The Rise of Queen Bees: A Netflix Sensation

The Unpredictability of Netflix Success

Netflix viewers have latched on to a 'funny, relatable' comedy with a 'great cast', including James Cann and Ellen Burstyn. Sometimes, Netflix makes sense. Squid Game: The Challenge was always going to be a massive success, given its predecessor was a worldwide phenomenon. My Life with the Walter Boys is cat-nip for fans of Virgin River, another enormous TV series in the US. The Night Agent was pushed heavily via the streamer’s algorithm – and it became the most-watched show of 2023. On other occasions, seemingly random titles become the most popular movies of any given week. Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock’s The Proposal, by all accounts a hit back in 2009, has been climbing the chart this week – but the likes of The Single Moms Club and the Sniper franchise are a bit more confusing.

The Unexpected Spike of Queen Bees

Now, interest in another movie has spiked out of nowhere thanks to Netflix acquiring its license: Queen Bees. Queen Bees, a romantic comedy starring Ellen Burstyn and the late James Cann, has become a firm favorite of Netflix users across the US this week. The film, directed by Michael Lembeck, follows Burstyn’s Helen after she moves into the Pine Grove retirement home. 'While her house undergoes repairs, fiercely independent senior Helen temporarily moves into a nearby retirement community, where she encounters lusty widows, cutthroat bridge tournaments and a hotbed of bullying ‘mean girls’,' the official synopsis reads. It was quietly released in 2021, grossing just $2.3 million at the box office from a $5 million budget. Reviews weren’t all that kind, either, with its Rotten Tomatoes score sitting at 55% (that said, its audience score is a healthy 89%).

Audience Response and Impact of Netflix's Algorithm

'In my search for something lite and funny and relatable, I watch Queen Bees on Netflix. Great cast,' another tweeted. 'A sassy retiree shakes things up in a new world of gossip, card games, and unexpected friendships. Check out the hilarious drama and romance now on Netflix USA,' a third posted. Nevertheless, courtesy of Netflix’s algorithm, subscribers have been giving the movie a chance – and they’re loving it. 'I desperately needed to laugh and #QueenBees is doing the job. I’m crackin up,' one user wrote.