Netflix is one of the most popular streaming services in the world, with nearly 250 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 past seven days to keep subscribers in the loop regarding its most popular titles.
There’s a new film at the top, and it stems from Tyler Perry. Mea Culpa, a legal thriller starring Kelly Rowland and Trevante Rhodes, is the No. 1 film in the United States. Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken is right behind Mea Culpa in second, with The Abyss in third. Below, we’ve listed the top 10 movies in the U.S. from February 19 to February 25, 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.
10. Crossroads (2002)
In one of her only film roles, Britney Spears stars as a small-town girl from Georgia who sets out on a road trip to California in Crossroads. Lucy (Spears), Kit (Zoe Saldana), and Mimi (Taryn Manning) are three childhood best friends who bury a “wish box” and promise to open it at their high school graduation.
Despite growing apart, the three friends reunite to open the box and reminisce over their wishes. Mimi, who is five months pregnant, wishes to travel to Los Angeles for a record contract audition. With little money, the girls set off on a cross-country adventure to the Golden Coast. Along the way, the girls rekindle their friendship in this journey of self-discovery.
9. Minions (2015)
The childlike yellow creatures get their own movie in Minions, the spinoff/prequel to Despicable Me. Three Minions – Kevin, Stuart, and Bob – struggle to find a master after failing to work for a T. rex, Count Dracula, and Napoleon. The Minions hitchhike to Orlando in the late 1960s and meet Scarlet Overkill (Sandra Bullock) at a villain convention.
Scarlet, the world’s first female supervillain, and her husband, Herb (Jon Hamm), recruit the Minions to join them in London to steal Queen Elizabeth II’s crown. If the Minions succeed, they will receive a reward, but if they fail, Scarlet will eliminate the Minion race. Expect a lot of hijinks from these lovable creatures.
8. Einstein and the Bomb (2024)
If you’ve watched Oppenheimer, you know there are scenes involving Cillian Murphy’s J. Robert Oppenheimer and Tom Conti’s Albert Einstein as they discuss the atomic bomb and the future of the nuclear arms race. Though the meeting’s depiction in Oppenheimer is not entirely accurate, the two physicists did meet in real life, as Einstein’s studies and research on theoretical physics undoubtedly influenced Oppenheimer and future physicists.
Einstein and the Bomb examines the life and career of one of the greatest scientists ever. Through archival footage and reenactments, the docudrama also explores Einstein’s role in the development of the atomic bomb via to a letter he wrote to FDR, a decision he would later regret.
7. Lover, Stalker, Killer (2024)
Online dating takes a dark turn in the true crime documentary Lover, Stalker, Killer. At the center of the story is Dave Kroupa, a single man who tries his hand at online dating after moving to Nebraska in 2012. His new dating profile leads him to single mother Liz Golyar. The two hit it off but keep things casual. Then, Kroupa met another single mom named Cari Farver and went on a few dates with her.
Farver accidentally runs into Golyar at Kroupa’s apartment. The story goes off the rails from there, as Farver would soon disappear. Yet, Farver would continue to stalk Kroupa for years. This complicated love triangle has many twists, including one you won’t expect in this disastrous tale of dating gone wrong.
6. Players (2024)
As a female sportswriter in New York City, Mack (Gina Rodriguez) knows a thing or two about scoring. Along with her best friend, Adam (Damon Wayans Jr.), and their crew, Mack has become a master at hooking up thanks to their “plays,” the schemes they execute to win over the opposite sex. This playbook is only used to score for one night.
However, things become complicated with the arrival of war correspondent Nick (Tom Ellis). Believing it’s time to settle down, Mack wants to use the playbook to start a relationship with Nick, something the group has never done. All hands will be on deck as Mack tries to go from a seductress to a girlfriend in Players.
5. The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023)
Thanks to NBCUniversal’s deal with Netflix, one of the biggest titles of 2023 – The Super Mario Bros. Movie – is available to stream. Based on the hit characters from the Nintendo games, The Super Mario Bros. Movie is an origin story for Mario (Chris Pratt) and Luigi (Charlie Day), two Italian-American brothers working as plumbers in Brooklyn, New York.
While fixing a water main leak, the two brothers are sent down the Warp Pipe into two kingdoms. Mario lands in the Mushroom Kingdom with Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy), while Luigi appears in the Dark Lands ruled by Bowser (Jack Black). Featuring other notable characters like Toad (Keegan-Michael Key) and Donkey Kong (Seth Rogen), Mario sets out to find Luigi and save the world from Bowser’s reign.
4. Thanksgiving (2023)
What once was a peaceful holiday becomes a nightmare in Eli Roth’s Thanksgiving. Set in the birthplace of Thanksgiving – Plymouth, Massachusetts – residents begin lining up for a Black Friday sale at a local superstore. Jessica Wright (Nell Verlaque), whose father owns the superstore, and her friends are allowed into the store early. However, the crowd stampedes into the store after spotting the teens, leading to the deaths of multiple people.
One year later, a killer in a John Carver mask begins terrorizing the teenagers. At first, they believe the killings are random. As the killer takes out more innocent victims, a pattern develops, leading the kids to speculate that these murders are part of a revenge plan. They’ll have to act quickly to unmask the killer, or they might find themselves on the wrong side of a pitchfork.
3. The Abyss (2023)
Not to be confused with James Cameron’s 1989 film, The Abyss is a 2023 Swedish disaster film about a dangerous mine. In the town of Kiruna, Sweden, sits the world’s largest underground mine. Because of the shifting ground caused by the mind, seismic activity is prevalent in the area. The unpredictability of the mine becomes dangerous as the earthquakes intensify, causing the town to sink.
Frigga Vibenius (Tuva Novotny) does not think much of the quakes until part of the mine caves, leading to her son’s disappearance. With the town crumbling, Frigga heads underground to find the source of the disruption and stop it before she loses not only her son but the entire town of Kiruna.
2. Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken (2023)
Teenager Ruby Gillman (Lana Condor) wants to fit in with the other humans at Oceanside High School despite secretly being from a family of giant sea monsters known as krakens. Ruby’s overprotective mother bans Ruby from visiting the beach and entering the water. However, Ruby defies her mother and breaks her rules, further straining their relationship.
One day, Ruby sneaks off to meet her grandmother, Grandmamah (Jane Fonda), the Warrior Queen of the Seven Seas. Much to her surprise, Ruby learns she is a princess and next in line for the throne after her grandmother. With great power comes great responsibility, as Ruby discovers that the Warrior Queen must protect the ocean from evil mermaids. If Ruby thought high school was hard, wait until she takes on these mermaids.
1. Mea Culpa (2024)
From the mind of writer and director Tyler Perry (Madea’s Halloween) comes the next seductive thriller, Mea Culpa. Lawyer Mea Harper (Kelly Rowland) takes on artist Zyair Malloy (Trevante Rhodes) as her client. Zyair is being accused of murdering his girlfriend. Mea sees this as a chance to advance in her career and become a partner.
Meanwhile, Mea’s personal life is far from perfect after catching her husband holding the hand of her childhood friend. As Mea tries to determine her client’s innocence, Zyair seduces Mea, something she doesn’t fight back against. As Mea dives deeper into the case, she uncovers a world of guilt from multiple parties, not just Zyair. Fans of steamy thrillers from the 1980s and 1990s should enjoy Mea Culpa.
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