As we approach 2020, we look back at what an incredible year 2019 has been for film and series. Last week, we talked about our favourite films to come out in 2019. Our list included the likes of Joker, Parasite, Avengers: Endgame, among many others, including a couple of Netflix originals as well — The Irishman and Marriage Story.
Today, Netflix released its list of the most POPULAR titles of 2019 in Malaysia. These are the titles that Malaysians watched the most this year. (Note: Only Netflix Originals that were released in 2019 are taken into account. Which means content like Friends, Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Star Wars: The Last Jedi, etc do not count.)
- 6 Underground, directed by Michael Bay, starring Ryan Reynolds.
- Murder Mystery, directed by Kyle Newacheck, starring Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler.
- The Witcher, created by Lauren Schmidt, starring Henry Cavill.
- Isn’t It Romantic, directed by Todd Strauss-Schulson, starring Rebel Wilson, Adam Devine and Priyanka Chopra.
- Tall Girl, directed by Nzingha Stewart, starring Ava Michelle, Griffin Gluck and Sabrina Carpenter.
- Triple Frontier, directed by J.C. Chandor, starring Oscar Isaac, Ben Affleck, Charlie Hunnam and Pedro Pascal.
- The Perfect Date, directed by Chris Nelson, starring Noah Centineo and Laura Marano.
- The Umbrella Academy, created by Jeremy Slater, starring Ellen Page, Tom Hopper, David Castañeda, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Emmy Raver-Lampman and Aidan Gallagher.
- Secret Obsession, directed by Peter Sullivan, starring Brenda Song and Mike Vogel.
- Fractured, directed by Brad Anderson, starring Sam Worthington.
There are a number of takeaways from this. For one, the two most acclaimed Netflix movies this year, The Irishman (96% on Rotten Tomatoes) and Marriage Story (95% on Rotten Tomatoes) wasn’t a part of the 10 most-watched Netflix originals among Malaysians. While, The Irishman will admittedly not appeal to the casual audience (it’s a slow burn, meditative, gangster-film), I think Marriage Story is something everybody should watch. The film follows Adam Driver’s Charlie and Scarlett Johansen’s Nicole as they go through the tumultuous process of getting a divorce. It’s a highly riveting, powerfully acted drama.
Unsurprisingly, Michael Bay’s action-fest 6 Underground topped the list, despite only dropping on Netflix three weeks ago. Out of the 10 most-watched Netflix originals among Malaysians, only two are TV series, one of which is a fantasy based on video games and books, while the other is based on an indie comic book. I’m surprised 13 Reasons Why Season 3 did not crack the Top 10 list.
Question: What on earth is Tall Girl and why did the wider Malaysian audience decide to watch that in droves?
All the titles listed above are currently streaming on Netflix.
