“Fool Me Once”
Harlan Coben’s binge-worthy thrillers, with their twist-filled storylines, are a constant favorite among Netflix subscribers, and “Fool Me Once” was no different.
Released in January, the series followed ex-soldier Maya Stern (Michelle Keegan), who spots her dead husband on a nanny cam inside her house. As she tries to find the truth, she reexamines her time in the military, as well her sister’s murder, which took place before her husband’s death.
Audiences couldn’t get enough, and flocked to social media to unpack the story’s plot holes and identify filming locations.
According to Netflix, it was one of the streamer’s most-watched shows of all time, racking up 98 million views.
“American Nightmare”
In 2024, Netflix released several buzzy docuseries, starting with “American Nightmare.”
The three-part series examines the kidnapping of Denise Huskins, which police in Vallejo, California claimed she faked with her boyfriend.
The show charts how the media hounded Huskins and her partner, Aaron Quinn, as a result of the accusations, and also details her horrific kidnapping.
It got subscribers making comparisons to “Gone Girl,” and talking about how the media sometimes portrays victims.
“Baby Reindeer”
“Baby Reindeer” is arguably the most talked about show of the year. The show follows Donny Dunn (Richard Gadd), an aspiring comedian, who is stalked by an older woman called Martha Scott (Jessica Gunning), after he serves her at the pub where he works.
The semi-autobiographical drama was partly based on Gadd’s experiences of stalking and sexual assault. The show was presented as a true story, which turned audiences into armchair detectives as they searched for the real people the characters were based on.
From there, the real story only got more twisted as a woman named Fiona Harvey came forward as the person Scott is based on. She is suing Netflix for defamation, and the case goes to trial in 2025.
“The Man with 1000 Kids”
The streamer continued to explore unbelievable true stories with “The Man with 1000 Kids.” It followed families from different countries who discovered they used the same sperm donor, a Dutchman named Jonathan Jacob Meijer.
The series highlighted the risks of prolific sperm donors, and Meijer’s insistence that what he did wasn’t wrong. Many viewers were particularly shocked at the allegation that Meijer mixed his sperm with another donor’s, something he denied.
Meijer said that the number of children he’s fathered is actually 550, and has threatened to sue Netflix for defamation.
“Dancing For the Devil”
“Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult” exposed the darker side of fun dance videos on TikTok. Its main focus is Melanie Wilking, a content creator and dancer, who claims that Miranda Derrick, her sister, was brainwashed by a cult-like organization called the Shekinah Church.
The religious group is run by pastor Robert Shinn, who also runs a talent management company for content creators and dancers. In the docuseries, Wilking claimed its members cut ties with their loved ones after joining the church.
In a statement on social media, Derrick denied that Shekinah was the reason for her family troubles, which only fueled further discussion. In 2022, Shinn has denied the accusations of abuse made against both himself, and Shekinah church.
“Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story”
“Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story” was bound to cause controversy after the families of victims accused its creator, Ryan Murphy, of not contacting them before using their stories in season one: “Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story.” Murphy said he contacted them but they didn’t reply.
The second season of the “Monster” anthology series tells of how the brothers murdered their parents, alleging they experienced years of abuse. It caused uproar over the depiction of the Menendez brothers, including a moment that suggested the siblings were in a sexual relationship.
However, it also ignited sympathy for their case and opened up the possibility that the pair could be released from prison.
“Nobody Wants This”
Most of the other entries on this list got viewers talking because of controversies, murder, and mayhem. But subscribers flocked to watch “Nobody Wants This” partly because it’s so wholesome.
The rom-com follows Joanne (Kristen Bell), a sex-positive podcaster, and Noah (Adam Brody), a rabbi, as they navigate their vastly different lives while dating.
Viewers were particularly enamored by Noah’s emotional support of Joanne. But the moment when he kisses her while holding her face had everyone swooning.
“The Perfect Couple”
“The Perfect Couple” follows Amelia Sacks (Eve Hewson), as she prepares to marry her boyfriend Benji Winbury (Billy Howle) at his family’s lavish home on Nantucket.
When her best friend is found dead on the morning of the wedding, Sacks’ life is turned upside down.
Aside from Nicole Kidman’s frosty performance as Greer Winbury, the family’s steely matriarch, the murder mystery’s opening sequence surprised viewers because of its fun, flashmob-style dance to Meghan Trainor’s “Criminals.”
“Black Doves”
“Black Doves” didn’t spark controversy, nor did it dive into a horrifying true crime story. But it did feature Keira Knightley as Helen Webb, a badass spy out to avenge her lover’s death, which was enough to grab viewers’ attention.
Some noticed that it’s the latest in a string of spy shows set in London, following “Slow Horses,” “The Agency,” and “The Day of the Jackal.”
But “Black Doves” stands out largely because of Knightley’s ferocious performance and her killer outfit choices as a spy masquerading as the wife of a UK government minister.
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