As an entertainment editor, I'm constantly checking the different streaming platforms (of which there are...way too many) for what to watch—and the Netflix top 10 movies list and the Netflix top 10 shows list are generally my first stops.
But today, when I checked the movie list, I noticed something super strange. Perhaps if I weren't an elder millennial it would have escaped my attention entirely. The top 10 list is currently being dominated by the '90s—and I'm really not mad about it.
First of all, the most-watched film on Netflix is currently Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F, the newest iteration in the classic Eddie Murphy franchise. Though the first film initially dropped in 1984, kids who grew up in the '90s will certainly remember the movies, with the third installment, Beverly Hills Cop III, arriving in 1994.
Then, a bit lower down on the list, numbers five, six, seven, eight and 10 are all nostalgic '90s throwbacks. (What is going on over at Netflix? Again, no complaints from this '80s baby.)
The number five film is Warcraft, which is based on the computer game that came out in 1994 (and which occupied way too much of my childhood). Number six is The Little Rascals which dropped in 1994. Number seven is Back to the Future and though it arrived earlier in 1985, the franchise continued on into the '90s, with Back to the Future Part III hitting theaters in 1990.
The number eight spot is currently occupied by Matilda, a childhood favorite of mine that came out in 1996. And the list is rounded out with The Super Mario Bros. Movie at number ten. And though the animated Chris Pratt film came out last year, the video game series was a favorite of nearly everyone I grew up with.
While I was obviously surprised by the nostalgia fest when I checked Netflix this morning, perhaps I shouldn't have been. I previously wrote about the biggest movie trend of 2023: Nearly every one of the year’s top films was playing on our fondness for ‘80s, ‘90s and early-‘00s nostalgia (Barbie, The Super Mario Bros., The Little Mermaid...). It seems that 2023 new film trend has finally trickled down to streaming.
And while I'm the first one to jump in line behind newer content (please watch 3 Body Problem, I'm telling you), these throwbacks are the perfect comfort options. In fact, tonight's feeling like a Back to the Future night.
Want all the latest entertainment news sent right to your inbox? Click here.
