taylor sheridan,

SUMMARY

  • Taylor Sheridan’s experience with racism, judged by association, sparked his impactful storytelling in neo-westerns, especially through Wind River.
  • Wind River dives into Native American struggles, exposing systemic issues and sparking conversation on racism, violence, and poverty.
  • Sheridan's commitment to telling harsh truths through Wind River and elevating overlooked voices reshaped neo-western storytelling with authenticity.

Taylor Sheridan’s journey to crafting one of the decade’s most impactful neo-westerns stemmed from a deeply personal experience with racism — only, it wasn’t about his own identity. Sheridan reflected on moments where he wasn’t judged for who he was but rather for how others viewed different races. 

Paramount NetworkTaylor Sheridan as Travis Wheatley in Yellowstone | Credits: Paramount Network

That perspective hit hard and planted the seeds for a storytelling approach that challenged stereotypes and confronted harsh realities. 

Wind River: Taylor Sheridan’s haunting neo-western rooted in harsh realities

Jeremy Renner and Gil Birmingham star in Wind RiverJeremy Renner and Gil Birmingham star in Wind River | Credits: The Weinstein Company

Taylor Sheridan lived harsh truths with Wind River. Reflecting on the racism he faced for associating with Native Americans, Sheridan revealed how the experience shaped his neo-western masterpiece. 

Set against the icy, desolate backdrop of Wyoming, Wind River dives deep into the struggles of a Native American reservation, exposing systemic failures, poverty, and violence.

The film’s gripping plot centers on a game tracker (Jeremy Renner as Cory Lambert) and a green FBI agent (Elizabeth Olsen as Jane Banner) uncovering a murder on the reservation. 

But this wasn’t your typical whodunit. Sheridan’s storytelling masterfully intertwines gut-wrenching realism with bursts of unflinching violence, pulling viewers into the grim realities of reservation life.

The Weinstein CompanyJeremy Renner and Elizabeth Olsen in Wind River | Credits: The Weinstein Company

Sheridan’s passion for the story stemmed from his own experiences. A visit to South Dakota’s Pine Ridge reservation opened his eyes to the struggles of Native communities, from staggering unemployment to outright discrimination. He felt it. 

Recalling a moment when he was refused service because of his Native friends, Sheridan shared (via The Guardian): 

My buddy was like, ‘You’re hanging out with the Indians. They ain’t gonna sell you shit.’ It was the only time in my life that I’ve experienced anything close to racism. I was judged not for my race but for their race.

Critics praised Wind River for its authenticity but noted its cultural tightrope. While Native actors like Gil Birmingham (as a grieving father) delivered stellar performances, the film’s white protagonists raised eyebrows. 

Sheridan, however, stayed committed to telling the harshest truths. Underlining his responsibility to amplify overlooked voices, he said, 

I was told, ‘Hey, you’ve got a pipeline. No one gives a shit about our story. In your business, you could actually tell our story. If you get a chance, would you do that? But you’ve got to tell the worst of it. ‘Cos the worst of our story ain’t our fault.’

With haunting music by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis and Sheridan’s meticulous eye for realism, Wind River stands tall as a gripping, socially conscious neo-western — a genre now synonymous with Taylor Sheridan’s name.

A thriller twist: Wind River 2 steps away from Taylor Sheridan’s grit

Paramount NetworkTaylor Sheridan as Travis Wheatley in Yellowstone | Credits: Paramount Network

Wind River 2: The Next Chapter has been a long time coming, but Gil Birmingham spilled some intriguing details about the sequel. Unlike the 2017 original, which blended Western grit with murder mystery, the follow-up takes a sharper turn into thriller territory.

Birmingham revealed that Taylor Sheridan, who wrote and directed Wind River, had no involvement in the sequel. Adding that the story feels more like a classic “investigative-and-capture” tale, he shared (via Screenrant):

Just to be quick about it, we filmed that probably two-and-a-half years ago. Taylor’s not associated, he didn’t write it, and he didn’t produce it. Matthew [George] is one of the producers on Wind River that came to me with it. So, I’m not really sure, we’re rather curious ourselves of of what the holdup is in certain terms of distribution and how it may come out. 

But, it’s quite a bit different story than than the original one is. It’s more of a thriller, I would think. And I don’t know if that’s part of the complication, you know, is it drama? Is it thriller? Determining how they really want to market it, but it’s yet to be seen. Yeah, it’s kind of just faded off there for a while. Who knows what will happen with it?

The plot follows Martin Sensmeier’s character, now mentored by Jeremy Renner’s Fish and Game Warden, as he hunts down a revenge-driven criminal on the reservation.

With no release date in sight, fans are left wondering when this “different beast” will finally emerge.

Wind River is available to watch on Amazon Prime & Apple TV.

Elizabeth OlsenJeremy RennerTaylor Sheridan

Written by Heena Singh

Articles Published: 723

Heena Singh is a writer at FandomWire, spent the last two years making waves in entertainment journalism. With a knack for digging up blockbuster celebrity scoops and an uncanny nose for the latest buzz, Heena’s articles bring a fresh and fun perspective to life. When she’s not conquering writing challenges, you’ll find her curled up in bed, peacefully sleeping.