‘The Last House’ Remains No. 1 As ‘Michael’ Makes History On Nielsen’s Streaming Chart

Streaming charts have become a reliable indicator of which titles are truly capturing audience attention each week, cutting through the marketing noise to reveal what people are actually watching. Nielsen’s weekly rankings, which track viewing minutes across major platforms, remain one of the industry’s most closely monitored tools for this purpose.

This week’s chart presents two contrasting narratives about audience consumption habits. One features a divisive thriller that critics largely dismissed, yet viewers can’t seem to stop watching, while the other signifies a genuine milestone for a network that has typically been absent from these rankings.

Netflix’s ‘The Last House’ has once again secured the No. 1 spot on Nielsen’s streaming chart, while the streaming premiere of the Michael Jackson biopic ‘Michael’ debuted at number four on Starz, marking the first time a Starz-exclusive title has ever entered the rankings, according to data reported by The Hollywood Reporter.

‘The Last House’ amassed 869 million viewing minutes to maintain its top position, continuing a run that is notable for its disconnect from critical reception. The sci-fi thriller stars Greta Lee and Wagner Moura as a family trapped in their home while their supplies mysteriously disappear and an unknown force keeps them confined, a premise that has clearly resonated with subscribers despite the negative reviews.

The debut of ‘Michael’ at number four represents a significant milestone for Starz, a platform that hasn’t historically competed at this level on Nielsen’s rankings. The film garnered 275 million viewing minutes in its first week on the service, enough to surpass several other high-profile titles further down the chart.

This performance follows an already impressive theatrical run. Directed by Antoine Fuqua and featuring Michael Jackson’s nephew Jaafar Jackson in the title role, the biopic grossed over $1 billion worldwide during its spring release, making it the highest-grossing music biopic of all time and Lionsgate’s biggest film ever.

The film chronicles Jackson’s career from his early days with the Jackson 5 to his peak solo stardom during the “Bad” era, supported by a cast that includes Colman Domingo as Joe Jackson, Nia Long as Katherine Jackson, and Miles Teller in a key industry role. Jaafar Jackson’s performance has received widespread acclaim following the theatrical release, with both critics and audiences praising his physical and vocal resemblance to his uncle.

Completing the top 10 was a blend of newer releases and older catalog titles that continue to attract audiences long after their initial release. ‘Arthur the King’ secured the second spot with 422 million minutes across Netflix and Peacock, while ‘The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’ took third place with 279 million minutes on Peacock.

Further down the list, Netflix’s ‘Don’t Say Good Luck’ came in fifth with 269 million minutes, followed by ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’ at number six with 266 million minutes across Disney+ and Netflix. ‘Minions’ remained steady at number seven, while Prime Video’s ‘Masters of the Universe’ and ‘Project Hail Mary’ claimed the eighth and tenth spots respectively, with ‘In the Land of Saints and Sinners’ rounding out the ninth position on Netflix.

This diverse spread across multiple platforms and release windows highlights the fragmented nature of streaming viewership today, with newer originals competing directly against catalog titles and theatrical leftovers for the same audience attention. For Starz, specifically, breaking into the top four with a single high-profile acquisition indicates a strong demand for premium theatrical content once it becomes available to stream, even on a platform that typically doesn’t generate this level of Nielsen buzz.

Whether ‘Michael’ can maintain this momentum in the coming weeks remains to be seen, but its debut alone signifies a notable shift in how Starz is perceived in industry discussions. For now, both films are demonstrating that audience preferences and critical consensus do not always align.

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