Best known for his screenwriting, Taylor Sheridan (Hell or High Water, Sicario) finally writes a film for his own direction. Wind River is a gritty crime mystery revolving around a subject that is overlooked in modern cinema. Native American culture has not been portrayed a lot in mainstream American cinema, even though there is a large amount of subject matter for the big screen. Sheridan's full filmography shows his interest in other cultures and diversity. Wind River takes an idea and creates a story around the idea. The film is not a shallow image of drama and mystery, but a spiritual and in-depth character study.
The character development slows the movie down, but is wholly necessary to build the story. Jeremy Renner (Arrival, The Avengers, The Bourne Legacy) and Elizabeth Olsen (Avengers: Age of Ultron, Godzilla) are at the forefront of the mystery, but other actors contribute great performances as well. Graham Greene (The Green Mile, Die Hard with a Vengeance), Gil Birmingham (Hell or High Water, Rango), and Kelsey Asbille (The Amazing Spider-Man) bring important secondary characters to life, helping to create a diverse screen for Sheridan. I really enjoyed Graham Greene as the police chief on the reservation. Without his character, many viewers would struggle to understand why the mystery is hard to solve.
While the main action does not come until the second half of the film, the wait is totally worth it. An explosive final act gives the audience what they waited for. There is one fantastic transition towards the end of the film that gives the audience a complete explanation for the mystery. Rather than having a smartass character explain the mystery, Sheridan effectively shows the discovery. Just as the characters figure out what happened, the audience has the realization. And of course, as any intriguing mystery resolves, there is a shoot-out to give audience members the action sequences they paid for.
The Bottom Line: Wind River is a uniquely diverse mystery with a slow start and explosive finish.
Score: 9.5/10
The character development slows the movie down, but is wholly necessary to build the story. Jeremy Renner (Arrival, The Avengers, The Bourne Legacy) and Elizabeth Olsen (Avengers: Age of Ultron, Godzilla) are at the forefront of the mystery, but other actors contribute great performances as well. Graham Greene (The Green Mile, Die Hard with a Vengeance), Gil Birmingham (Hell or High Water, Rango), and Kelsey Asbille (The Amazing Spider-Man) bring important secondary characters to life, helping to create a diverse screen for Sheridan. I really enjoyed Graham Greene as the police chief on the reservation. Without his character, many viewers would struggle to understand why the mystery is hard to solve.
While the main action does not come until the second half of the film, the wait is totally worth it. An explosive final act gives the audience what they waited for. There is one fantastic transition towards the end of the film that gives the audience a complete explanation for the mystery. Rather than having a smartass character explain the mystery, Sheridan effectively shows the discovery. Just as the characters figure out what happened, the audience has the realization. And of course, as any intriguing mystery resolves, there is a shoot-out to give audience members the action sequences they paid for.
The Bottom Line: Wind River is a uniquely diverse mystery with a slow start and explosive finish.
Score: 9.5/10
