Seth Rogen and Katherine Heigl's R-Rated Comedy Dominates Streaming Charts Years After Release

Well, this is a surprise: 'Knocked Up' is back in the spotlight. Yes, that 2007 comedy where Seth Rogen and Katherine Heigl's characters stumble into parenthood after a one-night stand. Suddenly, it's one of the most-watched movies on Netflix worldwide. If you told me a Judd Apatow comedy from almost two decades ago would be trending today—on a service where it has to compete with every shiny new thing—I wouldn't have bet on it. But here we are.

'Knocked Up' Cracks Netflix's Worldwide Top Ten

As of April 27, 'Knocked Up' is the #6 movie on Netflix globally, according to FlixPatrol's data. It’s sandwiched between some pretty random hits and fresh titles:

• Apex (Charlize Theron action vehicle) is holding onto the #1 spot.
• 180, Thrash, and Adam Sandler’s Roommates round out spots #2 to #4.
• 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is sitting at #5 (which, let’s be honest, sounds like a fever dream sequel, but yes, that's real).
• 'Knocked Up' is at #6, fending off Love At Last (#7), the Sophie Turner-fronted Trust (#8), animation entry Supernova Strikers: Genesis (#9), and Shooter at #10.

Look, it’s not every day an R-rated relationship comedy slides back into the public consciousness and holds its own against newer titles—especially when it’s not even an anniversary year or getting a reboot.

A Quick Recap: What’s 'Knocked Up' All About?

For anyone rusty on the plot: Seth Rogen plays Ben Stone, a guy whose life basically revolves around living off the settlement of a past injury and occasionally working with his buddies on a website that catalogs naked celebrity scenes (again, very 2007 plot detail). Katherine Heigl is Allison Scott—a go-getter reporter at E! who just snagged an on-camera promotion. After a night of truly questionable decision-making (and a whole lot of booze), Allison discovers she’s pregnant from that encounter with Ben. Suddenly, their clearly mismatched lives slam together as they try to navigate what, frankly, most people would call a nightmare scenario. Against the odds, they actually start building a connection.

Box Office Flashback: Success, Then and Now

When 'Knocked Up' premiered at South by Southwest in March 2007, people seemed to love it right away. By that summer, it hit theaters across the U.S. and went on to make just under $220 million worldwide, all off a $30 million budget. Not bad at all for an R-rated comedy.

Critics jumped on board too. Rotten Tomatoes still shows a 90% 'fresh' rating, audiences gave it a solid 83%, and Metacritic went even further with an 85 Metascore (that means 'universal acclaim' in their world), and regular viewers have it at a 7.1 out of 10.

'...universal acclaim' and 'generally favorable' reviews don't always go hand in hand, but 'Knocked Up' pulled it off during its original run.

Cast & Creative Team

No surprise, this is a Judd Apatow project—he wrote, directed, and co-produced (teamed up with Shauna Robertson and Clayton Townsend). Besides Rogen and Heigl, the movie is packed with familiar faces: Leslie Mann, Paul Rudd, Jason Segel, Jay Baruchel, Jonah Hill, and Martin Starr all pop up. If you’re a fan of the Apatow extended universe, it’s pretty much a who’s who.

The Spin-Off: Where Are They Now?

In case you missed it (or just forgot—it’s been a while), 'Knocked Up' actually inspired a spin-off: 'This is 40.' That movie, which arrived in 2012, zoomed in on the married-with-kids life of Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann’s characters. Instead of sudden pregnancy, it's existential dread and stressful birthdays.

Bottom Line

So, 'Knocked Up' is suddenly a streaming hit in 2024. Will a new generation watch it and see the comedy magic, or will they just be baffled by a plot built around DVD extras and morning TV? Either way, the world apparently still likes awkward, raunchy relationship stories—at least for this week.