There are weeks when the Top 10 works almost like an X-ray of the collective mood — and January 17, 2026, is especially revealing. What emerges is not a single phenomenon, but a set of parallel movements: emotional nostalgia, a craving for narrative comfort, curiosity about behind-the-scenes processes, and the definitive consolidation of streaming platforms as ecosystems with clearly defined identities.

On Netflix, the dominance of People We Meet on Vacation at the top of the movies chart comes as no surprise. The platform has become particularly skilled at turning contemporary romance novels into global events, and this title hits a potent combination: a love story built around memory, “what ifs,” and the way time slips between encounters. It’s exactly the kind of emotional refuge January audiences gravitate toward — and the numbers reflect that decisively. Right behind it, the second-place ranking of One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5 speaks volumes about the current pop-culture moment: audiences don’t just want the end of Stranger Things; they want to understand how it was made. Behind-the-scenes content has become narrative, and farewell has become programming.

That same logic helps explain the continued strength of Me Before You, as well as heavily revisited animations like How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World and Madagascar. January isn’t about risk; it’s about recognition. The catalog becomes comfort.

On the Netflix TV side, the leadership of HIS & HERS points to another enduring trend: adult thrillers with a classical rhythm remain the backbone of weekly viewing. But the most telling data sits just below it. Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials holding strong in second place confirms that period mystery — when well packaged — crosses generations with ease. And the persistent presence of Stranger Things in the Top 5, even without new episodes, reinforces the idea that the series now operates on a different plane: it’s no longer just content, it’s a habit.

Apple TV+, meanwhile, is having an almost textbook week in terms of editorial positioning. Hijack leading by a wide margin shows how the platform has managed to turn a high-tension thriller into a recurring audience magnet. The second-place strength of Tehran, alongside the sustained performance of Severance, Ted Lasso, and Slow Horses, draws a clear picture: Apple is betting on series that build loyalty, not fleeting spikes. These are shows audiences follow, recommend, and revisit.

In films, Apple’s chart reads almost like a manifesto. F1 leads with massive numbers, followed by high-budget originals such as The Gorge and The Family Plan 2. It’s confirmation that Apple is no longer testing the waters — it’s competing directly in the blockbuster imagination, with the advantage of a closed ecosystem where films don’t vanish after opening weekend.

HBO Max continues to follow a different, but equally coherent logic. The Pitt topping the TV chart and One Battle After Another leading the movies indicate an audience willing to engage with denser, less escapist narratives. The presence of Euphoria, Industry, and Primal reinforces the brand’s identity: stories that demand involvement, not passive consumption.

On Disney+, the movement is almost didactic. TRON: Ares leads the films, while Avatar: The Way of Water and the Fire and Ash Special Look hold prominent positions. It’s franchise feeding franchise, curiosity sustaining engagement, and an audience accustomed to consuming “universes” rather than standalone titles. On the TV side, Percy Jackson and the Olympians remains on top, confirming that Disney has found a solid generational bridge there.

Prime Video and Paramount+ reinforce a trend that’s been building for months: the power of familiarity. Fallout and The Night Manager on Prime, as well as Landman, Tulsa King, and Yellowstone on Paramount+, all demonstrate that recognizable characters and established brands remain powerful assets in an oversaturated market.

The final picture painted by this global Top 10 is not one of fragmentation, but rather coexistence. Audiences move fluidly between comfort and curiosity, between revisiting familiar worlds and peeking behind the curtain of how those worlds are made. Streaming, in January 2026, is less about chasing the next big thing — and more about reaffirming emotional contracts that are already in place.