Netflix’s trending charts have never been a reliable measure of studio prestige or opening-weekend hype. One week it is a glossy franchise sequel, the next it is a half-forgotten genre title resurrected by algorithmic fate. Viewers’ tastes shift fast, often favoring lean, high-concept thrillers over bloated spectacle. This week, an unassuming action movie has done the unthinkable, dethroning recent heavyweights to claim the No. 1 spot on Netflix US, and showing no signs of slipping down the rankings.

There is always a moment when a catalog title clicks with the audience. Sometimes it is timing. Sometimes it is the mood. Sometimes it is simply that a movie finally finds the viewers it was made for.

The film in question is Copshop, Gerard Butler’s stripped-down, blood-soaked action thriller, which has been trending at No. 1 on Netflix in the United States for three consecutive days, according to FlixPatrol. Released theatrically in 2021, Copshop arrives on streaming with none of the marketing noise that typically accompanies a chart-topper, yet its grip on the audience has been unmistakable.

Measured by its ingredients alone, Copshop appeared designed for sustainability rather than spectacle. Butler’s post-franchise action persona, a tightly confined setting, and Joe Carnahan’s reputation for muscular, character-driven thrillers suggested a film that could at least recoup modestly. That expectation collapsed at the box office. Produced on a budget of $43.5 million, the film stalled almost immediately in theaters, finishing its 2021 run with just $6.8 million worldwide. However, it has now left behind heavyweight like KPop Demon Hunters and The Rip, per FlixPatrol.

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Streaming has a way of correcting theatrical misfires, especially for filmmakers like Joe Carnahan.

Directed by Joe Carnahan, who recently earned a Netflix hit with The Rip, Copshop is a dark, bloody neo-noir that wrings maximum tension from a single location. Carnahan’s career has long oscillated between cult acclaim and commercial disappointment. His 2002 thriller Narc remains an underappreciated police drama, while The Rip proved his enduring talent for exploring the moral decay behind the badge.

One of Gerard Butler’s best performances to date, Copshop casts him as Bob Viddick, a contract killer sent to eliminate Frank Grillo’s fast-talking con man, Teddy Murretto. When Murretto lands himself in a small-town police station for protection, Viddick follows, turning the copshop into a war zone. Rookie officer Val Young, played by Alexis Louder, becomes trapped between predator and prey.

Five years on, Copshop is finally getting its due. Proof that in the streaming era, failure is not always final.

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Have you watched Copshop on Netflix yet? Share your take on its overdue comeback.