Poor dialogue constrained great actors and beautiful cinematography

Rating: 5/10 (1 December 2017)

This film really tries hard to give you the feels but truly terrible dialogue gives its talented cast nowhere to go in most of the scenes. Even an actor as fine as Jeremy Renner gets bogged down trying to wade through this insufferable writing, having to resort to an excessive amount of jaw clenching and grizzled, yet wistful, staring at the horizon. It's OK Jeremy! We know it's not your fault, it's not possible to really drop into a scene when your line sounds like something out of a soap opera. Then for good measure on the festival circuit they had to throw in a super realistic rape scene (always prize-worthy!). Whoa! Never seen that before! Except for like every "lost up its own ass" indie crime movie ever.
On the plus side, the portrayal of modern life on a Native reservation was vaguely interesting. I have no idea if it was accurate or fair, but from the outside looking in the characters felt credible, as did the portrayal of the reservation itself. The film is also beautifully located and shot.
It's too bad the dialogue and plot were so predictable and silly. Whilst watching this film you'll constantly have the feeling that they might throw in a wendingo, or a shot of a hawk flying while a flute made of reeds plays. Luckily there's no wendingo (spoiler alert! no wendingo!) but the awkward dialogue found many other opportunities to turn what could have been a great little movie into a totally corny rape romp through Alaska, but oh wait it's not Alaska it's Wyoming.
Net/net, save your $5.99, there are way better venues to watch Jeremy Renner seethe about intense stuff.