Netflix's Top Spot Has Been Taken Over By A Familiar Ogre

Shrek has now been a part of pop culture for more than 20 years, which is a wild thought for any millennial who remembers when the Mike Myers-voiced swamp-dweller first arrived on the big screen in 2001. Though he'd previously been the focus of William Steig's 1990 picture book "Shrek!," it wasn't until the first movie debuted that the character became fully embraced by the mainstream. Since then, Hollywood has done its thing and produced a stultifying amount of "Shrek" sequels and spin-offs, to the point you'll probably need a refresher on the correct order to watch the Shrek movies before delving in. But if you wanted to just stick with the perennially charming original, we wouldn't blame you. Luckily enough, that very movie can now be found on the biggest streamer in the game.

Yes, Netflix, which this year has already managed to remind us all of the late Angus Cloud's impressive talents while simultaneously contributing to the slow decline of culture as we know it with Kevin Hart's "Lift," has now brought Dreamworks' lovable ogre to its platform — and wouldn't you know it, everyone's watching. "Shrek" was just one of a bewildering array of new films and TV shows that hit Netflix in May, but it's managed to distinguish itself by steadily climbing the most watched charts, where it now sits at number one.

The film that spawned a beloved blockbuster franchise and put Dreamworks Animation on the map, "Shrek" gathered beloved stars such as Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, and Cameron Diaz, and wound up not only becoming a huge hit but winning the first Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. Since then, many of us found ourselves tuning out as more and more sequels and spin-offs materialized, although some of them are pretty dang good. But if you're in the mood to revisit the film that started it all, Netflix is currently home to somewhat of a "Shrek" renaissance.

The original 2001 film arrived on Netflix in the U.S. and a handful of other countries on May 1, 2024. According to streaming viewership tracker Flix Patrol, the movie then found its way onto the top 10 chart when it hit number 10 on May 3, before rising to number 5 as of May 4. Since then, "Shrek" has climbed one spot per day, making its way up the charts and finally taking the top spot as of May 8. Not only did it manage to claim number one, but, it can also claim to have unseated Jerry Seinfeld's very, very silly Pop Tart movie "Unfrosted," which had previously held the top spot since May 5.

A quick look at the Netflix Top 10 at the time of writing shows everyone's favorite ogre at number one, Seinfeld's movie at number two, and the Robert Downey Jr.-led "The Judge" in the third spot. Behind that, UK action thriller "One More Shot" is holding firm in the Netflix charts at number four, continuing the film's impressive run on the streamer. But the original "Shrek" isn't the only movie from the franchise seeing success on Netflix.

With "Shrek 5" still seemingly set to arrive at some point in the near future, now is as good a time as any to revisit where it all started. The recent box office success of the spin-off sequel "Puss In Boots: The Last Wish" might well have signaled the start of a more widespread "Shrek" renaissance and the original film's Netflix triumph is yet more evidence that audiences are ready to return to his world.

Interestingly enough, when it comes to Netflix's success, it seems "Shrek" could soon be facing some friendly fire in the form of 2010's "Shrek: Forever After," the fourth film in the franchise. At the time of writing, "Forever After" is sitting at number five on the U.S. Netflix charts, having worked its way up from number nine on May 6, and number six on May 7. Could the ogre and his fantastical friends soon occupy the top two spots on the Netflix most-viewed charts? If so, Universal, which owns Dreamworks, will be glad to see such a reception as they gear up for "Shrek 5."

Meanwhile, it looks as though "Shrek" is charting in a further nine countries around the world, including Canada, Mexico, and a handful of other South American nations. It hasn't yet hit number one anywhere else but has climbed to number six in Bolivia and Salvador. Overall, then, not a bad showing for the big guy, and it'll be interesting to see how long he can hold on to the top spot in the U.S.