After a 3-Year Wait, Netflix’s Hit Mystery Thriller Series Is the Most-Watched Show on Streaming

Mystery thrillers have been dominating streaming, and Netflix has released some of the biggest hits of the year. From His & Hers to Jo Nesbo’s Detective Hole and The Chestnut Man, Netflix TV shows have been dominating the genre. Now, one of Netflix’s best mystery thrillers is back as an instant streaming hit.

Per FlixPatrol, Lupin is currently the No. 1 most-watched show on Netflix worldwide. The series holds a place within the Top 10 shows in countries like Argentina, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Finland, Iceland, Mexico, and more, and is the No. 1 most-watched show in countries like Austria, Belgium, France, Italy, Portugal, and Romania.

Lupin Returned with Part 4 After a 3-Year Wait

Lupin is a French-language mystery thriller created by George Kay and François Uzan. The series premiered on Netflix on January 8, 2021, and stars Omar Sy as Assane Diop. The title references Arsène Lupin, a classic fictional character created by French writer Maurice Leblanc, who appeared in many short stories and is often known as the “criminal version of Sherlock Holmes.”

In Lupin, Assane is the son of Babakar, a Senegalese immigrant who was framed for a crime he didn’t commit by a powerful criminal family. Assane becomes a criminal himself to get revenge on the people who framed Babakar. He becomes a gentleman thief, inspired by the stories of Arsène Lupin that his father gifted him on his birthday.

Alongside Omar Sy, Lupin stars Ludivine Sagnier as Claire Laurent, Antoine Gouy as Benjamin Férel, Soufiane Guerrab as Youssef Guédira, Shirine Boutella as Sofia Belkacem, Clotilde Hesme as Juliette Pellegrini, Nicole Garcia as Anne Pellegrini, Hervé Pierre as Hubert Pellegrini, with Etan Simon (parts 1–3) and Théo Christine (part 4) as Raoul Diop.

Lupin Received Positive Reviews from Critics

Lupin debuted in 2021, with Part 1 released in January 2021 and Part 2 in June 2021. Lupin Part 3 was released on Netflix on October 5, 2023, and now, 3 years later, all episodes of Part 4 have finally premiered on Netflix on October 23, 2026. And since its debut, Lupin has been a hit with critics.

On Rotten Tomatoes, the Netflix mystery thriller holds an overall 98% Tomatometer score based on critics’ reviews, and a 79% Popcornmeter score based on audience reviews. Part 1 and Part 2 are Certified Fresh, with 98% and 96% Tomatometer scores, respectively, while Part 3 and Part 4 each currently hold a perfect 100% Tomatometer score.

Lupin is currently one of the best heist shows on streaming. About Part 4, Micha Frazer-Carroll from Guardian wrote, “Sy, whose performance is magnetic as always, has graduated to co-showrunner and wants to lean harder into the show’s “superhero”-like qualities. These include tech and set pieces which undoubtedly add a sprinkling of Marvel.”

Netflix is leading the mystery and thriller genre on streaming with many instant hits, and Lupin is the platform’s latest success. The 4-part French mystery thriller and heist show is a must-watch for fans of the genre, and even for Sherlock Holmes fans curious to see a criminal counterpart to the iconic fictional detective.

Lupin is available to stream worldwide on Netflix.

Release Date

January 8, 2021

Network

Netflix

Showrunner

George Kay, Omar Sy, Louis Leterrier

Directors

Daniel Grou, Hugo Gélin, Louis Leterrier, Ludovic Bernard, Xavier Gens, Marcela Said

Writers

George Kay, François Uzan, Adam Usden, Steve Bailie, Eliane Montane, Camille Couasse, Soiliho Bodin, Nicolas Clément, Sumerah Srivastav