Here’s a data-led look at what the world actually streamed on Netflix in the first half of 2025. Rankings use the platform’s “views” metric (total hours watched divided by runtime). Below you’ll find the global Top 10 plus 15 strong near-misses worth adding to your queue.
What to watch on Netflix in the first half of 2025.
The year’s first half was ruled by Adolescence and two seasons of Squid Game, while true-crime and kids’ content punched above their weight. New IP like Zero Day and Sirens showed star power still converts to watch time. Rewatches mattered, too—Squid Game S1 re-entered the charts as viewers prepped for S3.
Top 10 (Global, H1 2025)
1) Adolescence (2025)
Genre: Crime drama (limited series). Cast: Stephen Graham, Owen Cooper; co-created by Jack Thorne & Stephen Graham. Summary: A working-class family is torn apart after their 13-year-old son is accused of murdering a classmate. Trivia: The show’s bravura long takes became water-cooler fodder and sparked nationwide debate. Stat: 144.8M views in H1 2025.
Adolescence Trailer:
2) Squid Game – Season 2 (2024)
Genre: Survival thriller. Cast: Lee Jung-jae, Lee Byung-hun, Wi Ha-jun, Yim Si-wan, Kang Ha-neul. Summary: Gi-hun returns to dismantle the Game while the Front Man tightens his grip. Trivia: Dropped Dec 26, 2024, so most of its viewing landed in 2025. Stat: 117.3M views.
Squid Game – Season 2 Trailer:
3) Squid Game – Season 3 (2025)
Genre: Survival thriller. Cast: Lee Jung-jae, Lee Byung-hun, Wi Ha-jun, Park Gyu-young. Summary: A final, higher-stakes showdown pushes Gi-hun’s endgame against the organizers. Trivia: Premiered June 27 and hit the Top 3 with only a few days in the window. Stat: 71.5M views.
Squid Game – Season 3 Trailer:
4) Zero Day (2025)
Genre: Political thriller (limited series). Cast: Robert De Niro, Angela Bassett, Jesse Plemons, Lizzy Caplan, Connie Britton. Summary: A former U.S. president leads a commission investigating a catastrophic cyberattack. Trivia: De Niro’s first starring TV role drove huge curiosity. Stat: 61.3M views.
Zero Day Trailer:
5) Missing You (2025)
Genre: Harlan Coben mystery thriller. Cast: Rosalind Eleazar, Ashley Walters, Richard Armitage, Lenny Henry. Summary: A detective spots her long-vanished ex on a dating app, unspooling a conspiracy tied to her past. Trivia: Another Coben smash after 2024’s Fool Me Once. Stat: 58.0M views.
Missing You Trailer:
6) American Murder: Gabby Petito (2025)
Genre: True-crime docuseries. Cast/Subjects: Family members, investigators, journalists. Summary: A three-part deep dive into Gabby Petito’s final days and the nationwide investigation. Trivia: Netflix’s most-watched docuseries of H1 2025. Stat: 56.1M views.
American Murder: Gabby Petito Trailer:
7) Ms. Rachel – Season 1 (2025)
Genre: Kids / educational. Cast: Rachel Griffin-Accurso. Summary: Sing-along lessons for early learners, curated into bingeable episodes. Trivia: TV-ready cuts from her viral YouTube classroom found a huge family audience. Stat: 53.4M views.
Ms. Rachel – Season 1 Trailer:
8) Sirens (2025)
Genre: Dark mystery drama. Cast: Julianne Moore, Meghann Fahy, Milly Alcock, Kevin Bacon. Summary: A woman attempts to pry her sister from the orbit of a billionaire’s wife and a toxic, cult-ish scene. Trivia: Sleek production values and twisty writing fueled word-of-mouth. Stat: 53.3M views.
Sirens Trailer:
9) The Night Agent – Season 2 (2025)
Genre: Action-thriller. Cast: Gabriel Basso, Luciane Buchanan. Summary: Rookie agent Peter Sutherland hunts a conspiracy that reaches higher than he imagined. Trivia: Down from S1’s 2023 surge, but still a global blockbuster. Stat: 53.2M views.
The Night Agent – Season 2 Trailer:
10) Ginny & Georgia – Season 3 (2025)
Genre: Dramedy. Cast: Antonia Gentry, Brianne Howey, Diesel La Torraca, Felix Mallard. Summary: The Millers deal with the fallout from Georgia’s arrest as relationships are tested. Trivia: A June 5 drop that still cracked the Top 10 within weeks. Stat: 48.1M views.
Ginny & Georgia – Season 3 Trailer:
Also worth your time (the other 15)
11) American Primeval (2025): Frontier historical drama about the Utah War seen through settlers, soldiers, and outlaws. Peter Berg’s rugged direction adds grit and scale. Pulled 46.5M views.
12) Squid Game – Season 1 (2021): The original phenomenon surged again as fans prepped for S3. Stark class-war allegory plus killer game design keeps it rewatchable. Logged 42.0M views in H1.
13) Running Point (2025): Workplace sports comedy with Kate Hudson as the unexpected president of an LA pro basketball team. Mindy Kaling’s stamp shows in the fast quips and locker-room politics. Hit 41.3M views.
14) The Four Seasons (2025): Ensemble relationship dramedy fronted by Tina Fey and Steve Carell. A warm, modern riff on the Alan Alda classic. Drew 39.4M views.
15) Cassandra (2025): German techno-thriller about a retro “smart house” and its menacing AI maid. Domestic bliss curdles into surveillance horror. Reached 39.3M views.
16) American Manhunt: Osama bin Laden (2025): Three-part docu-investigation with veteran intel voices. A compressed, procedural look at a sprawling 20-year hunt. Scored 36.6M views.
17) You – Season 5 (2025): Joe Goldberg’s endgame leans into consequences and reversals. A bloody farewell tour that still toys with the audience’s sympathy. Notched 36.5M views.
18) XO, Kitty – Season 2 (2025): Kitty’s Korean adventure gets messier in love and life. Bright, brisk coming-of-age beats remain the hook. Landed 35.3M views.
19) When Life Gives You Tangerines (2025): A sweeping Korean romance across decades on Jeju Island. Sun-drenched visuals meet slow-burn heartbreak. Tallied 34.8M views.
20) The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call (2025): A war-hardened doctor rebuilds an ER team under pressure. Punchy cases and tight character arcs fuel momentum. Logged 34.1M views.
21) Secrets We Keep (2025): Danish suburban mystery kick-started by an au pair’s disappearance. Quiet lives unravel as secrets surface. Reached 33.8M views.
22) The Gardener (2025): Spanish thriller about a mother-and-son assassin duo trying to go straight. Jobs keep pulling them back in. Cultivated 33.5M views.
23) The Residence – Season 1 (2025): A Shondaland whodunit set inside the White House. Glitzy politics meets closed-circle mystery. Closed H1 with 33.3M views.
24) The Åre Murders – Season 1 (2025): Swedish snow-noir in a ski-resort town. Chill landscapes, colder motives. Counted 32.6M views.
25) La Palma (2024): Canary Islands disaster limited series built around a mega-eruption scenario. Large-scale spectacle with intimate family stakes. Still drew 31.4M views in H1 2025.
Conclusion
Whether you’re chasing zeitgeist megahits or fresh discoveries, this 25-title snapshot is a reliable 2025 watchlist. Expect Squid Game S3 to climb further by year’s end while Adolescence cements its breakout status. Queue up a mix of new IP, returning favorites, and a few of those near-miss sleepers—and enjoy the binge.
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