Netflix's new Harlan Coben thriller just took the top spot on streaming: 318.9 million hours watched

Right, so Netflix has gone and done it again: dropped a crime thriller that everyone and their nan seems to be watching, regardless of what the critics are saying. If you're after something properly addictive – even if it's just to see what all the fuss is about – I Will Find You is the new talking point. Not exactly subtle, and definitely not a cosy watch, but here we are. Let me walk you through what's actually going on with this show, how it's doing numbers, and why people can't seem to look away.

Netflix's Latest Addiction: I Will Find You

The series landed on Netflix on 18 June and, within two weeks, it's buried pretty much everything else on the streamer – including their other big hitters Nemesis, Detective Hole, and The Witness. I Will Find You is based on Harlan Coben's best-selling 2023 novel, and frankly, Netflix must be thrilled with themselves for snapping it up. They've churned out a few Coben adaptations before, but this one's clearly hit a nerve.

The setup is as bleak as they come: Sam Worthington (yes, that one) stars as David Burroughs, a bloke doing prison time for murdering his own three-year-old son. Five years on from all that, rotting away in Briggs Penitentiary up in Maine, his ex-sister-in-law Rachel (Britt Lower) bursts in with the most mental bit of news – apparently, young Matthew might actually be alive. Cue a prison break (with some help from the warden and his best mate, because obviously), followed by a desperate hunt for the truth about what really went down that night. Just when you think you've got the plot sussed, it throws another left turn at you.

The Numbers Are Ridiculous

Here's where it gets properly wild:

• In the first week after it dropped, I Will Find You racked up 24 million views. That's already a strong start by any metric.
• In its second week (22 June to 28 June), it obliterated that figure with 34.1 million views, shooting the total up to 58.1 million.
• According to Netflix's own data, folks have spent 318,900,000 hours watching this thing. That's not a typo. 318.9 million hours.
• By comparison, the much-hyped second season of Avatar: The Last Airbender only managed 8.7 million views during the same period (ouch).

Translation: whether it's word of mouth, clever marketing, or people just love a twisty crime drama, I Will Find You is comfortably sitting at the top of Netflix's charts right now.

Smashing It, Even with Mixed Reviews

Here's the bit that makes all this viewing even more surprising: critics have not exactly rolled out the red carpet. The show currently sits on a fairly wobbly 61% on Rotten Tomatoes, with a Popcornmeter rating at 62%. Some reviews are calling it 'outstanding' or 'a solid series to binge', while others are chucking around words like 'cliché' and 'completely implausible'. So the critical consensus is, at best, a bit 'meh'. Doesn’t seem to be slowing anyone down though.

Who's In It?

If you're keeping score at home – or just want to know who's soaking up all those hours of screen time – here's your main cast:

• Sam Worthington as David Burroughs (the wrongly-accused dad)
• Britt Lower as Rachel Mills (ex-sister-in-law turned partner-in-crime-solving)
• David's loyal best friend and the warden, both of whom give him a leg up on his jailbreak (names aren't shouted about in the marketing, but they're pivotal to the plot)

And that's the lay of the land: an eight-part rollercoaster that's got the streaming world hooked, even if the reviews are giving it a bit of side-eye. Expect to keep hearing about it, at least until something even madder comes along and bumps it off the top of the charts.