(Credit: Netflix)

There is something oddly comforting about scrolling through the Global Top Ten list of Netflix features. It is chaotic, occasionally confusing, and always revealing about what the worldwide audience is into. This week’s movie rankings are no exception. If you expected a neat lineup of Oscar winners and high-brow dramas, think again. May 2025 is delivering everything from bear-based nostalgia to fitness-fraud documentaries, and audiences across the world cannot seem to get enough.

Perhaps it is a reflection of where global streaming is at right now. People are tired, and not just in the “I’ll watch something tonight” way, but the “I need this movie to erase my brain for 90 minutes” way. And Netflix, being the cultural sponge it is, gives them exactly that, with a few heartfelt surprises thrown in, of course.

At the top of the charts sits a feel-good film about Italian grandmothers. Below that? A harrowing true crime story. The tonal shift is real. But maybe this emotional whiplash is exactly what keeps us watching. You get sweetness, murder, and supernatural chaos all in the same top ten. And for viewers spread across dozens of time zones and cultures, this variety hits a sweet spot.

Nonnas is hijacking the top spot in the list as it continues to win viewers’ hearts. But immediately after that, in second place is A Deadly American Marriage, which shows that the audience is not just about the fuzzy feel-good. Expanbding ranges and tastes, at the third spot is Havoc, an amazing watch for action lovers and adrenaline junkies.

Another pattern the list follows is nostalgia. It is everywhere; from the return of vampire romances to rebooted 1980s ghosts, viewers are clearly in the mood to look back. But it is not just for comfort, it is also curiosity. Younger audiences are discovering these cultural relics for the first time, while others are reliving them with updated context and, occasionally, mild embarrassment.

And then there is the rise of documentaries, the quiet entries that tackle everything from prison reform to the bizarre world of liver-based influencers. These titles might not come with explosions or CGI, but they are finding an audience that is increasingly looking for content that feels real, even if it is wildly specific.

What all these films have in common is not genre, mood, or even quality, but timing. They arrived on the homepage when someone needed a distraction, a laugh, a reason to cry, or simply something to keep on in the background while they reorganised their wardrobe. And just like that, they became the most watched.

So if the Global Top Ten seems a little strange this week, do not worry. It actually is. But it also makes perfect sense, because Netflix is not a mirror of trends; it is a mirror of moods. And right now, the world is feeling all over the place.

Ultimately, the May list feels like a group chat: messy, oddly curated, occasionally hilarious, and always ready to spiral. There is no logic, but it makes sense, and in the world of Netflix, that is probably the point. So go ahead and shuffle your watchlist to make space for the following.

The most popular movies on Netflix this week

• Nonnas
• A Deadly American Marriage
• Havoc
• Untold: The Liver King
• Inside Man: Most Wanted
• Instant Family
• Home
• Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
• It Takes Two
• High Planes Drifter