It is probably no surprise to hear that Stranger Things or Top Gun: Maverick were one of Australia’s most streamed TV shows or movies in 2022, but where do they compare to everything else released in 2022? Well, JustWatch has released its figures for 2022, and we now know the top ten most-streamed movies and TV shows for 2022. 

TV Shows

Bridgerton, The Walking Dead, The Boys, Better Call Saul, and Severance fill the bottom five potions in TV Shows. I am, of course, thrilled to see Better Call Saul on the list and somewhat surprised that The Boys is at the bottom end of this list. It felt like it was higher and consistent, but it did not have the year-long watch value or the overall audience as some of the other things on this list.

5.) Wednesday

Unsurprisingly, a show that hung around the JustWatch top 10 lists week after week following its release and one of Netflix’s biggest shows of the year (its best new show), Wednesday was huge in 2022. 

4.) The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

As a testament to how much what some nerds are saying online does not matter, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, a show that was apparently going to bomb according to some online pundits because of the direction of its story, has done very well for Amazon and Prime Video. They must be happy, too, after sinking so much money into buying the rights and investing so much money into the production of the first series.

3.) Euphoria 

Returning for its second season after two years, Rue returned to her drug habits this season. There were some wild story beats this year, and the show’s popularity was not hard to see as it consistently trended on Twitter. The memes and talk around the series’ characters have continued even after its finale aired early in 2022. 

2.) House of the Dragon

HBO has got to be pleased with the success of Hosue of the Dragon and its sophomore season. After the criticism and semi-burnout from fans following the final couple of seasons of Game of Thrones, the positive reaction and numbers for House of Dragon is a testament to its much better writing and care for its characters in comparison to the final season of Game of Thrones.

1.) Stranger Things

A sensation since its debut, it’s not all surprising to find the fourth season of Stranger Things leading as the most streamed series of 2022. Everyone and their mother loves watching Stranger Things and checking in on the character in this much-beloved Netflix original. And with only one season remaining, it will be a big year if the final season manages to debut in 2023. 

Movies

Nope, The Northman, Minions: The Rise of Gru, Jurassic World Dominion and Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbeldore filled out the bottom five positions. The most surprising here for me is The Northman, an arthouse film at heart, with the subject matter and star power to attract the viewers. Minions: The Rise of Gru being streamed as much is also surprising, considering it was only added to Netflix this week, meaning the views were from those renting it or buying it. 

5.) Everything Everywhere All At Once

Easily one of the most creative and unique films finding a larger audience in 2022 was fantastic to see, as it sat in the top 10 charts after hitting VOD. The film, which can be explained as being about taxes, and being an immigrant in America, is much more magical and exciting than most fantasy and sci-fi films released in 2022.

4.) Top Gun: Maverick

A sequel I don’t think anyone thought would do anywhere near as good as it did Top Gun: Maverick. Not only one of the highest-grossing films in cinemas for the year but also, as this list shows, just as loved at home. It is a film that was best seen on the big screen, but if you missed out and had to watch it at home, I hope you have got a big screen and a sound system for it.

3.) Thor: Love & Thunder

The third Thor film and the second from Taika Waititi wasn’t as well-received as Thor Ragnarok, but that doesn’t have affected those wanting to watch it at home. The MCU films getting a relatively fast turnaround from cinema to Disney+ streaming helps.

2.) Spider-Man: No Way Home

I did a quick Google to make sure I wasn’t going insane, but yes, Spider-Man: No Way Home was released in late 2021 but didn’t hit streaming services until early 2022. It was one of the most talked about films for months, so this isn’t surprising. Disney/Marvel even stuck it back into cinemas for a while, but everyone was still happy to watch it at home.  

1.) The Batman

The popularity of The Batman goes to show either that audiences will also turn out for a Batman film or that the very positive critical reaction paired with word of mouth did a lot for the film. DC is in such a weird position at the moment with new creatives coming in to try and create a cohesive vision, but they surely can’t ignore how popular Robert Pattinson’s Batman has become. I expect we’ll be seeing plenty more of his Batman in the years to come. 

And that’s what the most streamed movie and TV shows of 2022 are. Any surprises in those lists? Let me know in the comment section below.