Walker

Right now you can watch Walker in the US on Criterion Channel — and it holds up to as much attention as you give it. The runtime earns every minute, with nothing here that feels like padding. A 6/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. Ed Harris sets the tone, and the rest of the cast matches it scene for scene. Put it on tonight on Criterion Channel and see for yourself.

Whatever else is competing for your attention this week, Walker is worth clearing space for. Character-driven storytelling at its most effective — Walker earns every emotional beat it goes for. William Walker and his mercenary corps enter Nicaragua in the middle of the 19th century in order to install a new government by a coup d'etat. Ed Harris and Richard Masur lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was released in 1987. The writing trusts the audience to sit with ambiguity rather than wrapping everything up in a tidy conclusion — it is the approach that separates good drama from great. There is real craft here, even in the moments that do not fully land.

Walker is what you recommend to people who say they do not really watch much. If you have run out of similar titles to watch, this is a strong next pick. Short enough to finish in one sitting, substantial enough to feel satisfying. Ed Harris's work here is the kind that gets referenced in career retrospectives. It makes everything else feel thin by comparison.