Adolescence and Back in Action were the most watched Netflix show and movie in the first half of 2025.
Netflix released its latest engagement report on Thursday and revealed that members streamed more than 95 billion hours of TV in the first six months of 2025, up from 94 billion hours in the first half of 2024.
The British series Adolescence, which appeared in March to wild acclaim, is about a 13-year-old boy, Jamie Miller, who is accused of murdering his classmate. The show made headlines largely because each of the four episodes were filmed in a single take, making it a viewing experience unlike anything else on the market.
The show also alarmed parents around the world with its depiction of online teen culture.
Back in Action, starring Jamie Foxx and Cameron Diaz, has hit the big time on Netflix despite receiving mixed reviews following its release in mid-January. It follows two former CIA agents who return to the world of spycraft after 15 years on the sidelines in suburbia.
Squid Game seasons 2 and 3 were the second and third most watched TV shows, while Straw and The Life List rounded out the top three in movies.
Over a third of the streaming giant’s most popular shows were non-English and accounted for 10 of the top 25 series on Netflix.
U.K. shows were popular, with Black Mirror, Missing You, and Dept. Q enjoying high viewing numbers from January through June 2025.
South Korean and Scandinavian content also surged in popularity with When Life Gives You Tangerines, Secrets We Keep, and Number 24.
Some fan favorites continued to enjoy popularity, including TV shows Money Heist, Ozark, and Orange Is the New Black, and movies Red Notice, Leo, and We Can Be Heroes.
