Few genres are as bulletproof as Netflix original romances, with subscribers ready and willing to throw themselves into the latest tale of star-crossed lovers, regardless of what anyone else thinks. As if we needed any more proof to support that argument, Purple Hearts has shrugged off bad reviews and plenty of controversy to become one of the streamer’s Top 10 most-watched features ever.
Having been on a tear ever since premiering on July 29, the story revolving around a would-be musician agreeing to marry a soldier out of convenience (and the assorted benefits that come from being a military wife) has racked up in excess of 220 million viewing hours, which is good enough to leapfrog several mega budget blockbusters to stake a spot on the all-time rankings.
In fact, Purple Hearts is now up to seventh on the historical watch-list, with the rest of the Top 10 being rounded out by Sandra Bullock’s The Unforgivable, Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman, and rom-com sequel The Kissing Booth 2. Should it continue to play like gangbusters for at least another week or two, then it isn’t unrealistic to imagine the film overtaking Extraction and The Adam Project to hit the Top 5.
All that in spite of a weak 30 percent Rotten Tomatoes score, not to mention widespread backlash being directed towards Purple Hearts from a number of angles, most notably dialogue that’s been interpreted by many as racist and misogynistic. Clearly, that hasn’t mattered in the slightest when it comes to convincing customers to hit play.