Review of Wind River (2017) by Paul B — 17 Sep 2017
Wind River stars Elizabeth Olsen as a rookie FBI agent who is sent into the wilderness of a Native American reservation to investigate the murder of a young Native American girl. She is aided by a local game tracker played by Jeremy Renner.
As a straight-up thriller the film works, however when it tries to become a commentary on the plight of the Native Americans and the inequalities they face, the film becomes problematic. Although it tries to address their issues such as unemployment, it is all from the perspective of the two white leads and none of the Native American characters are given much screen time or character development. Similarly with Elizabeth Olsen's character, for an FBI agent, she doesn't come off as particularly bright and is mainly there to be saved by Jeremy Renner and his skills with a rifle. The film also ends on a note which has nothing in relation to the film.
However, as I mentioned above, as a thriller it is well made, with some very tense moments. The cinematography is stunning and the chilled landscape is a character in itself.
This review of Wind River (2017) was written by Paul B on 17 Sep 2017.
Wind River has generally received very positive reviews.
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