Netflix’s Korean disaster film The Great Flood delivered a record-setting opening, debuting with 27.9 million views and ranking No. 1 on the platform’s global weekly non-English film list after its Dec. 19 release.
Record debut drives Netflix No. 1
The Great Flood launched at the top of Netflix’s weekly global rankings for non-English films, posting 27.9 million views for the tracking week published by Netflix on Dec. 23.
The title’s watch time was reported at 50.6 million hours, which Netflix also displayed alongside the “views” figure in its Top 10 reporting.
Separate reporting quoting Netflix’s internal comparison to prior launches said the film was the “best launch for an international film released on a Friday since the beginning of the ratings era,” aligning the 27.9 million views with a platform benchmark for Friday debuts.
Weekly chart highlights (selected)
| Title | List / Category | Views | Hours viewed | Reporting window note |
| The Great Flood | Global weekly Top 10 (non-English film) | 27.9M | 50.6M hours | Week measured Mon–Sun; lists published Tuesday |
| Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery | Global weekly Top 10 (English film) | 20.9M | 50.8M hours | Listed as No. 1 English film that week |
| Man vs. Baby | Global weekly Top 10 (English TV) | 14.6M | 28.7M hours | Ranked No. 1 English TV that week |
| Emily in Paris (Season 5) | Global weekly Top 10 (English TV) | 13.5M | 78.1M hours | Ranked No. 2 English TV that week |
What “27.9M views” means on Netflix
Netflix says its Top 10 lists are now ranked by “views,” defined as total hours viewed divided by total runtime, while still showing total hours viewed alongside the ranking.
The company updated its weekly Top 10 methodology in June 2023 to emphasize “views” as a more relatable measure that also reduces the advantage longer titles can have when only hours are used.
Netflix also states the weekly measurement window runs from Monday through Sunday, and lists are published on Tuesdays.
The Great Flood: story, cast, and release details
Netflix describes The Great Flood as a film in which a raging flood traps a researcher and her young son, with their escape tied to a crucial mission affecting humanity’s future.
In Netflix’s editorial description, the story centers on An-na (played by Kim Da-mi), a researcher and single mother trying to save her son as waters surge through a high-rise and the disaster escalates beyond the city.
Netflix’s official materials list Kim Da-mi and Park Hae-soo among the leads and identify Kim Byung-woo as the director.
Key timeline
| Date | Development |
| Dec. 3–4, 2025 | Netflix released the official trailer and promoted the film as arriving Dec. 19. |
| Dec. 19, 2025 | Netflix Tudum reported the film was available for streaming (release window). |
| Dec. 23, 2025 | Netflix’s weekly Top 10 post for the week of Dec. 15 highlighted The Great Flood at No. 1 with 27.9M views. |
What it signals for Korean titles on Netflix
The same weekly cycle that The Great Flood led also featured Korean unscripted and series titles performing strongly on Netflix’s global non-English lists, reflecting continued international appetite for Korean-language programming.
Netflix has framed “views” as a cross-title engagement measure meant to help audiences contextualize popularity across different runtimes, which can amplify the visibility of international films that break through quickly.
Beyond weekly Top 10 charts, Netflix’s broader engagement reporting has also emphasized “views” (hours divided by runtime) as its simplest engagement yardstick across the service.
Final words
With The Great Flood opening at 27.9 million views and leading Netflix’s weekly global non-English film chart, the film’s launch shows how fast a Korean feature can now scale worldwide on a single platform release window.
The next signal to watch is whether the film holds in the Top 10 beyond its debut week—an indicator that its early surge is turning into multi-week retention rather than a short, event-driven spike.
