Ben Affleck’s crime thriller Animals has officially relinquished its spot atop the Netflix streaming charts. It is dethroned by an unexpected survival film based on true events.
After releasing in October 2026, Animals rapidly claimed the No. 1 global spot on Netflix. However, according to viewership data from FlixPatrol, the film has now been pushed to the second position by Surviving Hurricane Otis, a Mexican drama depicting sailors caught in the path of a catastrophic Category 5 storm in Acapulco.
Meanwhile, Affleck’s directorial feature currently holds a 30% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The official synopsis for Animals reads, “When their son is kidnapped, a Los Angeles mayoral candidate and his wife find themselves drawn into a web of deception. As they scramble to raise the ransom payment, they’re forced to make choices that could tear their world apart.”
The true story behind Netflix’s new No. 1 survival movie is just as gripping
Surviving Hurricane Otis, originally titled Contra el Huracán in Spanish, revolves around Wirpul and Candi, who are half-brothers. The two are trapped on a yacht in Acapulco’s bay as a deadly storm hits. The story of the film is inspired by a true incident.
The synopsis of Surviving Hurricane Otis, per IMDb, reads, “In the middle of the sea, Wirpul and his half-brother Candi fight for survival when an unexpected storm turns into Hurricane Otis, a Category 5 hurricane, off the coast of Acapulco.”
The screenplay draws directly from real-life accounts of survivors Marlon Valdez and Jonathan Chico, whose experiences were documented by journalist Beatriz Guillén for El País. Hurricane Otis struck the Pacific coast of Mexico on October 25, 2023, leaving 68 dead and 32 missing, according to Netflix Tudum.
Directed by Jorge Michel Grau, Surviving Hurricane Otis stars Benny Emmanuel, Kristyan Ferrer, Mónica del Carmen, Mónica Jiménez, Andrew Leland Rogers, and Octavio Michel Grau.
Originally reported on ComingSoon.
