A Thriller From Last Fall Is Taking Over Netflix

Following its release last year, a Netflix original Swedish disaster film is gaining traction on the platform. The Abyss, a movie about the 2020 Kiruna Mine earthquake, is climbing Netflix's streaming charts across the globe, cementing its place as one of the most popular titles on Netflix not only in the U.S., but worldwide.

Released on December 12, 2023, The Abyss tells the fictionalized story of the real-life disastrous earthquakes in and sinking of Kiruna, Sweden. The movie centers around Frigga Vibenius, the head of security at the Kiruna mines, who must fight for her life and the lives of her loved ones when Kiruna starts collapsing into the mine. The film stars Tuva Novotny as Frigga, Peter Franzén as as Tage Vibenius, Frigga's ex and the mine's head of operations, Kardo Razzazi s Dabir Ayobi, Felicia Maxime as Mica Vibenius, Tintin Poggats Sarri as Aila, Edvin Ryding as Simon Vibenius, Åsa Simma as Livli, and Jakob Öhrman as Fredrik Bauman.

The 2023 Swedish thriller The Abyss is currently one of the most popular movies streaming on Netflix. Although the film has been streaming for more than two months, it only recently crashed onto Netflix's streaming lists. The Abyss currently ranks No. 1 in countries including Bolivia, Chile, Finland, Hungary, Sweden, and more and ranks within the top three in regions like Brazil, Canada, France, and Mexico, per FlixPatrol data. In the U.S., The Abyss ranks as the third-most-popular movie currently streaming as of Monday, Feb. 26, the film only falling behind Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken (No. 2) and Tyler Perry's Mea Culpa (No. 1). The movie held an overall No. 3 ranking globally on Sunday, Feb. 25, according to FlixPatrol.

The film was praised by critics for having "an interesting premise, a great cast, and outstanding special effects," with John O'Brien writing for Inverse, "For those who prefer their disaster flicks without so much bombast, then this abyss is worth peeking into." The Abyss, however, currently only holds a 23% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. Whether it's worth a watch or not, Decider gave the movie a "stream it"-worthy rating, while warning would-be-viewers, "Be aware, it doesn't deliver much beyond a handful of familiar thrills and a modestly commanding Novotny performance."

Click here to see more of what's streaming on Netflix this month, and don't forget to check out everything leaving in March.