Earlier this month, we polled our readers to choose their favorite Netflix original show or movie from 2026 (so far), and more than 6,000 people responded. With a packed slate of highly anticipated summer blockbusters on the horizon — including The Odyssey, “Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow” and “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” — now feels like the perfect time to look back at Netflix’s slate of movies and shows that our readers have been loving this year.
Just like how we asked for your input as part of the inaugural Tom’s Guide Movie Awards in March, we recently launched a poll asking readers to choose their favorite Netflix original show or movie they’ve streamed this year. They had to pick from thrilling hits like “Apex” and “War Machine” as well as bingeable TV shows like “Bridgerton” season 4 and “Beef” season 2, but only one emerged as the clear winner of Netflix subscribers’ hearts and minds.
That film was “The Rip,” Matt Damon and Ben Affleck’s gritty high-tension crime thriller that managed an impressive 77% on Rotten Tomatoes — well, impressive for a thriller, at any rate. It received 22% of the thousands of votes cast, nearly double that of the second-place winner (“Bridgerton” season 4 with 14%, if you were wondering).
It’s hardly a shock to see “The Rip” come out on top. Netflix subscribers and thrillers go together like peanut butter and jelly. With its strong ensemble cast and arrival at just the right time to chase away the January blues, “The Rip” had all the ingredients needed to drum up some serious buzz. It doesn’t hurt that tense, pressure-cooker action is almost always a winning formula. Plus, it’s inspired by real experiences from a Miami-Dade tactical narcotics officer that shaped both the plot and tone.
As I said before, season 4 of Netflix’s hit period romance “Bridgerton” carved out a slim lead as our second-place winner with 14% votes. The rags-to-riches romance between Benedict and Sophia continues to be the drama’s most interesting couple yet, and the latest season is steamy enough to give even the horny “Heated Rivalry” a run for its money.
After that, it was a close run for third place, with Netflix’s chilling miniseries “Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen” (my personal top pick) eking out a small lead over “War Machine,” another crowd-pleasing thriller that didn’t quite manage to stick the landing.
Netflix has been churning out more thrillers than I realized, because yet another one, “Apex,” an intense cat-and-mouse game starring Charlize Theron and a particularly unhinged Taron Egerton, came next with 9% of the votes. Close behind it was the long-awaited and critically acclaimed “Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man” with 8%, which I was surprised to see as low as it was in the ranking.
Tied with it was Netflix’s adaptation of Emily Henry’s best-selling novel “People We Meet on Vacation,” a sun-splashed, ultra-glossy romcom about two best friends with a “will-they-won’t-they” dynamic traveling all over the globe.
Down at the bottom, the “Stranger Things” animated spin-off, “Tales from ’85,” chalked up 6% of the vote, with the delightfully messy season 2 of “Beef” not far behind it at 5%. Netflix’s latest shark movie “Thrash” came in last in the running with just 4% of the votes.
We loved seeing your picks and reading your responses, and we hope you enjoyed taking part — even if your favorite movie didn’t claim the top spot. If nothing else, hopefully you’ve discovered a few worthwhile recommendations to watch as summer blockbuster season kicks into high gear.
Looking ahead, we’ll be running more polls and “Have Your Say” articles in the future, so stay tuned for our next reader vote!
Follow Tom’s Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Subscribe to Tom’s Guide on YouTube and follow us on TikTok. Finally, you can visit our dedicated Tom’s Guide Savings Squad hub for expert help on getting the best products for less.