"It pierces your mind and heart": the western starring Viggo Mortensen and Ariadna Gil that you have to watch on Netflix this summer.

The video-on-demand platform Netflix keeps one of the most underrated Westerns of recent decades in its catalog, starring Viggo Mortensen and Ariadna Gil in a high-caliber cast that also includes Ed Harris, Jeremy Irons, and Renée Zellweger. A story of gunslingers, lawless towns, and moral conflicts that goes far beyond the classic duel in the sun.

The film in question is Appaloosa , also written and directed by Ed Harris , and based on the novel of the same name by Robert B. Parker. Released in 2008, it was recognized at the time with the Boston Film Festival award for best adapted screenplay. Set in New Mexico in 1882, the film tells the story of two army veterans turned law enforcement officers, Virgil Cole (Harris) and Everett Hitch (Mortensen), who are hired to restore order to a mining town dominated by a violent landowner, played by Irons.

Far from being a simple story of good versus evil, Appaloosa delves into more introspective territory . Harris constructs a character-driven Western, in which moral conflicts, loyalties, and latent emotions ultimately outweigh the weight of bullets.

Mortensen, in one of his most restrained and effective roles, shines with a character who grows with each scene. Dean Semler's photography and Jeff Beal's music complete a visual package that, though austere, exudes classicism in its initial stages, only to surprise later. Despite dividing critics at the time, the film has been hailed over time as a gem that breaks with genre stereotypes .

"A magnificent Western, a powerful performance that pierces the mind and heart. [...] Although it's filmed with thunderous action and intriguing suspense , the film finds its soul in its main characters," said Rolling Stone magazine. Its narrative pauses, the silences charged with intention, and the chemistry between Mortensen and Harris make Appaloosa in a different experience: ideal for those looking for a western on Netflix with something more than just gunfights.