The Native Americans in the snow swept terrain of Wyoming have it tough, unemployment, drugs and a sense of no way out has decimated their present and likely their future. The murder of a young girl on their reservation has rocked the community even more.

When a young FBI agent, Jane (Elizabeth Olsen) comes to investigate she enlists the help of a local Parks and Wildlife animal tracker who found the body, Cory (Jeremy Renner). It’s just the two of them and a local Police Chief Ben (Graeme Greene) tasked with solving this horrific crime. “This isn’t the land of backup Jane, this is the land of you’re on your own” the Police Chief says.

It’s a land that is desolate, has more snow than you can imagine, mountain lions roaming around the crime scene, you need a snow mobile to navigate the wilderness and guns aren’t just used to kill predators to the livestock. Additionally, coldness isn’t just confined to the weather, there’s a real harshness to this area and its people.

Also a real sense of loss and heartache runs through this movie as you’ll discover in Cory’s backstory, he has his own demons that he has to deal with. All this bleakness in a way is a rite of initiation for the young FBI agent who initially needs Cory’s skills as a tracker but finds he can be useful in so many more ways. “You’re looking for clues but you’re missing all the signs” he says.

Taylor Sheridan wrote and directed Wind River, he also wrote Sicario and the bank robbery drama Hell or High Water, you could say he is a man in form, both those movies were cracking and this is no different. It’s one of the best thrillers I’ve seen in awhile, it is about loss but revenge plays its part as well, apparently it’s a dish best served cold, which seems appropriate in this environment.

hallymustang rating   4.5/5  ?????