too real and powerful for the Oscars

Rating: 10/10 (27 July 2018)

There are some movies that are too real and powerful for the Oscars, containing subjects that are taboo. Last year it was Nocturnal Animals, and this year the honor goes to Wind River, which is a drama that never lets up. It is about the persecution of Native American people, in particular the abuse and rape of the women in their culture. Sure the men can't escape and often get imprisoned, but the women mainly end up dead. As Jeremy Renner and Elisabeth Olsen's character's try to navigate the landscape, they are constantly reminded that they will always be outsiders, no matter how much they try to help. Evening the scales and helping drive out the oppressors is a nice idea, but it is far too late as the Native American people are all but extinct. While a movie like Get Out finds a humor in the situation in being a minority, Wind River presents it as unflinching truth. It is a movie that will rip out your heart.