Jeffrey Dahmer Series ‘Monster’ Becomes Netflix’s Second-Biggest English TV Show
Netflix fans continue to flock to binge-watch “Dahmer,” the unsettling drama series starring Evan Peters as the infamous killer cannibal, in record numbers.
Ryan Murphy’s “Dahmer — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story” topped Netflix’s English TV Top 10 list for the third week in a row, with 205.33 million hours viewed for the week of Oct. 3-9. That means the limited series is now Netflix’s second most popular English-language series of all time in its initial release, with 701.37 million hours watched, behind only “Stranger Things 4,” which was watched 1.35 billion hours in its first 28 days. “Dahmer” has now garnered more watch-time than seasons 1 and 2 of Shonda Rhimes’ “Bridgerton” in their first four weeks on the service.
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The all-time Netflix TV leader in the first four weeks of release remains “Squid Game,” the South Korean surprise hit that notched 1.65 billion hours viewed in its first 28 days on the service.
The 10-epsiode “Monster,” which premiered Sept. 21, follows the story of the real-life Milwaukee serial killer, who murdered 17 men and boys between 1978 and 1991, primarily told from the perspective of Dahmer’s victims. The series also explores “the systemic racism and institutional failures” of the Wisconsin police that “allowed one of America’s most notorious serial killers to continue his murderous spree in plain sight for over a decade,” according to Netflix’s description of the show.
“Monster” has been popular among Netflix members — but reviewers have panned the show, which currently has a 52% critics’ score on Rotten Tomato. Variety TV critic Caroline Framke called the limited series “predictable,” adding, “It’s a grim, sepia-toned slog that rarely justifies its own existence.”
On the Netflix film side, the Ryan Murphy-produced horror movie “Mr. Harrigan’s Phone” debuted at No. 2 on the Top 10 English Films list with 35.42 million hours viewed after its Oct. 5 premiere, according to the streamer. Topping the chart for the week was “Luckiest Girl Alive,” starring Mila Kunis and based on bestseller of the same name by Jessica Knoll, which notched 43.08 million hours viewed (and was in the Top 10 in 91 countries). “Blonde,” starring Ana de Armas as Marilyn Monroe, pulled in 17.41 million hours viewed for the week of Oct. 3-9 (for a total of 54.75 million hours over the two weeks since its Sept. 28 premiere).
Meanwhile, Netflix subscribers showed strong interest in the “Conversations With a Killer” documentary series, with “The Jeffrey Dahmer Tapes” (31.4 million hours viewed) and “The John Wayne Gacy Tapes” (8.86 million hours viewed) both reaching the Top 10 for the week on the English TV chart. “The Midnight Club” (18.79 million hours viewed), Mike Flanagan’s latest horror series that recently broke the Guinness World Record for most jump scares in a premiere episode, also reached the Top 10.
Among non-English TV series, “The Empress,” a German historical drama about the life of Empress Elisabeth of Austria, stayed No. 1 with 59.43 million hours viewed. Polish drama “High Water” debuted on the Top 10 list in the No. 2 spot with 45.84 million hours viewed. Netflix’s popular Korean shows continued to draw viewers: Remaining on the non-English TV Top 10 for the week of Oct. 3-9 were “Little Women” (23.58 million hours), “Extraordinary Attorney Woo” (12.22 million hours), “Alchemy of Souls” (9.78 million hours), “Young Lady and Gentleman” (8.52 million hours) and “Narco-Saints” (7.58 million hours).
VIP+ Analysis: Is Murphy Worth His Monster Netflix Deal?
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