New Thriller Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Show, Surpassing Even ‘Stranger Things’
Netflix has started 2026 with another hit from Harlan Coben. His new thriller series Run Away arrived on the platform on January 1 and quickly grabbed viewers’ attention. According to FlixPatrol the show has already climbed to the top spot in the United States, even passing Stranger Things. Worldwide, it is currently ranked number two.
Run Away is led by James Nesbitt, who plays Simon, a man whose life looks perfect from the outside. He has a good job, a happy marriage, and children he loves. That life falls apart when his teenage daughter Paige disappears. Ellie de Lange plays Paige, whose sudden exit sends her father into panic and fear.
Harlan Coben spoke about the heart of the story in an interview with Tudum. “Run Away is about family — about what we will do to keep our family intact, what secrets we keep within our family, and what secrets we keep as a family,” he said.
He also explained that the show looks at what really happens behind closed doors in everyday homes. “Every time you walk past the house, there’s a whole universe that goes on behind that door and none of us have a clue what it is.”
The series is based on Coben’s 2019 novel of the same name and runs for eight episodes. As the story unfolds, Simon believes he has a chance to save his daughter. But his search pulls him into a dark and violent world. The closer he gets to the truth, the more dangerous things become for his family. Coben warned that these discoveries threaten to completely destroy what Simon is trying to protect.
One missing daughter. One dead boyfriend… and a PI with all the questions 👀
— Netflix UK & Ireland (@NetflixUK) January 1, 2026
Harlan Coben's RUN AWAY, starring James Nesbitt, Minnie Driver and Ruth Jones, is now playing on Netflix pic.twitter.com/Jzk8RHl4bM
When Simon finally finds Paige, she is not the same girl who left home. She is vulnerable and struggling, and the meeting leads to a shocking event that changes everything again. Simon then has to keep searching, even as secrets from his own family start to surface.
Coben said he took a long time to cast the role of Paige and was impressed by Ellie de Lange. “Ellie really captured both the strength and the frailty of this character of Paige — what she’s going through and the secrets that she’s keeping,” he told Tudum. He added that the role demanded a lot emotionally.
The creator also praised James Nesbitt and said he knew right away that he was the right choice. “Jimmy just has so much range. He’s so natural and authentic at all times,” Coben said. “He’s an empathetic actor in the sense that he feels, and then you feel for him.” The cast also includes Ruth Jones, Minnie Driver, Alfred Enoch, and Lucian Msamati.
Early reactions to the show have been mixed but strong enough to keep it near the top of Netflix charts. It currently holds an average critic score of 80 percent and an audience score of 44 percent.
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