As the Christmas holidays draw closer and the days get shorter, more of us have found ourselves hunkering down in front of the gogglebox, feeling increasingly less obliged to go outside, and with every day, getting more excited for Turkey and presents. The latest Netflix charts reflect this, with Yuletide films more prominent than they were only seven days ago. However, they are not the only feature, with drama, mystery, and documentaries also represented.
With Halloween and the spooky season now just a distant memory, there are four Christmas titles in the top ten, two up on last week, but we’ll come to that in a second.
Hitting the top spot this week is the fantasy adventure Slumberland, with 45.43 million hours watched. It sat at second in the previous seven days. Starring Jason Momoa, Marlow Barkley, Chris O’Dowd, and Kyle Chandler it is based on Winsor McCay’s famous comic strip Little Nemo in Slumberland.
It tells the story of a young girl, Nemo, who is raised by her fun-loving father in a lighthouse. However, one night he leaves to help a boat on the sea, and dies. With no will or instructions left in the event of such a tragedy, she is shipped off to live with her uptight uncle in the city, who has no idea how to look after her.
Deeply unhappy with her uncle and city life, one night, Nemo has a dream that provides her with escape. She discovers a secret map to the surreal dreamworld of Slumberland, and with the help of a strange outlaw, she crosses dreams and avoids nightmares in an attempt to see her father once again. A truly heartwarming story, it is perfect for this time of year.
In the second spot this week, is the Christmas rom-com, The Noel Diary, a new entry on the list. Subscribers watched the film for 36.27 million hours. Helmed by the mind behind Father of the Bride, Charles Shyer, it tells the tale of successful Jake Turner (Justin Hartley), who returns to his hometown at Christmas to settle his estranged mother’s estate. One day, he discovers a strange diary that promises to hold information about his past, as well as that of Rachel (Barrett Doss), a woman looking for answers about her own mother.
As for the other Christmas titles, Lindsay Lohan’s return, Falling for Christmas, has dropped from the top spot it held last week to fifth place, racking up 14.98 hours. Joining it and The Noel Diary, are a pair of festive titles. The first is Christmas With You, another fixture from last week, and the newbie, Christmas on Mistletoe Farm.
As for the rest of the list, viewers have been treated to two more new pictures this week. The Swimmers is a biographical drama about the teenage Olympian refugee Yusra Mardini. It debuted on the platform on November 23rd, but now finds itself in third with 22.48 million hours. It is a must-watch for anyone wanting a hefty dose of inspiration to combat the Autumn blues.
The other new title on the list is Ghislaine Maxwell: Filthy Rich. Sitting at tenth, the film digs deeper than the headlines about the convicted sex offender and her connection to Jeffrey Epstein. It tells her story in detail, demonstrating how her class and position as the daughter of a media baron concealed her predatory nature.
Remaining on the chart this week is The Wonder, a period drama starring Florence Pugh, which has dropped one place down to fourth, with 16.86 million hours. Boasting an ensemble cast that includes Tom Burke, Toby Jone and Ciarán Hinds, it is an inventive take on the genre thanks to the direction of Sebastián Lelio.
Millie Bobby Brown’s hit Enola Holmes 2 also stays on the list, as does the Daisy Edgar-Jones mystery, Where the Crawdads Sing. They sit at eighth and ninth, respectively. All in all, there’s a wide berth on the top ten this week, with there a little something for everyone as we brace ourselves for the pits of winter.
Below, you can find the full list.
The 10 most popular films on Netflix this week:
- Slumberland
- The Noel Diary
- The Swimmers
- The Wonder
- Falling for Christmas
- Christmas with You
- Christmas on Mistletoe Farm
- Enola Holmes 2
- Where the Crawdads Sing
- Ghislaine Maxwell: Filthy Rich
