Since Netflix introduced its Top 10 list in February 2020, a dedicated tracker has been keeping a meticulous spreadsheet. This tracker meticulously records the daily positions of every movie in the United States. It's been a captivating journey to witness which films have stood the test of time and dominated the top spots. From the explosive Red Notice to the heartwarming The Mitchells vs. The Machines, and from the thought-provoking Don't Look Up to the mysterious Glass Onion, and from the action-packed The Adam Project to the thrilling Spenser Confidential, there have been some remarkable standouts over the years. And 2024 was no exception, with its fair share of dominant movies that now rank among the best on Netflix's Top 10 list.

Discovering the Dominant Films

As the tracker has been diligently recording each day's Top 10, a scoring system has been devised to rank movies based on their performances. The calculation is straightforward: a first-place finish earns ten points, a second-place finish earns nine points, and so on until tenth place earns one point. While Netflix provides data on the number of viewers and hours watched for many movies, this method offers unique advantages. Some films may rise quickly but not sustain their dominance, while others endure and remain relevant throughout. This scoring system provides a better sense of which movies truly dominated the zeitgeist over an entire season.

The 25 Most Popular Animated Movies on Netflix In 2024

Here are the 25 animated movies that have amassed the most points as of December 14, 2024. This list is likely to be updated if any new movies make the cut before the end of the year. At the top, there is a clear runaway winner - The Super Mario Bros. Movie with an impressive 1,145 points. This score almost doubles the second-place Shrek's 632 points. The Super Mario Bros. Movie premiered on Netflix in December 2023 and continued to dominate the Top 10 well into 2024, gracing the list a whopping 249 times this year (277 times in total if we include last year). This total is almost triple the second-most appearances on this year's Top 10, which belonged to Minions with 89.Other notable animated movies include Trolls Band Together, which appeared on the Top 10 a total of 71 times, Shrek, which got onto the list 84 times out of its 132 total appearances in 2024, and Sing, which had the second-best streak with 56 consecutive days on the charts (second only to The Super Mario Bros. Movie's 122-day streak). The Secret Life of Pets graced the charts 38 times this year, and Home nabbed 31 days out of its 117-day total in 2024.

The 25 Most Popular Non-Animated Movies on Netflix In 2024

As a father, it's understandable that animation dominates the Top 10 as kids love to watch the same movies repeatedly. But what if we exclude animation? Let's take a look. Rebel Ridge leads the non-animated pack with 215 points. It was the only non-animated movie to have a 25-day streak on the Top 10 (it was on the charts for a total of 26 days) and earned an eight-day streak in the #1 position. Damsel might have been the most viewed non-animated movie on Netflix in 2024 in terms of hours watched, but it didn't dominate the highest spots like Rebel Ridge did. The Union tied with Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F and Hit Man for the longest streaks in the #1 position with 10 consecutive days.Several of Netflix's big winners this year weren't produced by the streamer. Bad Boys: Ride or Die, Madame Web, and The Equalizer 3 all made it into the top seven spots. Interestingly, these movies didn't spend as much time in the #1 position as movies like Anyone But You, The Little Things, and Irish Wish, but they spent more time on the charts overall, making the Top 10 list 23 times, 20 times, and 19 times respectively.Atlas is missing from this list, which is surprising considering it was the third-most watched movie on Netflix in 2024 in terms of total hours viewed. Despite starting its Netflix run with nine consecutive days on the charts, it fell off the Top 10 after just twelve days. As of now, Atlas' 105-point total barely cracks the top 50 movies of the year.

A Year In Review: The Top 10 In 2024

Compared to other years, 2024 is a mixed bag for Netflix's Top 10. It was a great year for animation, with movies like The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Shrek, Minions, and The Boss Baby spending more time on the charts than in previous years. As a result, they currently rank among the ten best lifetime performances on the Top 10.For non-animated movies, the story is different. Rebel Ridge's top showing of 215 points just barely makes it into the 25 best lifetime performances, hovering around other movies like You People and The Unforgivable. However, if we exclude animated movies, Rebel Ridge sits in the 15th-place position. Past years have seen their top non-animated movies perform much better, such as Red Notice's 355 points, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Story's 340 points, and Don't Look Up's 335 points. Clearly, no single movie in 2024 dominated the Top 10 for as many days as those previous blockbusters.As I mentioned, I will continue to update this list as the year draws to a close. Currently, the only other big movie moving up the charts is Our Little Secret, which currently has 136 points and sits in 17th place among non-animated movies. But for now, this provides a clear snapshot of the films that were most featured on Netflix's Top 10 list throughout 2024.