“Outer Range” a western with fantastic elements that never ceases to surprise

Royal Abbott is a rancher from Wyoming. Her family is marked by family trauma: the disappearance of her daughter-in-law, Rebecca, has everyone in a state of distress that emerges in the face of any conflict. Royal also faces problems with neighboring ranchers and a land dispute. But Outer Range, which perfectly reproduces the themes of western drama, has at least one twist that will amaze the audience.

A young backpacker named Autumn appears on the grounds of the Abbotts and asks permission to camp there. Royal, surprisingly, accepts. But the arrival of the young lady will coincide with the emergence of an element of fantastic character without any explanation. The rancher's mind will have to change completely to try to understand what is going on.

Meanwhile, their constraints grow even more. It is possible that this fantastic element is a curse or a blessing, but that is something that should not be anticipated. The first two episodes will leave the most frigid spectator on the edge of their seat. The surprise is total. Not as a stroke of effect, but as a genuine amazement that leaves me wanting to see much more.

The title Outer Range plays with the term open range, that is, the open fields where livestock roam freely, beyond the limits of ownership. That allusion matters to history that, crossing the distance, is as if Yellowstone combined with The X-Files.

The series could be a western drama, but the fantastic twist takes it to another level. Neither better nor worse, just different. But despite the daring mix, the meaning of Outer Range is focused precisely on mixing two opposites: open spaces and clear ideas of the western with the claustrophobia and paranoia of the darkest fantastic cinema.

That is why the ideal actor to carry out this plot is Josh Brolin. A face known to everyone since the eighties.

In his film debut, with none other than The Goonies (1985), he was the older brother; he later gained a foothold in television working on The Young Riders, where he played Wild Bill Hickok, a wild west legend. His career remained stable, with major films, until he entered another stage by starring in the Oscar-winning western No Country for Old Men (2007) by brothers Ethan and Joel Coen. It was followed by Milk (2008), American Gangster (2008) and another Coen film: Steel Temple (True Grit, 2010), this time a completely classic western.

Brolin has been able to be a hero and villain without problems; he even assumed the role of Thanos in the Avengers saga, for Marvel, one of the most important characters in recent years within that universe. Its ambiguity makes it perfect for the lead in Outer Range, as well as its link to the west. He is joined by Imogen Poots, Lili Taylor and Tom Pelphrey.

This series by Brian Watkins, available on Prime Video, is one of the most prodigious of the year: a box of surprises that in each episode leaves audiences eager for the next.

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