The Netflix Top 10 most-watched list is always a fascinating thing to keep an eye on, because there’s literally no way of predicting what’s going to rocket to the top of the charts on any given day. Even the most random or obscure titles seem to find a massive new audience whenever they get added to the content library, while the majority of high profile originals are usually guaranteed to post a strong showing for a week or two.
South Korean sci-fi blockbuster Space Sweepers continues to reign as the most popular movie on the planet among the platform’s 200 million subscribers, but it’s further back in fourth place with viewers in the United States. The number one slot in the US is instead occupied by War Dogs, the 2016 crime comedy thriller that only dropped yesterday, but that clearly hasn’t stopped a huge amount of people from checking it out in the first 24 hours it’s been available.
Todd Phillips co-writes, produces and directs the caper very loosely based on a 2011 Rolling Stone article that detailed how two upstart arms traders somehow managed to secure a multi-million dollar contract with the military. Jonah Hill and Miles Teller play the central duo and they bounce off each other incredibly well, with the former even scooping a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy for his efforts.
War Dogs might stretch the basis of the facts to breaking point, but it’s still a hugely entertaining look into how two guys with big ambitions go out of their way to prove themselves in a world they’re painfully ill-suited for, and it’ll no doubt play well on Netflix for a good few days yet.