The New Netflix Crime Thriller That Shocked the Charts, Crushed a Divisive Fantasy Finale, and Took Over Streaming Overnight

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Harlan Coben’s new crime thriller series, Run Away, has become a major streaming hit for Netflix, much like the author’s other shows for the streamer, and it has now eclipsed Stranger Things in a key chart. Coben has penned many books that have become hit limited series on Netflix. One of those is Fool Me Once, which has turned into one of Netflix’s biggest shows.

Fool Me Once racked up 98.2 million views in its first three months, becoming Netflix’s 10th most-watched English-language series of all time. Other popular Coben series on Netflix include The Innocent, Safe, The Stranger, and more, all seen under “The Harlan Coben Collection” on Netflix. Now, Run Away‘s cast leads the new crime thriller to Netflix’s highest spot.

According to FlixPatrol, Run Away has passed Stranger Things to become the most-watched TV show on Netflix in the United States. The new crime thriller debuted its 8 episodes on January 1st, only a day after the Stranger Things series finale dropped on the platform. By January 4th, Harlan Coben’s new crime thriller series managed to leave Netflix’s flagship show behind.

James Nesbitt and Minnie Driver in Run Away

Worldwide, the situation is different. While Run Away has taken the lead in the United States, the crime thriller series is still the 2nd most-watched TV show on Netflix around the globe, with Stranger Things coming in the top spot. That said, Run Away is also ranked 1st in multiple countries, repeating the success it has found in the United States.

Run Away is Netflix’s most-watched TV show in 37 countries, which include Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, the United Kingdom, the United States, and many more. Given the divisive status of Stranger Things‘ final season, which has a 56% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes after a controversial ending to Millie Bobby Brown’s Eleven, Netflix’s worldwide rankings could change soon.

According to FlixPatrol‘s own points system, the distance between the two Netflix shows is not that big. Run Away scores 739 points at the moment, with Stranger Things leading Netflix’s worldwide charts at 837 points. FlixPatrol‘s points system awards different points to every position in a country’s top ten, leading to a global tally for each show.

Run Away is based on the Harlan Coben book of the same name, and, like the author’s other adaptations, it should consist of a single season. As for Stranger Things, while the main show has ended after five seasons, two spinoffs are in development at Netflix. The first, the animated Stranger Things: Tales from ’85, will join Run Away on Netflix’s 2026 release slate.