(Credit: Netflix)

If the most popular movies chart on Netflix could speak, it certainly would. But even without words, it has given viewers an idea of its current mood board, which is in a complete state of thrills, thanks to the Josh Hartnett starrer, Trap.

In the week from January 26th to February 1st, Trap, the 2024 thriller, shot up the ranks on the most popular movies chart with 5.4million views. Although the movie is ranked fifth globally, it remains the number one title in 17 countries, including Argentina, Brazil, Canada, the Dominican Republic, and Ecuador, among others.

Trap originally experienced a decent theatrical run, grossing $83.6million against a reported budget of $30million. But even though the film has been available on other streaming services, its arrival on Netflix exposed it to a much larger audience. While this isn’t the first time movies have found a second life on streaming, Trap’s resurgence underscores that the trend is still going strong.

Directed by M. Night Shyamalan, Trap stars Hartnett as Cooper Abbott, a loving father who leads a double life as a serial killer known as the Butcher. One night, Cooper finds himself with his daughter at a pop concert for Lady Raven, only to discover that the arena is actually a trap set by the FBI to catch him.

FBI profiler Dr Josephine Grant orchestrated the entire scheme after discovering the Butcher would be in attendance. Trap follows the intense cat-and-mouse chase between Cooper and the law enforcement as the former enforces guile, manipulation, and exploitation to try and slip past the 3,000 police officers swarming the entire stadium.

Although Trap primarily unfolds inside the venue itself, what sets the pulse-pounding thriller apart from most titles of the genre is how it automatically guides viewers to choose a side. Contrary to those crime thrillers, where the audience roots for the cops, this Hartnett-starrer forces spectators to side with Cooper, focusing on the suspense of his predicament rather than the victims.

What’s more interesting is that Trap also has real-life inspirations. According to multiple tabloids, the film is based on the real-life 1985 sting operation known as Operation Flagship, in which the US government lured 101 wanted fugitives to an NFL game by sending fake invitations for free tickets. The arena was flooded with officers disguised as event staff, and Shyamalan was drawn into the idea.

While the resurgence is absolutely catalysed by the perfect storm of streaming availability, algorithmic serendipity, and the newfound frenzy surrounding intense thrillers, considering that Trap is relatively a recent release, new audience discovery must have also played into the role.

So, if you like your thrillers with a jaw-dropping twist, don’t forget to tune into Trap on Netflix.