Cracking Netflix‘s Top 10 is a badge of honor for any movie. Typically, that list is reserved for new projects that the platform is pushing, such as the recent hit KPop Demon Hunters, or a film that comes out of nowhere and takes the world by storm, like Unknown Number: The High School Catfish. However, Netflix adds so much content that it’s hard to predict what will rise to the top. September 2025 is an especially interesting month because the Shrek franchise has found its way onto the streamer, introducing new viewers, young and old, to the ogre and his friends. But despite nabbing three spots in the Top 10, Shrek isn’t the big winner this month.
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Sitting at the ninth spot on Netflix’s most recent Top 10 movies list is the 2017 critical darling Wind River, starring two Marvel Cinematic Universe alums, Elizabeth Olsen and Jeremy Renner. Captain America and Iron Man aren’t around to save the day in Taylor Sheridan’s drama, with Olsen and Renner playing two government agents who have to solve a murder on the Wind River Indian Reservation in Wyoming. After witnessing all of Wind River‘s twists and turns, it’s no surprise that it has well over two million views on Netflix in recent days.
Wind River Shines a Light on a Real Issue
What Olsen’s character, FBI Agent Jane Banner, learns as she gathers information in Wind River is that no one is looking out for its residents. Brutal murders happen pretty frequently, but the investigations rarely go anywhere. Well, Banner, along with her new companion, U.S. Wildlife Agent Cory Lambert, isn’t going to let this one go, pressing every button she can until she gets closure for the victim’s family.
The sensitive nature of Wind River‘s story wasn’t lost on Sheridan during the development process. In fact, he thought the subject matter was so important that he was the only one who could handle it.
“Wind River is such a personal story, and I wanted to make sure it was handled exactly the way I thought it needed to be because of what it was dealing with,” he told Esquire. “If it didn’t work, it needed to be on my shoulders.”
Due to Sheridan and his crew’s hard work, Wind River not only did well for itself at the box office, grossing $45 million on a $11 million budget, but also received critical acclaim. It was nominated for the Caméra d’Or at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival, the same event where Sheridan brought home the Un Certain Regard for Best Director. Fortunately, it no longer takes traveling to France to witness the greatness of Wind River, as the movie is available to stream for anyone with a Netflix subscription.
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Image courtesy of HBO Max
