Taylor Sheridan makes a cracking directorial debut! [+70%]

Rating: 7/10 (5 November 2017)

The man who penned the screenplays for 'Hell or High Water' and 'Sicario' - Taylor Sheridan, follows it up with a little gem titled 'Wind River', where he is also making his directorial debut in sensational fashion.
The film is essentially about a rape and murder of a young native- American woman in the Wind River Indian Reservation in Wyoming, USA and how it brings together U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agent Cory Lambert (Jeremy Renner) and FBI agent Jane Banner (Elizabeth Olsen) along with the town Sheriff, for the investigation.
What's appreciable about 'Wind River' is how the writer/director allows the film to run its course in building the lead characters while maintaining a certain level of suspense. The weather is harshly cold, with blizzards coming in at the oddest of times, and environmental clues showing signs of obscurity unless decisions are taken quickly. Cory has a tragic past of his own that connects well with the proceedings in the present, making him half bad-ass hunter and half brooding dad. Olsen plays her part of the rookie agent well too, her expressions bang on target when she sees the victim's mom hurting herself and when she hears the sorrowful cries of the victim's dad.
I liked how Sheridan made Cory speak out loud about his tragedy, allowing Jeremy Renner to showcase his solid acting skills, rather than spoonfeed the audience through lazily done flashback sequences. A late cameo from Jon Bernthal is a welcome change from his recent eccentric outings. The writing is as solid as it can get, and the narrative flow seamless. The 'cowboy' vibe is quite apparent, especially in the early scenes featuring Cory and his son. Plus, Cory deals with the baddies just like he's handling his quarry.
Sheridan tries to raise a valid point with respect to the uncertainty in the 'missing-case statistics' of native Americans through extremely introspective story-telling. He voices his judgement against offenders in the most cinematically-satiating approach. Gil Birmingham, who plays the victim's father, gets to act out a few well-written scenes (especially the one at the very end).
A few loose ends could have been sealed off better: there's a mention of a friend who dropped off the victim at the location where the crime took place - never to be seen or mentioned anywhere else. Also, the state of relationship between Cory and his wife was largely painted in shades of ambiguity. Nonetheless, these minuscule drawbacks should not deter you from giving 'Wind River' a watch as Sheridan is arguably one of the best yarn-spinners of our times.
Verdict: Superb character-driven thriller!