Netflix’s first must-binge thriller of 2025 has arrived – and it’s already made the top 10

On January 3, 2025By Littum

Netflix kicks off 2025 continuing what has become an (almost) annual tradition. In 2021 and 2024, the streaming service began the new year with the premiere of a mystery thriller show based on a Harlan Coben novel, and the latest collaboration with the best-selling crime writer has just landed on the platform in the form of “Missing You”.

Adapted from the 2014 Coben novel of the same name, “Missing You” follows a police detective, Kat Donovan (Rosalind Eleazar), who discovers her ex-fiance on a dating app. It would be awkward enough for most, but the wrinkle is that Kat’s fiancé disappeared more than a decade ago without a trace. This five-part series hit Netflix earlier this week (on January 1st), and it’s proven to be popular right out of the gate. At the time of writing, it has risen directly to no. 2 spot on the service’s top 10 most watched list, ranked only behind the big “Squid Game” season 2.

If you’re looking for a twisted mystery thriller that you can polish off in a few days (or over a single weekend), then “Missing You” is one of the strongest offerings of 2025 (of course it is very early days still). And while it certainly doesn’t break the mold, it’s another bingeable episode in the Netflix Coben canon.

What is ‘Missing you’ about?

MISSING YOU | Official Trailer | Netflix – YouTube

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“Missing You” is a classic Coben thriller with shocking twists around every corner. Shifting the action from the novel’s New York setting to Britain, the show follows Kat Donovan (Rosalind Eleazar), a police detective who explores the modern dating world after closing herself off from love years ago.

Encouraged by her private detective sister to install a dating app, Kat’s world comes crashing down when she stumbles across a profile featuring new photos of her ex-fiancé, Josh (Ashley Walters). This discovery is more than just a little bit awkward because Josh disappeared 11 years ago and Kat hasn’t seen or heard from him since.

Josh’s return draws Kat into a world of mystery tied to her father’s death, and in classic Coben fashion, a whole lot of dark secrets from the past also come to light.

“Missing You” also stars Jessica Plummer, Lenny Henry, Steve Pemberton, Marc Warren, Samantha Spiro and Richard Armitage. The latter is a true Coben veteran who has also appeared in Netflix’s adaptations of “Fool Me Once,” “Stay Close” and “The Stranger.”

Netflix’s ‘Missing You’ is seriously bingeable TV

(L-R) Ashley Walters as Josh Buchanan and Rosalind Eleazar as Detective Inspector Kat Donovan in

(Image credit: Vishal Sharma/Netflix)

If you’ve ever watched a Netflix show based on a Coben novel, you’ll know they’re some of the easiest binge-watches on the service. Each episode typically ends with a dramatic twist or cliffhanger and will have you eagerly hitting the “play next episode” button before the credits have even started rolling, and “Missing You” is no exception to the rule.

It’s certainly not the strongest effort in the stable – the show is relatively underwhelming Rotten tomatoes score is proof of that—but if you’re looking for a Netflix series that serves as easy-to-consume junk food to usher in 2025, you can’t go wrong. Rosalind Eleazar is strong in the lead role and each new revelation is exciting enough to keep you hooked until the last episode. However, you will have to tolerate a few holes in the logic along the way.

One of “Missing You’s” greatest strengths is that it runs five episodes in length. This makes for a very breezy binge watch, as you can consume the majority of its 45-minute chapters in a single evening, but it also leads to some effective storytelling. “Miss You” wastes no time getting straight to the point. Kat discovers Josh’s online dating profile within the first 10 minutes of the first episode. There is no overly long introduction here.

Richard Armitage as Detective Chief Inspector Ellis Stagger in

(Image credit: Vishal Sharma/Netflix)

Having watched the first half of the series myself in less than 24 hours, I can confirm that “Missing You” probably won’t make any “Best of 2025” lists, but it’s engaging enough that I’m eager to see the thriller through to its conclusion. After a busy holiday season, this is exactly the kind of no-frills television I’ve been craving.

If you’re looking for something to binge on, “Missing You” is now streaming on Netflix, but if you’re not sure this latest Harlan Coben adaptation is for you, check out our list of all the new movies and TV shows , which has been added to Netflix this month. You will definitely find something for you.

Current “Missing You” on Netflix now