The most watched films on Netflix in 2025 reflect a moment of consolidation of streaming as the main form of audiovisual consumption in the world. The combination of simultaneous releases, segmented promotion strategies and the use of data to identify regional preferences has redefined the reach of international productions. The public responds with increasing engagement to narratives that explore themes of confinement, surveillance, survival and ethical dilemmas linked to technology and security. Throughout the first half of the year, action, suspense and science fiction titles surpassed North American premieres and achieved unprecedented audience ratings for European productions. In this selection, the reader will find examples of films that have achieved prominent positions on the platform, helping to explain how Netflix has diversified its offering and how global audiences have started to seek out stories that combine fast pace, tension and reflection on contemporary uncertainties.

The life (2025), the Rodolphe Lauga

After surviving a mock execution, a former GIGN operator returns home to find traces of invasion, overturned furniture and the most unbearable absence. Armed men took his pregnant wife and left an encrypted message that points to old operations, blocked reports and a chain of command contaminated by private interests. With no time to initiate official procedures, he activates trusted contacts, collects stored weapons and travels through Paris and the surrounding area behind a mastermind who knows his training. Each clue opens other doors and proves that valuable documents circulate between agents with real badges and obscure objectives. The possibility of a deal to recover the family arises, but the bargaining chip can destroy careers and free the guilty. The dilemma becomes a moral one, not just a tactical one. Following the rules could cost two lives, breaking the rules could ignite a state scandal. Between memory, guilt and obstinacy, the correct answer needs to arrive before the first cry he swore to hear.

Brick (2025), by Philip Koch

At dawn, residents wake up and realize that doors, windows and ducts have been sealed by dark bricks that have sprouted without noise. The city disappears behind a wall that does not yield to touch, force or fire. Inside, an entire condominium is reorganized in an attempt to understand what happened and how to get through the blockade. Finite resources require rationing, information becomes currency and corridors function as borders between groups with different priorities. A couple in crisis tries to stay calm while participating in risky drilling, mapping gaps and creating minimum rules for coexistence. With each unsuccessful attempt to break the barrier, the suspicion grows that the danger is not outside. Self-proclaimed leaders, small water and energy monopolies, improvised surveillance and disputes for authority emerge. The building becomes a social laboratory where cooperation and paranoia define who sleeps in peace. Hope for exit depends on an accurate reading of the space and on confidence that has little resistance to fear.

Counter-Attack (2025), by Chava Cartas

An attack on a rural base used by a cartel reveals a clandestine cemetery and puts a special Mexican Army unit under the spotlight. The captain who led the attack becomes the main target of local bosses and accomplices infiltrated in public bodies. The team, reduced and with few resources, needs to move between villages and roads without signal, protecting witnesses and keeping evidence safe from internal sabotage. Encrypted communication, reading the terrain and tactical discipline made the difference between ambush and survival. With each retreat, new pressure arises from authorities that demand results and, at the same time, expose the troops to unnecessary risks. The enemy tries to demoralize the group with false messages, double informants and coordinated attacks at unpredictable times. Progress depends on maintaining cohesion, understanding the logic of local violence and bringing evidence to court before it disappears. The price of success is not the medal. It's preventing the next list of names buried without goodbye.

Back in Action (2025), by Seth Gordon

Fifteen years after abandoning clandestine missions to raise their children with discreet identities, a couple of former agents find themselves forced to reactivate skills they swore to forget when an incident filmed by chance goes viral and exposes reflections that no ordinary person would have. Old enemies smell the opportunity to settle scores and new players emerge interested in a device capable of taking control of critical electronic systems. The routine of school, markets and birthdays gives way to escape routes, forgotten safes and contacts that may no longer be trustworthy. With children at the center of the board, each decision begins to balance family safety and the need to neutralize a threat that grows every hour. Between disguises, planted clues and broken promises, the duo needs to regain their tune, transform guilt into focus and anticipate the movements of an opponent who knows their tricks. The goal is not glory, but to return home with everyone alive.

Extraterritorial (2025), de Christian Zübert

When accompanying her son to resolve documents at a United States consulate in Frankfurt, a former special forces member notices that the boy has disappeared somewhere between metal detectors, screening counters and windowless corridors. Officials deny having seen the child, protocols shield entire areas and cameras seem to record less than they should. Without responding to threats, she decides to remain in the building and map deposits, service exits and internal passages, testing each door and questioning anyone who crosses her path. The diplomatic space, protected by its own rules, functions like a miniature city with hierarchies, silences and complicities. The further it goes, the more evidence emerges of an operation that involves erased documents and names with enough authority to silence witnesses. The search becomes a direct confrontation with a military past that left wounds. To recover the son, it will be necessary to turn the labyrinth into an ally, dismantle lies and expose a truth that many people prefer to keep outside of any jurisdiction.