Netflix's new shark-themed thriller film Thrash has rapidly climbed the viewing charts in the first 48 hours since its release. Directed by Norwegian filmmaker Tommy Wirkola, the film centers on a young woman who faces a massive shark brought by a Category 5 thief during a home confinement. Starring Phoebe Dynevor from Bridgerton, along with Whitney Peak, Djimon Hounsou, and young star Aylya Browne from Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, the film presents a blend of tension and natural disaster within a home setting.

Wirkola is an experienced filmmaker who has previously directed successful films like Violent Night and Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters. Violent Night, featuring David Harbour in the lead role, grossed $76 million as a Christmas-themed action film. Currently, Thrash holds a 38% rating on user-reviewed Rotten Tomatoes. However, despite the critic scores, according to FlixPatrol data, the film has topped Netflix's most-watched films list in both the US and worldwide.

This success signals a situation similar to the unexpected triumph of Netflix's Under Paris about two years ago. Under Paris also performed well in the creature feature genre and is in the development stage for a sequel. While audiences await Under Paris 2, they are gravitating towards similar content like Thrash. Both films have been directed by European filmmakers and have been embraced by a wide audience.

On the day of Thrash's release, Netflix also introduced another creature feature film called Tu Yaa Main, produced in Turkey and India, on its platform. Tu Yaa Main tells the story of a couple trapped in an empty swimming pool trying to escape from a man-eating crocodile. During the same period, the Crawl film, made by a European director, also made a comeback in Netflix's national viewing charts. These developments indicate a very high interest in creature feature and nature-themed thriller films.