Wind River's quote, 9 years later, beats Taylor Sheridan's best thriller and anything he ever did on Yellowstone

From Yellowstone to Wind River

Sheridan created Yellowstone after acting as Deputy Hale on Sons of Anarchy. The series, led by Kevin Costner as Montana ranch patriarch John Dutton, premiered in 2018 and follows the family’s effort to preserve its ranching legacy.

The article places Wind River, which Sheridan wrote and directed a year before Yellowstone premiered, above the television series. It describes the film as a focused account of crimes against Indigenous women and their consequences.

Natalie’s story matters

Kelsey Asbille plays Natalie, whose death sets Wind River’s events in motion. Flashbacks and her connection to Cory’s daughter give the character a presence beyond the investigation into her death.

The film also draws attention to the lack of statistics on missing Indigenous women, a population the story says is not tracked. It seeks justice for Natalie while emphasizing her importance as a person.

A line that honors Natalie

Cory, played by Jeremy Renner, learns that Natalie was assaulted at a camp and ran barefoot through the snow for help before dying from the cold. He takes Pete, played by James Jordan, into the cold and challenges him to travel as far as Natalie did.

“Six miles. Barefoot,” Cory says, then calls Natalie “a warrior.” The article presents the words as a concise recognition of her strength and worth, rather than letting her be reduced to a victim in a crime story.

Cory does not intend to let Pete escape, and Pete fails to reach freedom. The scene connects punishment with the grief at the heart of Wind River, which the article considers a stronger achievement than Yellowstone.