Netflix’s 87% Thriller Is Taylor Sheridan’s Best Film and It’s Not Even Close

Since Taylor Sheridan’s departure from the late-night favorite Sons of Anarchy, the actor-turned-programming juggernaut skyrocketed to fame. In recent history, fans may be most familiar with him for creating one of the most-watched franchises on Paramount+. Sheridan created Yellowstone, a modern Western that mixes crime with the nostalgic appreciation for cowboy life on a Montana cattle ranch.

As celebrated as the series is, Sheridan’s films have always been his greatest strength. He has written many tightly constructed stories that function perfectly as films under two hours. His best, however, is Wind River, the 2017 movie that is merciless in its social commentary. Unlike Sicario or American frontier Western, Hell or High Water, the film is a harrowing and emotional tale about an issue that is tragically underrepresented.

‘Wind River’ Doesn’t Hold Back

Viewers of Yellowstone are not unfamiliar with the themes central to Wind River. Taylor Sheridan has always incorporated the experiences of Indigenous people and how they are affected by modern life. Wind River takes this concept and earns its 87% Rotten Tomatoes score with the heartbreaking tragedy at its core. Starring Jeremy Renner, the movie begins with the death of a young Indigenous woman, Natalie, played by Yellowstone’s Kelsey Asbille. When local tracker, Cory Lambert (Renner), finds her body, he is devastated. Natalie was his daughter Emily’s best friend — his daughter, who was also Indigenous and was likely murdered.

This is the heart of Wind River. According to the film, Indigenous women are the only demographic for whom there are no statistics on their deaths. Crimes against the community are an epidemic, and films and television rarely depict them in such a truthful way. The film takes place on a real-life reservation in Wyoming. Cory is motivated by his own tragedy to get justice for Natalie, but is disconcerted when the FBI sends an untested agent, Jane (Elizabeth Olsen). Outsiders may not be able to truly understand the stakes of the situation, but the more Jane and Cory work together, the more the agent becomes invested in the issue.

Jane and Corey form an unbreakable bond as they discover the brutal circumstances of Natalie’s death. While the coroner wants to write it off as accidental, it is obvious that this was a seedy crime that was only able to occur because it targeted a woman on a reservation where government oversight is lacking. Wind River doesn’t just address murder against one demographic but also other systemic issues. Cory himself states that the community was forced into a frozen tundra after their land was taken from them. The treatment of Indigenous people by the government is a specific American issue that Sheridan pokes at with a sharp point.

“Wind River is a complex story on multiple fronts,” reads MovieWeb’s review of the film. “The murder does not take place in a vacuum. The reservation is mired in economic distress. Lack of opportunity has led to rampant alcoholism and drug abuse.”

This presents itself through Natalie’s brother, who represents more systemic issues that the community must contend with. Wind River’s strength lies in these rarely discussed themes, but the performances elevate it from a run-of-the-mill thriller.

Renner’s performance as a tracker steeped in grief is stirring, as is Olsen’s depiction of the determined agent out of her element. The quiet final moments of Wind River are heartbreaking, and the end offers no easy answers. However, there is a sense of justice that the film delivers in a way that carries the film home. The movie may not be as flashy as Sheridan’s crowd pleasers, but no other work could attempt to measure up to the soul-crushing tragedy at the center of this story.

Release Date

August 18, 2017

Runtime

107 minutes