Certainly One of the Best Films of the Year

Rating: 9/10 (5 October 2017)

I simply don't know what words can I use to describe how amazing this film is. It's everything what I wanted it to be: A neo-western crime thriller that contains mysterious and dramatic story, amazingly well directing and writing, powerful acting performances, intense original score and beautiful cinematography. Furthermore, it also has some interesting allegories and symbolism (for instance with snow, blizzard, landscapes, etc.) that I recognised throughout the film.
Here are the elements that I really liked in this film:
1) The story is so interesting, mysterious, intense, dark and heartbreaking. Also at the beginning of the film it says that it is based on true events, which after you see it, you'll get more shocking and terrifying feeling. The story follows the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service hunter and tracker, Cory Lambert, who discovers the frozen corpse of a young Native American woman. Later on, we get introduced by newcomer FBI agent Jane Banner who tries to determine if this was the act of homicide. To solve the case, she asks the tracker if he could help her and he accepts, because of his personal reasons.
2) The actors and the whole cast did a incredible job to portray the characters as realistic as possible, especially Jeremy Renner and Elizabeth Olsen. Jeremy Renner portrays a good, kind, charitable and sometimes cold blooded tracker who is willing to help and solve the case, to seek justice, because the similar situation had happened to his daughter long time ago. Elizabeth Olsen plays a newcomer FBI agent, who wants to find the truth and also to bring the justice. She's also emotional, brave and in one scene, where she's trying to calm down and order police officers to put their guns away, she's really tough and powerful.
3) If you enjoyed 'Sicario' and 'Hell or High Water', especially in the terms of writing, then you will certainly love this one, because the dialogue and the screenplay are just fantastic.
4) The cinematography is beautiful. There are so many beautiful aerial and establishing shots of snowy and winterish landscapes.
5) The tone and atmosphere is mysterious, terrifying and intense. The extraordinary original score and music sets this intense atmosphere and follows throughout the film.
6) Last but not least, there are many allegories, meanings and symbolism used in the film. It starts with a narration of a young woman who is dreaming about a beautiful and bright land with a pond, trees and green grass and then it cuts to a young barefoot woman who runs through snowy, cold and winterish field and then falls down. This is important, because later on the film, we see blizzard, which we can relate to the opening narration, that blizzard symbolises dream. They want to escape from this place, this cruel reality, because everything they have left are winter, snow and silence. Snowy woods represents silence. Traces on the snow represents unheard voices of people who were gone. It shows us that people need help and that someone will come as the hero to save them. Through that allegory and symbolism we can understand how much the Native Americans, as the indigenous people, had suffered due to the occupation of their land, using their resources and destroying the nature. Speaking of nature, it also shows us the climate change awareness, that's why so many beautiful aerial and establishing shots of snowy landscapes are recognizable in the film. Also we see dirty muddy road, trucks and in the far distance, many gray rocky spots on mountains where there is no snow, which all of that combine can approve that awareness. The main character, the tracker Cory Lambert represents hope, someone who will save the people and will bring the justice.
But there are some moments in the film that I didn't quite enjoy. There are some scenes with some unnecessary and useless shots. Sometimes, especially during the dialogue, editing falls off the track and at times changes its tempo. Also, there's only one scene, where Cory Lambert is having conversation with FBI agent Jane Banner about his daughter, and watching that scene I had feeling that camera was too shaky. I understand that in many movies, when cameraman is holding a camera it can't be strongly static, but in this scene it was extravagantly too much. But still, those are just few little mistakes and flaws that could be easily forgiven.
To sum up, I encourage you to go and see this film. You'll enjoy it. I have a feeling that this film is going to be nominated for the Academy Awards, in the categories of Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, etc. and probably even win in some of those categories.
9/10