Taylor Sheridan's $45M Western Thriller Immediately Surges On Netflix Charts 8 Years After Its Release

Taylor Sheridan is well known as the co-creator of the popular neo-Western series Yellowstone and its prequels, 1883 and 1923, which have all concluded. He has also co-created several streaming series for Paramount+, Mayor of Kingstown, Tulsa King, Lioness, and Landman, which are all currently airing.

In addition to these television series, Sheridan has also written several films, including the screenplay for Sicario (2015), directed by Denis Villeneuve, and its sequel Sicario: Day of the Soldado (2018), directed by Stefano Sollima. Sheridan scored an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay for writing the neo-Western Hell or High Water (2016), directed by David Mackenzie, which received three additional nominations, including Best Picture.

More recently, Sheridan co-wrote the action thrillers Without Remorse, directed once again by Stefano Sollima, and also took on directing duties himself for Those Who Wish Me ᴅᴇᴀᴅ (both 2021). However, it’s Sheridan’s 2017 Western thriller that is currently surging on Netflix’s charts.

Wind River Surges On Netflix Charts

Wind River is currently surging on Netflix’s charts. Written and directed by Taylor Sheridan, the 2017 neo-Western crime film follows a veteran wildlife officer and a rookie FBI agent who team up to investigate the rape and murder of an 18-year-old woman on the тιтular Wind River Indian Reservation in snowy Wyoming, and soon find their lives in danger.

The movie stars Jeremy Renner and Elizabeth Olsen as the wildlife officer and FBI agent, respectively, alongside a cast that includes Oscar nominee Graham Greene (Dances with Wolves), Kelsey Asbille, Gil Birmingham, Julia Jones, Martin Sensmeier, Teo Briones, Tantoo Cardinal, Emmy winner Jon Bernthal (The Bear), Hugh Dillon, Ian Bohen, and Eric Lange.

Eight years after its release, Wind River ranks ninth on Netflix’s Top 10 movies in the United States for today, September 30. It ranks below Unknown Number: The High School Catfish, KPop Demon Hunters, The Thursday Murder Club, Shrek the Third, KPop Demon Hunters – Sing-Along, Shrek, Escape Room, Shrek 2, and above Abducted on Prom Night.

Our Take On Wind River’s Netflix Success

Gil Birmingham's Martin in face paint looking at Jeremy Renner's Cory while sitting on the ground in Wind River — Gil Birmingham’s Martin in face paint looking at Jeremy Renner’s Cory while sitting on the ground in Wind River

Wind River has reappeared on streaming charts several times since its release in 2017, a testament to its timeless quality and the urgent relevance of its themes involving the overlooked epidemic of Indigenous women being raped and murdered on reservations.

Wind River deals with an important issue, but also draws viewers in with the conventions of a gripping mystery, sharp writing from Sheridan, a strong cast, and a vividly crafted setting. Expect Wind River to continue surging on Netflix for the foreseeable future.