Wind River is written and directed by Taylor Sheridan, writer of Sicario, and stars Jeremy Renner, Elizabeth Olsen, and mostly unknown actors. If you’ve read my review of Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, you know that that film was, in my opinion, the best of the year. However, Wind River is my personal favorite of 2017, even though I know it’s not quite as good as films like “Three Billboards.”  This is an extremely emotionally rewarding story of a man seeking to redeem himself for past failures by hunting for the murderer of a young girl.  

The best thing about this film is its story. There is a scene on a mountain top that gave me more satisfaction than perhaps I have ever felt during a movie. Jeremy Renner gives possibly his best performance here, and Elizabeth Olsen is also very good. Something that surprised me about this film is that it has some good humor in it. It’s by no means a comedy, but there are moments where you’d expect the characters to be either silent or very solemn, and they instead point out the humor of the situation.

Jeremy Renner plays one of my favorite characters of the year. You know when you’re watching a movie, and there’s a character that you just want to hit in the face with a spiked baseball bat? And you think, man, if I were there, I would see to it that that person gets the suffering they deserve. Well, Jeremy Renner’s character is basically the guy who makes that happen.

Something I feel I should mention is a scene that some may find offensive. Without spoiling anything, a young woman is raped while she is unconscious. My mom saw this movie and told me she thought they went too far with that scene, which I could understand.

A small detail that I found extremely praise-worthy was the deaths in this film. Never have I seen a more convincing portrayal of somebody being shot. The first time it happened, I actually jolted straight up on my couch. I’m not even sure what it is that makes it so convincing. If you know that you’re not going to watch this movie, I think it’s worth finding a way to watch one of the deaths on YouTube or something.

There isn’t much I can say is wrong with this film. My only gripe is that Elizabeth Olsen’s character isn’t very fleshed out. She’s kind of just there. But despite this, I think this film is extremely good. The emotional payoff of this film alone makes it worth seeing. Wind River is my favorite movie of the year and I give it 850/1000.