With a staggering 220 million subscribers, Netflix is one of the most popular streaming sites on the planet. But while most of us are no stranger to a Netflix binge, one of the platform's most popular shows might surprise you.
Back in 2019, the streaming service began releasing lists of its most viewed, using the metric of total hours watched in the first 28 days after release to determine its most popular shows and movies.
Unsurprisingly, shows such as Stranger Things, Squid Game and Bridgerton dominate the list, instantly recognisable titles that quickly became global phenomenons. But one show that managed to make the top 10 may come as a surprise.
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Like Squid Game, All of Us Are Dead is a dark South Korean series. But instead of a game of life and death, it follows a group of high school students as they attempt to tackle the zombie apocalypse.
The often brutally violent series falls firmly under the new K-zombie subgenre and has been praised by critics worldwide with an impressive 87 percent critics' rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Netflix dropped all 12 episodes of the show in January 2022, and it quickly garnered a loyal fanbase.
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You can watch the trailer here:
The plot will be familiar to most fans of zombie movies. A group of students are trapped in their school after a failed experiment results in a virus outbreak that turns people into violent flesh eaters. There's no sign of any help on the way and the government has cut the schoolkids off from the outside world.
The plot may feel familiar, but hardcore fans argue pretty much everything else about it makes up for the somewhat clichéd premise. Critics and audiences have praised the visuals in particular, with the gore and action elements exceptionally well executed.
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But as horror geeks will well know, if you don't care about the characters, it can be tough to engage with a show or movie overall, and this is where All of Us Are Dead thrives.
The show tackles serious subject matters like survivor's guilt and suicidal thoughts. As a result, fans and critics argue, it has a real emotional impact when some of the characters are in peril.
In its first 28 days of release, the series managed to clock up 560.8 million watched hours on the platform.
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While Netflix is known for pushing its original content (of which All of Us Are Dead is one) hard over licensed shows and movies, this is still a remarkable feat for a little-known series that requires subtitles or dubbing for most people outside of South Korea.
The young cast have found themselves grappling with fame since it debuted. Breakout star of the show, Park Solomon – also known as 'Lomon' – has already amassed 5.6 million followers on Instagram. Other cast members are hot at his heels.
Netflix has not been as quick to hand out renewals to shows as it once was.
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However, those who have watched the Korean zombie series will be delighted to hear that Netflix recently commissioned another season. Which perhaps isn't surprising considering the show landed the number nine spot in the all-time top 10 shows on the platform.
The bad news? After you've become hooked, you'll likely have to wait until late 2023, or even until 2024, to see those new episodes.
Here's the full list of Netflix's top ten most viewed TV shows ever:
1. Squid Game – 1.65 billion hours
2. Stranger Things season four - 1.35 billion hours
3. Money Heist part five – 792.2 million hours.
4. Bridgerton season two – 656.2 million hours
5. Bridgerton season one – 625.5 million hours
6. Money Heist part four – 619 million hours
7. Stranger Things season three – 582.1 million hours
8. Lucifer season five – 569.5 million hours
9. All of Us Are Dead – 560.8 million hours
10. The Witcher season one – 541 million hours
Topics: Netflix, Film and TV, Horror
Mike Sheridan