There's No River, But It Looks Windy. 'Wind River': A Review

I went to Wind River last week with very little idea of what it was actually about other than the trailer, which was pretty vague in its detail except the movie is clearly introduced as a thriller. Not knowing completely what to expect and based off a recommendation, I went last week to have some cineplex food for supper and to check out this flick. I'll try to keep the spoilers to a minimum and just comment on the most notable parts (in my opinion) of it without giving it away!

The visuals were so appealing and the scenes were shot really well. It takes place in the springtime in Wyoming, but still very cold and snowy. There are parts where I would feel a chill down my spine just because of the snow and the characters locking in on that cold, winter feeling. As a Canadian, I obviously understand the snow and even though it doesn't get to the point where you have to snowshoe or snowmobile, I still related to the feelings toward the environment and the surroundings. I found my eyes very drawn to certain scenes of the physical environment, making me feel more into the movie and the "world" it takes place in. The environment and weather is such an important part of this movie and I feel like the director treated it very carefully, to capture the important moments and feelings. It's really clear there was thought in so many scenes and it wasn't just thrown together, and I love to see that in anything I'm watching!

The acting was also unexpectedly great. I was expecting Jeremy Renner to go downhill after the beginning and lose sight of the role a bit as I've only seen him in the Marvel movies and American Hustle, but he was really focussed and honestly amazing in the whole movie. I feel like he really did the topics justice and after that performance I've gained A LOT of respect for him as an actor. As for Elizabeth Olsen, again I've only seen her in the MCU. Her performance was also extremely notable, but to me not as good as Jeremy Renner. Perhaps she wasn't given the opportunity to present her talents in the same way, but still a really good, very realistic and solid performance.

This movie addresses a really serious topic and it wasn't something I thought of off the top of my head, but I was still really interested once it got going. Not only does it address several serious topics, it offers the audience a story without shoving ideals and opinions in the story to make it something that it's not. It merely presents the story and englightens the audience to reflect, and hopefully gain awareness. It offers a lot of time for reflection after the action, and I can really appreciate that because for me, it was a lot to take in.

One other thing I want to mention about this movie that totally moved me, was the score of the film. I'm always listening for a good score in a movie because it's one of my favourite parts, and the score in this movie was top notch. The score adds haunting and eerie sounds to add to the theme of the movie which resonated very well with the other elements. It's very touching during some parts and just contributes to the visuals in a way where it harmonizes perfectly.

Overall obviously I'm struggling to find something bad about this movie, which is totally fine with me. I appreciate being reminded of why I love movies and this one really brought that up for me. I was engaged, on the edge of my seat, and reflective after it was over. Even though it's been a week since I've seen it, I'm still thinking about it. Definitely recommend this movie and hopefully I'll be watching it again when it comes out on digital!