“Wind River” Review

Taylor Sheridan’s directorial debut is very similar to the other works that he’s written, including Hell or High Water and Sicario. That’s very much a good thing. Wind River is a movie where the location itself is a pivotal character in the story, as it focuses on a small group of people scattered across a vast land in wintry Wyoming. Jeremy Renner leads alongside Avengers teammate Elizabeth Olsen as they try to uncover a murder mystery that becomes so much more.

Similar to Hell or High Water, the location of Wind River is a place that affects all the characters deeply, and in different ways. For some, the place is all they have come to know and for others, it’s a prison that they are desperate to escape from. The movie does a pretty good job of fleshing out each of the characters and what’s at stake for them in this murder mystery case,  making it more focused on the personal conflicts rather than the overall plot itself.

Seeing as how the things I’ve described about the movie indicate it may be a somewhat slow movie, rest assured that it is. Some may be eager to see how the mystery plays out, but I think the movie steers you in a way that actually makes you more invested in the background stories of the characters, mainly Jeremy Renner’s.

I initially thought that Elizabeth Olsen was miscast in her role as an FBI agent, but I found that as the movie progressed, she actually played her character quite well. Her character is that of someone caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. Wanting to just do her job and get out as soon as possible, she finds herself in situations where her resolve is tested, and the movie does a pretty good job with the payoff.

While the movie is slow overall, there are also moments of great tension and even well-filmed action, very reminiscent of Sicario. It fits well with the narrative of the movie and while I won’t spoil anything (obviously), the movie has quite a thrilling finale.

If you have the patience to watch something a bit more slow, I think you will appreciate the intimacy that the movie has with its characters and even with Wind River itself. Sheridan’s debut movie is a solid success, and I’ll be looking forward to his future projects.

Grade: B/79

“The Survivalist” Review

Normally when you think of post-apocalyptic movies, you think of the war-torn stretches of land, the overgrowth sprawling all over cityscapes, or the remnants of battles that ravaged the world. The Survivalist is unlike any of those in that it is a very self-contained post-apocalyptic movie that actually barely makes any mention of what has happened except for a little info-graphic in the beginning, and it uses that to its advantage.

This is a slow movie. Not much goes on and like I said, it’s very self-contained. The majority of the movie revolves around a man living on his own in the forest, until a pair of survivors come and change everything. However, the excellent directing makes this movie very intense and thrilling throughout. There aren’t big battles, explosions, or anything you’d come to expect from a post-apocalyptic movie. This one is very personal, and deals with the twisted and dark nature of humanity when they are pushed to the limit.

Martin McCann is great as the main character in the movie. He doesn’t say much, but he does a great job conveying his emotions through his eyes and expressions. The other two survivors are pretty good as well.

This movie definitely isn’t for everyone. Some of the scenes are hard to watch, and it’s pretty brutal when things get intense. It is a movie that highlights human nature and our need to survive in dire times. I appreciated the simplistic nature of the film, as they do not care about the actual “apocalypse” itself, but rather its effect on the characters and how they adapt to the changes.

The best part of the film is how the director expertly crafts each scene to ramp up the tension and intensity. There are some truly thrilling scenes, and the absence of music only makes it more intense. I wouldn’t say this movie is for everyone, but for those who can stomach some brutality should check this one out.

Grade: B/80

“The Lost City of Z” Review

The Lost City of Z is one of the hidden gems of 2017. I didn’t think much of it going into the movie, since I pretty much had no knowledge of the source material. The film follows the life of Percy Fawcett, a British explorer who is fascinated with finding an undiscovered ancient civilization in the amazon. As his fascination eventually becomes an obsession, he has to make a decision between making a mark on the world or his family.

Along his life he gets taken to some interesting places that shape his worldview, and the movie covers a good amount of it. The pacing is pretty good as there is a lot of material to go over, although some who watch it may be bored since it is kind of a slow movie.

Charlie Hunnam gives the best performance I’ve seen from him, and it’s quite good. While the character he plays may not be likable, Hunnam does a good job of portraying the gradual changes that Fawcett goes through. The supporting characters are all serviceable as well. Tom Holland as Fawcett’s eldest son is pretty good, even though he’s not in it very long. Robert Pattinson plays Fawcett’s right hand man, and gives an okay perfromance. I was actually pretty interested in the character of Fawcett’s wife, but unfortunately the movie doesn’t really spend much time on her.

The movie also looks beautiful. Lots of scenes are in the jungle, and I think the movie does a good job of showing how brutal the rainforest can be. There is a deep sense of wonder when watching Fawcett explore the amazon, along with an uneasiness knowing that there is danger in every corner.

All in all, I think this is a solid adventure movie. It’s a bit more slow paced and more focused on the characters, but I think Hunnam does enough to make you interested and invested in what happens to him. I wouldn’t say I was incredibly attached to anyone, but it is a well made movie about something I feel like I never would have learned about on my own.

Grade: B/78