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The Electric State: Netflix’s most expensive original tops global charts, but struggles to keep up with Dwayne Johnson’s starrer

The Electric State, Netflix’s priciest original, topped global charts in its first week. Falls short of other massive hits like Red Notice and Don’t Look Up in viewership.

The Electric State tops Netflix’s charts

The Electric State may have topped Netflix’s charts, but it’s still far from matching the viewership heights of Red Notice and Don’t Look Up.

The Electric State might not have won over the critics, but all the buzz seems to have worked in its favour. The Russo Brothers’ movie, released on March 14 and starring Millie Bobby Brown, is showing a surprising trend on Netflix. While the movie, one of the streaming giant’s most expensive releases, may not be a breakout hit, it managed to top Netflix’s global Top 10 list in its first week. People are still curious, and early numbers show it’s drawing in viewers.

Still, it’s probably not going to make it into Netflix’s All-Time Top 10. So, how does it stack up against the platform’s biggest hits? Let’s break down the numbers.

Also read: The Electric State movie review: The Russo Brothers deliver the worst film of their career; even The Gray Man wasn’t this grim

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The Electric State: First week Netflix viewership numbers are in

Netflix’s official site, Tudum, has crowned the Russo Brothers’ new sci-fi, starring Millie Bobby Brown, Chris Pratt, and Stanley Tucci as the top film of the week. With a hefty $300 million production cost, the movie managed to rack up 25.2 million views in its first week, with a 53.8 million hours watched. It claimed the No. 1 spot in 47 countries, including the U.S., and made its way into the Top 10 across 93 countries. Critics, however, have been less favourable, with the film earning a low 15% on Rotten Tomatoes. On the other hand, it holds a 6.0 rating on IMDb and a more positive 74% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Well, this is not the first time we have seen this trend. Netflix’s original films often do better with audiences than with critics, and that’s what really matters to the streaming giant. As it turns out, Red Notice (with The Rock, Ryan Reynolds, and Gal Gadot), the most-viewed movie on Netflix, had a 37% critic score but a 92% audience score. The Gray Man, directed by the Russo Brothers had a 45% critic score but 90% from audiences.

Comparing The Electric State to Netflix’s other biggest English titles

Bigger picture: Globally, The Electric State may have claimed the top spot in its first week, beating out movies like Plankton: The Movie, Kraven the Hunter, Trap, and Despicable Me 4. But while that sounds great, it doesn’t stack up as well when you compare it to other Netflix blockbusters. Movies like Red Notice (148.7 million hours watched) and Don’t Look Up (111.03 million hours watched) dominated their first weeks. Despite its star-studded cast and hefty budget, The Electric State lands at just 15th all-time for first-week views, only just surpassing Rebel Moon.

Also read: The Electric State trailer: Millie Bobby Brown, Chris Pratt team up with robots to bring Simon Stalenhag’s dystopian tale to life

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Could it still make it into Netflix’s Top 10 all-time list? Probably not. First-week performance matters a lot for long-term success, and The Electric State is already facing negative reviews, making it unlikely to improve from here. With Netflix’s system counting views over the first 91 days, The Electric State still has time, but it’s unlikely to break into the Top 10 without a dramatic boost. Meanwhile, The Stranger Things 5 star Milly Bobby Brown is set to return for the Enola Holmes sequel.

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