Taylor Sheridan has had three screenplays filmed and released in his career so far: Sicario, Hell and High Water, and now Wind River. It is hard to imagine anyone in recent times with such an impressive CV. He also directs this latest film, demonstrating his talents lie beyond just writing.
Jeremy Renner stars as Cory Lambert, a tracker for The Fish and Wildlife Service in Wyoming, who discovers the dead body of a young woman (Natalie) on a native American reservation. He agrees to use his expertise and local knowledge to help with the investigation lead by FBI agent Jane Banner (Elizabeth Olsen).
This is a slow burning murder mystery populated by damaged, believable characters. Graham Greene as the police chief and Olsen are great but it is Renner who is absolutely outstanding. Cory lost his daughter in similar circumstances three years previously and you can see the pain in his every look. His conversation with Natalie’s Dad (Gil Birmingham) before he starts looking for the killer is extremely powerful.
Sheridan and his cinematographer Ben Sheridan capture the bleak beauty of the snowy wilderness perfectly up until the grisly and deadly shootout at the end. A powerful drama surrounding a fascinating police procedural.
Rating: 9 out of 10