After six months, an action film took the lead among the platform's biggest hits in 2025.

As reported by Varietyamong others, Netflix published its biannual report of its most watched content. When it comes to series, it's no surprise that Adolescence, with just four episodes, 13 times nominated for an Emmy, is the winner, with almost 145 million views, especially since it surpassed Stranger Things. But did you know which film won the race for Netflix's most successful release of 2025?

Back in Action is Netflix's most successful film (so far) in 2025

Between January and June 2025, the largest number of Netflix users watched Seth Gordon's action comedy Back in Action. Cameron Diaz's return drew 164.7 million viewers. Second and third place went to Until the Last Drop, by Tyler Perry (103 million) and the novel A List of My Life (96 million). The German action film Exterritorial reached 88 million homes worldwide, ranking fourth.

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Back in Action, in the original, had already reached first place on the Netflix charts after its release in 93 countries. In the action comedy, former CIA spies Emily (Cameron Diaz) and Matt (Jamie Foxx) have retired as a family, but are drawn back into the spy life when their secret identities are exposed. Your children couldn't be more surprised by the sides of themselves that their parents suddenly reveal. But who betrayed them?

With the film's success, a sequel may be one step closer, having been hinted at at the end. However, it has not yet received the green light from Netflix. With a budget of 207 million (or 159 million after tax in the UK), the production cost Netflix significantly less than the company's most expensive film of the year, The Electric State (320 million), according to Forbes.

Netflix

Here you will find the complete list of Netflix's most successful releases in the first half of 2025

Netflix's numbers for the full semi-annual report can be found here as a list of the most successful titles with their worldwide viewing figures for the first six months of 2025:

Netflix's 10 most successful films in the first half of 2025

1. Back in Action – 164.7 million views
2. Until the Last Drop – 102.9 million views
3. The List of My Life – 95.5 million views
4. Exterritorial – 87.5 million views
5. Chaos and Destruction – 86.9 million views
6. Pets - The Secret Life of Pets 2 – 74.5 million views
7. The Electric State – 74.2 million views
8. Counterattack – 71.3 million views
9. Ad Vitam – 69.8 million views
10. Despicable Me 4 – 69.8 million views

Netflix's 10 most successful series in the first half of 2025

1. Adolescence – 144.8 million views
2. Round 6 - 2nd season – 117.3 million views
3. Round 6 - 3rd season – 71.5 million views
4. Day Zero – 61.3 million views
5. What I Miss You Makes Me – 58.0 million views
6. Homicide in the USA: Gabby Petito – 56.1 million views
7. Ms. Rachel – 53.4 million views
8. Mermaids – 53.3 million views
9. The Night Agent - 2nd season – 53.2 million views
10. Ginny & Georgia - season 3 – 48.1 million views