Wind River review: A gut wrenching slow-burn whodunit thriller that allows the suspense to stew

Rating: 4/5                             Suyog Zore

If we apply the traditional genre tropes to filmmaker Taylor Sheridan's directorial venture 'Wind River,' starring Jeremy Renner and Elizabeth Olsen, the film falls under the genre of 'whodunit thriller'. However, unlike typical whodunit thrillers, in which the story advances at a quick speed as each new discovery leads the investigator and viewers to the next clue to unravel the mystery, 'Wind River' is a slow-burn thriller that allows the suspense to stew and the characters mature naturally. The intentional slow pacing of the film also helps gradually build up a suspense & anxiety with each new revelation. 

'Wind River' begins with a disturbing sight of a terrified young woman rushing through a snowy woodland mountain region during the harsh cold of night. Jeremy Renner's character Cory Lambert, a Fish and Wildlife Service tracker on the Wind River Indian Reservation, eventually finds her frozen body. After Lambert informs Tribal Police Chief Ben (Graham Greene) about the death, he quickly contacts the FBI. We quickly learn that this eighteen-year-old Native American girl had been brutally raped before making her way several miles through the snow in an attempt to flee. However, she later succumbed to a "pulmonary haemorrhage" caused by breathing in subzero frigid air. The feds, who are somewhat unconcerned, send earnest but inexperienced rookie agent Jane Banner (Elizabeth Olsen) to handle the inquiry.

The town, which is encircled by snowy wilderness and mountains, is likely isolated from the outside world and serves as another important character & focal point of the film, which is reliant on the sociological as well as the psychological effects on town's people of being isolated and almost being ostracized from rest of the world. The inhabitants of this snowy town who are mostly native Americans are not really living, but barely surviving in this middle of nowhere 'cold place'. 'Wind River' also gives us some idea about the struggles of surviving in this ostracized town where you can't even dare to walk barefoot outside, because of the extreme cold weather. The film makes us aware that probably this cold place where you can even die by simply inhaling 'subzero frigid air' has had some mental impact on these inhabitants and made them quite cold. You can't live a simple happy go lucky life in this 'middle of nowhere' town as it will surely take a toll on your mental health. 

This slow-burn investigative drama does a really good job of captivating the audiences through gradual tension buildup. Yes, there are some clues at the crime scene that give investigators some idea about what must have probably happened at the crime scene, but besides that there isn't much for them to guide them towards the culprits behind the death and rape of 18 year old girl. The film is also packed with intense emotions heightened by sincere performances of Jeremy Renner and Elizabeth Olsen. I also liked how director "Sheridan" along with the cinematographer "Ben Richardson" don't try to romanticize this town and its cold weather. 

What also helps is that "Taylor Sheridan", who also authored the screenplay for this movie does not try to establish up several subplots and instead focuses on the single primary narrative of determining who murdered and raped this young 18-year-old girl and why, which helps to build up a fascinating and powerful whodunit narrative. Sheridan makes it clear that "Cory Lambart" is struggling with mental anguish as a result of a personal tragedy, but he never allows this subplot to overshadow the film's main narrative.

'Wind River' also benefits from Jeremy Renner's standout performance. He does an excellent job portraying a man attempting to deal with a terrible tragedy while also assisting the rookie FBI agent, who is utterly unfamiliar with the area and its culture, in locating the perpetrators of a girl's death and rape. Even though not many people will view "Wind River" as a masterpiece, "Taylor Sheridan," the film's writer-director, deserves praise for creating a film that is so original despite adhering to multiple well-known tropes of slow-burn thriller.

Cast: Jeremy Renner, Elizabeth Olsen

Writer: Taylor Sheridan

Director: Taylor Sheridan