Harlan Coben’s brand-new 2025 Netflix thriller has found itself at the top of the streaming platform’s global charts. The American author is one of the most successful mystery-thriller writers in the world, having written more than 30 novels that have collectively sold more than 60 million copies worldwide. 12 of Coben’s novels have been adapted for the screen, includingThe Five, which aired on Sky 1 in the UK, and theone-season hitShelter, which aired on Prime Video. Coben’s stories are known for their mix of interpersonal drama with thriller elements.
Back in 2018,Coben signed a multi-million-dollar, five-year deal with Netflix, under which 14 of his novels would be adapted for the streaming platform across different territories and languages. His debut Netflix show was Michael C. Hall’s mystery thrillerSafein May 2018. The psychological thriller series featured the story of a widower father whose daughter goes missing, leading him to discover dark truths. There have been several more successes as well, includingStay Close,The Stranger, and2024’s global smash-hitFool Me Once. However, the success of these shows could be eclipsed by the most recent Coben adaptation.
Missing You Hits The Summit Of The Global Netflix Charts
The Mystery Thriller Has Viewers On The Edge Of Their Seats
Written by Victoria Asare-Archer and directed by Nimer Rashed and Isher Sahota,Missing Youwas released globally on Netflix on January 1. The show follows Detective Kat Donovan, played by Rosalind Eleazar, who sets out to find her missing fiancé after matching with him on a dating app more than a decade after his disappearance.Coben serves as an executive producer on the showalongside British director Danny Brocklehurst, who has worked on five Coben adaptations. In addition to Eleazar,Missing Youfeatures a leading cast including Ashley Walters, Mary Malone, Jessica Plummer, Richard Armitage, and Catherine Ayers.
Missing You contains many of the classic Coben hallmarks: an unresolved mystery, misinterpreted events, grisly murders, and a multitude of plot twists.
According toNetflix’s TUDUM,Missing Youis ranked #1 on the Global Top 10 Shows listfor the week of December 30 - January 5, with 21.7 million views and 81.7 million hours viewed. It beat out other titles includingVirgin Riverseason 6 at #2;Black Dovesat #3;Departureseason 1 at #4;The Madnessat #5;Your Friend, Nate Bargatzeat #6;No Good Deedat #7;Torching 2024at #8;The Night Agentseason 1 at #9; andDepartureseason 2 at #10. How long the show can remain in pole position is unclear at this point, but it has certainly enjoyed a strong debut week on Netflix. It ranked within the Top 10 for 89 countries, landing at #1 in two (the UK and Ireland).
The Series Is Not Getting Good Reviews
In some ways,Missing You’s success is not surprising, as it comes at a time when the thriller genre has been extremely popular. Though the latest Coben series was the top English-language show on Netflix,Squid Gamestill had over double its views in the non-English-language content ranking. The K-drama’s second season brought in 58.2 million views over that timespan, with its first season bringing in 13.6 million.Black Dovesis also a series with thriller and mystery elements, showing that this is something audiences are hungry for at this time. Thisgenre preference is likely helpingMissing Yousucceed.
On the other hand, its success is surprising if one looks at reviews. The series is considered Rotten by both critics and audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. Its Tomatometer is a mixed bag, witha 52% score among 21 critics.Critics threw digs at the series for being predictable and sloppily woven together, lacking the tightness that a proper mystery series should have. Audiences seemed to respond to the show even more negatively, giving it a mere 28% approval rating.
Given these low approval ratings, it’s impressive thatMissing Youis still doing so well in ratings terms. However, the real test will be in the coming weeks, as it would be surprising to see the show sustain this level of engagement if it’s really as poorly received as the RT scores would indicate.
Our Take On Missing You’s Netflix Future
The Central Mystery Could Hook Viewers For Long-Term Success
Missing You’s Netflix success, in spite of its lackluster reviews, is a testament to the allure of Coben’s name. As a bestselling author, his shows have a built-in audience, attracting those who have read the books and are looking to see how they were adapted. When this interested group is tacked onto the average Netflix viewer who might be interested in the mystery/thriller genre in the first place, these series have the potential to bring in hoards of views. If even the poorly received adaptations hit, Netflix will surely look to keep making Coben projects, potentially beyond the existing contract.
Missing Youcontains many of the classic Coben hallmarks: an unresolved mystery, misinterpreted events, grisly murders, and a multitude of plot twists. This has no doubt helped it attract viewer attention andwill sustain its audience in the coming weeks. The central mystery is interesting, the side stories are strong, and the show is buoyed by a strong lead and likable supporting characters. Starting the New Year off with a compelling mystery is appealing to a lot of viewers. However, whetherMissing Youwill rank better than the previouseight Netflix Coben TV adaptationsremains to be seen.
Missing You
Cast
Missing You is a crime-drama television series based on the novel written by Harlan Coben. Detective Kat Donovan’s life is thrown into chaos when her fiance, who disappeared eleven years ago, suddenly appears on a dating app. With his reappearance, old wounds are reopened, including the mystery of her father, who was murdered.
