Wind River
(2017)This is the land of you're on your own.
The feature directorial debut from Taylor Sheridan, writer of Hell or High Water and Sicario, is a murder investigation thriller starring Jeremy Renner and Elizabeth Olsen.... More
An FBI agent teams with the town's veteran game tracker to investigate a murder that occurred on a Native American reservation.Hide
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Winner of the Un Certain Regard Prize for Best Direction, 2017 Cannes Film Festival
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Directed by Taylor Sheridan (feature debut)
Starring Jeremy Renner, Elizabeth Olsen, Jon Bernthal, Graham Greene, Kelsey Asbille, Julia Jones, Gil Birmingham, Martin Sensmeier
Written by Taylor Sheridan
Out Now (On-Demand,
DVD or Blu-Ray)
On Demand, DVD & Blu-Ray
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Wind River
BY DJR grader
Dark heart at the centre of a poignant movie. Incredible action sequence too which i was not expecting. Unique.
BY alexander39 nobody
Slow moving initially but builds brilliantly. Very impressed with Mr Sheridan (Secario, Hell or High Water). Lookin forward to more from the man.
BY Ian_Anderson superstar
While the investigation starts slowly, it climaxes in a great set piece gun fight. The tone is one of slow despair at the future for Native Americans... More especially teenagers and young people.Hide
BY DanielK superstar
Still, despite these issues, 'Wind River' remains fairly compelling throughout, with an evocative sense of place and a handful of excellent performances, chiefly from Gil Birmingham as a grieving father. Birmingham almost single-handedly gives the final scene an emotional weight that, for a handful of precious moments, lifts the film to the level of profundity that it has clearly been striving for throughout. Despite the missteps he makes throughout, Sheridan at least has the good sense to save his best material till last.Hide
BY Newt superstar
Wind River deals with a common crime-mystery trope but still manages to be fresh, steady and scary-as-hell. Some debut for a director to make but isn't unexpected considering Taylor Sheridan's body of work. Things that stand out are the pacing, the music (Nick Cave and co.) and the bleakness of the setting which screams misery and isolation as did the desert road of Nocturnal Animals. A Jon Bernthal cameo is also pleasing but ultimately it's the story that will leave you affected
Showing 5 of 5 reviews. See all reviews
The Press Reviews
Sheridan wants us to know these people, this terrain, to feel the bite of the cold and the lonely sting of their lives. Full Review
A strong directorial debut. Full Review
Combustible, masculine and tense, it demonstrates both that Sheridan can direct with ease and that his written work is eminently filmable. Full Review
You learn to look for tracks and clues; it's a film that makes you a better viewer. Full Review
The set-up in which an outside investigator is sent to an inhospitable location to solve a murder isn't new, but Sheridan brings a welcome freshness to the concept. Full Review
This tense, convincing independent film is the most accomplished violent thriller in quite some time. Full Review
An actor before he was a screenwriter, Mr. Sheridan clearly spent a lot of his time learning about filmmaking on movie sets; his direction is assured throughout. Full Review
At first I thought the resolution to the movie was bereft of logic, but that just may be the point. Full Review
While Wind River doesn't reach the high water mark of those two superb tales it's still a terrifically atmospheric drama. Full Review
BY Liam Maguren Flicks Writer
Taylor Sheridan, the screenwriter behind Oscar nominees Sicario and Hell or High Water, sits in the director's chair and shows a concrete command over his third feature script. As an ice-cold western posing as a procedural murder mystery, Wind River is a great sombre thriller that circles you like a pack of wolves before it pounces.... More
Jeremy Renner brings his A-game as a man who knows two things: how to track game and how deadly this frosted environment can be. When the body of a young Native America woman is discovered - frozen, barefoot, far from township - he shows a strong layer of emotional sensitivity towards the deceased's parents while still maintaining that traditionally tough cowboy swagger. He's like a modernised John Wayne, in a way.
Elizabeth Olsen is as great as ever as the one officer of the law the FBI flew over, learning very quickly she needs to either adapt or die in this middle-of-nowhere environment that plays by its own rulebook. It takes an absolute pro to juggle vulnerability and confidence of this calibre, which is what Olsen is.
The plot is as pointed and straightforward as a fired bullet, but Wind River speaks far more about the vast and vapid surroundings that echo the gunshot. Being a constant witness to this dangerous, desolate place adds volumes of depth to these characters and how they came to be.
Nick Cave and Warren Ellis match this feeling with their signature sorrowful sounds while Beasts of the Southern Wild cinematographer Ben Richardson visually capturing the blanket of white wilderness that can hide a person in plain sight. This is how the Native American locals feel on their own reservation. You'll come to feel this too, which is the film's ultimate crowning achievement.Hide
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