Netflix has claimed one of their latest original movies, Murder Mystery, got 30 million views in just three days.
The streaming service are known to be secretive about their viewing figures and only release information when it suits them – I.e. when something has done really well.
So when Murder Mystery reportedly achieved massive viewing figures in its opening weekend, the company were quick to brag.
The Netflix original stars Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston, who also appeared together in the 2011 film Just Go With It.
Whether it was the draw of the big-name cast, the dreary weekend weather or a well-timed spot of boredom among the masses, millions of people decided to stay in this weekend and stream the film, resulting in 30 million views for Netflix. The company counts a ‘view’ for its movies as an account having watched at least 70 per cent of the film.
The news was announced on a verified ‘Netflix comedy’ Twitter account and confirmed by the company in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter.
The tweet read:
ADAM SANDLER AND JENNIFER ANISTON BREAKING NEWS ALERT
30,869,863 accounts watched Murder Mystery in its first 3 days – the biggest opening weekend ever for a Netflix Film. 13,374,914 accounts in the US and Canada, and 17,494,949 more worldwide.
Unfortunately, as a result of the aforementioned secrecy surrounding Netflix’s viewing figures, they can’t be verified independently so we have to take their word for it, however I’m sure they wouldn’t lie about something as high-profile as their biggest opening weekend ever. I like to think they wouldn’t do that to their faithful subscribers…
According to Deadline, Will Smith’s fantasy action movie Bright got 11 million views over its first three days in 2017, while during Christmas Netflix said Sandra Bullock thriller Bird Box was watched by 45M global accounts during its first seven days.
On the off-chance you’re not one of the 30 million people who’ve watched Murder Mystery, the film follows the story of a New York City police officer and his hairdresser wife who embark on a long-awaited trip to Europe.
In keeping with the title of the film, they end up scrambling to solve a baffling murder aboard a billionaire’s yacht, which is filled with co-stars Terence Stamp, Luke Evans, and Gemma Arterton.
The Netflix original was written by James Vanderbilt, who also wrote serial killer-thriller Zodiac, so it’s safe to say he knows his way around a murder.
However, while described as ‘exciting’ on Netflix, in true Sandler fashion Murder Mystery is also listed as ‘goofy’.
It has a fairly underwhelming score of 45 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes but reviews seem to be fairly positive on social media, with one person describing the comedic timing as ‘genius’.
For anyone who missed the memo and didn’t scramble to see Murder Mystery on its opening weekend, the beauty of Netflix means you can go and see what all the fuss is about whenever you get a spare couple of hours.
Murder Mystery is available to stream now on Netflix.
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Emily Brown first began delivering important news stories aged just 13, when she launched her career with a paper round. She graduated with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University, and went on to become a freelance writer and blogger. Emily contributed to The Sunday Times Travel Magazine and Student Problems before becoming a journalist at UNILAD, where she works on breaking news as well as longer form features.