10 Movies and TV Shows Similar to Wind River (2017)

Description: Like 'Wind River', 'Fargo' blends crime drama with dark humor against a snowy rural backdrop. Both feature determined female law officers solving brutal crimes, explore the collision of urban and rural values, and maintain a similar balance between violence and human drama.

Fact: The film popularized the Minnesota accent in pop culture. The wood chipper scene was inspired by a real 1986 Connecticut murder. Frances McDormand won her first Oscar for this role.

Description: Clint Eastwood's crime drama shares with 'Wind River' themes of trauma, revenge, and the lasting impact of violence. Both films feature tight-knit communities shattered by crime, explore the psychological toll on investigators, and maintain a somber, atmospheric tone throughout.

Fact: Sean Penn and Tim Robbins both won Oscars for their performances. The film marked a career resurgence for both actors. Eastwood composed the film's melancholic score himself.

Description: Like 'Wind River', this Ben Affleck-directed crime drama deals with the search for a missing person in a working-class community. Both films explore moral ambiguity in law enforcement, feature shocking revelations about the victims, and maintain a gritty, realistic tone throughout.

Fact: Ben Affleck's directorial debut. Based on a Dennis Lehane novel (who also wrote 'Mystic River'). The child actress in the film was actually the daughter of a crew member.

Description: This Coen Brothers masterpiece shares with 'Wind River' a bleak, unforgiving portrayal of crime in rural America. Both films feature law enforcement officers confronting senseless violence, explore themes of fate and morality, and maintain a similar slow-paced, tension-filled narrative structure.

Fact: Won four Academy Awards including Best Picture. Javier Bardem's haircut as Anton Chigurh was inspired by a 1979 photo of a Texas prisoner. The film stays remarkably faithful to Cormac McCarthy's novel.

Description: This Denis Villeneuve thriller shares with 'Wind River' a focus on a desperate search for missing persons in harsh conditions. Both films explore themes of vigilantism, moral ambiguity, and the lengths people will go to protect their families, with similar atmospheric tension and bleak cinematography.

Fact: Hugh Jackman's intense performance took a physical and emotional toll on him. Roger Deakins' cinematography earned another Oscar nomination. The film's script was on Hollywood's 'Black List' of best unproduced screenplays for years.

Description: David Fincher's adaptation shares with 'Wind River' a focus on solving violent crimes against women in cold, isolated settings. Both feature unconventional investigators, explore themes of institutional failure to protect victims, and maintain a similar dark, atmospheric tone.

Fact: Rooney Mara had to undergo extensive body modifications for the role. The opening credits sequence became iconic in its own right. Daniel Craig took the role specifically to work with David Fincher.

Description: While set in different time periods, both 'The Revenant' and 'Wind River' feature survival stories in brutal winter landscapes. They share themes of revenge, justice, and man's struggle against nature, with both protagonists seeking resolution for personal tragedies.

Fact: Leonardo DiCaprio finally won his Oscar for this role. The film used only natural light for shooting. Tom Hardy reportedly ate bison liver for real in one scene.

Description: The first season of this anthology series shares with 'Wind River' a brooding atmosphere, complex character studies, and a mystery involving violence against women in rural areas. Both feature law enforcement officers grappling with personal demons while pursuing justice in unforgiving landscapes.

Fact: The six-minute tracking shot in episode 4 took seven takes to perfect. Matthew McConaughey's character was partly inspired by real-life detective Paul Holes. The series revived McConaughey's career, leading to his Oscar for 'Dallas Buyers Club'.

Description: Similar to 'Wind River' in its neo-Western crime drama style, 'Hell or High Water' explores themes of justice, survival, and the harsh realities of rural America. Both films feature law enforcement officers dealing with violent crimes in desolate settings, and they share a slow-burning tension that builds to intense climaxes.

Fact: The film was nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Picture. It was written by Taylor Sheridan, who also wrote 'Sicario' and 'Wind River', forming an unofficial 'Frontier Trilogy'. The film's title comes from a phrase in marriage vows, symbolizing the brothers' unbreakable bond.

Description: Like 'Wind River', 'Sicario' is a tense, morally complex thriller that examines violence and justice in remote, lawless areas (the U.S.-Mexico border). Both films feature strong female leads navigating dangerous male-dominated environments and share a similar visual style with stark landscapes and brutal action sequences.

Fact: Denis Villeneuve directed this before his work on 'Blade Runner 2049'. The word 'sicario' means hitman in Latin American Spanish. Roger Deakins' cinematography earned the film an Oscar nomination.