(3 / 5)
“While missing person statistics are compiled for every other demographic, none exist for Native American women.”
What?! I was stunned to read this fact stated before the closing credits of Wind River. Usually when I see a film that carries an important message, I’ve heard of the issue before, and the film simply delivers it in a more hard-hitting way than watching the news (e.g. Snowden, Spotlight, etc.). Wind River highlights a fact which I am sure most people aren’t even aware of.
A local girl has been found murdered on the Wind River reservation in snowy Wyoming by game hunter Cory Lambert (Jeremy Renner). He teams up with FBI agent Jane Banner (Elizabeth Olsen) and Police Chief Ben (Graham Greene) to help solve the case.
Even though this is a film about a murder investigation, it feels more like a drama than a thriller. It’s more hard-hitting than mysterious. Especially when you consider that the scenario is based upon true events, making it all the more shocking. The thing that baffles me most is how this can be the case – today, in the USA. I sincerely hope that it brings much-needed awareness to the issue so that something can be done about it.
Wind River is entertaining enough, but i’d say the message behind it is far more compelling than the film itself.
Wind River is released in Sweden on 12 January 2018.