At the end of a grueling six-day competition, two winners emerged from the Netflix Popcorn Bowl in New York City’s Times Square with a world record on Tuesday after viewing 57 movies in 123 hours and 10 minutes.
Suresh Joachim and Claudia Wavra outlasted six other contestants to claim a Guinness World Record after sitting in a Plexiglas house decorated as a large living room in midtown Manhattan in the Netflix endurance challenge. The competition started, appropriately, with a screening of “Iron Man,” and concluded with “Thelma & Louise,” personally delivered to the location by the movie’s co-star, Susan Sarandon.
Joachim and Wavra are both veterans in the movie-watching game. It was the fourth record-breaking performance for Wavra. Joachim claims 33 Guinness World Records to his credit.
“I am happy to be achieving more of my goals by adding the Netflix Popcorn Bowl to my accomplishments,” Joachim said in a statement.
The previous world record was set at 66 hours during a similar Netflix event five years ago. The two winners far outdistanced other challengers as the remaining contestants after 72 hours.
The rules called for all entrants to watch each film without averting their eyes from the screen until the last credits rolled. They were permitted 10-minute breaks between flicks. Medical professionals were on hand, along with the judges for the competition, to monitor contestants’ vital signs and ensure their safety.
Renowned exercise guru Richard Simmons visited on the second day of the event to lead the group in calisthenics. The Netflix event drew plenty of attention, including some onlookers who watched the contestants for six hours, according to Netflix spokesperson Fenot Tekle.
“For us, it’s an opportunity to have some exposure with consumers. It’s a brand opportunity,” Tekle said. “We were in the center of Times Square for five days, so we had our share of onlookers.”
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