Wind River - 4K UHD Walmart Exclusive SteelBook

To say nothing else, Wind River isn’t an easy film. It certainly falls under the thriller category but it is far heavier than anything you would likely to want to see for repeat thrills. This isn’t an edge-of-your-seat event like Collateral nor is it a classic adventure like Hitchcock's North By Northwest. Hell, Wind River isn’t even like Sheridan’s previous writing efforts Hell or High Water or Sicario (the less said about his first directorial effort, Vile, the better). Wind River is a rather unique piece of work about a Wildlife hunter and a fish-out-of-water FBI agent investigating the death of a young woman on Reservation land deep in the mountainous wilds of Montana. Sheridan wisely holds the plot cards close to the vest letting the setting and circumstances of the victim set the stage for our story to play out. As pieces of evidence and clues come together we learn a little more about our characters and the deep-seated motivations that compel them to move forward to the shocking climax. 

Our own David Krauss already wrote one hell of a review for the previous Blu-ray so I’ll let his words take over. 

Murder mysteries are usually entertaining intellectual exercises that feature an intricate plot and mandatory twist ending, but they rarely have much of a heart...or soul. Wind River is different. Though it faithfully follows the genre’s conventions, it veers off the well-worn path to sensitively examine disturbing issues our xenophobic mainstream society all too often ignores. Take away the themes of racism, sexism, hypocrisy, and neglect and Wind River becomes just another over-the-top thriller. But with them, it rises above the muck and stands tall as a potent, affecting drama.

Just as he did in his scripts for Sicario and the Oscar-nominated Hell or High Water, writer-director Taylor Sheridan creates conflicted, multi-dimensional characters who add depth and meaning to his violent tales. Here, he searingly examines the forgotten Native American men and women who seem trapped on poverty-stricken reservations and torn between a loyalty to their culture and a desire to leave behind a dead-end existence often marked by drug and alcohol abuse and a dearth of opportunity that prevent them from pursuing a more prosperous and fulfilling life. Theirs is a sad story with no easy answers that is too often overlooked, but Sheridan’s passionate commitment to it oozes from almost every frame of Wind River.

The “inspired by actual events” title card that opens the film doesn’t refer to a single incident, but rather an ongoing plague of mistreatment and indifference that afflicts a large swath of the Native American population. U.S. Fish and Wildlife service agent Cory Lambert (Jeremy Renner) is all too familiar with the situation, and when he discovers the frozen, bloody body of a Native American teen in the remote and snowy wilderness of the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming, it brings back horrific memories of his own teenage daughter’s death under similar circumstances a few years before. Jane Banner (Elizabeth Olsen), a young FBI agent reminiscent of Clarice Starling is dispatched to the area to investigate the crime, and with Cory and Sheriff Ben (Graham Greene), a ranking member of the reservation’s police force, as her guides, she navigates the unfamiliar terrain and learns about the foreign society into which she’s been unceremoniously thrust.

The tight-lipped, insular community views Jane with suspicion, and those she interviews are reticent to reveal much information to an outsider who represents the government that systematically represses them. Yet Jane remains undaunted and forges ahead with her probe, soon learning the young victim was sexually assaulted before her death. Initial information leads her to believe the girl’s much older boyfriend might be the culprit, but when his naked, badly beaten body also turns up in the snow, the focus shifts to a remote oil drilling site where the boyfriend worked as a security guard. And it‘s there that the mystery begins to unravel.

Sheridan, in only his second directorial outing, takes a slow-burn approach, methodically immersing us in the depressed atmosphere that consumes the Native American characters. We feel their hopelessness, resentment, bitterness, and desperate need to escape their confinement. He also insightfully depicts the cultural divide between native and white Americans and the resultant tension that undermines their relationships, as well as the bureaucratic red tape that so often impedes investigations on Native American soil. All of these elements enhance the film’s relevance and lend it an emotional resonance that overshadows its conventional climax and lingers long after the closing credits roll.

Sometimes a mystery is more interesting than its resolution, and that’s exactly the case here. The violent carnage that ultimately overtakes Wind River is shocking and powerful, but also somewhat cartoonish, straining credulity and cheapening the thoughtful drama that comes before and after it. Yes, it’s cathartic and part of it is purposeful, but it’s all a bit too much, especially for such a nuanced, message-oriented film.

Renner and Olsen may have co-starred in a couple of Avengers movies, but they leave their makeup and costumes at the door, filing sober, straightforward performances that reflect their deep respect for the material. Renner is especially affecting, projecting an admirable stoicism that belies the anguish and disillusionment buried inside him. He and Olsen share a comfortable chemistry that serves the story well, and Greene brings a penetrating calm and wry humor to the proceedings, crafting a performance that’s far more detailed than it looks.

Wind River deftly uses the murder mystery angle to call our attention to some ugly truths that have been swept under the rug for far too long. Whether the film will effect any change remains to be seen, but its largely poetic presentation hammers some key points home. This is not a film for the faint of heart - it is a thriller after all - but if you can get past the violence, you'll find an engrossing story that packs more than the usual visceral punch. Wind River carries a big stick, but the bulk of its power comes from the moments when it speaks oh so softly.

Vital Disc Stats: The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray
At long last, Wind River arrives on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray from Lionsgate with a 4K UHD + Blu-ray + Digital SteelBook. The 4K is pressed on a BD-100 disc with the 1080p looking to be a recycle of the 2017 Blu-ray. Both discs are housed in a custom SteelBook with a simple clear plastic slipcover. The disc loads to an animated main menu with standard navigation options.
Note: Haven’t been able to rip the 4K disc so pics from the 1080p disc will stand in until we can circle back and update the review.

While originally finished with a 2K digital intermediate, Wind River sees a splendid upgrade to 2160p with Dolby Vision HDR. Right from the harrowing opening moments, the image enjoys a welcome upgrade in clarity and depth. When the main story gets going and we see our main cast in their day-to-day lives, the subtle improvements in facial features, clothing, and set design gradually become more apparent and appreciable. The best aspect of this transfer is the Dolby Vision HDR grading which allows the natural primaries to pop beautifully against the snowy Wyoming backdrop. Skin tones are healthy and human without looking too pinked or pushed too orange. Black levels are deep and inky with lovely shadow separation, especially for the low-light scenes. But much of the film is outside in the snow and it’s brilliantly crisp and bright without any blooming issues offering a stark contrast to that lovely blue sky overhead. Image depth is also greatly improved giving a true feeling of three-dimensional depth to the image. For such a grim film it really is quite lovely to look at.

The video transfer isn’t the only upgrade worth celebrating, this disc also comes packed in with a tremendous Dolby Atmos audio track. Two big action sequences really get a rise out of the setup, but even in the quietest character-driven moments, this track delivers. The sounds of wind in the trees, falling snow, and crunching footsteps are delivered with pinpoint precision. Height channels help the mountainous Wyoming setting feel big and vast while also delivering some excellent wintery storm sound effects. The action scenes are beasts letting the close-up gunshots rattle away for full front/center impact with the echos drifting and floating into the sides, rears, and into the height channels. The somber score from Nick Cave and Warren Ellis really ramps up the LFE building with some truly disparate low tones for the heavy dramatic sequences. The Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track returns but it really doesn’t hold up by comparison. I mean, it’s still a good mix, it worked well in its day, but I can’t deny this Atmos track is the much better option of the two.

Bonus features sadly don’t see much of an upgrade here. The 4K disc only offers a trailer and the Blu-ray delivers the same brief character-focused video gallery and deleted scenes. 

4K Disc

• Trailer

Blu-ray Disc

• Deleted Scenes (HD 3:11)
• Behind the Scenes Video Gallery (HD 9:54)

Wind River is a hell of a film. A blistering thriller with the right amount of plot twists and turns while tackling an unfortunate and underreported real-life subject matter. While Sheridan may struggle to ascribe deeper meaning to some of his more long-winded character moments, the film thankfully avoids becoming a hokey cliched white savior action film. Given the cast, it easily could have gone that route. Instead, we get something that resembles a nuanced character drama as much as a thriller. After seven years, Wind River finally comes to 4K UHD with a wonderful Dolby Vision transfer upgrade and a magnificent Atmos mix to match. Sadly bonus features remain a lacking presence but for fans, the A/V upgrade should be worth considering a purchase - especially if you don’t own the film already. Highly Recommended