(Credits: Sony Pictures Releasing)

The season of cosy rom-coms has officially worn off, or at least, it appears to be so by the looks of the Netflix charts, as action movies take an unexpected leap upwards, including a Chris Pratt-Denzel Washington starrer, The Magnificent Seven.

Even though Valentine’s Day is just weeks away, The Rip’s after-effects have clearly caught Netflix subscribers under the spell of high-octane, action thrillers, which is evident from the surprise debut of The Magnificent Seven on the most popular movies chart.

In the week from January 19th to January 25th, The Magnificent Seven amassed 6.5million views, becoming the top ten title in 35 countries. While this isn’t the first time Hollywood movies have found a second life on streaming, its streaming popularity only proves that the hype surrounding the Western action movie lives on even a decade later.

Directed by Antoine Fuqua, The Magnificent Seven serves as a remake of the 1960 film, which is a remake of Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai. In addition to Washington, the movie is star-packed with celebrities like Chris Pratt, Ethan Hawke, Vincent D’Onofrio, and Peter Sarsgaard, among others.

Set in the 1880s, The Magnificent Seven opens with the ruthless seizure of the frontier town of Rose Creek by gold-mining tycoon and robber baron Bartholomew Bogue, resulting in residents being reduced to cheap labour. After being severely condemned by the townsfolk, Bogue’s reaction comes with violent consequences, including the torching of their church and the public murder of a farmer, Matthew Cullen.

Left with no option, Matthew’s widow, accompanied by her friend, turns to bounty-hunter Sam Chrisholm to help liberate their town, who, in turn, brings forth six eccentric others to assist him in the cause. The Magnificent Seven follows the seven gunslingers’ quest for the residents’ liberation as their fight for money evolves into a revolution with purpose.

Although The Magnificent Seven is not available in the US library, the Western movie was recently added to Netflix libraries across Latin America, the Caribbean, and Europe, propelling its rise on the global charts. In part, its sudden resurgence can also be credited to the sudden popularity of the action genre on Netflix.

But then again, one shouldn’t underestimate the continued appeal of the Western genre, fueled by modern gritty offerings on Netflix, featuring both borrowed and original content, such as Wind River and The Abandons in recent times.

So, in case you’re a fan of the genre, you shouldn’t skip out on The Magnificent Seven, which is currently streaming and trending on Netflix.