In a surprising and somewhat peculiar twist, a nearly forgotten sports drama has been steadily climbing the ranks on Netflix. The film in question is 2014’s “23 Blast,” which tells the compelling true story of Travis Freeman, an extraordinary high school football player. This film has recently made its way into Netflix’s top 10 movie charts, standing shoulder to shoulder with current popular releases such as “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” and “Trolls Band Together.” The question arises: why now? How has this decade-old football movie suddenly found a new audience on the world’s largest streaming platform amidst a sea of available content? This scenario perfectly illustrates the unpredictable and dynamic nature of today’s streaming landscape.

As of this writing, “23 Blast” is securely positioned at the 10th spot on Netflix’s charts, according to FlixPatrol. The movie follows the journey of a high school football star who is abruptly afflicted with irreversible total blindness. Faced with a life-altering challenge, he must decide whether to adopt a safer, more sheltered lifestyle or to bravely return to the sport that fuels his passion. Directed by character actor Dylan Baker, known for his role as Doctor Connors in Sam Raimi’s “Spider-Man” trilogy and his performance in the cult horror classic “Trick ‘r Treat,” “23 Blast” was Baker’s first venture into feature film directing. Upon its initial release, the film received a relatively muted response.

Created on a shoestring budget of approximately $1 million—a modest sum by Hollywood standards—the film managed to assemble a notable cast including Stephen Lang from “Avatar” fame, with Mark Hapka portraying Travis Freeman. Despite this, “23 Blast” grossed under $600,000 at the box office and has since been largely forgotten, available for free on the Ocean Avenue Entertainment YouTube channel, the company responsible for its production. Yet, the recent resurgence of this film on Netflix underscores the power and reach of the platform. Such success stories highlight why Netflix continues to dominate the streaming wars, proving its ability to bring overlooked gems back into the spotlight.