast and Lee behind the camera.

8. Shrek Forever After (2010)
8. Shrek Forever After
58 %
6.3/10
pg 93m
Genre Comedy, Adventure, Fantasy, Animation, Family
Stars Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz
Directed by Mike Mitchell

The adventures of Shrek (Mike Myers) continue in the fourth film, Shrek Forever After. Shrek is married to Fiona (Cameron Diaz), a father to their children, and a celebrity because of his actions in the previous films. However, Shrek longs for the days of his privacy in the swamp.

Shrek signs a contract with Rumpelstiltskin (Walt Dohrn) to become a “real ogre” for a day. However, Shrek is sent to an alternate reality where he has never met Fiona, and Rumpel is the leader. Shrek eventually teams up with Donkey (Eddie Murphy) to undo the contract and return to his old life in the final film of the franchise.

7. Murder Mystery 2 (2023)
7. Murder Mystery 2
44 %
5.7/10
pg-13 90m
Genre Comedy, Mystery, Action
Stars Adam Sandler, Jennifer Aniston, Mark Strong
Directed by Jeremy Garelick

Four years after solving the murder mystery in Europe, Nick and Audrey are now private detectives in Murder Mystery 2. However, their agency is failing due to a lack of credibility. Desperate for notoriety, the couple accepts a wedding invitation from their friend, Vikram “The Maharajah” Govindan (Adeel Akhtar), as Nick and Audrey believe their association with their wealthy friend will lead to more business.

At the wedding, Vik is kidnapped in plain sight. Now, Nick and Audrey are involved in an international conspiracy and set out to find their friend. Yet once again, hijinks ensue, and their journey eventually brings them to Paris, where the amateur detectives try to solve the career-changing case.

6. Hunger (2023)
6. Hunger
6 %
r 145m
Genre Drama, Thriller
Stars Chutimon Chuengcharoensukying, Nopachai Chaiyanam, Gunn Svasti
Directed by Sitisiri Mongkolsiri

In the last 12 months, films like The Menu and Triangle of Sadness have commented on the politics of fine dining and the class divide. The latest film to focus on these themes is Hunger, directed by Sitisiri Mongkolsiri.

Aoy (Chutimon Chuengcharoensukying) is a promising young chef who runs her family’s noodle shop. Aoy is invited by a line cook named Tone (Gunn Svasti) to work for the notorious Chef Paul (Nopachai Jayanama) and his high-end catering organization called Hunger. Unsurprisingly, Chef Paul is a ruthless dictator in the kitchen, berating Aoy on the first day about her culinary skills. It’s Hell’s Kitchen on steroids.

5. The Lorax (2012)
5. The Lorax
46 %
6.4/10
pg 86m
Genre Animation, Family
Stars Zac Efron, Danny DeVito, Taylor Swift
Directed by Chris Renaud

Dr. Seuss’s 1971 children’s book comes to life in 2012’s The Lorax. Ted (Zac Efron) is obsessed with a teenage girl named Audrey (Taylor Swift) and will do anything to win her affection. Since they live in an artificial city, Ted decides that the way he can impress his crush is to give her a real tree. Through his grandmother, Ted learns about the Once-ler (Ed Helms), a reclusive inventor who knows the origins of trees and what happened to them.

Through his conversation with the Once-ler, Ted learns about the Lorax, an otherworldly creature with orange fur and a yellow mustache who is the guardian of the forest and its Truffula Trees. Ted is given the last Truffula seed to plant, but outside forces, including the greedy mayor (Rob Riggle), try to stop the boy from growing his tree.

4. Matilda (1996)
4. Matilda
70 %
7.0/10
pg 98m
Genre Comedy, Family, Fantasy
Stars Mara Wilson, Danny DeVito, Rhea Perlman
Directed by Danny DeVito

One of Roald Dahl’s most beloved novels came to life in 1996’s Matilda. A young girl named Matilda Wormwood (Mara Wilson) is a gifted genius who loves to read. Unfortunately for Matilda, her family does not appreciate her gifts and treats her like an afterthought.

When Matilda goes to school, she becomes the target of the evil principal Agatha Trunchbull (Pam Ferris). However, Matilda finds solace in her kind teacher, Ms. Jennifer Honey (Embeth Davidtz). One day, Matilda develops psychokinetic abilities and eventually uses them to combat her neglectful family and wicked principal.

3. Chupa (2023)
3. Chupa
5.6/10
pg 95m
Genre Adventure, Fantasy, Family
Stars Demián Bichir, Evan Whitten, Christian Slater
Directed by Jonás Cuarón

The chupacabra is a mythical creature with sharp fangs that feeds on the blood of livestock. Typically portrayed as a frightening being, the cub of a chupacabra featured in Chupa is cute, playful, and irresistible. In the film, 13-year-old Alex flies to Mexico to meet his extended family for the first time after the death of his father.

Upon arrival, Alex meets his luchador grandfather, Chava (Demián Bechir), and cousins Luna (Ashley Ciarra) and Memo (Nickolas Verdugo). Alex discovers the chupacabra cub under his grandfather’s shed, and the two eventually form a bond. The young boy must defend the cub when a poaching scientist (Christian Slater) attempts to steal it and harness its healing powers.

2. The Last Stand (2013)
2. The Last Stand
54 %
6.3/10
r 107m
Genre Action, Crime, Thriller
Stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Johnny Knoxville, Jaimie Alexander
Directed by Kim Jee-woon

Arnold Schwarzenegger as the lead in an action movie feels right. From The Terminator and Commando to Predator and Total Recall, Schwarzenegger is one of the most influential action stars of the last 50 years. After spending almost a decade in politics, Schwarzenegger’s first leading role after his governorship came in 2013’s The Last Stand.

Directed by South Korean film director Kim Jee-woon, The Last Stand stars Schwarzenegger as Ray Owens, a former LAPD star who heads to Arizona to be a small-town sheriff position after an operation goes haywire. When a drug lord kidnaps an FBI agent and races to the Mexican border in a sports car, Owens is thrust into action to help save the day in true Schwarzenegger fashion.

1. The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die (2023)
1. The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die
45 %
7.2/10
r 111m
Genre Action, Adventure, History, Drama, War
Stars Alexander Dreymon, Mark Rowley, Arnas Fedaravicius
Directed by Edward Bazalgette

The Last Kingdom is a British historical series based on Bernard Cornwell’s The Saxon Stories. The series follows Uhtred (Alexander Dreymon), a Saxon raised by Danes to be an elite warrior after most of his family was killed, and his fight to reclaim England for his people. The series ran for five seasons from 2015 to 2022.

The story of Utred continues in the sequel film, The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die. The film picks up in 924, after the death of King Edward, as rival rulers invade England to stake their claim to the throne. Uhtred must gather his fellow compatriots in a fight to save his home and unite England.

Editors' Recommendations

Movie images and data from:
Dan Girolamo

Dan is a passionate and multitalented content creator with experience in pop culture, entertainment, and sports. Throughout his career, Dan has been a writer, broadcaster, podcaster, editor, and social media manager. At Digital Trends, Dan covers film and television, from reviewing upcoming projects to interviewing actors and directors. Outside of Digital Trends, he has been an Oscar prognosticator since 2016 as well as a sportswriter with a special concentration in New York professional sports. Dan is still waiting for the New York Knicks to win a championship, but unfortunately, he will have to wait a lot longer for this dream to become a reality.

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