WIND RIVER
An exceptional thriller haunted by violent crimes — for older adults only.
Should You Watch It?
WIND RIVER is an exceptional, unique thriller with an absorbing investigation, superb acting, and character development that is often profoundly moving. Jeremy Renner and Elizabeth Olsen give emotionally powerful performances, while Graham Greene, Gil Birmingham, and the other Native American cast members add depth to the drama.
The film also carries a serious burden. Its story centers on the rape and death of a young American Indian woman, and it calls attention to missing Native American women in the United States. The subject matter is painful, and the film includes extreme violence in two lengthy scenes near the end, along with lots of strong foul language. One shot during the rape scene is particularly gratuitous.
This is a remarkably well-made thriller, but it is only for older adults. If that describes you and you can handle the content, it is worth seeing; families with children or young teens should choose something else.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESCory Lambert, a Wyoming game and wildlife ranger, finds the body of a young American Indian woman on the Wind River Indian Reservation. An inexperienced FBI agent, Jane Banner, arrives to investigate, but the remote landscape and local circumstances make the case difficult.
Jane asks Cory to help her navigate the physical and social terrain. As they follow the evidence, the mystery surrounding the woman’s death deepens.
Is It Any Good?
Four stars means this is an exceptional thriller, not merely a watchable one. The story is totally absorbing, the acting is superb, and the character development is often profoundly moving.
Renner and Olsen give two of their most effective performances, while Graham Greene and Gil Birmingham bring great emotional weight to their roles. The film’s many powerful scenes involving the investigators, the victim’s parents, and the local community add real depth to the story and its drama.
Its serious weaknesses are content-related rather than matters of craft: an intense, gratuitously violent rape scene, a lengthy gunfight, and a great deal of strong foul language.
The Worldview
WIND RIVER presents a strong moral worldview. It views American law enforcement positively while exposing injustices involving Native American citizens that need redressing. It also argues for compassion toward crime victims and their families and for bringing criminals to justice.
The film’s Native American characters and performers are central to its emotional power, and its reservation setting gives the investigation a strong social and cultural focus. The movie aims to expose the apparent lack of national statistics and a national database for Native American women who are raped, murdered, or missing, while the source also notes that other reports say conditions on the reservation may not be as bad as media coverage sometimes suggests.
The film honors compassion, justice, and concern for grieving families. It also includes a man’s account of a happy Christmas experience hearing a church choir sing. Those glimpses point toward moral responsibility and human consolation, though the film’s answer remains centered on justice within this life.
Scripture calls God’s people to pursue the same moral direction: “do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8).
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Content Summary
Strong moral worldview, with a strong positive view of American law enforcement, which also exposes some injustices involving Native American citizens that need redressing (but not in a politically correct way) and argues for compassion toward crime victims and their families and bringing criminals to justice, plus man talks about a happy Christmas experience he had where he heard a church choir singing; 41 obscenities (including plenty of “f” words), six strong profanities and four light exclamatory profanities; some extreme violence includes a depicted and implied rape scene, intense fight scene occurs during rape scene between woman’s boyfriend and rapists, FBI agent kills one man in a small shootout, raped body of a woman is found with blood in the snow, the dead body of a man is found in the snow, intense group gunfight occurs with about 10 men dead, woman shot point blank through a door, man leaves a villain to die in the snow, images of dead bodies, and man contemplates suicide; depicted and implied rape scene, but explicit details not shown, implied fornication; a shot of rear female nudity and some shots of upper male nudity; brief alcohol use; no smoking but mention of drugs and going to jail for drugs; and, some lying.
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
The film asks viewers to consider the suffering of crime victims and their families. How can Christians show compassion to people who are grieving?
Romans 12:15 · 2 Corinthians 1:3–4The investigation exposes possible injustices involving Native American citizens. What does Scripture require when people or institutions fail to pursue justice?
Micah 6:8 · Isaiah 1:17The story places justice and vengeance close together. How should a Christian seek justice without taking personal revenge?
Romans 12:19–21A character remembers hearing a church choir at Christmas. What memories or practices help point us toward hope in the middle of grief?
Psalm 42:5 · Romans 15:13The Final Word
WIND RIVER is an exceptional, emotionally powerful thriller with a strong moral center. Its extreme violence, rape-related material, and foul language make it unsuitable for children and young teens. For older adults prepared for that content, it is WORTH THE TRIP — ADULTS ONLY. For other family movie nights, see.
