'Stranger Things' Loses Spot as Netflix's No. 1 Show to New Series
Stranger Things Season 4's tenure at the top of Netflix's streaming charts has come to an end. After holding the No. 1 spot for several weeks straight following the release of Season 4, Volume 2 on July 1, the series ended up dethroned on the chart by a surprising all-new title: Resident Evil.
Debuting on July 14, Resident Evil is based on the video game series of the same name and marks the second TV adaptation of the franchise and the third live-action adaptation. The series is set in the year 20136, 14 years after a deadly virus caused a global apocalypse, and follow survivor Jade Wesker as she fights for survival in a world overrun by the blood-thirsty infected and insane creatures. The eight-episode first season stars Lance Reddick, Albert Wesker, Ella Balinska, Adeline Rudolp, Tamara Smart, Siena Agudong, and Paola Núñez.
In the handful of days since its debut, Resident Evil has already proven to be a massive success. On the streamer's U.S. platform, the series now ranks as the No. 1 most popular series, a title that was previously held by Stranger Things, which has since dropped to the No. 2 spot. The series' success isn't exclusive to the U.S., though, as Flixpatrol data shows Resident Evil also dethroning Stranger Things on the global charts, where it ranks as the No. 1 most popular TV series.
Resident Evil's debut, however, hasn't all been great. Despite the massive number of people apparently scrambling to press play, the series hasn't necessarily been getting the best reviews. Resident Evil currently only holds a 51% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, making it certified rotten. Writing for IndieWire, Ben Travers wrote that the series "is a mishmash of ambitions, likely to satisfy very few fans of the franchise." That review seems to be at least somewhat accurate, as Resident Evil has only managed to earn a 25% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Although Resident Evil may currently be the No. 1 ranking on the series, it's unlikely to beat Stranger Things in one category. Following the release of its fourth season, Stranger Things became Netflix's most-watched English language series. It also became only the second Netflix series ever to surpass 1 billion hours viewed within its first 28 days of availability, only falling behind Squid Game. Both Stranger Things and Resident Evil are available for streaming on Netflix.