Wind River

Wind River (2017)

87% on Rotten Tomatoes (out of 129 reviews)

Runtime: 107 minutes

Directed by: Taylor Sheridan

Starring: Jeremy Renner, Elizabeth Olsen, Graham Greene, Gil Birmingham

From: The Weinstein Company

In the past I've watched and reviewed (pretty highly) films written by Taylor Sheridan, that being Sicario then Hell or High Water. Thus, I was excited to see a film along the same line both written and directed by Sheridan. Thankfully this is something I also think highly of.

I don't want to reveal too much that wasn't said in the advertisements for the movie. Jeremy Renner is a member of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service who works on the Wind River Indian Reservation, a real life reservation in the middle of Wyoming. He has an ex who is Native American; thus, he interacts with the residents of the area pretty well. He discovers a frozen body in the middle of nowhere, and it was of a young Native American woman. A neophyte FBI agent (Elizabeth Olsen) gets assigned to the case and of course she needs Renner's help, and not just in dealing with the locals. Loss & grief is an important aspect of the film, and not just with the parents of the victim.

This movie worked for me. I enjoyed the snowy visuals of rural Wyoming, the bleak and chilling setting perfect for the tale being told. I was always engaged with the story and was wondering who was behind the woman's death. I enjoyed the talented cast-it's always nice seeing Graham Greene in a substantial supporting role-the performance that I was most impressed by was Gil Birmingham. He was great in his small but important part. He also did swell in Hell or High Water. The movie takes its time through the first two acts; it has a memorable third act for sure.

I do get why some don't think it's as great as what Sheridan has written before-there is a clumsy metaphor which shows up only a few times and seems kind of pointless if you think about it-and despite those faults, this is a serious and mature film which has some rough moments and yet is not a grueling experience. That said, the sad real life situation where drug & alcohol abuse is prevalent on Native reservations is another important plot point. For those that also enjoyed Sicario and Hell or High Water, this is something you definitely want to take time out of your day to see; Sheridan does a swell job and probably was inspired by the directors who brought his previous scripts to life.