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 May 8 to May 14, along with general information about each film, such as genre, rating, cast, and synopsis.
Looking for something else? We’ve also rounded up the best shows on Netflix, the best movies on Netflix, the best movies on Amazon Prime, and the best movies on Disney+. For Netflix fans, check out the 10 most popular shows on Netflix right now.
If you see your buddy’s wife with another man, what do you do? Would you come forward and tell him? That’s the situation presented in The Dilemma. Nick (Kevin James), an intelligent engineer, and Ronny (Vince Vaughn), a sharp businessman, are preparing for a crucial presentation that would take their auto design firm to the next level.
While preparing to propose to his girlfriend, Ronny sees Nick’s wife, Geneva (Winona Ryder), kissing another man named Zip (Channing Tatum). As he investigates the affair, Ronny threatens the status of their presentation, hence, the dilemma in question. The Dilemma does exactly what it sets out to do: provide a few laughs from talented comedians in a B-level movie.
Afraid to fly? Flight may not be the movie for you. Denzel Washington stars as William “Whip” Whitaker Sr., an alcoholic pilot tasked with flying a passenger aircraft from Orlando to Atlanta. Hungover, Whip uses cocaine to stay awake and secretly mixes vodka in his drink to avoid a hangover. Whip then naps while his co-pilot, Ken Evans (Brian Geraghty), takes over.
Then, one of the most nerve-wracking and anxiety-inducing scenes of the last 15 years starts. Whip wakes up from his nap after the plane goes into a steep dive. Left with no other options, Whip is forced to roll the plane and execute a controlled crash, which knocks him unconscious upon landing. The rest of the film dives into the investigation surrounding the crash, but those chaotic first 20 minutes are worth the price of admission.
As one of the finest actors of the last 50 years, Denzel Washington can do it all — action, romance, thrillers, crime, you name it. This versatility made him the perfect lead for Ridley Scott’s American Gangster. Washington plays Frank Lucas, the titular gangster who rises to power in the heroin trade by smuggling shipments using returning soldiers from the Vietnam War. Frank is ruthless, vindictive, and heartless, with no fear of putting a bullet in someone’s head in broad daylight.
While Frank becomes Harlem’s top crime lord, Newark Detective and aspiring lawyer Richie Roberts (Russell Crowe) is tasked with investigating major drug suppliers. After spotting him ringside at a premier boxing match, Roberts digs into Frank and his crime syndicate. The cat-and-mouse game between Washington and Crowe is dynamic, as the two actors elevate this gangster film to new heights.
In 1995, Al Pacino and Robert De Niro were already acting royalty. However, the two legends never appeared on-screen together until they faced off in Michael Mann’s masterpiece Heat. De Niro plays Neil McCauley, a professional thief who lives by one phrase: “Don’t let yourself get attached to anything you are not willing to walk out on in 30 seconds flat if you feel the heat around the corner.”
De Niro is planning one final job with his crew to score big and disappear. Standing in Neil’s way is Lt. Vincent Hanna of the LAPD (Pacino), a dedicated cop who loves the law more than his family. Vincent is obsessed with taking down Neil, and Neil is not afraid to take out Vincent if he gets in the way of his job. If you’re going to watch any scene from Heat, watch De Niro and Pacino square off in the diner. It’s an acting master class.
¡Que Viva México! is a satirical comedy that follows Pancho Reyes (Alfonso Herrera), a middle-class Mexican man who lives with his wife, son, and daughter in Mexico City. Pancho’s family lives a comfortable life, but they owe money to the bank because of loans and a mortgage.
One day, Pancho receives a call from his father, telling him he must return to his small hometown of La Prosperidad after the death of his grandfather. The deceased grandfather’s wish was for the entire family to be present at the reading of his will. Once Pancho arrives home, he’s hounded by his family for money, but things take a wild, comedic, and dark turn after they learn about the grandfather’s inheritance.
Considering his size, strength, and charismatic personality, Dwayne Johnson is the perfect actor for a G.I. Joe movie. “The Rock” joined the G.I. Joe franchise in G.I. Joe: Retaliation, the sequel to 2009’s G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. Johnson stars as heavy machine gunner Marvin F. Hinton, known by the call sign Roadblock. Many of the G.I. Joes, including the leader known as Duke (Channing Tatum), are deemed traitors and killed by an airstrike in Pakistan presumably sent by the U.S.
However, the airstrike was actually ordered by a member of the villainous organization, Cobra. Roadblock survives the attack and rallies the surviving troops on a mission to clear their names and exact vengeance on Cobra. Retaliation is an action movie with The Rock, so expect witty one-liners and loud explosions.
Aca Scuse me? In 2012, the world of a cappella took over mainstream culture with Pitch Perfect. The film follows aspiring DJ Beca Mitchell, a freshman at Barden University who would rather get lost in her music than make friends. After she’s discovered singing in the shower, Beca is invited to audition for an all-female a capella group, the Barden Bellas, which she accepts.
The ragtag Bellas come from all different backgrounds, but they slowly start to gel as a unit when Beca forces them out of their comfort zone. Even if you don’t like a capella music, you’ll be singing Cups (When I’m Gone) and throwing your fist in the air like it’s The Breakfast Club by the end of Pitch Perfect.
Head back to prehistoric times and meet the Croods, a cave family that survives several natural disasters due to their refusal to leave their cave. Grug Crood (Nicolas Cage) is the overprotective father who believes new is “bad.” Grug’s family is made up of teenage daughter Eep (Emma Stone), wife Ugga (Catherine Keener), son Thunk (Clark Duke), young daughter Sandy (Randy Thorn), and grandma Gran (Cloris Leachman).
When an earthquake destroys their home, the Croods are eventually rescued by Guy (Ryan Reynolds), a more evolved caveman who takes a liking to Eep. Grug doesn’t trust the new addition to the crew, but it’s clear that Guy and his methods work, and if the Croods want to survive, they will have to do the one thing they’ve refused over the years: adapt.
The power of Tom Hanks is still strong in 2023 as A Man Called Otto finds itself on top of the Netflix charts after its debut a few days ago. In the second adaption of the 2012 novel A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman, Hanks stars as Otto Anderson, an old grumpy widower with no hope in life. Not wanting to live anymore, Otto decides to commit suicide by hanging.
However, Otto is interrupted by his new neighbor, Marisol (Mariana Treviño), and her children. With each suicide attempt comes an interruption from Marisol, who constantly needs Otto’s help. The film will tug on your heartstrings as he forms a friendship with Marisol. Through these interactions, Otto slowly realizes he has more to live for than he thought.
Because of her dancing and performing background, Jennifer Lopez is a natural action star. In The Mother, Lopez plays the titular Mother, a former assassin forced to disappear after escaping an attempt on her own life. Before leaving, the pregnant Mother gives birth to her child, but gives her up for adoption and escapes to the Alaskan Wilderness.
After more than a decade, the Mother comes out of hiding when her former partners send assailants to abduct her teenage daughter. The Mother rescues her daughter, Zoe (Silencio’s Lucy Pez), and retreats to the wilderness. The movie is a relationship movie at heart, as the mother and daughter learn to bond despite the tough circumstances. It all culminates in one final fight that’s epic in scale.
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