Photo: Netflix (3)
Netflixhas released a report on the most-watched content of the year, and the results are more or less in line with the roller coaster ride that has been 2020.
For those who have used the streaming service as an escape from this year, there are some familiar names on the list, includingTiger King,Love Is BlindandSelling Sunset.
In keeping with the theme of “escaping,” Netflix users also looked outside of the U.S. more this year while staying at home amid theongoing coronavirus pandemic— the viewing of foreign language titles was up over 50 percent compared to 2019.
Spain’sThe Platform, Germany’sBarbariansand France’sRogue Citywere the most popular of the foreign movies, with Korean dramas and anime viewings also showing significant increases.
Netflix
Of course,Emily in Parisalso falls into the category of escaping from the U.S., though not technically a foreign title. TheLily Collins-headed series was one of the most popular comedies of the year and led to a 340+ percent increase in searches for theKangol bucket hatsher character Emily wore.
Similarly, viewership of romance movies and shows, includingThe Kissing Booth 2,Princess Switch: Switched AgainandTo All The Boys P.S I Still Love You,doubled in 2020 (perhaps a result of real-life dating becoming almost impossible).
To All The Boys: P.S. I Still Love You.Bettina Strauss/Netflix
Other results in the Netflix report also fell in line with the timeline of the pandemic — March saw increases in baking, DIY and home shows, and in April, searches for “sad movies” spiked nearly 30 percent.
In addition to the escapism content, viewers turned to Netflix tolearn more about the Black experience in the U.S.following the death ofGeorge Floydin police custody in May.
In the three weeks that followedhis murder,Ava DuVernay’s documentary on mass incarceration,13th, was up 5000+ percent.LA 92, a film about the 1992 Los Angeles riots, was up 1300+ percent,Dear White Peoplewas up 700+ percent, andDave Chappelle’s8:46, a special about violence against Black Americans, became the top trending video of the year on YouTube.
source: people.com
