Could 'The Silent Sea' Be Netflix's Next Big Foreign Hit?

Since the release of “Squid Game” and the subsequent pop culture phenomenon that came along with it, Netflix Inc NFLX subscribers and investors have been hoping to see more South Korean hits that could generate the same buzz on the platform. Could this be the next one?

What Happened: Released on Dec. 24, 2021, “The Silent Sea” is a South Korean series on Netflix. The show has been a steady performer on the top 10 lists for the streaming giant and recently earned critical praise.

The eight-episode series, adapted from a 2014 short film, centers on a 24-hour mission on the moon gathering samples from an abandoned research facility. Netflix confirmed a second season is in the works.

"The Silent Sea" ranked as the third top non-English series for the week of Dec. 20 to Dec. 26, 2021 with 22.2 million hours viewed, according to Netflix.

In the second week and first full week on Netflix, the series had 47.8 million hours watched ranking first for non-English series.

The week of Jan. 3 to Jan. 9 saw the series rank fifth with 19.7 million hours viewed.

Related Link: Here Are The Top 10 Most Watched Netflix Series Of All-Time

Why It’s Important: The series has performed well in several territories, ranking in the top 10 in 77 countries during its first full week on the platform, including a number one ranking in several countries. The series remains in the top 10 in 18 countries in its third week.

“The Silent Sea” recieved the seal of approval from Rotten Tomatoes with a 100% rating from critics. The series also has a 71% audience score. On IMDB, “The Silent Sea” has a 6.9 rating out of 10.0.

Netflix has increased its output of original and partnered content from international territories including South Korea.

“Squid Game” became the most popular series on Netflix with over 142 million households that watched the series through the third quarter of the fiscal year. The show has been estimated to have provided $900 million in value to Netflix.

NFLX Price Action: Shares closed Friday at $525.69.