Denzel Washington’s Remake of This 66-Year-Old Classic Movie Is a Netflix Hit With Millions of Views

Denzel Washington has worked with several great filmmakers over the course of his illustrious career, but some of his most notable collaborations have been with Antoine Fuqua. Under Fuqua’s direction, Washington won the Oscar for Best Actor for his performance in Training Day and headlined his first franchise with the Equalizer films. Whenever Washington and Fuqua get together, fans can rest assured that they’re going to deliver something highly entertaining. The films they’ve made are imminently rewatchable, making them perfect additions to streaming services. Netflix is currently reaping the benefits of Washington and Fuqua’s partnership thanks to their remake of a decades-old classic.

For the week of January 19th-25th, Fuqua’s The Magnificent Seven was the No. 6 movie on Netflix. During that time frame, it racked up 6.5 million views and 14.5 million hours watched, easily beating out titles like Spectre and Max for its place on the charts. This was the first week The Magnificent Seven ranked on Netflix’s top 10 movies.

Why The Magnificent Seven Is a Streaming Hit on Netflix

When The Magnificent Seven was gearing up for its premiere in the fall of 2016, there was a fair amount of buzz surrounding the project. Not only was it a remake of one of the most iconic Westerns of all time, Washington and Fuqua had just delivered a hit with the first Equalizer two years prior. Now, they were working together again with a stacked ensemble cast that included Washington’s Training Day co-star Ethan Hawke and newly minted blockbuster leading man Chris Pratt. Despite all those pieces, The Magnificent Seven arguably didn’t turn out as well as it could have. Its Rotten Tomatoes score is a lukewarm 64%, and it grossed $162.3 million worldwide against a $90 million production budget.

While reception to the film was somewhat mixed, it’s easy to understand why The Magnificent Seven is attracting a sizable audience on streaming. Fuqua’s movies aren’t always critical darlings, but they’re typically very fun to watch, and The Magnificent Seven is no exception. With so many big names playing off each other, much of the entertainment in the remake simply stems from watching the characters interact with each other as they develop a team bond over the course of their adventure. And with Fuqua behind the camera, The Magnificent Seven also serves up plenty of exciting action, so this is a great film to watch when winding down at the end of the day. It’s well-made and works as slick entertainment.

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Another reason why The Magnificent Seven is catching on with Netflix subscribers is that other notable titles from Washington’s filmography have found their way on the streaming service recently. January saw the likes of Man on Fire and Glory added to Netflix. If someone watches one of those, they could be on the lookout for another Washington vehicle, and The Magnificent Seven is certainly an appealing option. Man on Fire was a major hit on Netflix, so the streamer’s subscriber base is clearly in the mood for some Washington action.

Washington has suggested that he could be nearing retirement, so it will be interesting to see if he works with Fuqua again. As the legendary actor prepares to call it a career, he’s making a point to work with directors he likes and trusts. Fuqua certainly fits that bill, so hopefully there’s at least one more collaboration between the two of them. If that happens, it will likely be another streaming hit for the pair, regardless of the premise.

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