Netflix's new number-one movie is a peril-packed disaster movie

A disaster movie has sped up the charts to become Netflix’s global number one.

This is according to Flixpatrol’s stats, which currently put The Abyss at the top spot.

No, this isn’t the 1989 film of the same name. It’s a Swedish movie originally released in September 2023.

But for those of us who didn’t have access to any local Swedish cinemas back then, it just landed on Netflix.

It’s the most popular Netlix movie in 38 countries according to Flixpatrol’s figures, knocking Einstein and the Bomb off the top spot.

The Abyss tells the story of a mining disaster in Kiruna, Sweden. In the real world, this town’s population was moved a few miles north, as mining operations threatened to see the whole place collapse into the earth.

Given one of the film’s posters shows a great big crack forming across a road, you can probably guess what happens in The Abyss.

SF Studios, the outfit behind the film, calls The Abyss “the first Swedish large-scale disaster film about devastating events taking place in the mining town of Kiruna and the iron mine Kiirunavaara.”

The film is directed by Richard Holm, who previously directed a fistful of Johan Falk action movies, based around a fictional Swedish police officer.

“I've directed a lot of action during my career and to now be able to take it one step further with a truly large-scale disaster film feels fantastic,” says Holm.

• Watch The Abyss at Netflix

But is The Abyss any good?

The Abyss (2023) reviews

Few reviews have surfaced so far, and we hope to see a few more once people catch on to The Abyss.

However, Heaven of Horror was keen until the final third, where the reviewer felt too much of the focus went to character drama rather than action. It gave the film a 3/5 rating.

Voices from the Balcony also gave The Abyss a 3-star write-up, saying “it’s a decent way to kill some time, but nothing special or memorable.”

Still, Inverse says “for those who prefer their disaster flicks without so much bombast, then this abyss is worth peeking into.”

It’s clear The Abyss was made with a tight budget. And, sure, maybe it’s not quite as impressive as 2016’s The Wave from Norway. But if you hunger for disaster, give it a look.

• Next up, read about the best movies on Netflix