A new Mexican production has raced to the top of Netflix’s global rankings. The movie landed on the platform on July 17 and claimed the number one spot in several countries within 24 hours. By its second day, that number had more than doubled, with the title dominating charts in 67 nations, including the United States, Austria, Romania, Mexico, and France.
Netflix’s Desire is topping its streaming charts
As of July 19, 2026, Desire is at No. 1 in the Netflix Top 10 Movies in the United States, outperforming established names such as Death on the Nile, Shipwrecked: Nightmare at Sea, Heartstopper Forever, The Creator, and more. The speed of its ascent underscores Netflix’s growing reliance on international productions to capture a global audience, a strategy the company has pursued aggressively in recent years (via Flix Patrol).
The 97-minute erotic thriller originally opened in cinemas across Mexico on May 7 before being released on the streaming service as a Netflix Original. It wasted no time finding viewers drawn to the platform’s catalogue of steamy, twisted narratives.
The story is about Lucero, a successful lawyer played by Ludwika Paleta. She appears to have a perfect life: a wealthy household, a devoted husband named Fernando, and two children who project the image of an ideal family. Beneath that carefully maintained surface, however, a quiet dissatisfaction simmers.
When Fernando hires Matías, a young swimming coach portrayed by Óscar Casas, Lucero is drawn into a risky and consuming affair. What begins as an intense romance soon entangles secrecy, jealousy, and a dangerous emotional triangle that pulls mother and daughter into conflict, threatening to dismantle everything Lucero has built. The film is the directorial debut of Teresa Simone. José María Yazpik takes on the role of Fernando, rounding out the central cast.
Desire is currently streaming on Netflix.
