(Credit: Netflix)

Since Netflix added The Maze Runner trilogy to its library earlier this month, viewers have found their perfect cinematic escape. But even though October is nearly over, the frenzy surrounding the epic adventure movie is far from slowing down.

In the week dated October 13th to October 19th, The Maze Runner, the first entry from the series, was spotted storming the most popular movies chart globally at tenth position. This week alone, it amassed 2.8million views.

While in the US charts, all three movies were seen rising through the ranks at a point, for now, the competition has come down to the 2014 film and Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials, which are currently ranked seventh and eighth, respectively. But pigeonholing our focus to The Maze Runner, the movie where it all started, its rise on the Netflix charts is honestly no surprise.

Directed by Wes Ball and produced by Noah Oppenheim, the dystopian science fiction film starts with a teenager named Thomas stuck in a metal elevator with no memory of his identity whatsoever. Soon, he follows up on a vast, grassy area called the Glade, enclosed with high stone walls, where a group of boys just like him have formed a society with each specialising in a role.

The thing about the Glade is that it is surrounded by an intricate labyrinth called the Maze, which is patrolled by vicious and lethal biomechanical creatures called Grievers. But in order to escape the Glade, those stuck inside must find a way to solve the Maze. Subsequently, the society has designated a group of boys called the Runners who spend their days exploring the Maze to carve a way out. However, they must return home before sunset as the gate to the Glade closes to keep the Grievers out.

Although The Maze Runner starts rather unoriginally, with a protagonist who has no memory of his identity, unlike most stories, the audience actively becomes part of the mystery. Since Thomas is our eye in the movie, the puzzle is not just his to solve. The claustrophobic setup makes the viewers a part of the deadly game as well, who are just as much in on the riddle as are the teenagers.

The Maze Runner is a fast-paced survival thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat at all times, since the “why” becomes a paramount hook for the audience to stick around. While it may be a darker take on the young adult genre, over the years, it has become a cult classic. And its availability on Netflix has only boosted the nostalgic factor, drawing viewers all the more.