Netflix’s New 100% RT Mystery Drama Show Based On Bestselling Book Becomes Global Streaming Hit Within Days Of Release

Only days after its release, a Netflix mystery-drama book adaptation with a 100% Rotten Tomatoes score became a global hit. Netflix updates its Top 10 lists every week, allowing viewers to stay up-to-date with the most popular shows. Over the years, the streaming giant has released many great mystery shows, many of which are adapted from bestselling books. Their streaming data from June 2, 2025, to June 8, 2025, indicates that they’re continuing this trend of making great mystery adaptations.

Netflix’s streaming numbers shared on Tudum reveal that the limited series The Survivors reached number 4 on the global, English-speaking top 10 TV shows list, beating out Cold Case: The Tylenol Murders and Ginny & Georgia seasons 1 and 2. Although it’s gaining popularity in the United States as well, it hasn’t reached the US Top 10 shows list.

The Survivors adapts the titular book by author Jane Harper, which quickly hit the New York Times Bestsellers list shortly after its release. Set in Tasmania, the story follows Kieran and Mia, a couple that returns to their childhood home of Evelyn Bay only for a 15-year-old tragedy to be brought back up after a young woman named Bronte gets murdered. It’s a well-written show with twists from the start to The Survivors‘ tense ending.

What The Survivors’ Success On Netflix Means

The Australian Mystery Drama Opens Doors For Future Australian TV Shows On Netflix

Although Netflix and other streaming giants used to prioritize Hollywood shows and movies over international projects, they’ve made attempts to expand their catalog. The new hit mystery drama is a prime example of this. The Survivors cast includes almost all Australian actors, rather than featuring Hollywood stars. Very few faces will be recognizable to individuals who don’t watch Australian TV shows and movies. The miniseries was filmed in Australia by Tony Ayres Productions, Matchbox Pictures, and NBCUniversal International Studios; the first two are Australian production studios. It’s based on a book published by a British-Australian author.

The mystery show’s success with global audiences is a great sign that viewers are open to shows made outside of Hollywood. If The Survivors and other non-Hollywood projects continue to find success at Netflix, they may continue to widen their bases, offering more reach for international projects that are too often trampled by Hollywood shows.

Our Take On The Survivors Hitting Netflix’s Global Top 10

The Survivors’ Message Is Important For Global Audiences

Netflix’s The Survivors is such a well-written, compelling mystery that’s worth watching, and I’m excited that it’s gaining an audience. The show has a lot to say about the importance of healing trauma and receiving closure – a message that will reach more people now that the world has become more aware of mental health. The show’s success only makes me wish Jane Harper had more books to adapt for Netflix.

Harper has only released five books to date, and two of five books, The Dry and Force of Nature, were turned into feature-length films. That leaves only Exiles and The Lost Man as possible stories to bring to the small screen after The Survivors. Since Exiles is the third book after The Dry and Force of Nature, it’s unlikely to get a Netflix show. Fingers crossed, The Survivors gets enough attention that they make The Lost Man.