TV
Netflix’s latest Harlan Coben adaptation is a hit with subscribers, despite lackluster reviews.
Netflix’s new hit comes straight from the mind of Bestselling author Harlan Coben.
I will find you premiered on June 18 and quickly began to rise to the top of the most viewed streamers list. In the first four days after its release, it racked up an impressive 24 million views, making it Netflix’s biggest series debut of 2026.
‘I Will Find You’ joins Harlan Coben’s list of hit Netflix shows
The success of I will find you – starring Sam Worthington as a father serving a life sentence for murdering his son, who he learns may still be alive – isn’t much of a surprise. The eight-episode series is Netflix’s 13th partnership with Coben.
Coben’s twisted tales of crime and deception have proven to be catnip for Netflix viewers. In 2024, fool me once was one of the streamer’s most viewed shows, with 98 million views in the first three months after its release. Flee, which was released earlier this year, had 38 million views. Other Coben shows on Netflix include Sure, stay close, and gone forever.
I will find you (which also features Milo Ventimiglia and Rupture‘s Britt Lower) is Coben’s first adaptation for Netflix set in the US. The other shows were either UK productions or filmed in various European countries in the local language, including French, Spanish and Polish.
Why Harlan Coben’s thrillers are so popular with viewers
While Netflix’s Harlan Coben Collection is a hit with subscribers, critics have been less enthralled. I will find you it has a mediocre 62% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with reviews describing the show as “ridiculous”, “complicated”, and “ridiculous”.
Such complaints are not unusual about fast-paced thrillers based on Coben’s popular novels. (It’s sold more than 80 million books worldwide.) Their shows tend to start with an intriguing premise, often an unexplained disappearance, often involving a cast of characters living in an idyllic suburban community. Dark secrets will be exposed and there will be some jaw-dropping twists. The limited series format makes each one an easy binge. Viewers can easily binge-watch the entire show in a weekend, especially when the cliffhangers at the end of the episode encourage them to stay parked in front of the screen. While they may not be high art, each series is competently made and entertaining.
“Its constant output speaks to its popularity far more than its footprint, a trend tragically common in modern Hollywood, where being the viewer’s second screen is often the studio’s first priority,” he noted. IndieWire’s Ben Travers of Coben’s constant stream of adaptations.
In other words, Netflix subscribers should expect more Coben adaptations in the future. An English version of the forest is planned for 2027 (a Polish version premiered in 2020). Additionally, a show based on Coben’s Myron Bolitar novel series about a sports agent who solves crimes is also in the works.
For more news and exclusive interviews, follow Showbiz Cheat Sheet Instagram.
Leave a Reply