The Wind (2018)

Out here, there’s no one to hear you doubt yourself.

The Wind (2018) is a haunting, atmospheric horror western that trades jump scares for psychological dread. Set on the desolate 19th-century American frontier, it follows Lizzy Macklin (Caitlin Gerard), a tough, self-sufficient homesteader left alone in a vast, windswept prairie after tragedy strikes.

As Lizzy tends to her isolated home, the constant howl of the wind becomes more than just background noise — it becomes a presence. When a young couple moves into a nearby cabin, Lizzy forms a fragile bond with the new wife, Emma. But Emma’s paranoia soon infects Lizzy’s solitude. She speaks of something lurking in the dark, a supernatural force watching from the plains — a demon, perhaps, brought forth by the loneliness itself.

As the film moves between present and past, Lizzy’s sense of reality begins to unravel. Did the demon take hold of Emma? Or was it grief, fear, and madness — the true ghosts of the prairie? The film never gives easy answers. Instead, it layers dread through long silences, empty landscapes, and quiet moments where the supernatural might just be grief in disguise.

The cinematography amplifies the isolation. Endless skies stretch overhead, but they offer no comfort — only exposure. The wind is its own character: invasive, ceaseless, a whispering reminder that Lizzy may be truly alone.

The Wind excels by combining historical realism with psychological horror. It draws on the real terrors of pioneer life — childbirth without help, loneliness, and the ever-present fear of death — and then adds something darker just beneath the surface. It’s less about what’s hiding out there, and more about what’s buried inside.

Caitlin Gerard delivers a powerful, nuanced performance that holds the film together. Her slow descent into uncertainty is chilling, sympathetic, and heartbreakingly grounded.

It’s not a film for gore-seekers or action junkies. It’s a patient, moody horror experience — one that trades screams for unease, and monsters for internal collapse.