These Are The Most Popular Movies Netflix Australia Is Missing

Netflix Australia officially launches today, and the biggest question everyone is asking is this: just how much decent content does it actually have? When it comes to movies that are popular with Australians, the answer is: disappointingly few.

Popcorn picture from Shutterstock

Netflix doesn’t release an exact number of titles it has available in any country. To get a sense of just how broad its coverage is down under, we decided to see how many of the movies that had reached #1 in Australian cinemas between 2010 and 2014 are available on the service. While part of the appeal of any streaming service is the ability to discover hidden gems, it’s also important to have popular content — and topping the box office charts is a clear indicator of popularity.

We don’t expect that Netflix (or anyone) would have full coverage — movie studios will typically partner with whoever offers the most money or other sweeteners, and rivals Presto, Stan and Quickflix have all signed up various big franchises. But even so, we were surprised by just how few of the biggest movies in Australia in recent years were actually available through Netflix. This chart sums up the situation:

Year Box office #1s On Netflix AU % available
2014 32 3 9.38%
2013 34 5 14.71%
2012 31 2 6.45%
2011 35 8 22.86%
2010 26 8 30.77%

Of the 158 movies that topped Australian box office takings between 2010 and 2014, just 26 are available on Netflix Australia. While older flicks have a better chance of appearing, even in 2010 less than a third of the chart-topping movies have made their way to Netflix. That doesn’t mean you won’t have a lot to watch — but if you think of a popular movie, the chances are it isn’t on Netflix right now.

Over at Gizmodo, Luke has done a similar comparison for geeky TV shows, with even more depressing results: 20 shows that were on Netflix US weren’t on the local version.

MORE:
How To Access Netflix US Using Your Netflix Australia Account

Here are the full listings for each of those years:

2014 On Netflix AU?
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Yes
Frozen Yes
The Wolf of Wall Street No
Wolf Creek 2 No
Non-Stop No
300: Rise of an Empire No
The Monuments Men No
Noah No
The Lego Movie No
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 No
The Other Woman No
Bad Neighbours No
Godzilla No
X-Men: Days of Future Past No
The Fault in Our Stars No
22 Jump Street Yes
Transformers: Age of Extinction No
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes No
Hercules No
Lucy No
Guardians of the Galaxy No
The Inbetweeners 2 No
Into the Storm No
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles No
The Maze Runner No
Gone Girl No
Fury No
Interstellar No
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 No
Horrible Bosses 2 No
Paddington No
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies No
Total #1 movies 32
Available on Netflix AU 3
% available 9.38%
2013 On Netflix AU?
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Yes
Life of Pi No
Django Unchained No
Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters No
Safe Haven No
Silver Linings Playbook No
I Give It a Year No
Oz the Great and Powerful No
A Good Day to Die Hard No
The Croods No
Oblivion No
Iron Man 3 No
Star Trek Into Darkness No
The Hangover Part III Yes
The Great Gatsby No
Fast & Furious 6 No
World War Z No
Man of Steel Yes
Despicable Me 2 No
The Heat No
The Wolverine No
Now You See Me No
Elysium No
RED 2 No
White House Down No
The Smurfs 2 No
Turbo No
Grown Ups 2 No
Gravity Yes
Captain Phillips No
Thor: The Dark World Yes
Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa No
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire No
Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues No
Total #1 movies 34
Available on Netflix AU 5
% available 14.71%
2012 On Netflix AU?
Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked No
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows No
The Descendants No
Underworld: Awakening No
Chronicle No
The Vow No
Contraband No
Project X No
John Carter No
21 Jump Street No
The Hunger Games No
American Pie: Reunion No
Battleship No
The Avengers No
The Dictator No
Men in Black 3 No
Prometheus No
Snow White and the Huntsman No
Ice Age 4: Continental Drift No
Ted No
The Dark Knight Rises Yes
The Bourne Legacy No
Total Recall No
The Expendables 2 No
Kath & Kimderella No
Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted No
Taken 2 No
Paranormal Activity 4 No
Argo Yes
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 No
Skyfall No
Total #1 movies 31
Available on Netflix AU 2
% available 6.45%
2011 On Netflix AU?
Meet the Parents: Little Fockers No
Tangled Yes
Yogi Bear Yes
The Green Hornet No
Black Swan No
No Strings Attached Yes
Unknown Yes
I Am Number Four No
Hall Pass Yes
Rango No
Battle: Los Angeles No
Red Riding Hood No
Just Go with It No
Rio No
Fast Five No
Water for Elephants No
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides No
The Hangover Part II Yes
Bridesmaids No
Cars 2 No
Transformers: Dark of the Moon No
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 No
Captain America: The First Avenger No
Rise of the Planet of the Apes No
Friends with Benefits No
Horrible Bosses Yes
Zookeeper No
The Smurfs No
Real Steel No
Paranormal Activity 3 No
In Time No
Moneyball No
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 No
Puss in Boots Yes
Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol No
Total #1 movies 35
Available on Netflix AU 8
% available 22.86%
2010 On Netflix AU?
Avatar No
Valentine’s Day No
The Blind Side Yes
Alice in Wonderland Yes
How to Train Your Dragon No
Clash of the Titans No
Hot Tub Time Machine No
Iron Man 2 No
Robin Hood No
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Yes
Sex and the City 2 No
Shrek Forever After Yes
Toy Story 3 No
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse No
Knight and Day No
Inception Yes
Salt No
Tomorrow, When the War Began No
Despicable Me No
Eat Pray Love No
Paranormal Activity 2 Yes
The Social Network No
Jackass 3D Yes
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 No
Megamind No
Tron: Legacy Yes
Total #1 movies 26
Available on Netflix AU 8
% available 30.77%

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