A Sci-Fi Crime Franchise Is Doing Double Time In Netflix's Top Charts

So far, 2024 has seen everything from a cult favorite sci-fi comedy to a forgotten Alexander Skarsgård and Margot Robbie film hitting the Netflix Top 10 charts. Frankly, it was nice to see something other than Kevin Hart's "Lift" in the charts, as this most recent effort from the standup star seems to be the latest in an endless supply of middling streaming movies that somehow come to dominate Netflix's most-watched rankings. Thankfully, Hart has now departed the charts to make way for more popular films and TV on Netflix, and this month there's a particular Canadian franchise that's managed to capture viewers' attention.

"Code 8" started life as a 2016 short film that essentially served as a trailer for a larger crowd-funded project. That project finally arrived in 2019 in the form of a feature-length "Code 8" movie, a science fiction actioner written and directed by Jeff Chan. The film stars cousins Stephen and Robbie Amell and hit theaters back in December 2019 before arriving on Netflix in April 2020. Robbie Amell plays Connor Reed, a man with the ability to produce and manipulate electricity, making him one of the 4% of people who, in this fictional future, possess such superhuman powers. Unfortunately, the government has cracked down on these gifted individuals, who are required to register themselves with the authorities. Connor, however, uses his abilities to work off the books in construction before he's drawn into a criminal underworld, carrying out illicit jobs to make money for his ailing mother.

Doesn't sound too bad, does it? Well, Netflix certainly thought it was good enough to buy the sequel, which just hit the streamer on February 28, 2024. And wouldn't you know, the viewers are just as taken with this latest installment in the fledgling franchise.

As noted by WIRED, "Code 8" was not a Netflix original. Nevertheless, it did manage to hit the streamer's most-watched chart when it debuted on the service, making a sequel more likely despite the film's less-than-stellar box office. Netflix snapped up the rights to that sequel and debuted "Code 8: Part II" last month. This sequel saw the return of Connor Reed, who this time joins forces with a drug lord in order to save a teenager from a corrupt police officer.

"Part II" seems to have once again captured the attention of streaming audiences the world over, not only entering Netflix's Top 10 charts following its debut but also bringing the original movie along for the ride. As of March 4, 2024, the sequel is the number two most-watched movie in the U.S., having fallen from the number one spot after a four-day run at the top. The original film, meanwhile, stands at number three after fighting its way up from the fifth spot on February 29. But there's more to the story than that.

According to streaming data aggregator FlixPatrol, "Code 8: Part II" has hit the most-watched charts in an incredible 93 countries around the world, and is number one in 40 of them at the time of writing. This seems like a truly global success story, with everyone from the UK to Jamaica streaming "Part II." Meanwhile, the original "Code 8" is experiencing a real resurgence, charting in 63 countries around the world and even hitting the number two spot in Belgium as of March 4, 2024.

Back in 2016, the Amell cousins were simply embarking on a journey to make their first feature film together, raising money through an Indiegogo campaign that ultimately netted them far more funding than they were initially looking for. That success continued as the "Code 8" project came together. While the film might not have grossed all that much of a stir in theaters, it certainly drew in the streaming crowds, making a sequel all but certain.

Now, that sequel has not only been made a reality, but it's even more successful than the original in terms of streaming figures. Charting in 93 countries around the world is pretty impressive, putting it on par with last year's star-studded mega-hit "Leave the World Behind," which also charted in 93 countries (though that Netflix Original did manage to hit number one in 85 of those markets). Still, "Code 8: Part II" clearly proves that what started as an indie sci-fi action project is fast becoming a reliably popular streaming franchise. The sequel might only have a 69% Rotten Tomatoes score in comparison to the original's 81%, but that hasn't stopped the streaming masses from tuning in.

We do, of course, know that Netflix viewers will watch pretty much anything. But there's a lot more to "Code 8" than your usual streaming fare. In other words, this ain't just another "Lift," so it might be worth giving the films a look if you haven't already.