Netflix’s Tuesday viewership update gives the week of October 5–11, 2026 a clearer shape: a #1 film debut that didn’t match a star’s recent benchmark, a horror limited series that overperformed, and a licensed animation pile-up on the film chart.
The film list: a licensed animation takeover and an AI-clouded #1
Ben Affleck’s Animals opened at #1 on the English film list with 23.8M views. That is a strong placement, but the comparison with The Rip’s 41.6M opening earlier in 2026 matters more. It suggests the title opened respectably, not spectacularly, and that the AI-related noise around the project didn’t stop sampling but may have limited the initial spike.
The film chart also shows licensed catalog’s pull: Ice Age titles, arriving through a new Disney licensing deal, took roughly half the English movie spots. This is a retention signal as much as a ratings one—licensed library films can cheaply keep households watching between original drops.
TV: Below lands, East of Eden jumps, and non-English titles stack up
Josh Hartnett’s horror-thriller limited series Below opened with 17M views. Netflix Canada calls it the “most-viewed Netflix debut for a Canadian title ever.” It’s the kind of overperformance media planners should note: a genre title with a recognizable lead can beat expectations even in a crowded week.
East of Eden gave a stronger signal: it nearly doubled from 6.5M views in week one to 12.6M in week two, pushing its total to 19.1M. It also expanded to Top 10 placements in 86 countries, up from 80, and reached #1 in 34 countries, up from 22. That’s a positive deviation from the usual second-week drop, driven by word of mouth.
Several titles missed the lists entirely, including Haunted Hotel Season 2, Is It Cake? Halloween Season 2, Less of a Stranger, Real Mean Season 2, and Who Is Martin Mull?—a reminder that not every franchise title automatically returns to the chart.
- Animals: 23.8M opening, #1 English film but far behind The Rip’s 41.6M.
- Below: 17M opening, a Canadian title record and a strong horror limited-series start.
- East of Eden: 12.6M second week, nearly double its 6.5M premiere; 19.1M cumulative.
- Doing Life: 18.2M additional views in week two, with viewing hours nearly double the prior week.
- Take Charge of My Heart: 3M K-drama debut; Inside the Circle: 2.1M political-thriller start.
Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story fell just under 50% in viewing hours in week four and now sits 25% behind The Ed Gein Story, 34% behind The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, and 62% behind DAHMER at the same stage. That kind of franchise erosion is worth tracking for anthology IP.
What to do with this week’s numbers
First, read second-week changes before judging an original, not just opening views. East of Eden is the model: the debut was moderate, but the growth shows positive word of mouth. Second, treat licensed film chart dominance as a cost and retention question. Third, look at country-level shifts; global ranks hide where a title is actually being discovered.
Source: What’s on Netflix
