The perfect Netflix movie if you hate summer: Michael Douglas in an urban odyssey nominated for the Palme d'Or

Sweltering, chaotic, and scorching, that's the city of Los Angeles in this film available on Netflix, which transforms the summer heat into an emotional pressure cooker . The viewer watches, breathless, as a day begins with a traffic jam and ends in a spiral of urban violence, pent-up rage, and social critique.

Falling Down stars Michael Douglas , who gives one of the most intense and talked-about performances of his career. Under the direction of the late Joel Schumacher , he plays William Foster, a recently fired, divorced, and on the verge of collapse man who abandons his car in a traffic jam after his air conditioning breaks down.

What follows is an incendiary walking tour of Los Angeles that combines satire, tension and an uncomfortable realism, which earned it its selection in the official section of the 1993 Cannes Film Festival. The film not only captivates with its narrative rhythm and the talent of its cast, which also includes Robert Duvall and Barbara Hershey , but also with the way it channels the malaise of a society on edge.

Douglas's character doesn't aim to be a hero or a villain, but rather a self-conscious figure who confronts, with a shotgun or rocket launcher , everything from the arbitrary rules of a fast-food restaurant to the prejudices of a supremacist gunsmith. All this while remaining a victim of the system, even if his methods end up crossing all moral lines.

Currently available on Netflix , Falling Down can also be streamed on Movistar Plus+ . Its social critique and psychological portrait have gained relevance over the years, becoming a must-see for those who enjoy tension-filled urban thrillers.