Google's Year in Search reveals Bong Joon-Ho's Oscar-winning Parasite and Netflix's Tiger King are the most searched movie and TV show of 2020. The South Korean thriller, which features a clash of the classes that takes place over the course of a weekend, was a surprise winner of the Best Picture gong at the 2020 Oscars ceremony. The movie also took home another three awards for Best Director, Best Original Screenplay and Best International Feature Film. The movie was undoubtedly a sensation in 2020, despite being released in 2019.
Another sensation was Tiger King, Netflix's docuseries which followed the intrigue and drama surrounding a group of eccentric exotic animal traders. The show happened to be released just as much of the world was put in a coronavirus-enforced lockdown, and it became a global sensation overnight. Such was the show's impact, there are currently multiple movies and TV shows being made about the characters, as well as an unscripted show targeting animal abusers that will feature Carole Baskin. Both Parasite and Tiger King dominated entertainment headlines in 2020, especially in the first half of the year, and it's no surprise they were popular on Google too.
In Google's annual Year in Search listing, traditionally released in December, Parasite has been revealed as the most searched movie, while Tiger King was the most searched TV show. Parasite beat out 1917 to the top of the movie list, with Black Panther coming in third. Erotic thriller 365 Days was fourth and Contagion was fifth. On the TV show list, Tiger King beat out Big Brother Brasil for the number one spot, while Money Heist, Cobra Kai and The Umbrella Academy were third, fourth and fifth most searched respectively.
The trends reveal that 2020, movie-wise, was dominated by Oscar contenders, with Sam Mendes' war film considered the favorite to win Best Picture ahead of the February ceremony. The presence of Black Panther on the list two years after its release can be attributed to the passing of Chadwick Boseman. The late actor was also near the top of Google's most searched people we've lost in 2020. The movie 365 Days is an interesting one, as it seems to be on the top of the list due to it being one of Netflix's most explicit movies, while Contagion made the list due to its similarities to the current coronavirus pandemic. In fact, none of the top 5 movies searched for in 2020 were even released this year.
On the TV side, it's no surprise that Netflix dominates, taking four of the top five positions. Cobra Kai might have been made for YouTube, but its popularity shot up after being acquired by Netflix. The odd one out, Big Brother Brasil, is likely on the list due to a fascinating video released by the show, where contestants were informed about coronavirus months after entering the house. But the year really belonged to Parasite and Tiger King, with both the movie and TV show dominating search trends for 2020.
Source: Google