Wind River (2017)
Director: Taylor Sheridan
Walking out of the theater for this one, I took a massive deep breath. This movie was somehow both unsettling and deeply comforting, in a way I can't really identify. It has surpassed Baby Driver for my top film of the year- those other superhero summer blockbusters are fun, but this movie has just a little more substance. Wind River stars Jeremy Renner and Elizabeth Olsen as a game tracker and an FBI agent who investigate the death of a teenage girl out in the middle of subzero Wyoming. It sounds like a buddy-cop movie set in the snow, but obviously with its genre clarification of a drama/thriller, there's a little more to it than that. Cory (Renner) has deep connections within this town, as well as the family of the victim. His knowledge of the terrain helps them uncover the story behind her death. But it's also not really about the mystery, either. The story is probably Sheridan's most relatable, and touching, of his big three. There are parental and societal themes that make it feel grounded, even in this secluded reservation. I really loved this movie, from beginning to end; especially the beginning and the end! The way it began was moving, clever, and beautiful, and its conclusion was equal in heart, although the tone was more exhausted and sad, (which I thought bore a lot of similarities to Hell or High Water.) Both Renner and Olsen are proving to be dependable talents, but Renner really stood out with his subdued country-man. The cinematography was also stunning, a big plus for me. One thing that stood out to me was how dark of a story it was, but I was never very unnerved. The characters were so reliable and steady that I felt pretty relaxed all through the intense moments. That might sound like I'm demoting the film for its inability to scare me, but I liked it all the more for being that way. Wind River is a refreshing and meaningful drama I would love to see again.
