(Credits: Warner Bros. Pictures)

Adam Sandler is one of those actors who has given us decades of rom-coms that feel like comfort food. While most of them are hilarious and heartfelt, sometimes they are so cringey they come full circle to being iconic. And now one of his later gems, Blended, is back in the conversation.

This film is sitting at number ten on Netflix Global, which means people all over the world are streaming it like it’s brand new. So if you missed it when it first came out in 2014, here is the gist: Adam Sandler plays Jim, a single dad, and Drew Barrymore plays Lauren, a single mom. Their blind date is a disaster (like, you’d block each other before dessert), but thanks to movie magic, they both end up on the same family trip to Africa.

Of course, there were chaotic blended-family shenanigans, but with a side of slow-burn romance. It is peak Sandler, mixing goofy humour with just enough sweetness to make you root for him.

And let’s not forget the Drew Barrymore factor. She and Sandler are rom-com royalty together. 50 First Dates, released in the mid-2000s is still one of the most beloved romantic comedies ever, beloved for its warmth, comfort and general sweetness. It is the kind of movie that gets quoted and rewatched with sincere affection. So when Blended reunited Sandler and Barrymore a decade later, fans knew what they were signing up for.

The film itself is classic mid-2010s Sandler. The humour can be over the top, with a setting that is almost too pretty. And how can you forget the side characters who feel like they wandered in from a sketch comedy? But underneath all that, Blended does what every comedy should have as its primary aim, and that is to make its audience laugh. What’s more, it makes you root for two imperfect people trying to make something work, and it sneaks in a couple of genuinely sweet moments that stick.

Now, let’s be honest: critics weren’t exactly raving when Blended hit theatres. It did not get the glowing reviews that 50 First Dates still enjoys, and some people wrote it off as just another goofy Adam Sandler flick. But then a decade later you have Netflix and its wild power to revive movies. Suddenly, a film that felt “meh” in cinemas finds its second life on streaming. People discover it for the first time, or they put it on for nostalgia, and it’s back in the charts.

So why is Blended trending right now? A few guesses. First, rom-coms are having a massive moment again. Sandler’s Happy Gilmore 2 was released a while ago, and it has reminded audiences what a man with your average t-shirt and baggy cargo shorts is capable of. Also, people want easy comfort watches, and Sandler-Barrymore is a pairing you can always trust to deliver that. Another reason could be that the global audiences on Netflix often give movies a bigger push than the US box office ever did.

Whatever the reason, Blended being back in the spotlight proves one thing: Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore will always be rom-com magic, even if it takes Netflix to remind us.