Netflix's Sleeper Hit Is This 28-Year-Old Mystery Clocking 81M Hours Watched

There were tons of fascinating projects that were binge-worthy last year on Netflix. Whether we were traveling back to Nevermore Academy in Wednesday or Hawkins, Indiana in Stranger Things, there was certainly no shortage of content to keep us glued to our screens. However, there's only one true crime docuseries that managed to make the Top 50 Most-Watched Television Shows for the streamer from July - December 2025, and it just so happens to cover one of the most disturbing cases of the last several decades.

What Is Netflix's 'Amy Bradley Is Missing' About?

When Amy Bradley Is Missing premiered on Netflix in July, viewers were easily captivated by the three-episode documentary detailing the events surrounding the strange real-life case. In 1998, 23-year-old Amy Bradley set sail on a Royal Caribbean cruise with her parents and her 23-year-old brother, Brad. At first, the vacation appeared to be a perfect one. Amy had just graduated from college and was starting out in the real world with her very own apartment. A cruise seemed like an ideal way to celebrate the beginning of her adult life.

However, the true mystery starts about halfway through the voyage when Amy disappears from the stateroom she was sharing with her family. That night, Amy and her brother had been drinking and dancing with other cruise passengers. They went back to their room and sat out on the balcony. They shared a nice, normal conversation, and then Brad went to bed. He left Amy out on the balcony, and about an hour later, Amy's father woke briefly and saw that Amy was still sitting out there. But when he woke back up again, Amy was gone.

Amy's shocking disappearance sets off a gripping and terrifying mystery. The questions started to mount up when everyone realized Amy was gone: was it possible that Amy took her own life and jumped into the ocean? Or could she have accidentally fallen over the railing? Investigators were skeptical about these possibilities because her body was never found. Investigators then began to lean towards the idea that perhaps someone had kidnapped Amy. They questioned passengers and crewmembers, but there wasn't much evidence to go off of, and each lead resulted in a dead end. It seemed as though Amy had simply vanished into thin air. Each episode of the docuseries examines the continued investigation and explores several theories about Amy's fate.

'Amy Bradley Is Missing' Has Captured the Attention of Millions of Netflix Viewers

Amy Bradley Is Missing is a compelling series in large part because of the interviews featured with those involved with Amy's case — from the guests who were on the cruise ship and law enforcement to Amy's friends and family. These interviews illustrate the devastation that has been left in the wake of Amy's disappearance, especially since her loved ones have no closure. Each aspect of Amy's case is more unnerving than the last, leading to eerie and often disturbing twists and turns. Because the story is told in just three hours, there are no filler episodes that sometimes leave other true-crime series feeling bloated or boring. Instead, Amy's life, told with pictures and videos, becomes a touching and heartwrenching narrative.

The series has already racked up more than 81 million hours watched, proving that Netflix viewers can't get enough of Amy's story. Interestingly, the series has proven to be incredibly valuable to Amy's loved ones. By drawing attention to a case that's already more than 28 years old, Amy Bradley Is Missing has since sparked increased interest in Amy's disappearance. This has produced significant leads that could be useful in eventually solving Amy's case.

Another side effect of the docuseries has been a renewed focus on educating travelers about the dangers of cruises. The series helps remind people that cruises operate in very different jurisdictions, and this is why crimes often go unreported and/or unsolved. The show has even inspired a Change.org petition that calls for an "Amy Alert" to be instituted that would immediately alert passengers if a person goes missing on a cruise ship. If you haven't seen the series yet, you might be more reticent about going on a cruise after watching it, but it's still guaranteed that you'll get lost in the recounting of Amy's tragic story.

Amy Bradley Is Missing is available to stream on Netflix in the U.S.