Having been responsible for writing 'Sicario', directed by Denis Villeneuve, and 'Hell or High Water', directed by David McKenzie, Taylor Sheridan's directorial debut 'Wind River' was seen with great interest and high expectations. Mainly to see how Sheridan would fare as a director, showing himself as a great writer for those two mentioned films.

And what a directorial debut 'Wind River' is. Sheridan proves himself to be the completely right director for the job and be as good a director as he is a writer, handling the tension, disturbing creepiness and pathos with a near-perfect balance and despite being a slow-burner 'Wind River' is mostly compelling and rarely dull. There have been a number of directorial debuts this year, Sheridan's to me is one of the best in one of the stronger films released so far this year.

'Wind River' does have a couple of drawbacks. It does drag at times in the middle act as a result of being bogged down by having a little too much talk, and the philosophical elements are a little patronisingly heavy-handed. On the most part however, 'Wind River' is impeccably made, directed and acted, highly atmospheric and well balanced in tone. Of the films seen so far of all the films released last week in my country, 'Wind River' is in the top four along with 'God's Own Country', 'The Farthest' and 'IT'.

Visually, 'Wind River' is impeccable. The scenery is stunning yet atmospherically desolate, accompanied by some of the most beautiful cinematography of the year so far. The music score is suitably haunting but not in an overt way.

Despite being imperfect, occasionally being a little too talky and not faring so well in the philosophising, the script is intelligent, thought-provoking and understated. The story has suspenseful tension, poignant pathos and at times chillingly disturbing while also being an effective slow-burner and rich in atmosphere. It does get off to a great start, still engages but meanders slightly in the pacing in the middle and then goes with all guns blazing in an electrifying climax.

Characters are well realised and interesting, while the acting is superb. Jeremy Renner gives one of his greatest performances in a role that stretches him but he shows no signs of being challenged. Elizabeth Olsen has also never been better, being responsible for one of the most convincing portrayals of an FBI agent since Jodie Foster's Clarice Starling in 'The Silence of the Lambs'. The supporting cast are more than up to their level, especially a heart-breaking Gil Birmingham.

In conclusion, 'Wind River' is more than well worth tracking down, for those who loves this sort of film it's a must albeit it won't work for anybody. 9/10 Bethany Cox

WIND RIVER is a slow-burning detective mystery featuring a couple of interesting actors as the leads and a plot set on a Native American reservation in snowy Wyoming. It harks back to earlier American thrillers such as FARGO, but the main inspiration seems to be Scandi-noir here, with intense white-outs and an investigation that plays out as slowly as possible. The good news is that Elizabeth Olsen and Jeremy Renner are old hands by now and they carry the film very well with good depth of characterisation and the like. The mystery is a little too slight for my liking, although doubtlessly important and more relevant to our times than ever. The best scene is a late-on flashback in which Jon Bernthal proves electrifying (as usual) in his one-scene cameo.

Cory Lambert (Jeremy Renner) is a hunter working for Fish and Wildlife Service. He is brought in to Wind River Reservation to hunt down an animal in the mountains of Wyoming and discovers the frozen body of a dead local girl. Ben (Graham Greene) is the tribal police chief. New FBI agent Jane Banner (Elizabeth Olsen) arrives to investigate the case. She faces jurisdictional conflicts and cultural intransigence.

This is very much in the tradition of In Cold Blood. The characters are well-drawn. There is a sense of place. The violence is brutal. The shootouts are shocking, abrupt, visceral, and intense. There isn't much of a mystery. It's more about a straight forward investigation. The scene with Cory confessing his lost to Jane is something different. Although I appreciated it, Jane getting the information from his wife would be more compelling in the traditional sense. Jane would know something about Cory without him knowing about it. When the perp is on the run and sees the porcupine, I fully expected the mountain lion to jump him from behind. There is a poetry to what Cory does to him. This is a brutal and effective crime drama.