This new Netflix thriller series just shot to the top of the US and UK's most-watched lists

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Sometimes the biggest streaming hits come out of the blue, and that’s definitely been the case with Pieces of Her. This thriller series is the latest Netflix Original to rocket up to the top of the streamer's most-viewed rankings. 

The series was released last week without any significant fanfare, but has quickly found itself at the summit of the most-watched list in both the U.S. and U.K. The show has also enjoyed a strong reaction on social media, with viewing sharing theories, as well as plenty of memes, as they binge the show’s eight episodes. 

Pieces of Her follows a young girl named Andy who discovers her mother has a dark past in the wake of a deadly event. Soon, figures from her mother's life make an unwelcome reappearance and force Andy to go on the run. Along the way she must also try to piece together exactly who her seemingly ordinary mom actually is. Pretty intriguing stuff, right? 

The show stars Bella Heathcote as Andy, but the real scene stealer is Toni Collette as Andy’s mother, Laura. Colette is an acting powerhouse, having previously won a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe, and having been nominated for an Oscar for The Sixth Sense. She’s also no stranger to popular Netflix drama series, after starring in 2018’s Unbelievable. 

Pieces of Her is based on a novel of the same name written by Karin Slaughter and released in 2018. The book was also a hit, going on to become a New York Times bestseller. And while Netflix’s adaptation isn't the most faithful retelling, Slaughter told The Washington Post, “I love everything about it” and that she couldn’t be happier with the changes.

Curiously, Pieces of Her does leave a few plot threads hanging, which could indicate that a season 2 is a possibility in the future. Based on the show’s instant popularity with subscribers, we certainly wouldn’t be shocked to see Netflix fast-track more episodes in the near future. 

Pieces of Her is kicking off a strong month for Netflix. This week will see the launch of blockbuster movie The Adam Project starring Ryan Reynolds, and the latest season of Formula 1: Drive to Survive will hit the streaming platform the same day. Then, on March 25, Bridgerton season 2 finally arrives and is sure to be a massive hit with subscribers. 

Even with all this new content hitting the streaming service in March, one of our editors is advising that this is the month to cancel Netflix (and other services too). Although, perhaps you should quickly binge Pieces of Her before you do so.

If you're looking for something good to watch today, check out our Apple event live blog for all the big product news. In other TV news, Fox just canceled this drama series that had 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. And Star Trek: The Next Generation is being beamed up and away from Netflix this April

Rory Mellon
Entertainment Editor (UK)

Rory is an Entertainment Editor at Tom’s Guide based in the UK. He covers a wide range of topics but with a particular focus on gaming and streaming. When he’s not reviewing the latest games, searching for hidden gems on Netflix, or writing hot takes on new gaming hardware, TV shows and movies, he can be found attending music festivals and getting far too emotionally invested in his favorite football team.