Wind River (2017)

A veteran hunter helps an FBI agent investigate the murder of a young woman on a Wyoming Native American reservation.

Director:

Taylor Sheridan

Writer:

Taylor Sheridan

Stars:

Kelsey Asbille, Jeremy Renner, Julia Jones

14 wins & 26 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kelsey Asbille	...	Natalie
Jeremy Renner	...	Cory Lambert
Julia Jones	...	Wilma
Teo Briones	...	Casey
Apesanahkwat	...	Dan Crowheart
Graham Greene	...	Ben
Elizabeth Olsen	...	Jane Banner
Tantoo Cardinal	...	Alice Crowheart
Eric Lange	...	Dr. Whitehurst
Gil Birmingham	...	Martin
Althea Sam	...	Annie
Tokala Black Elk	...	Sam Littlefeather (as Tokala Clifford)
Martin Sensmeier	...	Chip
Tyler Laracca	...	Frank
Shayne J. Cullen	...	BIA Officer #1 (as Shayne Joel Cullen)

Storyline

East of Boulder Flats, deep into the vast and unforgiving white territory of the Wind River Indian Reservation, the seasoned game tracker, Cory Lambert, discovers the frozen body of the young Native American, Natalie. As this is a federal crime, the F.B.I. dispatches the inexperienced but courageous agent Jane Banner to lead the investigation, however, the unprepared outsider will soon team up with Cory to unravel the mystery of Natalie's murder. Before long, Cory will inevitably have to face his own past, while at the same time, both he and Jane are thirsting to see justice done. In the end, will this be a fruitful alliance?

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Plot Keywords:

investigation | snow | native american reservation | snowmobile | revenge killing | 

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Taglines:

Nothing is harder to track than the truth.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong violence, a rape, disturbing images, and language

Did You Know?

Trivia

The 45-70 is an older cartridge developed in 1873 for the US Army. It is still in use, often in antique rifles and replicas. For this reason, commercial ammunition manufacturers keep the pressures low for safety. Cory carries a modern version of the 45-70, a Marlin Model 1895SBL fitted with a telescopic sight, while hunting the mountain lion. That explains the scene showing Cory hand-loading his 45-70 ammunition. He is making a cartridge with significantly higher pressure than he can get in a commercially manufactured round. His loads have more velocity and greatly improve ballistic performance.

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Goofs

Animal Damage Control was moved from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to the Department of Agriculture in 1985. Therefore Jeremy Renner's character is working for the wrong agency.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Natalie: [narrating] There is a meadow in my perfect world. Where wind dances the branches of the tree, casting leopards spots of light across the face of pond. The tree stands tall, and grand, and alone, shading the world beneath it.
Natalie: [girl running frantically] It's here, in the cradle of all I hold dear.
[she falls]
Natalie: I guard every memory of you. And when I find myself frozen in the mud of the real... far from your loving eyes, I will return to this place, close mine, and take solace in the ...

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Connections

Featured in Wind River: Behind the Scenes Video Gallery (2017)

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Soundtracks

Diamonds & Gasoline
Written by Evan Felker
Published by Game Rooster Music
Performed by Turnpike Troubadours

User Reviews

Grim, slow-burn crime thriller marks Sheridan's directorial debut

Taylor Sheridan's achievement in this film lies in his success in crafting an old school crime drama that doesn't try to re-invent the wheel but instead relies on good old-fashioned storytelling. Jeremy Renner and Elizabeth Olsen are both exceptional as a dissimilar pair who out of sheer happenstance form an alliance to solve the mystery of a young woman's brutal death on an Indian reservation. Renner is a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service tracker. Olsen is an FBI agent sent on an assignment very much alone.

The narrative remains low-key but gradually builds toward its gripping conclusion. We come to learn quite a lot about Renner's character through his backstory. He's quite understated and effective in this role. Olsen enters the picture as an outsider to the bleak region of despair that the American wilderness is portrayed as here. She must learn quickly in order to do her job or leave a possible crime completely unsolved.

Because this film deals with life on an Indian reservation, much of the social and economic woes might seem unfamiliar at first, but the film does a good job of providing a snapshot of the hardship that pervades in this part of the country and the difficulty that law enforcement has in conducting even a workmanlike investigation. Sheridan depicts a world that is sympathetic and troubled at the same time, masking its tears with courage and doggedness. Recommended to everyone.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site [Japan]

Country:

UK Canada USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 August 2017 (USA)

Also Known As:

Wind River

Filming Locations:

Park City Studios, Utah, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$11,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$161,558, 6 August 2017

Gross USA:

$33,800,859

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$43,980,821

Company Credits

Production Co:

Acacia Filmed Entertainment, Savvy Media Holdings, The Fyzz Facility

Technical Specs

Runtime:

107 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1