Mira Filzah stars as Nayla in ‘Aku Pilih Pelangi’ (far left), Nazim Othman as Razman in ‘Griya: Rahsia Seorang Lelaki’, and Beto Kusyairy as Yasser in ‘Good Boys Go To Heaven’. — Pictures courtesy of Astro, iQIYI and Viu Earn a fixed rate of up to 4.2%* p.a. for 210 days with Versa Save! Plus, enjoy an additional FREE RM10 when you sign up using code VERSAMM10 with a min. cash-in of RM100 today. T&Cs apply. By Ian Jeremiah Patrick Saturday, 20 Jun 2026 1:30 PM MYT KUALA LUMPUR, June 20 — Beyond the box office, Malaysian productions are carving out an increasingly strong presence on streaming platforms including Netflix, iQIYI and Viu.Series released in 2026 have broadened the scope of local storytelling, tackling themes including mental health, troubled marriages, grief and personal struggles.In the first half of the year, several local titles attracted significant viewership, reflecting growing audience appetite for Malaysian content on streaming platforms.Streaming breakoutsOne of the standout titles this year is Good Boys Go To Heaven, a psychological thriller released on May 8.Released simultaneously on Astro GO, Sooka and Netflix, it recorded more than 58 million video views and generated 9.5 million social media impressions across various platforms.It also spent six consecutive weeks in Netflix Malaysia’s Top 10 rankings, including two weeks at No. 1 in late May and early June, going head-to-head with international titles such as My Royal Nemesis and the animated series Devil May Cry.Created by Mira Mustaffa and directed by Ariff Zulkarnain, the series explores themes of grief, trauma and mystery.It follows Yasser, played by Beto Kusyairy, whose life unravels after his eight-year-old son goes missing.Meanwhile, Griya: Rahsia Seorang Lelaki, directed by Faisal Ishak and written by Rina Khan and Sherry, also gained traction with viewers.Released on iQIYI on May 9 and simultaneously on Netflix, it remained among the platform’s Top Five television shows for six consecutive weeks, even reaching No. 1 in June.The series also benefited from strong online engagement, with promotional clips and watch parties generating views ranging from thousands to more than a million across Instagram and TikTok.The series follows lawyer Sophia, played by Chacha Maembong, who teams up with Detective Liana (Scha Alyahya) to investigate Razman (Nazim Othman), a widower suspected of murdering his two former wives.Another local title, Aku Pilih Pelangi, starring Mira Filzah, Zahiril Adzim and Noki K-Clique, also performed strongly on Viu after debuting on April 16.The series climbed to No. 1 on the platform after just two episodes and remained on the charts for several weeks despite competition from Korean titles including Running Man (2026) and Phantom Lawyer.It generated approximately 39 million social media views and sparked discussions among viewers about themes of love, responsibility and family relationships.Written by Eenaz Mokhtar and directed by Riza Baharudin, the drama follows Nayla (Mira Filzah), a wife struggling to keep her marriage intact as her husband gradually loses his vision.The story also explores her emotional conflict after reconnecting with an old friend.Beyond the box officeIndustry figures said the performance of recent local series highlights the growing potential for Malaysian productions to attract audiences across streaming platforms.“The success of Griya demonstrates what can happen when strong local stories are supported by creative ambition and strategic investment,” said Dinesh Ratnam, Senior Managing Director of iQIYI South-east Asia.Raja Jastina Raja Arshad described Good Boys Go To Heaven as “a collective cultural experience and a turning point for the industry”.The momentum has also extended to cinemas, where locally produced films have continued to perform steadily at the box office.This year, Tarung: Unforgiven currently leads the local box office with RM23.4 million, followed by Libang Libu, which has earned about RM14.1 million.Malaikat Malam has grossed RM14 million, while Polong has taken in RM14.2 million. Khadam has collected RM2.6 million since its theatrical release on June 11.With more Malaysian originals in development for both streaming services and cinemas, industry players believe local productions are increasingly well-positioned to compete for audiences across multiple platforms.