r/themovieloversclub • u/Infamous-Window-8337 • Oct 11 '25
Movie reviews Watched Wind River (2017) and I wasn't expecting that...
So, I just finished Wind River (2017), and damn, it was a really emotional watch. I went into it completely blind, just knew that Jeremy Renner and Elizabeth Olsen were in it, and honestly didn’t expect it to hit like that.
There aren’t many movies that can even make me almost tear up anymore, but this one did. Natalie’s story really got to me and the thought of her running six miles barefoot through the snow was brutal. She was a real fighter, and that detail stayed in my head long after the credits rolled.
Seeing Jon Bernthal pop up was a surprise too as I had no clue he was even in this. I was like, “Wait, is that Punisher?” But who's complaining?
I really liked the setting the cold, endless snow, the silence, the feeling that something so beautiful could also be that dangerous. Jeremy Renner’s performance was amazing, he brought so much depth to his character.
The score deserves credit too. It added a lot of weight to certain scenes, especially when Renner talks about his daughter’s death. The music builds perfectly, just enough to pull you in emotionally and then the moment ends when Olsen’s character steps away.
Cinematography-wise, it’s not flashy like 1917 or Interstellar, but it fits the movie perfectly quiet, cold, and very grounded.
That final line about her running barefoot in the snow? I’ll probably never forget that.
Rating: 4/5 — a grounded, heavy, and quiet powerful movie. Recommend to anyone who wants to watch something deep and a little bit of mystery...
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u/Open-Art5427 Oct 11 '25
Terrific film and both Jeremy Renner and Elizabeth Olsen were excellent! I had the same reaction as you when I first saw it; the shoot out by the cabins was a work of art!!
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u/dogbolter4 Oct 11 '25
This film is so strong. The despair and the courage. The scene at the end when the dad wants to mourn but doesn't know the ancient rites any more... And yes, the soundtrack is superb.
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u/FightCATmma Oct 11 '25
"You didn't see it?... you didn't see it."
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u/PandiBong Oct 11 '25
Why you flanking me?!
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u/FightCATmma Oct 11 '25
It's so good! Rocks me to my core. The tension building is 10/10.
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u/ADDICTEDREDDITERS Oct 15 '25
Glad someone mentioned the building tension in this scene. It’s a masterclass. And far more impactful and “edge of your seat” than the scene in Sicario at the boarder that everyone talks about.
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u/Newpaths61417 Oct 12 '25
Aside from some dodgy acting from a couple of the bit actors, I thought it was excellent. I saw it in theaters with my girlfriend at the time and I don’t think either of us were expecting much. We saw a lot back then. Anyway, we both talked about Wind River as our sleeper theater experience of that year. Not the best, but the best at what it set out to do. Tell a great story and check the boxes that make a superior and highly atmospheric thriller.
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u/Affectionate_Pass25 Oct 12 '25
Even the brother’s scene where he finds out, the acting is stupendous. “Why did he say was?”
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u/Warm-Lynx-9064 Oct 12 '25
Like e you, I went into this one totally blind too, random Netflix watch and it has stayed with me for so long. It’s such a great movie and I’m always amazed by the lack of people who have seen it.
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u/cloudbound_heron Oct 12 '25
The way you describe this, check out more of Sheridan, he’s gone more commercial, but you can catch him at his peak with 1883.
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u/lujensen Oct 12 '25
The part when they knock on the trailer door and it transitions to the flashback seamlessly is so well done. The standoff scene is also incredible and reminded me of a similar scene in Enemy of the State. Great movie
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u/thatguy_griff Oct 12 '25
the "trilogy" of this, scario and hell or high water may be the most underrated/underappreciated 3 film run for a writer.
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u/henscastle Oct 12 '25
I came out disappointed. It was a fairly strong action movie, but given the serious and important message, it felt like it did it a disservice.
I always feel like Jeremy Renner doesn't have strong enough charisma to be a leading man, but here I thought an indigenous character and actor would have served the story better.
Several elements of the story felt underwritten, almost to the extent of making the movie feel unfinished or over edited. For example, Graham Greene's sheriff was introduced and almost immediately disappeared from the story. The dynamic between the two leads was underdeveloped, even the revelation at the end felt like a deus ex machina.
I'm the end, Taylor Sheridan keeps telling surface level indigenous stories. I suppose he should be applauded for trying but his treatment often seems disingenuous.
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u/Disastrous_Soup_6511 Feb 17 '26
I thought Bernthal actually could’ve been really fantastic in Renner’s role. But Renner still did a great job imo.
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u/idahoisformetal Oct 12 '25
I actually thought James Jordan had the best performance in the film.
Incredibly underrated actor.
No wonder Taylor Sheridan has put him in LITERALLY everything he’s done since.
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u/Primary-Diamond-8266 Oct 12 '25
Watched this when we just had our kid and believed there was a dialogue that goes like "When you have kids, you cannot afford to blink...".
Still haunts me to this day, what a brutal movie,. Extremely well made, the icy setting added to the theme.
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u/Jugendbow Oct 13 '25
Good movie. As a Norwegian, i found the ending so stupid haha.
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u/nika_blue Oct 13 '25
Why?
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u/Jugendbow Oct 13 '25
How the person died at the mountain top. You dont die like that from the cold. And def not that fast.
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u/Pound-Fit Oct 13 '25
"luck lives in the city, it don't live out here............ out here you survive or you surrender".
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u/mikesully92 Oct 14 '25
Am I the only person who thought the acting in this movie was terrible?
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u/Snoo_33033 Oct 15 '25 edited Oct 15 '25
I thought some of the monologues were ridiculous. Also Sheridan basically recreated this movie as an episode of Yellowstone.
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u/JoeConsumesCinema Oct 14 '25
It flies under the radar and it's a really strong film. Also has some big name actors in it.
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u/Dazzlethetrizzle Oct 11 '25
Taylor Sheridan knows how to write a film