Together with the previously released _Sicario_ and _Hell or High Water_, _Wind River_ forms the so-called 'American Frontier'-trilogy by screenwriter Taylor Sheridan. The common denominator are the scenarios for these three films. Sheridan sketches an uncompromising picture of contemporary America, where issues such as poverty, violence and a staggering government system are the order of the day. Again delivering a blood-curdling crime thriller.

The crime scene is the Wind River Indian Reservation in the American state of Wyoming, an inhospitable area characterized by silence and especially a great amount of snow. [spoiler] During a tour through this environment, game hunter Cory Lambert (Jeremy Renner) finds the lifeless body of a young Native-American girl, kilometers away from the civilized world. What was striking is that the girl didn't wear shoes and coughed up a lot of blood just before her death. Suspicious circumstances, so let's call in the FBI. That help comes in the form of inexperienced FBI agent Jane Banner (Elizabeth Olsen) who classifies the dismal scene as a murder. Together with Cory Lambert she decides to open the manhunt on the perpetrators. Although she starts the (murder) investigation with good intentions, she does not seem to fully realize what kind of world she has come to. Luckily there's always a grounded local character nearby, reminding her, "In Wind River, you're on your own." [/spoiler]

And with that, there's no harsher moment of truth. The authorities hardly pay attention to the atrocities taking place in this corner of the United States, which means that every victim will only play for their own judge. For a thrilling like Wind River, that's nothing more than a starting point, somewhere very unpleasant, because shortly before the movie ends. We get a message about the harsh reality this movie is based on, which doesn't leave any doubt: To this day, indigenous American girls are not registered by the government _if_ missing. That horrific notice provides Sheridan's film with unexpected urgency and social relevance.

Even without the interference of that raw reality, Wind River is an excellent film, that rises far above average. Mainly due to the sensationally good work on paper. Althought the film is an original work of Sheridan, you often get the feeling you're watching the filming of a literary novel. Constant is the psychological depth, not the effect of a complicated murder plot. In addition, the characters are not walking clichés, but people of flesh and blood, who struggle with the complex emotions about issues such as debt and loss.

Moreover, the dark and poetic tone of the dialogues fits perfectly with the images of the wild snow landscape. Just like in the western classics of yesteryear, the melancholy of times gone by is omnipresent. Yet there is a glimmer of hope between now and then. In a similar way as in _Hell or High Water_, sudden violent outbursts alternate nicely with dry comical moments, withouth the seriousness of the situation being violated.

Perhaps the greatest achievement is that Wind River manages to sell an emotional boost within the limited playing time of hundred-and-seven minutes. Sheridan makes it plausible that the murder investigation has a devastating impact on the live of the sleuths. Nevertheless, his film does not feel hurried or sentimental. It's as if an entire season of _True Detective_ got put in a compressor, after which only the strong moments have been preserved. Add that to the fantastic casting of Gil Birmingham, Jeremy Renner (in perhaps his best role so far) and Elizabeth Olsen, and you have a crime thriller that will see you return to many top ten lists of film and genre lovers.

**8.5/10**