'Wind River' Review

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By Diego Coya

            Wind River is written and directed by Taylor Sheridan and stars Jeremy Renner, Elizabeth Olsen, Gil Birmingham, and Jon Bernthal. The film is about a murder of a young Native American girl that occurs on the West River American Native Reservation. The murder leads to an investigation that is led by a FBI rookie and a local tracker who tries to figure out what exactly happened. The viewer also learns more about these character’s lives and we see the awful environment that is on the reservation. Along the way we get a mystery that has twists and turns and a film that has much more under the surface.

            Despite the fact that I practically knew nothing regarding the plot, I was still incredibly excited to see this film. The reason why is because Taylor Sheridan has proven himself to be an exceptional talent. He wrote both the screenplays for Sicario and Hell or High Water, both fantastic films. Now with him being behind the camera, I was intrigued to see how this film would play out. Walking out of the theater, I was absolutely blown away with what I had seen. Wind River is a powerful, emotional, and gripping thriller that had me entertained throughout its runtime.

            The performances from everyone in the cast are top notch, but without question, the best performance is from Jeremy Renner. Without spoiling anything, there is something tragic that happens with his character that is revealed in the beginning of the film. Throughout the film you see how this investigation tries to bring some closure to his tragedy. Additionally, the viewer is able to see how Renner conveys the emotion on the screen. He’s also a very likeable character who brings great presence on the screen.

            Elizabeth Olsen who plays a rookie FBI agent, also delivers a strong performance. She also brings likeability to her character, and she makes you want to root for her throughout the film. Gil Birmingham, who was in last year’s Hell or High Water, was also really good in his performance as the father of the young woman who was murdered. Everyone delivers a great performance, but once again, Jeremy Renner delivers the best performance.

            The screenplay and direction is some of the best of the whole year; the dialogue is amazing and the cinematography was gorgeous. There are only a few action scenes in the film, but they are beautifully directed and really well done; it honestly felt like Sheridan has been directing for a really long time. It has a really good musical score that fits perfectly with the tone of the film and it makes the film suspense and tension filled. It’s hard to review this film without giving away spoilers but all I can say is that this is a truly film you need to see.

            Wind River is a film that I truly hope receives some Oscar recognition because it truly deserves it. Wonderful direction, great performances, incredible direction, gorgeous cinematography, and a gripping thriller, makes it one of the best films of 2017. It is a hard film to watch due to how tough the subject matter is portrayed and some scenes are disturbing, but this is a film that must be seen. I seriously cannot wait to see what Sheridan does with Soldado next year. It should be terrific because Sheridan is a talent is only going to improve from this point on.

10/10